Yet the Gentiles were not to boast against the Jews ; 143 what (will] the Reception [of them be,] but Life Rom. XI.15: naturally produce ? upon as, in Effect, the Confecration of all. And Branches [are likewise] Yo, and will surely at Root and Fat- Scion of a wild Olive, wert grafted in among them that remained (c), and art with them Partaker of, Stock, but a meaner Graft on a Stock originally. Humiliation, [that] thou bearest not the Root, but many Benefits Wilt thou therefore object, and say, “ the natural 19. Thou wilt say then, “ Branckes were broken off, that I might be grafied 19. The Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. “ in; and therefore we may glory over them, as I tlicy () Wild Olive grafted in among them.] It is very improper to object, that it is unnatural to suppose an ignoble Branch grafted on a rich Stock'; for it was not neceflary, that the Simile taken from Inoculation should hold in all its Particulars; and the Engagement to Humility arises in a considerable Degree from the Circumstance objected against. Had the Scion been nobler than the Stock, its Dependance on it for Life and Nourishment would render it unfit that it should boast against it ; how much more, when the Case was the Rererse of what in human Usage is practised, and the wild Olive is ingrafted on the good. (d) Be 22 144 For the Jews, the natural Branches, shall be again grafted in, Sect. 25. they once did over us:”? Well , take this Thought belief they were broken off, at least along with thee, they were broken off for and thou ftandest by Faith. Rom. XI.20.[tbeir] Infidelity, and thou hitherto ftandeth in their Be not High-minded, but Place thro' Faith. Thereforę bė, not High-minded fear. forfeit the Priviledges, to which thou art fo won- ; will be by any Means fpare thee, if thinë Unbelief take. Heed left he also spare make thee, after all thy peculiar Obligations, as bad, and in that Respect, even worse, than they. Behold therefore on the whole, a remarkable Dis 22 Behold therefore the play of the intermingled Goodness and Security of Goodness, and Severity of GOD, and endeavour to improve both well! Severity ; but towards thee, Towards them that fell, thou indeed feest a me- Goodness , if thou continue morable Instance of his Severity; but to thee, a in his Goodness : Otherwise Display of Gentleness and Goodness, if thou wilt thou also shalt be cut off. be careful to continue in [his] Goodness, and endeavour gratefully and dutifully to improve it : Else, thou also shalt be cut off; for the blessed GOD will not bear always to be insulted with the Pe23 tulency of Sinners. And I would have 23 And they also, if they you not still in Unbelief, farther to consider, as a Motive to think of the thall be grafted in: For Jews with Respect, rather than Contempt, that God is able to graft them in they also, if they do not continue in their Unbelief, again. shall be grafted on · again, and restored to their former Priviledges. For it is certain, GOD is able again to ingraft them : Hopeless as their State may seem, both with Respect to their Obstinacy and their Misery, his powerful Access to their Mind can subdue their Prejudices against the Gospel, as thou mayest easily argue from what 24 thou hast thyself experienced. For if thou 24 For if thou wertcut out wert, as I may properly enough express it, cut off wild by Nature, and were of the Olive-tree, which is from the Olive-tree, which was naturally wild, and grafted contrary to Nature contrary to the Course and Process of Nature, into a good Olive-tree ; how wert grafted on the good Olive-tree; if thou wert be the natural Branches, be much more shall these which admitted into Covenant with God, tho' descended from Parents that were Strangers and Enemies, bow much more shall they who are the natural [Branches,] to whom the Promises do origin nally (d) Be not high-minded, &c.] Archbishop Tillotson well observes, that this Caution ill suits the Claim to Infallibility, which the modern Church of Rome fo arrogantly makes, amidit ab the Absurdities with which her Doctrine, and her Ritual are loaded. bid grafted 145 tree. Reflections on GOD's Dealings with Jews and Gentiles. will not seem to do so wonderful a Thing, in I M P R O V E M E N T. L 1 ET us set ourselves seriously to pause upon the Conduct of GOD towards the Jews and Gentiles, in that Part of it, which the Apostle here describes; and rejoice with Trembling in it. Let us reflect on the Divine Severity to them, and the Divine Goodness to us. What Ver. 22. immense Goodness! That we should be taken from that wretched Condition, in which we were utterly ignorant of the great Author and End of our Being, of the Nature of true Happiness, and the Way of obtaining it; that we and our Off-spring might be grafted on the good Stock, be Ver. 24. called to the most important of those Priviledges and Hopes, with which the Seed of Abraham were honoured, and inriched. We partake of the Ver. 17. Fatness of the good Olive : May our Fruit abound to the Honour of God, to the Benefit of Mankind. Let us cherish the most benevolent and tender Disposition towards the House of Israel, to whose spiritual Priviledges we are raised; and let us earnestly pray that they may be awakened to Emulation ; especially as Ver. II. their Fulness is to be the Riches of the Gentiles, and the receiving them again, Ver. 15. as Life from the Dead to the languishing and decaying Church. In the mean Time, as the Gospel comes to us in fo awful a Manner, vindicated from the Contempt of former Despisers, let us solemnly charge upon our Souls this Lesson of holy Caution, these falutary Words, (Oh that they may be continually.present to our Thoughts !) Be not High- Ver. 20, minded but fear : Whatever our Priviledges, whatever our Experiences are, whatever our Confidence may be, let us dwell lipon the Thought; for there is no Christian upon Earth that hath not Reafon to fear, in Proportion to :h Degree in which he feels his Thoughts lowering on High, grows into any Conceit of himself. Daily let us recollect, what we were in our natural Estate, and what, with all our Improvements and Attainments, we should immediately be, if God should forsake us. ther fore, that we may continue in GOD's Goodness; ard Ver. 22. whoever may appear to fall from it, let us not glory; but rather mourn over them, and pray for their Recovery and Salvation, to that God, who and Let us pray 146 Sect. 25 Blindness is to Ifrael, till the Fulness of the Gentiles come in is able to recover from the most obstinate Infidelity and Impenitence, and to graft on not only foreign Branches, but what may seem yet more wonderful, those that have appeared more than twice dead. Ver. 18. The Apostle farther illustrates the future Conversion of the Jews to the Gospel; and concludes the Argument, with observing, that in the mean Time, their Obstinacy is over-ruled to such bappy Purposes, as make the whole Scene a most glorious Display of the unsearchable Wisdom of GOD. Rom. XI. 25, to the End. A .' ROMANS XI. 25. ROMANS XT. 25. Sect. 26. ND now, my Brethren, upon the whole Foren wordt Bear I will conclude what I have to say, upon be ignorant of this Mystery this interesting and affecting Subject, which I have left ye should be wise in and (a) Till the Fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, &c.] It is well remarked, by my late learned, pious and candid Friend, Dr. William Harris, that as this Epistle was written about And when that Event is come, Ifrael shall be saved; 145 and incorporated with those already alsociated to Sect. 26. 26 And so all Israel shall the Church of Christ. And so, when this There shall come out of si: happy Season marked out in the Divine Decrees, Rom. XI.26. on the Deliverer, and thall tho' to us unknown, Jhall be come, that blessed turn away Ungodliness from Event shall make Way for it, and all the Seed Jacob. of Israel Thall, by a general Conversion, be sa- As it is written, (Isai. lix. 20.) piety from Jacob, when he hath brought them them, when I shall take away their Sins, that is, be to bring them again into Covenant with myself. , 28 for your Sake: But as touch- [they are] indeed regarded as Enemies for your ing Sakes, that is, for their obftinate rejecting the Gospel, God hath rejected them, in Favour of tion, about the Year 57, that is, long after the most remarkable Conversion of the Jews, by the fust Preaching of the Apostles, and after Paul had been about thirty Years engaged in his Work, it appears, that the Prophecies relating to the Calling of the Jews were not accomplished then, and consequently are not yet accomplished. Harris's practical Discourses on the Mefiah, pag. 91. Dr. Whitby very justly observes, that there is a double Harvest of the Gentiles, spoken of by Paul, in this Chapter ; the first, called their Riches, Verse 12. as consisting in the Preaching the Gospel to all Nations, whereby indeed they were happily enriched with Divine Knowledge and Grace ; the second, the Beginning in their Fulness, which expresses a more glorious Conversion of many to the true Faith of Christians, in the latter Age of the World, which is to be occasioned by the Conversion of the Jews. Whit. in Loc. This answers Orobio's Objection, (Limb. Collat. pag. 94.) that Paul's Account is contrary to the Prophecies of the Old Testament, which represent the Recovery of the Gentile Nations, as consequent on the Redemption of Israel. (b) As it is written, (Isai. lix. 20, &c.)] This Text, as it stands in the Hebrew, seems different from the Sense in which it is here quoted. A Deliverer fall come ---- to those that turn from Iniquity. But if Christ be here foretold as a Deliverer to the Jews, it is all that the Apostle's Purpose requires. Yet it is observable the lxx. agrees better with the Words of the Quotation, as it poslibly might with the original Reading; and it is certain, that the general Tenor of God's Covenant with Israel gave no Hope of Deliverance after Rejection and Chastisement, but in a way of Repentance, and Reformation. Compase Lev. xxvi. 39,-45. Deut. xxx. 1,--10, (c). Enemies for your Sakes.] The most natural Sense of these Words, were they considered alone, might fcem, that the Calling the Gentiles prejudiced the Jews against the Gofpel: But as they generally rejected it, before the Gentiles were called, I, on the whole, prefer the Sense given in the Paraphrase. The different Sense of die here fupposed, may VOL. IV, T seem |