146

For GOD's Gifts and Calling are without Repentance.

Sect. 26. tion, that Remnant of them which God hath ing the Election, they are gracioufly chofen, to be subdued by the Grace of beloved for the Father's

Rom.XI. 28. the Gofpel, [they are] beloved for their Fathers Sakes.

GOD's gracious Regard to the Memory of their pious Ancestors engages him to take Care, that fome of their Seed fhall always continue in Covenant with him, till at length he recovers them as a Nation, and aftonish the World with their un29 equalled Glory and Felicity. And this fhall

30

Sakes.

29 For the Gifts and

out Repentance,

moft affuredly be, for the Gifts and Calling of Calling of GOD are with-
GOD [are] not to be repented of (d): He doth
not resume the Gifts he hath once beftowed, nor
retract the Calls he hath once given, but will
maintain a Remembrance of them, and act in
perfect Harmony with them, in all his Difpen-
fations; according to that wife Plan which he
hath laid in his eternal Counfels, and from which
no unforeseen Contingency can ever cause him to
vary.

30 For as ye in Times paft have not believed GOD, yet have now obtained Mercy through their Unbelief.

31 Even fo have these

alfo now not believed, that through your Mercy they alfo may obtain Mercy.

As then ye Gentiles were once, and for a long Time, difobedient to GCD, and buried in Ignorance and Superftition, but now have obtained Mercy, by Means of their Difobedience; GOD having taken you to be his People instead of the 31 Jews; So they alfo, having been difobedient to the Gofpel, and the more prejudiced against it on Occafion of your Admittance to fuch diftinguifhing Mercy, yet fhall not be utterly and finally ruined, but shall also to the Glory of Divine Grace at length, themselves, obtain the Mercy they have envied you. And thus the Divine Goodnefs is illuftrated, even by that which might feem cluded them all in Unbelief, most contrary to it: For it appears, that GOD bath, for a certain Time, shut up all under Obstinacy and Disobedience (e), fuffering each in their

32

Turn

32 For GOD hath con

that

feem a strong Objection against it; but if a be rendered with a Regard to, it may be applicable to both.

(d) Not to be repented of] Elfner has produced many Paffages from approved Greek Claf ficks, in which the Word aanlos, is ufed exactly in this Senfe: and has collected in his curious Note on this Verfe, many Teftimonies of Pagan Authors relating to the Divine Perfections, which might have taught fome Chriftian Divines to speak more honourably of them, than they do in fome of their Writings.

(e) Shut up all under Difobedience, &c.] It is of great Importance to obferve, that this refers to different Periods. Firft, GOD fuffered the Gentiles, in the early Ages of the World

6

The Apoftle adores the Riches and Wisdom of GOD.

147

that he might have Mercy Turn to revolt, under different Degrees of Light, Sect. 26.

upon all.

L

that he might in a more remarkable Manner have

Mercy on all, and glorify the Riches of his Grace, Rom. XI. 32.
in Favours beftowed on thofe, who evidently ap-
peared fo undeferving.

33

And now, to conclude this Article, who in the
View of fuch a Series of Events muft not cry out,
Oh the awful and unfathomable Depths of the
Riches, and Wisdom, and Knowledge of GOD!
How rich are the Treasures of his Mercy, how
deep the Contrivances of his Wisdom, how
boundless the Stretch of his Knowledge! How
unfearchable, and yet how unquestionable, [are] his
Judgments! and his Ways fuch as cannot be traced
out! For who hath compleatly known the Mind 34
of the Lord in thefe Things, or who hath been his
Counsellor, in forming the Plan of them? Who, 35
whether Jew or Greek, can pretend, that he hath
first given any Thing to him, or conferred any
Obligation upon him? Let him make out the
Claim, and we may answer for it, that it shall be
For on the whole, 36
exactly repaid him again.
of him, as the original Author, and through him,
as the gracious Preferver, and for him, as the
ultimate End, [are] all Things (f). To him there-
fore [be] glory for ever, and ever; and let all the
Creation join their utmost Force to advance it to
the highest Degrees, and unite their Voices in
faying, Amen.

IMPROVEMENT.

ET our whole Souls be engaged to glorify this great and blessed
God, from whom, and through whom we, and all the Creatures, exist.
Oh that it may be our eternal Employment to render Adoration, and

Bleffing,

World to revolt, and then took the Abrahamick Family as a peculiar Seed to himself, and
bestowed extraordinary Favours upon them. Afterwards, he permitted them, by Unbelief
and Difobedience to fall, and took in the Gentiles on their Believing; and he did even this,
with an Intent to make that very Mercy to the Gentiles, a Means of provoking the Jews to
Jealousy, and fo bring them to Faith, by that which had at first been an Offence in the i
Way to it. This was truly a Myftery in the Divine Conduct, which the Apofle most ra-
tionally, as well as refpectfully, adores, in the concluding Words of the Chapter.

(f) of him, thro' him, for him, &c.] Antoninus, fpeaking of Nature, that is, of GOD,
has an Expreffion, which one would imagine, he had borrowed from this of Paul, ex ou
sarla, oor waila, sis or maila, all Things are of thee, in thee, and to thee.

T2

148

Ver. 33. Ver. 35.

Reflections on the final Converfion of Jews and Gentiles. Sect. 26. Bleffing, and Glory to him! To him, whofe Counfels none can trace: To him, who hath prevented us with all the Bleffings of his Goodness; so that far from being able to confer any Obligation on bim, for which we should pretend to demand a Recompence, on the contrary, we must own, that the more we are enabled and animated to do for him, the more indeed are we obliged to him. We cannot pretend to have known the Mind of the Lord in all its Extent, or to have been admitted into his fecret Counfels. He is continually doing marvellous Things, which we know not: Yet furely we know enough to admire and adore. We know enough to cry out in Raptures of delightful Surprize, Oh the Depths of the Riches, both of his Wifdom and Goodness!

Ver. 34.

Vet. 33.

Ver. 32.

Ver. 26.

Ver. 25.

· Ver. 29.

Ver. 27.

One Inftance, tho' but one of many, we have here before us, in his mysterious Conduct towards Jews and Gentiles; in which, Occurrences that seem the most unaccountable, and indeed the most lamentable, are over-ruled by GoD to answer moft benevolent Purposes. That the Sin of the Jews fhould be the Salvation of the Gentiles, and yet the Mercy fhewn to the Gentiles, in its Confequences the Salvation of the Jews, and fo both should be concluded under Sin, that GOD might more illuftriously have Mercy on both!

Oh that the bleffed Time were come, when all Ifrael fhall be faved: When the Deliverer, who is long fince come out of Sion, shall turn away Iniquity from Facob and the Fulness of the Gentiles come in, fo that from the rifing to the going down of the Sun, the Lord shall be one, and his Name one. Our Faith waits the glorious Event, and may perhaps wait

it even to the End of Life. But a Generation to be born fhall fee it: For the Gifts and Callings of GOD are without Repentance. Let our af fured Confidence in the Divine Promife, travel on, as it were, to the Accomplishment over Mountains of Difficulty, that may lie in our Way; and let our Hearts be cheared with this happy Prospect, under all the Grief which they feel, when we fee how few now believe the Report of the Gospel, and to how few God hath revealed his Arm.

While the glorious expected Event is delayed, let us add our fervent Interceffions with GoD, to thefe Prayers, by which the Church has in every Age been endeavouring to haften it on. They are all written in the Book of GOD's Remembrance, and fhall all be reviewed and anfwered in their Seafon. Let us in the mean Time comfort ourselves with this reviving Thought, that the Covenant which GOD will make with Ifrael in that Day, is in the main the fame he has made with us, to take away Sin. Eafed of fuch an infupportable Burthen, that would fink us into final Ruin and Despair, let us bear up chearfully against all Difcouragements, and glory in the Gofpel, which brings us this invaluable Bleffing; how long, and how generally foever, it may be, to the Jews a ftumbling Block, and to the Greeks Foolishness.

SECT.

4

Chriftians exhorted to prefent themselves to GOD;

SECT.

XXVII.

149

The Apoftle enters on a Series of moft admirable practical Exbortations and Directions; in which he labours to perfuade Christians to act in a Manner worthy of that Gospel, the Excellency of which he had been illustrating. And here particularly urges an intire Confecration to GOD, and a Care to glorify him, in their respective Stations, by a faithful Improvement of their various Talents. Rom. XII. 1,---II.

HA

convince

ROMANS XII. 1.

ROMANS XII. 1. Beseech you therefore, Brethren, by the Mercies AVING thus dispatched what I propofed Sect. 27. of GOD, that ye prefent in the argumentative Part of the Epiftle, Rom. XII. 1. your Bodies a living Sacri- and fuggefted a Variety of Confiderations, which fice, holy, acceptable unto may God, you of the great Excellency of the Gofpel, and the fingular Favour, which God has fhewn to those Gentiles whom he hath called into the Chriftian Church, and to that Remnant of the Jews who are kept in fo happy a Relation to them, while the Bulk of their Nation are fallen into a State of Rejection; let me now endeavour to animate you all to behave in a fuitable Manner. I entreat you therefore (a), my dear Brethren, Partakers with me in this holy Calling, by all the tender Mercies of our moft compaffionate GOD, that inftead of the animal Victims, whofe flaughtered Bodies you have been accustomed to offer, either to the true GOD, or to Idols, you would now present, as it were, at his fpiritual Altar, your own Bodies, as a living Sacrifice, holy and well pleafing to GOD. Let all the Members of your Bodies, and all the Faculties

(a) Intreat you therefore.] Some apply this to the Gentiles; and as moft of the Members of the Church at Rome were originally fo, it is reafonable to believe the Apostle had them principally in View: But not excluding the converted fews, who, as he had just before expreffed it, remained as a Remnant according to the Election of Grace, when the Reft were hardened, and therefore had furely Reason to acknowledge the tender Mercies of GOD to them, and were under ftrong Obligations to devote themselves to him. I have accordingly in the Paraphrafe applied it to both.

(b) Bodies

,

150

Sect. 27.

Against Conformity to the World; and against Pride, Faculties of your Souls (6), being fanctified and GOD, which is your reasonanimated by Divine Grace, be employed in the able Service.

Rom. XII. 1. Service of him, to whom you are under fuch

immenfe Obligations. This, he requires of you,
[as] your rational Service; and it will be much
more acceptable to him, than any ceremonial
Forms, tho' moft exactly prefcribed in a Ritual
2 of his own Appointment. And as you defire
to engage his Approbation and Favour, be not,
in the general Courfe of your Temper and Ac-
tions, conformed to the Sentiments and Customs of
this vain and finful World; but rather be
ye tranf
formed, in the renewing of your Mind: Endea-
vour to become new Creatures, contracting new
Habits and engaging in new Purfuits, under the
Influence of the Divine Spirit on your Hearts;
that you may not only be fpeculatively acquainted
with the Doctrines, Precepts, and Defign of the
Gospel, but may experimentally know that Will of
GOD, [which is] in itself fo excellently good, and
which, as it is most acceptable to him, has the
most apparent Tendency to purify and perfect our
Natures (c).

3

And I particularly fay, and give it in Charge (d), according to that Grace which is given to me, as an inspired Apostle, to every one that is among you, as if perfonally named, to take the greatest Heed, that he be not exalted into spiritual Pride, by the Gifts and Priviledges which God hath conferred upon you. I charge each not to arrogate [to himself] above what he ought to think (e), but that he think

of

2 And be not conformed to this World: But be ye

transformed by the renewing of your Mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect Will of God.

Grace given unto me, to 3 For I fay, through the every Man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think foberly

(b) Bodies and Souls.] The Body is here by a ufual Figure put for the whole Perfon, nor can the Soul be now presented to GOD otherwise than as dwelling in the Body, or truly confecrated to him, unless the Body be employed in his Service; nor on the other Hand, can the Body be prefented, as a living Sacrifice, otherwise than as acted and animated by the Soul.For the Propriety of the Word magasnoa, which properly fignifies, placing the Victim before the Altar, fee Elfner in Loc.

(c) Good, acceptable, and perfect.] L' Enfant explains each of these as opposed to the Jewish Ritual, this Chriftian Sacrifice being more excellent in itfelf, Ezek. xx. 25. more pleafing to GOD, Pfal. xl. 7, 8. and tending more to make us perfect, Heb. vii. 19. I understand it as referring to all the preceptive Part of Christianity, the Excellency of which they will best understand, who fet themselves moft exactly to practise upon it.

(d) Say, and give it in Charge.] So ya fignifies, Acts xv. 24. See Raphel. Annot. ex Herodot. in Loc.

(e) Not to arrogate, &c.] Raphelius, (Annot. ex Herod. in Loc.) has fhewn, that upps has properly this Signification.

(f) According