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But there is a Remnant, according to the Election of Grace.

Sect. 24.
" in their whole Land." But recollect, what
fays the Divine Oracle to him, in answer to this
Rom. XI. 4 doleful Complaint?" have referived unto my
felf, by my Grace and Providence, no lefs than
Seven thousand Men, who bave not bowed the
"Knee before the Image of Baal, nor com-
plied with any of thefe idolatrous Rites, which
are eftablished by thefe iniquitous Laws."
5 And fo alfo in the prefent Time, bad as this Gene-
ration of Ifraelites is, and fure they were never
worfe; yet there is a Remnant, who continues
faithful to GOD, according to the free Election of
his Grace, whereby God hath referved them to
himself, and made them to differ from others (b).
And by the Way, I cannot forbear obferving,
and intreating you to reflect, that if it be, as I
have faid, according to the Election of Grace,
then [it is] no more, as fome have maintained, of
Works, whether of the Mofaick, or any other
Law; elfe Grace is no longer Grace (c), if the
Glory of our Acceptance with GOD is not on the
whole to be ascribed to that. But on the other
Side, if [it be] of Works, then it is no more of
Grace; elfe Work is no longer Work. There is
fomething fo abfolutely inconfiftent between be-
ing faved by Grace, and by Works, that if you
lay down either, you do of Neceffity exclude the
other from being the Caufe of it.

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4 But what faith the Anfwer of GOD unto him? I have referved to myself feven thoufand Men, who have not bowed the Knee to the Image of Baal.

5 Even fo then at this prefent Time alfo there is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace.

Otherwife Grace is no mote

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6 And if by Grace, then is it no more of Works: Grace. But if it be of Works, then is it no more Grace: Otherwife Work is no more Work,

But, to return from this fhort Digreffion, what 7 What then? Ifrael then do we conclude? What, but this, that Ifrael hath not obtained that bath not obtained that Juftification and Righteouf

nefs,

which

(b) The Election of Grace.] Some explain this of their having chofen Grace, that is, the Gospel; but that Turn is very unnatural, and neither fuits the Phrafe, nor the Connection with the former Claufe, or with the next Verfe, in which the Apoftle comments on his own Words.

(c) Elfe Grace is no longer Grace, &c.] Some interpret this, "The Gospel would not de"ferve the Name of Grace, if the Obfervations of the Mofaick Law were to be taken in,

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as a Part of the Terms of our Acceptance with GOD." But this would have been a ftrange Pofition. Who, that in any Degree knew the Terrors of GOD's Anger, would not moft gladly have accepted of the full Pardon the Gospel offers, on much more rigorous Terms than Obedience to the Mofaick Ritual. The Meaning rather feems to be, "what "is given to Works is the Payment of a Debt, whereas the Notion of Grace implies an "unmerited Favour; fo that the fame Benefit cannot, at the fame Time, be derived from "both." This feems to be a Reflection on the Riches of Divine Grace, which the Apof tle makes by the Way, and which well agrees with the Fullness of his Heart on this Subject.

which he feeketh for; but the Election hath obtained it, and the Reft were blinded.

8 According as it is written, God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber, Eyes that they should not fee, and Ears that they should not hear, unto this Day.

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139 24.

The rest were blinded, and their Priviledges became a Snare." nefs, which it has fought, nor retained these ticular Priviledges of the Church of GOD, which par- Sect. they pretend intirely to engrofs: But the Election, Rom, XI. 7. the chofen Remnant, hath obtained it, having been by Divine Grace engaged to embrace the Gofpel; whereas the Reft were blinded by their own fatal Prejudices, to which God hath, in righteous Judgment, given them up. According as 8 it is written, (Ifai. xxix. 10. Compare Deut. XXIX. 4. and Ifai. vi. 10.) GOD hath given them a Spirit of Slumber; Eyes that they should not fee, and Ears that they should not hear. He threatened, you fee, to punish their Perverseness, when it should come to a certain Degree, by abandoning them to encreafing Stupidity and Obftinacy, and he hath done it even unto this Day: For their Blindness continues, notwithstanding all the extraordinary Things which have been done, even in our own Age of Wonders, for their Conviction. And this is agreeable to what David bath faid, in that prophetical Imprecation, which is applicable to them, as well as to Judas, (Pfal. Ixix. 22, 23. Compare Acts i. 20.) Let all the Bleffings of their moft plentiful Table become a Snare to them, and that which should, according to its original Use and Intention, have been for their Welfare, a Trap. Thus the Gospel, which should have been the Means of their Salvation, is now become an Inftrument of Ruin and Destruction to them, and an Occafion of stumbling in the most fatal Manner. And it must be acknowledged to be a juft Recompence for their Wickedness; that the best of Bleffings should thus be turned into a Curfe, to them, that fo ungratefully rejected and despised it. And in them the following Words are alfo fulfilled, Let their Eyes be darkened, that they may not fee, and keep their Back continually bent down, under a perpetual Weight of Sorrows, which they may not be able to support, and which may be a just Punishment upon them for having rejected so easy a Yoke. (Compare Lev. xxvi. 13.) IMPROV E

9 And David faith, Let their Table be made a Snare, and a Trap, and a Stumbling-block, and a Recom

penfe unto them.

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10 Let their Eyes be darkened, that they may

not fee, and bow down their Back alway.

VOL. IV.

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ΤΟ

140

Sect. 24. Ver. 3, 4.

Ver. 2.

Ver. 6.

Ver. 7, 8.

Ver. 9.

Ver. 10.

Reflections on the Remnant GOD bath referved to himself, &c.

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IMPROVEMENT.

ET us learn, from the Anfwer of GOD to Elijah, when he thought himself left alone, and knew nothing of the feven Thoufand, which God had referved; to encourage ourselves in a fecret Hope, that there may be much more Goodness in the World, that we are particularly aware of. The Numbers of those, that conftitute the invifible Church, are unknown to us, but they are known to GOD. They are all registered in the Book of his Remembrance, as they are all referved unto himself by his Grace; nor fhall his People whom he hath foreknown be caft away. May we be of that bleffed Number, and may the Degeneracy, which we fee fo prevalent around us, animate us to a holy Zeal, to hold faft our own Integrity; yea, to feize the Occafion of approving it in a more acceptable Manner, from a Circumftance, in every other View, greatly to be lamented.

Let us often reflect upon this great and important Truth, fo frequently inculcated upon us in the Word of GOD, that it is to his Grace, and not to any Works of our own, that we are to afcribe our Acceptance with him. And let the Minifters of Christ be ready, after the Example of the Apofile, fometimes to turn, as it were, out of the Way, to dwell a little on a Thought, at once fo humbling, and fo reviving.

We fee the miferable Circumstances of God's ancient Ifrael, given up to a Spirit of Slumber, to blind Eyes, and to deaf Ears. Oh let us take Heed, that we do not imitate their Obftinacy and Folly; left GOD make our own Wickedness our Destruction; left he fend a Curfe upon us, and curfe our Bleffings, fo that our Table fhould become a Snare to us, our temporal Enjoyments, or our fpiritual Priviledges. Lord, let us often fay, Give us any Plague, rather than the Plague of the Heart; and bow down our Backs under any Load of Affliction, rather than that, which shall at laft crush thofe, who have refused to accept of thy Gospel, and to take upon their Shoulders the light Burthen, which a gracious Saviour would lay upon them.

SECT.

Thro' the Fall of the Jews Salvation is come to the Gentiles;

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The Apostle fhews in this, and the next Section, that the Rejection of Ifrael is not final; but that the Time fhall come, when to the unspeakable Joy of the Chriftian World, the Jewish Nation fhall be brought into the Church of Christ. Rom. XI. 11,---24.

141

ROMANS XI. 11.

I bled that they thould fall?

Say then, Have they stum

GOD forbid: But rather through their Fall Salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to Jealousy.

12 Now if the Fall of them be the Riches of the

World, and the Diminish ing of them the Riches of the Gentiles: How much

more their Fulness?

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ved, that it is not total, fo that none of them Rom. XI.11.
fhould remain Objects of Mercy. And do I af-
fert it to be final? Do I then fay, they have fo
Stumbled, as that, as a Nation, they should fall into
irrecoverable Ruin, and never more be owned by
GOD, as his People? GOD forbid! But I affert,
that by this Fall of theirs, Salvation [is] at the
fent [come] to the Gentiles; the future Confequence
of which shall be to provoke them to a holy Emu→
lation of sharing the Bleffings and Benefits to be
expected from their own Meffiah, when they
shall see so many Heathen Nations enjoy them.

pre

But these should be no unwelcome Tidings to 12
you Gentiles: For if their Fall [be] by Accident
the Riches of the World, and their Diminution, the
Riches of the Gentiles, by fcattering the Preachers
of the Gospel among them, by proving our Ve-
racity and Integrity, and in fome Measure exci-
ting Compaffion too; tho' their rejecting us, in
itself confidered, might rather appear as an Ar-
gument against it; how much more thall the bring-
ing in their whole Fulness, that is, the whole
Body of the Jewish Nation, be a Means of
pro-
pagating the Gospel much farther, and recover-
ing Multitudes, by whom it hath been rejected,
from their Scepticism and Infidelity, when so great
an Event appears in Accomplishment of its known

S 2

Predic

142

Sect. 25.

That the Jews might be provoked to Emulation.
For I now speak to you Gen-

Predictions (a).
tiles, and I do it with Tenderness and Refpect,
Ror.XI.13. as I am, by a fpecial Defignation of Providence,
the Apostle of the Gentiles; I therein extol my Of-
fice, and efteem it the moft fignal Honour of my
14 Life to be employed in it. And while I thus
addrefs you, it is alfo with a Defire, that I may,
if poffible, excite to Emulation [them, who are]
my Brethren according to the Flesh, and who are
dear to me as the Members of my own Body;
that, if I may not prevail for the Recovery of
their Nation in general, I may at least fave fome
of them; while I fpeak of these kind Purposes,
which I affuredly know, GoD will accomplish
towards the whole Jewish People in his appointed
Time. And this Thought gives new Spirit to
my Address to you, as I hope it may not only
tend to your Edification and Salvation, but also
to theirs (b).

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13 For I fpeak to you

Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apoftle of the Gentiles, I magify mine Office:

14 If by any Means 1 may provoke to Emulation

them which are my Flesh, and might fave fome of them.

15 For if the cafting away of them be the Reconciling

(a) Accomplishment of its known Predictions.] So many of the Prophecies of the Old Teftament, do evidently refer to the Reduction of the Jews into their own Land, as the People of the Meffiah, that I can by no Means doubt of the Certainty of that Event. Com. pare Ifai. xxvii. 12, 13. Ezek. xi. 17,-21. Chap. xx. 34,-44. Chap. xxxiv. 13, 14. Chap. xxxv. 25,-29. Chap. xxxvi. 24,-28. Chap. xxxvii. 21,-28. Amos ix. 14, 15. Obed. ver. 17. Mich. vii. 14, 15. Zech. xiv. 10, 11. Hof. i. 10, 11. And the wonderful Prefervation of them as a diftinct People, thus far, not only leaves. a Poffibility of this great Event, but encourages our Hope of it. When it fall be accomplished, it will be fo unparalleled, as neceffarily to excite a general Attention, and to fix upon Men's Minds, fuch an almoft irrefiftible Demonftration, both of the Old and New Teftament Revelation, as will probably captivate the Minds of many thousands of Deifts, in Countries profeffedly Chrif tian, (of which, under fuch corrupt Eftablishments as generally prevail, there will of Course be increafing Multitudes;) nor will this only captivate their Understanding, but will have the greatest Tendency to awaken a Senfe of true Religion in their Hearts; and this will be a Means of propagating the Gospel with an amazing Velocity in Pagan and Mahometan Countries; which probably had been evangelized long ago, had genuine Christianity prevailed in thofe, who have made a Profeffion, and GOD knows, for the moft Part, a very fcandalous Profeffion, of its Forms. The 15th Verfe has fo natural a Connection with the 12th, that Elfner includes the 13th and 14th in a Parenthefts.

(b) Alfo to theirs.] Perhaps we can no where find an Inftance, of a more popular and affectionate Turn than this, in which the Apoftle feems to find a Reafon for his Zeal to convert the Gentiles, in his Love to his own Countrymen, the Jews.

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(c) Wild

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