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126

that the Jews might be provoked to emulation.

SECT. the riches of the world, and their diminution the of them be the riches XXV. riches of the Gentiles, by scattering the preach- of the world, and the diminishing of them ers of the gospel among them, by proving our the riches of the veracity and integrity, and in some measure ex- Gentiles: how much citing compassion too; though their rejecting more their fulness ? us, in itself considered, might rather appear as

Rom.

xi. 12

an argument against it; how much more shall the bringing in their whole fulness, that is, the whole body of the Jewish nation, be a means of propagating the gospel much farther, and recovering multitudes, by whom it hath been rejected from their scepticism and infidelity, when so great an event appears in accomplisment of 13 its known predictions. For I now speak to

apostle of the Gen

13 For I speak to you Gentiles, and I do it with tenderness and you Gentiles, inasrespect, as I am, by a special designation of much as I am the Providence, the apostle of the Gentiles; I there- tiles, I magnify mine in extol my office, and esteem it the most signal office : 14 honour of my life to be employed in it. And 14 If by any means while I thus address you, it is also with a de- I may provoke to emulation them which sire that I may, if possible, excite to emulation are my flesh, and [them who are] my brethren according to the might save some of flesh, and who, are dear to me as the members of them. my own body; that if I may not prevail for the recovery of their nation in general, I may at least save some of them; while I speak of these kind purposes, which I assuredly 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

Accomplishment of its known predictions.] So many of the prophecies of the Old Testament, do evidently refer to the reduction of the Jews into their own land, as the people of the Messiah, that I can by no means doubt of the certainty of that event. Compare Isa. xxvii. 12, 13; Ezek. xi. 17-21; chap. xx. 3444; chap. xxxiv. 13, 14; chap. xxxv. 25-29; chap. xxxvi. 24-28; chap. xxxvii. 21-28; Amos ix. 14, 15; Obad. ver. 17; Mic. vii. 14, 15; Zech. xiv. 10, 11. And the wonderful preservation of them as a distinct people, thus far, not only leaves a possibility of this great event, but encourages the hope of it. When it shall be accomplished, it will be so unparalleled, as necessary to excite a general attention, and to fix upon men's minds, such an almost irresistible demon

stration both of the Old and New Testament revelation as will probably captivate the minds of many thousands of deists, in coun tries professedly Christian; (of which, un. der such corrupt establishments as generally prevail, there will of course be increasing multitudes ;) nor will this only captivate their understanding, but will have the greatest tendency to awaken a sense of true religion in their hearts; and this will be a means of propagating the gospel with an amazing velocity in Pagan and Mahome tan countries; which probably had been evangelized long ago, had genuine Christianity prevailed in those who have made a profession, and God knows, for the most part, a very scandalous profession, of its forms. The 15th verse has so natural a connection with the 12th, that Elsner includes the 13th and 14th in a parenthesis.

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Yet the Gentiles were not to boast against the Jews: 127 hope it may not only tend to your edification SECT. and salvation, but also to theirs.b

15 For if the cast- In like manner, when I wish their recovery, ing away of them it is not for their sakes alone; but also with be the reconciling of the world; what respect to those happy consequences which I shall the receiving of know it will have upon the spread of the gospel them be, but life among the Gentiles. For, as I hinted above,

from the dead?

16 For if the first

if their rejection [were] the reconciliation of so
great a part of the heathen world to God, as it
was the means of sending the gospel of peace
among them; what [will] the reception [of them
be,] but life from the dead? What joy will it
necessarily give, and what a general spread of
the gospel will it naturally produce?

XXV.

Rom.

xi. 15

And this blessed event we may assuredly ex- 16 fruit be holy, the pect: for if the first fruits [be] holy, so [is] the lump is also holy: and if the root be lump. The consecration of them was looked holy, so are the upon as in effect the consecration of all.

branches.

ken off, and thou

And

so would I look upon the conversion of some few of the Jewish nation, as an earnest of the conversion of all the rest. And so much the rather, when I consider how eminently dear to God those pious patriarchs were from whom they have descended: for if the root [be] holy, the branches [are likewise] so, and 17 And if some of will surely at length be regarded as such. And 17 the branches be bro- this, though some of them be at present in so being a wild olive. melancholy a state; for if some of the branches tree, wert graffed in were broken off, and thou, O Gentile, being, as amongst them, and it were a scion of a wild olive, were graffed in with them partakest of the root and fat- among them that remained, and art with them ness of the olive- partaker of, and nourished by, the root and fatness of the good olive; being not only a graft upon another stock, but a meaner graft on a stock originally nobler and more excellent; 18 Boast not a Boast not thyself presumptuously and ungrate- 18 gainst the branches: fully against the natural branches; and if thou but if thou boast, boastest, [remember] to thy humiliation, [that]

tree;

Also to theirs.] Perhaps we can no where find an instance of a more popular and affectionate turn than this, in which the apostle seems to find a reason for his zeal to convert the Gentiles, in his love to his own countrymen the Jews.

Wild olive graffed in among them.] It is very improper to object, that it is unnatural to suppose an ignoble branch graffed on a rich stock; for it was not necessary 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 dependence on it for life and nourishment, would render it unfit that it should boast against it; how much more, when the case was the reverse of what in human usage is practised, and the wild olive is ingraffed on the good.

128 For the Jews, the natural branches, shall be again graffed in.

SECT. thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou thou bearest not the XXV. hast received many benefits from Abraham's root, but the root seed, and the covenant made with him, but xi. 19 they have received none from thee.

Rom.

thee.

Wilt thou 19 Thou wilt say therefore object, and say," Thy natural branches then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in; and were broken off, that therefore we may glory over them as they I might be graffed in. 20 once did over us; Well, take this thought at

20 Well; because

fear.

spare not thee.

least along with thee, they were broken off for of unbelief they were [their] infidelity, and thou hitherto standest in broken off, and thou their place through faith. Therefore be not standest by faith. Be not high minded, but high minded and arrogant, but fear, lest thou by thy sins forfeit the privileges to which thou 21 art so wonderfully raised. For if God spared 21 For if God not the branches which were according to nature, spared not the natneither will he by any means spare thee if thine ural branches, take unbelief make thee, after all thy peculiar obli- heed lest he also gations, as bad, and in that respect, even worse, 22 than they. Behold therefore, on the whole, a 22 Behold there. remarkable display of the intermingled good- fore, the goodness, ness and severity of God, and endeavour to im- and severity of God: on them which fell, prove both well! Towards them that fell, thou severity; but towards indeed seest a memorable instance of his severi- thee, goodness, if ty; but to thee, a display of gentleness and thou continue in his goodness, if thou wilt be careful to continue in goodness. [his] goodness, and endeavour gratefully and be cut off. dutifully to improve it ; else thou also shalt be cut off, for the blessed God will not bear always to

Other

wise thou also shalt

23 be insulted with the petulency of sinners. And I 23 And they also, would have you farther to consider, as a mo- if they abide not tive to think of the Jews with respect rather still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for than contempt, that they also, if they do not con- God is able to graff tinue in their unbelief, shall be graffed on again, them in again. and restored to their former privileges. For it is certain, God is able again to ingraff 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 24 from what thou hast thyself experienced. For 24 For if thou if thou wert, as I may properly enough express wert cut out of the it, cut off from the olivetree which was naturally wild by nature, and wild, and contrary to the course and process wert graffed con

Be not high minded, &c.] Archbishop Tillotson well observes, that this caution ill suits the claim to infallibility, which the

olivetree which is

modern church of Rome so arrogantly makes, amidst all the absurdities with which her doctrine, and her ritual are loaded.

Reflections on God's dealing with Jews and Gentiles.

own olivetree?

129

Rom.

xi. 24

trary to nature into a of nature, were graffed on the good olivetree; SECT. good olive tree; how if thou wert admitted into covenant with God, xxv. much more shall these which be the though descended from parents that were natural branches, be strangers and enemies, how much more shall graffed into their they who are the natural [branches,] to whom the promises do originally belong, be graffed on their own olive? God will not seem to do so wonderful a thing, in restoring them to what might seem the privilege of their birthright and descent, and saving the seed of Abraham his friend; as he hath done, in calling you sinners of the Gentiles, to participate the blessings of which you had not the least notion, and to which you cannot be supposed to have had any imaginable claim.

IMPROVEMENT.

LET 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 verse us. What immense goodness! that we should be taken from 22 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 offspring might be graffed on the good stock, be called to the most import- 24 ant of those privileges and hopes with which the seed of Abraham were honoured and enriched. We partake of the fatness 17 of the good olive; may our fruit abound to the honour of God, to the benefit of mankind.

1

Let us cherish the most benevolent and tender disposition towards the house of Israel, to whose spiritual privileges we are raised; and let us earnestly pray that they may be awakened to 11 emulation; especially as their fulness is to be the riches of the Gentiles, and the receiving them again, as life from the dead to the languishing and decaying church.

In the mean time, as the gospel comes to us in so awful a manner, vindicated from the contempt of former despisers, let us solemnly charge upon our souls this lesson of holy caution, these salutary words, (O that they may be continually present to our thoughts!) Be not high minded, but fear: whatever our 20 privileges, whatever our experiences are, whatever our confidence may be, let us dwell upon the thought; for there is no Christian upon earth that hath not reason to fear, in proportion to the degree in which he feels his thoughts towering on high, and grows into any conceit of himself. Daily let us recollect VOL. 4.

18

130

XXV.

Blindness is to Israel, till the fulness of the Gentiles come in :

SECT. What we were in our natural estate; and what, with all our improvements and attainments, we should immediately be, if God should forsake us.

verse 22

Let us pray therefore that we may continue in God's goodness; and whoever may continue to fall from it, let us not glory; but rather mourn over them, and pray for their recovery and salva18 tion to that God who is able to recover from the most obstinate infidelity and impenitence, and to graff on not only foreign branches, but what may seem yet more wonderful, those that have appeared more than twice dead.

SECT. xxvi.

Rom.

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The apostle further illustrates the future conversion of the Jews to the gospel; and concludes the argument with observing, that in the mean time, their obstinacy is overruled to such happy 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 XI. 25.
OR I would not,

I

Fbrethren, that

ND now, my brethren, upon the whole, will conclude what I have to say upon this interesting and affecting subject, which I have ye should be igno rant of this mystery, xi. 25 indeed enlarged upon pretty copiously; for it (lest ye should be lies with great weight upon my heart. And wise in your own therefore I would not have you to be ignorant of conceits, that blindness in part is hapthis material circumstance relating to the great pened to Israel, unmystery in the dispensation before us, which, til the fulness of the on the first views of it, may appear very unac- Gentiles be come in countable; lest you should have too high an opinion of yourselves, when you see the Jews rejected for their fatal error. I would not, I say, have you ignorant of this, that the lamentable blindness and infatuation we have been speaking of, is in part happened unto Israel, and has spread itself over by far the greatest part of the Jewish people, not that they may utterly perish, and be for ever cut off; but that they may continue in this humble and rejected state, till a certain period arrive, when the fulness of the Gentiles, the appointed harvest of them, shall be brought in, and incorporated with

Till the fulness of the Gentiles shall be the Jews, by the first preaching of the brought in, &c.] It is well remarked, by apostles, and after Paul had been about my late learned, pious and candid friend, thirty years engaged in his work, it appears, Dr. William Harris, that as this epistle was that the prophecies relating to the calling of written about the year 57, that is, long the Jews were not accomplished then, and after the most remarkable conversion of consequently are not yet accomplished.

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