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that believeth, as that we, by Faith in him who hath fulfilled the Law for us, are and shall be so justified, as if we had perfectly fulfilled the Law in ourselves.

X. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

For Moses describes the Righteousness of the Law by doing; while he saith, The man that doth those things, shall obtain life by doing them.

X. 6, 7 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead,) But the Righteousness, which is of Faith, stands not upon those difficulties and impossibilities of action, but upon the apprehen, sion of Christ our Saviour; and therefore speaketh on this wise, Say not thou in thine heart, Who shall be able to ascend up into heaven, to carry me up thither? for Christ hath already done this for thee; and this were to fetch Christ thence, and to deny his ascension: nor say, Who shall descend into hell for me, to rescue me from thence? for Christ hath already delivered thee from thence; and this were to frustrate the death of Christ.

X. 8, 9 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if &c.

But what saith it? Even this; The word of the Gospel, and the effect of the promises therein contained, are easily to be attained, and lie open before thee: thou shalt not need to go seek far for them they are within thee; both in thy mouth to confess them, and in thy heart to believe them; and this is the word of Faith which we preach, offering salvation to all that shall by a true Faith lay hold thereon: even this, That if thou shalt confess &c.

X. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For with the heart man believeth, and by that his Faith is graciously accepted as Righteous; and with the mouth he makes profession of that Christ on whom he believeth, and shews forth the truth of his Faith by the fruits of it to salvation.

X, 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whosoever shall call upon God, by Christ, in faithful prayer, shall be saved.

X. 14, 15 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace &c. ! Now this invocation of God presupposeth a Faith; for, how shall they call on him, on whom they have not believed, that he can or will help them? And this Faith presupposeth a Hearing; for how shall they believe on him, of whom they have not heard? And this

Hearing doth necessarily imply an Instructor; for how shall they hear without a preacher? And this Preaching presupposeth a Mission, or sending on God's part; for how shall they preach, except they be sent by God, on this errand of his, and receive both gifts and command from him? according to that saying of the prophet, How beautiful, and worthy of cheerful acceptance, are the very feet of those, that preach the Gospel of Peace, &c!

X, 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, What do ye stand upon these contemptuous conceits of the Gentiles, as if they had never heard ought of God before? Do ye not remember the words of the Psalmist, Their sound went into all the world, &c. Even the wonderful workmanship of the heavens and earth was a great instruction to them, and taught them to know somewhat of their Maker.

X. 19 I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

By that mercy, which I will shew to the Gentiles, which are not my people, you will be stirred up to envy against them: I will be so gracious to those rude and ignorant nations, that you shall fret at and be moved to anger and emulation of them, whom ye formerly contemned,

XI. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias?

God hath not cast away those of his people, whom he elected, and acknowledged for his; howsoever, those fashionable counterfeits, which make an empty profession of the name of his people, be justly rejected, &c.

XI. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

As it was in the time of Elias, so it is still: there are, amongst a number of false hypocrites, some few left, whom God hath graciously selected to himself.

XI. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

And if they be elected out of his Free Grace, then not out of any merit of their own Works: otherwise Grace should not be Free, but earned, and so no Grace at all. But if it be of the merit of Works, then it is not of his Free Grace: for else Work should not be Work, and not meritorious at all: neither can there be any mixture of the merit of Works, and the free Grace of God; but one of these excludes the other.

XI. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

What shall we conclude then? Even this: all the natural sons of Israel, his posterity according to the flesh, have not obtained that

which they seek for, namely, Righteousness before God, and Salvation; but those, whom God hath mercifully selected out of the rest, have obtained it; and the rest, through their own wilful infidelity, are hardened in their hearts, and blinded in their understandings.

XI. 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, &c.) See Isaiah xxix. 10.

XI. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snarc, &c. See Psalm lxix. 22, 23.

XI. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

I say then, Have the whole nation of the Jews so stumbled, as that they are utterly fallen; and that there is no recovery and salvation for any of them? God forbid: no; there are many of them, whom God will call and save. Rather, as upon their fall, the Gentiles are succeeded into their room, and partake of that grace and salvation which they refused; so, God means to make use of the emulation, which the Jews do hereupon conceive against the Gentiles, to stir them up to an earnest endeavour to recover and attain the same grace and happiness.

XI. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness!

Which happy issue shall be a notable advantage to the Church of God: for, if, upon their fall, the world of Gentiles were enriched; and, upon their decay and loss, the Gentiles were the gainers of those honours and privileges which were taken from them; how much more shall their full recovery and receipt into favour be both gainful and glorious, when there shall be a happy union_betwixt all believers, and one Church shall be made up of both Jews and Gentiles!

XI. 13, 14 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For I speak to you, Gentiles; as one, that, howsoever I am by birth and blood a Jew, yet challenge a special interest in you, and profess an especial care of you, inasmuch as I am appointed to be the Apostle of the Gentiles; and, therefore, in thus setting forth your privileges and blessings, I magnify my own office; Which I purposely do, that, by thus extolling God's favour and mercy to you, I might provoke those of my own flesh and blood to a holy emulation of you, and might save some of them.

XI. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For, if, upon the casting away of them, the rest of the world were received into favour, how much more must all the world needs be received, by their receiving again into favour! While they are ex

eluded, the Church hath not that full and complete life, which then it shall enjoy, upon their restoring.

XI. 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

For, certainly, it must needs be granted, that there is a special privilege of spiritual nobleness; and, by reason of the covenant, an hereditary kind of dedication to God in the nation of the Jews, more than, naturally, of the Gentiles: for, if the Patriarchs, which were the firstfruits of the Jews, were holy, then the whole bulk or lump of the nation is holy also; and, if those faithful men, which were the roots of that nation, were holy, so must they also, which, as branches, are issued out from them be holy.

XI. 17, 18 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

And, if some of these Jewish olive branches be broken off; and thou, being but a branch or scion of a wild olive, be graffed in instead of them, and, together with the true natural boughs, partakest of the juice and fatness that arises from the root of the olive tree; Boast not against those branches that are broken, as if thou wert better than they, or against those other branches that yet grow and stand, as if thou wert more assured and better regarded than they; plainly, do not ye Gentiles insult over the Jews, into whose spiritual stock ye are ingraffed: but if any will needs be so insolent, let him know, that, as the root is not beholding to the branches, but the branches to the root; so those good things, which we have, we have received from the Jews, and not the Jews from us.

XI. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

But, thou wilt perhaps say, Why should I not boast myself as better respected of God? Those natural branches were broken off, to give way unto me.

XI. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear,

Well, it is true; Those natural branches, viz. the nation of the Jews, were broken off, for their unbelief, which once thought themselves as strong and sure as thou; and thou standest now in their room, by professing faith in that Christ, whom they rejected: be not puffed up, O ye Gentiles, as if ye, in your several nations, could not be stripped of these privileges; but rather, if ye presume too much, fear the very same issue:

XI. 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

For if God spared not the Jews, which were the natural branches, but brake them off from being a Church or people, take heed lest he spare not you,

XI, 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on

them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou conti-· nue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Behold therefore a notable proof and example of both the goodness and severity of God: on the Jews that are fallen, just severity in forsaking them, and casting them out from his protection; but towards you, O Gentiles, singular goodness and mercy, if ye continue in that state, which may be fit to receive and hold that his mercy and goodness; otherwise, even ye Churches of the Gentiles also shall be cut off.

XI. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

And they also, if they cast off their unbelief, and shall humbly submit themselves to their true and only Messiah, shall be received into this holy communion again; for the same God, who rejected them, is as able also to shew mercy upon them.

XI. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree!

For, if ye, of rude, barbarous, and savage Idolaters, were taken and admitted into the holy Church of God; how much more easy and proper may it be for them, which were before the noted and peculiar people of God, to be readmitted into the same holy fellowship!

XI. 25, 26 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, lest you be puffed up with the proud conceit of your presently happy condition, and grow scornful of the forlorn Jews; that a great part of the Jews is now obstinate and hardened against the Gospel, through their own unbelief; and God hath hereby taken occasion to feoffe the Gentiles in the privileges which they once had: but that, withal, this obduration of theirs shall not be perpetual: the time shall come, when this blindness and obstinacy shall be removed; when the number of the converted Gentiles shall be fully made up. Then shall the Jews generally be converted, and be received to grace and salvation; as it is written, There shall come &c. See Isaiah lix. 20.

XI. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. Will ye therefore know what, in short, to think of the Jews? If ye look to the Gospel of Christ, which they reject, they are indeed enemies; but this is for your advantage, for their refusal thereof brought it sooner unto you: but if ye look to the covenant of God made with their fathers, so there are of them chosen vessels, and such as are dear unto God,

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