The Apoftle profeffes bis Affection for the Jews,

111

can we want? When GOD is for us, and when we are fenfible of his Sect, 18. Love in giving us his Son, how can we allow ourselves to fufpect his Readinefs, with him, to give us all Things truly reasonable or defirable? All Ver. 32. other Bleffings, when compared with thefe, will appear unworthy of a Mention: And we should have great Reason to fufpect, that they were not ours, if we did not find a Heart fuperlatively to value them above every Thing else.

The Apofile now, finding it necessary to speak more exprefly of the Rejection of the Jews, and the Calling of the Gentiles, · introduces the Subject with very tender Expreffions of his Regard to his Jewish Brethren; and then fhews, that the Rejection of a confiderable Part of the Seed of Abraham, and even of the Pofterity of Ifaac, from the peculiar Privileges of GOD's chofen People, was an inconteftible Fact, which the Jews could not but grant to have happened, that is, with Regard to the Defcendants of Ishmael and of Efau.

Rom. IX. 1,--- I 3.

TH

ROMANS IX. I.

19.

Rom. IX. I.

HUS, my Brethren, I have endeavoured Sect. to animate you by leading your Meditations to those ineftimable Privileges, which we receive in Virtue of the Gofpel, which renders us fo far fuperior to all the Hardfhips we can endure; and I hope the Thought of them will be abundantly fufficient to establish your Adherence to it. Faithfulness will alfo oblige me to add, that as all who embrace and obey this Gospel, whether Jews or Gentiles, are accepted of GOD, fo all, who reject it, are rejected by him (a). And

(a) As all who embrace, &c.] This the Apofle had intimated all along in the preceding Difcourfe, which is addreffed to Chriflians, as Chriftians, without any Regard to their having been Jews or Gentiles; nay, he had exprefsly declared in the 2d and 3d Chapters, that

their

II2

Sect. 19. Rom. IX. 1.

And that he could wish to be an Anathema for them, And left, while I maintain this important Truth, alfo bearing me witness in any fhould imagine that I bear hard upon my the Holy Ghoft. dear Countrymen the Jews, on Account of any perfonal Injury, which I, or my Christian Brethren, of whofe Sufferings I have been fpeaking, (Chap. viii. 35-39.) have received from them, or by their Means; I begin this Discourse with the most folemn Affurance, I can give you, to the contrary. And herein I say the Truth in Chrift, I fpeak with that Candor and Integrity, which becomes a Christian, and as in the Prefence of that bleffed Redeemer, who fearches all Hearts. He knows that I lye not; my Confcience alfo bearing me witness, as to the Truth of what I fay, in the Holy Ghost, as under his Influence, who fo thoroughly difcerns the Soul, on which he ope2 rates. With all this Solemnity, on fo great an Occafion, do I declare to you, that I have great Grief, and inceffant Anguish, in my Heart, when I think of what hath happened, and will happen unto them, in Confequence of their Oppo3 fition to the Gospel. For methinks, if I may 3 For I could wish that be allowed to exprefs myself fo, I could even with myself were accurfed from Chrift, that as Chrift fubjected himself to the Curse, that he might deliver us from it, fo I myself likewise were made an Anathema after the Example of Chrift (b); like him exposed to all the Execrations of an enraged People, and even to the infa

mous

2 That I have great Hea. vinefs and continual Sorrow in my Heart.

their having been Gentiles would be no Obftruction. And it is certain, the peculiar Oppofitions and Perfecutions, which the believing fews met with from their obftinate Countrymen, would make Encouragements and Confolations like thofe fuggefted in the eighth Chapter, as neceffary for them, as for any Chriftians in the World. So very much mistaken have fome learned Commentators been, in the peculiar Turn they have given to that Chapter, and feveral Paffages in those preceding it.

(b) Made an Anathema after the Example of Chrift.] The Senfe is given by the learned Dr. Waterland, (Serm. Vol. i. pag. 77, 78.) who urges the Manner in which an is used, 2 Tim. i. 3. año lwv πpoyovar, after the Example of my Forefathers. Compare 1 John iii. 16. Next to this, I fhould incline to the Interpretation, given by Grotius, and fince maintained by Dr. Clarke, (Seventeen Serm. pag. 340.) who fuppofe the Apoftle means, that he could be content that Chrift fhould give him up to fuch Calamities, as thefe, to which the Jewish People were doomed for rejecting him; fo that if they could all be centered in one Perfon, he could be willing they fhould unite in him, could he thereby be a Means of faving his Countrymen. Compare Deut. vii. 26. Joh. vi. 17. Chap. vii. 12. Elfner, (who, agreably to the laft Interpretation, joins amo le Xpire with muxouny,) fhews very well, as many other Commentators have done, how very abfurd it would be to fuppofe he meant, that he could be content to be delivered over to everlafting Mifery for the Good of others.

(c) Whe

113

Who were the Seed of Abraham, and Heirs of the Promife. Chrift, for my Brethren, mous and accurfed Death of Crucifixion itself, Sect. 19. for the Sake of my Brethren, and Kinfmen, according

my Kinsmen according to the Flesh:

4.

to the Flesh, that they might thereby be delivered Rom. IX. 3.
from the Guilt they have brought upon their own
Heads, and become intitled to the forfeited and
rejected Bleffings of the Meffiah's Kingdom.
So cordial and difinterested a Regard have I for
my dear Nation, who are Ifraelites (c), the Seed
of Jacob, that eminent Patriarch, who as a
Prince had Power with GOD and prevailed, whofe
the fpiritual Adoption [is] (d), in Confequence of
which, as a People, they were called the Sons
and Daughters of the most high GOD; and the
Glory, which in the Shechinah refided vifibly
among them on the Mercy-feat (e); and the Co-
venants, made fucceffively firft with Abraham
and then with Mofes, and with the whole Jewish
People in him; who were honoured with the give
ing of the Law in fuch folemn Pomp, and received
with the Precepts of that excellent Polity an
exact Ritual for the Service [of GOD] in their
Tabernacles, afterward practifed in their Tem-
ple with unequalled Solemnity and Magnificence;
who were also the Heirs of fuch peculiar and im-
portant Promifes, relating not only to their A-
bode in Canaan, under the Administration of an
equal and miraculous Providence, but likewife
including and centering in the spiritual Kingdom
of the Meffiah, who was to arife among them.
I cannot but have a refpectful and tender Regard 5
for a Nation thus dignified and diftinguished; a
Nation, whofe Priviledges [are] handed down to
them from fo many illuftrious Ancestors, in a
long Defcent, who were in their respective Ages
the great Fathers of the World and Church; and

from

(c) Who are Ifraelites.] The Apostle, with great Addrefs, enumerates thefe Priviledges of the Jews; both that he might fhew how honourably he thought of them, and that he might awaken their Solicitude not to facrifice that Divine Favour, by which they had been fo eminently and fo long diftinguished.

(d) The fpiritual Adoption is.] That is, whom God hath taken into a fpecial Covenant with himself, whereby he ftands engaged ever to act the Part of a GOD and Father to them, and to own them as his Children. Deut. xiv. 1. Jer. xxxi. 9. Exod. 4. 22. Hof. xi. I. (e) Refided on the Mercy-feat.] Hence the Ark was called the Glory. Pfal. Ixxvii. 61, 1 Sam. iv. 21, 22. to which fome add Pfal. xiii: 2.

VOL. IV.

P

(f) Above

114

Yet all the Seed of Abraham are not the Children of GOD';

Sect. 19. from whom, to crown the whole, according to the Flesh Chrift himself is [defcended;] who, tho' found Rom. IX. 5. in Fashion like a Man, and truly Partaker of our Nature in all its finless Infirmities, is also poffeffed of a Divine Nature, by Virtue of which he is above all our Conceptions and Praises, above Creatures of the highest Order, and indeed GOD bleed for ever (f), the worthy Object of our humblest Adoration, as well as unreferved Dependence, Love, and Obedience. Amen: Let his Divine Glories be ever proclaimed and confeffed! May all the House of Ifrael know this affuredly, and fall down before him, as in and with the Father of all, their Lord and their GOD!

6

Yet, notwithstanding all these tender Prejudices
in Favour of my own dear Countrymen, I cannot
defend or excufe their Conduct; nor muft I con-
ceal the ungrateful Truth afferted above, that by
rejecting the Gospel, they bring upon themselves
Rejection from GOD. But to prevent Mistakes,
let me in the first Place obferve, that it is not to
be fuppofed, I would by any Means infinuate, that
the Word of GOD bath fallen ineffectual to the
Ground, even all that glorious Syftem of Promi-
fes, by which he engaged to bestow Protection,
Favour, and Happiness upon his People. For in
order to provide against any fuch Allegation, I
muft infift upon it, as a very certain and appa-
rent Truth, that all [are] not reckoned to be the
Ifrael of GOD, fo as to be the Heirs of the Pro-
mises made to his People, who are defcended of
7 Ifrael by natural Generation.
Neither becaufe

they are the Seed of Abraham, the Head of the
Holy Family according to the Flesh, [are they] all

Children

ning the Flesh, Chrift came, who is over all, GOD bleffed for ever. Amen.

6 Not as though the Word

fect.

(f) Above all GOD blessed fer ever.] How ingenious foever that Conjecture may be thought, by which fome would read this, ων ο Θεός, ο επι παων to anfwer to, ως οι πατέρες, (whofe are the Fathers, and whofe are the fupreme GOD;) I think it would be extremely dangerous to follow this Reading, unfupported as it is by any critical Authority of Manufcript, or ancient Quotations.Nor can I find any Authority for rendering losses as GOD be bleed for ever. I must therefore render, and paraphrafe, and improve this memorable Text, as a Proof of Chrift's proper Deity, which I think, the Oppofers of that Doctrine have never been able, nor will ever be able to, anfwer. Tho' common Senfe must teach what Chriftians have always believed, that it is not with Refpect to the Father, but to the created World, that this auguft Title is given him. Compare i Cor. xv. 27, &c.

(g) Greatly

As appears in the Cafe of Ifhmael, and Efau.

in Ifaac fhall thy Seed be Children of the Promife; but you know it is faid, called.

10 And not only this, but when Rebaccah alfo had conceived by one, even by

our Father Ifaac,

115

Sect. 19.

8

(Gen. xxi. 12.) tho' Ifhmael were the Son of Rom. IX. 7.
Abraham long before," In Ifaac, then unborn,
fball thy Seed be called: the Defcendents of
"Ifaac fhall be spoken of as thy Seed, by Way
" of Eminence, to the Exclufion of those who
may spring from thee by thine other Children.'
That is on the whole, not the Children of the Flesh
alone, nor any of them merely as fuch, [are] the
Children of GOD, but the Children of the Pro-
mife, in one peculiar Line, are accounted as the
Seed of Abraham, and honoured with the Adop-
tion: For this [is] the Word of the Promife, 9
(Gen. xviii. 10, 14.) according to this Time,
"that is, reckoning the Conception of the Child
" from hence, I will come [to thee,] in a Way of
gracious and merciful Interpofition, and Sarah
fball bave a Son :" which was faid, when Ha-
gar
had many Years been Abraham's Wife, and
had long fince born a Son to him.

II (For the Children being not yet born, neither having done any Good or Evil, that the Purpose of GOD according to Election might ftand, not of Works, but of him that calleth)

12 It was faid unto her, The Elder shall ferve the Younger.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Efau

have I hated.

66

ΤΟ

II

Nor was [this] the only Inftance of the Kind; but in the Cafe of Rebeccah, when she was with Child of Twins by one Man, that is, our Father Ifaac; While [the Children] were not yet born, and had done neither Good to merit, nor Evil to forfeit, the Divine Favour, that the fovereign Purpose of GOD, according to his free Election, might stand stedfast, and appear not to be formed in Refpect of the Works done by either, but according to the mere good Pleasure of him who calleth Things that do not yet exist into Being, and difpofeth of all according to his own Will: It was faid to 12 ber, when confulting the Divine Oracle on the unusual Commotion fhe felt in her Womb, that two different People should proceed from the Birth then approaching, (Gen. xxv. 23.) and "that the Elder of them, that is, the Pofterity "of Efau, fhould Jerve the Younger, that is, " the Defcendants of Jacob." As it is alfo 13 written, (Mal. i. 2, 3.) "I have loved Jacob, and "bated Efau, that is, I have greatly preferred "the former to the latter (g); beftowing many " peculiar

(g) Greatly preferred the former to the latter.] That to love and hate have this Senfe in