time, and gave his Son to suffer death for them in the fulness of time, will persevere in his purpose; namely, by grace to bring them to glory. He whose grace prevented them when they were in their pollutions, in a state of enmity, yea, in a state of obstinacy, will he leave them after his image is engraven, and re-instamped upon them? He that united them to Christ when they were strangers, will not cast them out of his love now they are his members; their Intercessor will preserve them from falling, and present them faultless before the presence of his Father's glory with exceeding joy. God's love unto his children is everlasting, and the covenant that is built upon it is more firm than the pillars of heaven, and the foundations of the earth; well might the apostle then say, Nothing shall separate us from the love of God. Observe, 5. and lastly, The ground of this love's permanency and duration towards believers: it is the love of God in Christ Jesus that is vouchsafed to us for the sake of Christ Jesus. God looks upon Christ, and loves him, and them in him; he loves all that are members of him, all that are like unto him. O blessed Jesus! it is for thy sake that the Father smiles upon us; we are chosen in thee, justified through thee, sanctified by thee, and shall be eternally glorified with thee; for neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature whatsoccer, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Eternal thanks to the Father, Son, and holy Spirit, for the consolation that flows from hence! May so high and glorious a privilege oblige all that are interested in it to the exercise of universal holiness, remembering, that as the privileges of the gospel are glorious and great, so the duties it requires are exact and strict; if we would enjoy the consolation in the last verse of this chapter, (here dilated upon,) we must perform the duty in the first verse, (there insisted on,) namely, to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; otherwise the privilege of non-condemnation there, and of no separation from the love of God in Christ Jesus here, will neither belong to us, or ever be enjoyed and improved by us. his counsel concerning their justification by faith in Christ: and that this obstinacy of theirs was the certain cause of their rejection, or casting out of the favour of God, and of the calling of the Gentiles; that is, of investing the Gentiles with the privileges of the abdicated Jews. And because he foresaw that this doctrine of the rejection of the Jews, and calling of the Gentiles, would be looked upon as a hard saying, and be marvellously offensive and displeasing, he begins this chapter with a most solemn protestation, that what he said did not proceed from the least disaffection towards them, much less from an exulcerated prejudice against them; but calls Christ and the Holy Ghost to witness, that he spake the truth impartially, and did not lie. For thus he says: SAY the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, Observe here, 1. The apostle's solemn asseveration or oath: he calls Christ and the Holy Ghost to witness for the truth of what he says; which is the very formality of an oath. Learn thence, That it is not barely lawful, but in some cases expedient and necessary, to assert and confirm by oath the truth and certainty of what we speak; in cases of great moment, which cannot otherwise be sufficiently confirmed, a christian serve, 2. The persons whom the apostle may establish his saying by an oath. Obswears by, Christ and the Holy Ghost; he calls them to be witnesses of the sincerity of his conscience in what he doth assert: I say the truth in Christ, &c. But why doth the apostle swear by the name of Christ, and not rather by the name of God, seeing the Jews did not believe his divinity, and so were not like to give any whit the more credit to what was attested by him? I answer, Probably to assert the Godhead of Christ, which the Jews generally denied, and therefore wanted that honour which was and is due unto it. None but God was to be sworn by; the apostle swearing by Christ, proves him to be truly and really God, as also the Holy Ghost; for an oath being an act of religious worship, and the apostle swearing by Christ and the Holy Ghost, doth thereby acknowledge their divinity, according to the words of Moses in Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Observe, 3. As the apostle appeals to Christ and the Holy Ghost, so also to his own conscience, as the avoucher and witness of the truth of what he says, My conscience also bearing me witness. Learn thence, That God has placed a conscience in every man, whose office it is to bear witness of all his words and actions; yea, of all his thoughts and inward affec tions. Conscience is God's register, to record whatever we think, speak, or act; and happy he whose conscience bears witness for him, and doth not testify against him who can say with the apostle here, My conscience beareth me witness, that I lie not, but say the truth in Christ. 2 That I have heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. The original word signifies such sorrow as is found with women in travail; a sorrow continually affecting his heart, and afflicting his spirit for his countrymen and kinsmen the Jews, upon the account of their obstinate infidelity, obduration of heart, and spirit of slumber which was fallen upon them, which had provoked God to resolve to cast them off, to reject their nation, and to scatter them up and down throughout the world. Behold here, 1. What are the dismal effects and dreadful consequences of obstinate unbelief, under the offers of Christ tendered to persons in and by the dispensation of the gospel without timely repentance, the issue will be final rejection, inevitable condemnation, unutterable loss. Behold, 2. The true spirit of christianity; it puts men upon mourning for the sins and calamities of others in a very sensible and affectionate manner. Good men ever have been, and are, men of tender and compassionate dispositions; a stoical apathy, an indolence of heart, or want of natural affection, is so far from being a virtue, or matter of just commendation unto any man, that the deepest sorrow and heaviness of soul, in some cases, well becomes persons of the greatest piety and wisdom. Learn, 3. That great sorrow and continual heaviness of heart for the miseries of others, whether imminent or incumbent, but especially for the sins of others, is an undoubted argument, sign, and evidence of a strong and vehement love towards them. The apos tle's great heaviness and continual sorrow, for the Jews, his brethren, was a great instance and evidence of his unfeigned love and affection to them. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh : That is, "So great is my concern for the salvation of my brethren the Jews, and evil that can befall myself, to prevent their destruction." This wish of St. Paul is plainly an hyperbolical expression of his great affection to his countrymen the Jews, and his zeal for their salvation, which was so intense and vehement, that were it a thing reasonable and lawful, were it proper, and could avail to the procuring their salvation, he could have wished the greatest evil to himself; for their sakes, not only to be excommunicated from communion with the church of Christ, but to be separated from Christ himself. If it be said, that such a wish is sinful and unnatural, to desire the salvation of others with our own damnation; I answer, True: and therefore the apostle's words are not an absolute and positive wish. He does not say, I wish; but I could wish; just as we are wont to say, when we would express a thing to the height, which is not fit nor intended to be done by us, "I could wish so and so: I could even be content to do this or that." Which kind of expressions no man takes for a strict and precise declaration of our minds, but for a figurative expression of a very great and vehement passion. Thus here the apostle says not, I wish, but, I could even wish: could even wish so great a blessing to my Were it proper to make such a wish, I brethren, though with the loss of my own happiness. Hence learn, 1. That it is neither lawful nor reasonable for any man to renounce his own eternal salvation, and to be willing to be damned upon any acbrethren, or for the glory of God himself. count whatsoever, be it for the good of his The very thought of such a thing is enough to make human nature tremble at its very foundation for the desire of our own happiness is the deepest principle that God tend a reason from the glory of God, is has planted in our natures: and to preimpossible; because our damnation cannot make for the glory of God, unless by our own impotency and wilful obstinacy we such may be the ardency of a saint's affechave deserved damnation. Learn, 2. That tion towards others, and so fervent his desires for their conversion and salvation, that he may be willing to sacrifice himself, and all that is dear unto him in this world, for the accomplishing of that end: I could wish that I were accursed from Christ for my brethren. 4 Who are Israelites; to whom that I could undergo the greatest misery pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Our apostle, to vindicate himself for bearing such a passionate affection to the Jews, and for being so highly concerned for their eternal welfare, doth in these two verses recount and sum up the high privileges and prerogatives belonging to the Jews above any other nation under heaven: namely these, They were Israelites, that is, the seed and posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To whom pertaineth the adoption; that is, national adoption, not personal: God adopting the nation of the Jews to be an holy people to himself, and calling them his sons and his first born. And the glory; that is, the glorious presence of God among them, the temple, the ark, but particularly the Shechinah, or Divine presence, from between the cherubims. And the covenants; that is, the covenant made with Abraham and Moses, the old and new covenant, Jer. xxxi. 32. And the giving of the law: it was the prerogative of this people, that all their laws, ceremonial, judicial, and moral, were composed and delivered to them by God himself. And the service of God: that is, they only had the true worship of God amongst them, and no other nation could have the like, but by being a debtor to them for it. And the promise; that is, in general, all the blessings promised to them in the land of Canaan; and, in particular, the promise of the Messiah, or God's gracious purpose and intention to send his Son into the world to accomplish its redemption. Whose are the fathers: that is, the beloved fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were their ancestors, and they their offspring. Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came; that is, of which Israelites Christ came: the promised Messias, according to the flesh or human nature, was their offspring, even he who, according to his divine nature, was over all, God blessed for evermore. Note here, 1. How the apostle reserves the greatest privilege for the last: Christ's being born one of their nation, and according to the flesh descended from the Jewish stock, this was the topping privilege. Note, 2. That VOL. II. this restrictive clause, according to the flesh, plainly supposeth another nature in Christ, according to which he came not from the Israelites, which can be no other but the Divine Nature or Godhead, which in the following words is attributed to him: Who is over all, God blessed for evermore. Which glorious title given to Christ, as it highly exalts the prerogative of the Jews as being a people of whom so blessed and great a Person descended, so on the other hand it aggravates their sin and condemnation, in rejecting a person of such infinite worth and dignity, notwithstanding he descended from them. Now from the whole learn, 1. That a fulness or richness of instituted means of grace, for the true knowledge and worship of God, is matter of high dignation and gracious condescension from God to man: here the glory, the covenants, the service of God, &c. are numbered amongst the great and gracious respects vouchsafed by God to the Jews. Learn, 2. That the highest privileges and vouchsafements from God may be confer red upon a people who are neither pleasing to God, nor accepted with him. Such were the Jews, to whom the fore-mentioned privileges did belong: a people rejected by God for their obduracy and unbelief. Learn, 3. That it is no small honour to be of the race or kindred of such as have been holy saints and faithful servants of the most high and holy God. The Jews here were very honourable, as they were the seed of Abraham; but much more so, had they trod in the steps, and done the works, of their father Abraham. Learn, 4. That Jesus Christ, who was the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, was yet, according to his divine nature, Lord over all, God blessed for evermore; he is over all, that is, over all things, and over all persons; and he is blessed for evermore, which is the constant title given to him that is God, and to none but him. The Socinians, to avoid the force of this text, which fully proves the divinity of Christ, turn the words into a thanksgiving for Christ, and read them thus: Of whom Christ was according to the flesh; God, who is over all, be blessed for ever. version of the sense of the apostle's words, which was to show that according to the flesh he descended from Abraham; but that he had another nature, which was not derived from Abraham, even a Divine nature, according to which he was over all, God blessed for evermore. G A manifest per : 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel: 7 Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall havea son. Here the apostle answers an objection against the rejection of the Jews: "If they be cast off by God, what will become of the promise of God made to Abraham, saying, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed?" He answers, by distinguish ing a two-fold seed that Abraham had. Some were only his carnal seed, or the children of his flesh; others were his spiritual seed, or the children of his faith. Now the carnal seed of Abraham, born according to the course of nature, were not the children of God to whom the promise was made, but the children represented by Isaac, born by the supernatural power of the Spirit of God; these are to be accounted the true seed of Abraham, mentioned in the covenant, when God says, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed. So that the force of the apostle's argument lies thus: The rejection of such Jews, or such of Abraham's seed only who were so according to the flesh, cannot make the word or promise of God to Abraham and his seed of no effect, because he made no absolute promise to them as such. But, says the apostle, none of those Jews, whose rejection I speak of, have any such promise made to them; therefore the rejection of some of Abraham's natural seed doth not, cannot make void the word and promise of God. Learn hence, 1. That the promises of God to his children and people are firm and stable; they shall not be made void, but be accomplished and made good to those that have a title to them, and interest in them, and fulfil the conditions of them: Not as though the word or promise of God has taken no effect, all are not Israel that are of Israel. Learn thence, 2. That as all were not true Israelites of old that did bear the name of Israelites; so all are not true christians at this day, who take upon them the name of Christ, and bear the name of christians. Learn, 3. That men are very prone to bear up themselves upon the picty of their ancestors, though strangers, in practice, to their piety; as the Jews boasted they were the seed of Abraham, but did not the works of Abraham; whereas men are so far from being God's children, because they had godly parents, that Christ told the Jews, who came forth out of Abraham's own loins, that they were of their father the devil, John viii. 44. 10 And not only this; but wher Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger: 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Our apostle having in the foregoing verses proved, from what was done in Abraham's family, that it was the purpose and pleasure of God to account only those for Abraham's seed who were the children of his faith, and to reject the rest for their unbelief; in these verses he prosecutes the same argument, by insisting upon another special dispensation of God in the family of Isaac, whose wife Rebecca had twins, namely Jacob and Esau, and had neither of them any thing in them to move God to love the one and dislike the other: vet a preference was given to the one before the other. So that the apostle's argument runs thus; " As Jacob and Esau were begotten of the same father, born of the same mother, lay together in the same womb, and had neither of them done any thing at all to oblige or disoblige Almighty God; yet he was pleased to make a difference between them and their posterity after them, giving the beloved Canaan to Jacob and his seed, which by birth-right belonged to Esau and his offspring: so in like manner is it the will and pleasure of God, that the believing Gentiles should become heirs of the promise by faith in Christ, and that the unbelieving Jews should be rejected and cast off for their infidelity." Learn hence, 1. That Almighty God chooses persons to the participation of divine favours. Learn, 2. That the choice which God makes of men to the enjoyment of that special favour of being his peculiar people, is not according to their external privileges or works, but according to his own free pleasure. Learn, 3. That as Jacob's and Esau's being unborn, and having done neither good nor evil, is used as an argument to prove, that the choice of the one before the other could not be of works; so it is a strong argument against the pre-existence of souls, and their being sent into bodies by way of punishment for former sins. For upon that supposition it could not be true, that the children had done neither good nor evil before they were born, seeing they might both have sinned in that state of preexistence. Learn, 4. and observe, That the apostle doth not say, That before the children had done either good or evil, God said, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated: but only the elder shall serve the younger. Hatred here may be taken two ways, either, 1. For a less degree of love; God preferring the seed of Jacob before the posterity of Esau, giving the former the good land of Canaan, to the latter the barren mountains of Seir. Or, 2. If hatred be taken in the strictest sense, then God is said to hate Esau, that is, the Edomites, after their wicked and unnatural behaviour towards their brethren the Israelites; and upon that occasion see Obadiah, ver. 10. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. Nothing renders a person the object of God's hatred but sin; he doth not hate the devil himself, as he is his creature, but only as he is a sinner. God adjudges none to eternal, perdition, but with respect to sin. Observe, 5. That Jacob and Esau are not here to be considered personally, but collectively; for the Israelites that descended from Jacob, and for the Edomites which sprang from Esau: for Esau in his own person did not serve Jacob, but the Edomites did serve the Israelites. Thus the elder did serve the younger. Again, it appears that Job and all his friends were of the posterity of Esau: God did not then hate the person of all the posterity of Esau, but only those of them who by their violence and wickedness rendered themselves the object of his hatred. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. going instances asserted his doctrine, conThe apostle having by the two forecerning the purpose and decree of God Son, be they Gentiles or Jews and conseto justify those that should believe in his quently made it good, that no word or promise of God falls to the ground by the ceeds in this verse to demonstrate the rightrejection of the unbelieving Jews; proeousness of God in the execution of this righteousness or injustice with God? his purpose. Is there then, says he, unGod forbid. As if the apostle had said, preferred the posterity of Isaac before that "Is there any cause to say, That God, who of Ishmael, and the seed of Jacob before the just reason to say, that God is now unjust numerous offspring of Esau; is there any in calling the Gentiles, and upon their faith owning them for his people, the spiritual seed of Abraham, and rejecting the Jews because of their unbelief? God forbid that we should accuse him of unrighteous dealing upon Learn hence, That God is just, infallibly this account." and inflexibly just and righteous, in all his dealings with, and dispensations towards the children of men: Is there unrightthere can be none. cousness with God? That is, there is none, such tenets or doctrines which reflect any Learn, 2. That all charge him with hard dealing, ought to be manner of unrighteousness upon God, or disclaimed with the utmost abhorrency and detestation: Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Observe next, How the apostle proves that there is God, in rejecting the Jews and calling the no unrighteousness in this dispensation of Gentiles, because he had said to Moses, he would show mercy, where, when, and If therefore, upon the infidelity of the Jews, to whom, or to what people, he pleased. he will call the idolatrous Gentiles, and receive them to be his people, who can accuse Shall not Almighty God dispense his fahim of any injustice upon that account? May he not confer his kindness upon vours where and upon whom he pleases? some, which he owes to none? Learn hence, That God is absolutely and ulti mately resolved to follow the counsel of his own will, in and about the justification of sinners; solves to do, his will being the rule of rightand whatsoever he doth, or reand undeniably righteous. eousness, is for that reason exactly just, |