Romans 9

I Say the truth in Christ Or by Christ: So the word (in) is taken, Mat. 5.34, 35, 36. This is the Form of an Oath, which the Scripture elsewhere useth in matters of Importance, vid. Gen. 22.16. Dan. 12.7. and Ephes. 4.17., I lye not This is added for Confirmation, or to gain the greater Credit to what he said or swore. It was the manner of the Hebrews to an Affirmative, to add a Negative, vid. 1 Sam. 3.18. Iohn 1.20., my conscience also bearing me witness As being for this purpose placed in Man by God, and is instead of a thousand Witnesses. in the holy Ghost i. e. In the presence of the Holy Ghost, who is Privy to what I say, and who is a Witness also to the Truth thereof; Or, as some by the Guidance of the Holy Ghost, who cannot Lye.. The Apostle being about to Treat of the Rejection of the Iews, and the Calling of the Gentiles: Before he enters upon it, he premiseth a Preface to prepare the Minds of the Iews, to a patient Reading or Hearing the same: And in this Preface, he solemnly Protesteth his Love to his Nation; and his hearty Grief for their Rejection, that so it might the better appear, that these things were not Written out of any Spleen or Malice, but out of Conscience towards God and the Truth.

That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart His grief for his Nation and People, he expresseth, 1. By the greatness of it; it was such as a Woman has in Travail; so the Word imports. 2. By the continuance of it; It was continual, or without intermission. 3. By the seat of it; It was in his Heart, and not outward in his ce. The Cause he does not here set down, but it is easily gathered from what follows, viz. The Obstinacy and Infidelity, together with the Rejection of the Iews..

For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ Or Separated from Christ. This Verse has greatly vexed Interpreters. Some read it, I did wish my self accursed from Christ, q. d. Before my Conversion, I was willing to be accursed from Christ, to be a violent Persecutor of the Christians; and so to be held of them as accursed for my Brethrens sake. The vulgar Latine and many Romanists thus render the word in the Text: But the generality of Interpreters Read it as we do; not Indicatively, but Potentially; and they make an Ellepsis in the words () the like is frequent, vid. Act. 25.22. 1 Cor. 2.8. 2 Cor. 11.1. But then still the difficulty is, How, and in what Sense the Apostle wisht himself accursed or separated from Christ. The received Opinion is, That out of Zeal to the Glory of God, and Love to his Brethren; he was willing to be damned, that they all might be saved. Many of the Ancients did thus Expound this place. Christ become a curse for us; And what Marvel is it (sayes one) if the Lord would be made a curse for the Servants, that a Servant should be willing to become an Anathema for the Brethren. He does not wish (sayes another) for his brethrens sake, to be Separated from the love and grace of Christ, but from the comforts of Christ, and the future happiness that we have by him: He is content to lose his part in the heavenly Glory, if that might promote the Glory of Christ, which would be more Illustrated by the saving a whole Nation, than a particular Person, q. d. If this might be the Fruit of it, if it would to this end, I could methinks be content to part with all my hopes in Christ, even my eternal Happiness, upon condition my Brethren might be Partakers thereof; so Passionate, and abundant Love have I to and for them. This Exposition is not Satisfactory. Therefore some think, the Apostle here speaks of being accurst only for a Season, or of being an Anathema in this World. An Anathema sometimes signifieth Corporal Death and Destruction; of old, in times of common Calamity, they were wont to Sacrifice Men to their Idols, and infernal gods, for the pacifying of their Anger: Such a Sacrifice they called Anathema, which is a word here used, q. d. For my Brethrens sake, that so they might be Saved; I could be content to be cut off, to be made a Sacrifice, to Dye the worst of Deaths. But if this be admitted, How then is that Clause to be understood (from Christ?) 'Tis not, I could wish my self an Anathema, but an Anathema from Christ; to this, they Answer that favour this Interpretation; that instead of from Christ, you may read by Christ. q. d. I could be content to be cut off or destroyed by Christ, that my Brethren might be saved. This Sense of the words suits well with the Zeal and Kindness of Moses to his Brethren, Exod. 32.32. rather than they should not be pardoned and Spared, he prays, That God would blot him out of the book that he had written, vid. Annot. there. There is yet another, and a more probable Interpretation of this Wish of the Apostle. 'Tis as if he had said, I could be willing to be Separated or Excommunicated from the Church of Christ, for the Sake and Salvation of my Country and Nation. Anathema (sayes he Hesychius) signifies, Excommunicate, 1 Cor. 16.22. If any Man love not the Lord Iesus Christ, let him be Anathema: Let him be removed from the Christian Assemblies; deprived of those Christian Priviledges that are afforded there, Gal. 1.8, 9. Let him be an Anathema, that teacheth another Gospel, i. e. Turned out of the Church of Christ, and avoided by all true Christians; If this Sense be admitted, then (from Christ) must signify from the body of Christ; and so the word Christ is used, 1 Cor. 12.12. Gal. 3.27. Christ being the Head of the Body; he that is cut off from the body, may be truly enough said, to be cut off from Christ. Thus the Apostle Paul, who was Accused and Persecuted by the Iews, for having made a Defection from the Law of Moses, and setting up Christian Assemblys, in opposition to their Iudaical Service; does fi ly express his Kindness and Love to them, in wishing himself depraved of those most valuable Priviledges, on condition they might be Partakers thereof. To this it may be added, That in the Primitive Times, this Anathematizing or Excommunicating, was attended with delivering up to Satan, and that with Destruction of the Flesh, with very sharp and severe Punishments upon the Bodyes of Men: And so Anathemae in this Notion, may be taken with this Improvement, and may contain all those Temporal Calamities, that he was willing to endure and undergo for their Good (vid. D. H. in Loc.), for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh So the Iews were by natural Descent, vid. Gen. 29.14..

Who are Israelites i. e. The Offspring of that Holy Patriark Israel; this was the Iews first Title of Honour; that they descended from him, who by God himself was sir-named Israel, or a Prince that had Power with God, and prevailed, Gen. 32.28.; to whom pertaineth the adoption Adoption is not here to be understood as before, in chap. 8.15. or as in Eph. 1.5. (& alibi.) But thereby we must understand the peculiar Priviledge of the Seed of Iacob; that they, of all the Nations of the Earth, were pitch't upon to be nearly Related to God, to be his Children (as they are called) and his First-born, vid. Exod. 4.22. Deut. 14.1. Ier. 31.9, 20. Mat. 15.26., and the glory The Ark and the Temple; so called, because in them God did manifest his Glorious Presence, 1 Sam. 4.21.22. Psal. 26.8. and 78.61., and the covenants Some understand by Covenants, the Tables of the Law, vid. Heb. 9.4. Others rather understand the Covenant made with Abraham, Gen. 15.8. and 17.2.7. and with the Iewish Nation, Exod. 24.7.8. and 34.27. &c. Circumcision also may be intended, for that is called God's Covenant, Gen. 17.10., and the giving of the law The Iudicial, Ceremonial, but especially the Moral Law. This is spoken of as a great Priviledge, Deut. 4.8, 32. It my refer both, to the Law its self, and to the Circumstances also, with which the Law was given., and the service of God The true manner of Worshipping God, which was a great Priviledge: Other Nations knew there was a God, and that He must be Worshipped, but they knew not how; and so they ran into Superstition and Idolatry., and the promises Of this Life, and that to come. Particularly of the Messiah, and of the Benefits and Blessings by Him. This are found in Moses and the Prophets, and were entailed upon the Iews, and their Children, Act. 2.39. Eph. 2.12. till God at last Cut off the Entail.; In this and the following Verse, he rehearseth the Priviledges and Advantages the Iewes had from God, above all other Nations of the Earth; and this he does to show, that he had good Reason to make such a Wish, as in the foregoing Verse: As also, That what he should declare concerning the Iews, and their Ejection, did not proceed from any disrespect or disesteem of them.

Whose are the fathers Who are Lineally descended of the Holy Patriarks, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, with other Holy Fathers and Prophets, and of the same Blood. This was also a great Priviledge, of which the Iews boasted., and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came Or out of whom, understand the People of the Iews, not the Fathers. The meaning is, Christ took his humane Nature of their Stock. 'Tis the great Honour of Mankind, that Christ took not the nature of Angels, but of Man; and 'tis a great Honour to the Nation of the Iews, that He took the Seed of Abraham their Father., who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. This is the fullest place to express the two Natures that are in the Person of our Redeemer the Lord Iesus Christ; He was God as well as Man: Yea, this is the Title by which the One and Supream God, was known amongst the Iews.

Not as though the word of God has taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel An Objection is here obviated: The Iews might object and say; If they were cast off and rejected, then God is unfaithful, and all his Promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and their Seed, are ineffectual. To this he Answers by a Destinction of Israelites. Some are Israelites only, in respect of their Carnal Generation; and Others again, are true Israelites, Children of the Promise, and of the Faith of Abraham, vid. Chap. 2.28, 29. Now the Promises of God were made to the true Israelites, and in all such it is Effectual: And under the Name of Israel, or true Israelites, all those are comprehended, who imitate the Fai h of Abraham, and walk in his Steps, whether they descended from him, by fleshly Generation or not: This he farther Asserts in the following Verse..

Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called He had before made a difference of Israelites, and now he makes a difference of the Seed of Abraham. This was ever and anon in the Mouths of the Iews, We are Abraham's Seed, Iohn 8.33. But here he tells them, That all Abraham's Seed were not the Children of the promise; for it was said to Sarah, Gen. 21.12. That the promised Seed should be confined to Isaac's time; of his Issue should the Messiah come, and all the true Seed of Abraham, who are born after the manner of Isaac, by the Word and Promise of God. And as Ishmael, though Abraham's natural Seed, was cast out; and therein was a Type of those, who are Born only according to the Flesh: So Isaac is a Type of Abraham's spiritual Seed, who are Born, not of the Power of Nature, but by virtue of the Promise of God..

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 q. d. That I may speak more plainly, all those that are the Children of Abraham according to the Flesh, are not therefore the Adopted Children of God; it is not their Blood, but their Faith must make them such. There are some of Abraham's Seed, that are Selected from the rest, to whom the Promise was made; who are therefore called children of the Promise: And of this sort are all they, who are Born after the Spirit, (as Isaac is said to be, Gal. 4.23.) whether Iews or Gentiles. The Sense of this Verse is fully exprest, Gal. 3.8, 14. and 3.29. vid. Gal. 4.28..

For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son The Birth of Isaac was a Thing extraordinary; for which, neither Abraham nor Sarah had any Ground to hope, but only that Promise made, Gen. 18.10. in these words, At this time, or according to this time, i. e. The Time of bearing Children after Conception, I will come, and Sarah shall have a Son, i. e. I will manifest my Power, in fulfilling my Promise of giving thee a Son. By which 'tis clear, that the Birth of Isaac was an Effect of God's promise, and nothing else. So that they to whom the Promise belong (whosoever they be) they are the Seed of Abraham, and upon the Obedience of Faith, shall be accepted for the Children of God. The Apostle Peter tells Women (whether Iews or Gentiles it matters not) that by well-doing, they become the Daughters of Sarah..

And not only this Some read it, and not only she (The Particle This is not in the Greek.), but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac This Instance is added, because there might be some Objection against the former; as if there were some reason why God chose Isaac, and refused Ishmael. Isaac was Born of a Free-woman, and when Abraham was circumcised; but Ishmael was Born of a Bond-woman, and when Abraham was uncircumcised: Besides, Ishmael no sooner came to Years, but he showed some Tokens of Perversness, and of a wicked Spirit. Therefore, in this, and the Three following Verses, he does give another, which was beyond all Exception; and that is in Esau and Iacob, betwixt whom there was no Disparity, either in Birth or in Works: They had both one and the same Mother; Rebecca Conceived with them at one and the same time; and that by no other Person, than our Father Isaac; and yet the one of these is Chosen, and the other Refused. This now was an undeniable Proof, that the promise belongs not to all the Children of Abraham, or of Isaac, according to the Flesh; All the Seed of neither are the Children of the promise.,

(For q. d. As there was nothing in the Birth of those Twins, so neither in their Works, that occasioned the Difference that God made bewixt them; For when God spake of what should happen to them, they were Unborn, and had done neither Good nor Evil. the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil He means, Actual good or evil; such as might Difference them one from another. As for Original Sin, they were both alike tainted therewith., that the purpose of God This Purpose of God is to be understood about Reprobation, or (if you will) Rejection, or Praeterition, as well as about Election. according to election might stand Be Firm or Stable., not of works Either done or foreseen., but of him that calleth) i. e. Of the good Pleasure and undeserved Favour of God, who also effectually Calleth those that He Has Elected, as chap. 8.30. See a Parallel place, 2 Tim. 1.9..

It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger This Verse is to be Read with the Tenth. The whole Eleventh Verse being a Parenthesis. Then when She resorted to the Lord for Counsel, about the Strugling of the Children in her Womb; it was told her, or revealed to her of God, that The Elder should serve the Younger: Of the Sense of which words, see Annot. on Gen. 25.23. where they are Recorded..

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated The foregoing Oracle is expounded by another taken out of Malachi. 1.2, 3. see the Annot. there. Because the foregoing passage of Esau his serving Iacob, does not seem so full and clear, to betoken the Election of Iacob, and the Rejection of Esau in the purpose of God; therefore the Apostle brings this place to Explain the former; and proves that the service or subjection of Esau to Iacob, was accompanied with Gods Eternal and undeserved Love of the one, and his Iust and Righteous hatred of the other. There are some, that by Esau and Iacob, do understand their Posterity, and not their Persons; that say, the Love and Hatred of God, in the forecited Text, does only or chiefly respect Temporal things; God loved Iacob, i. e. He gave him the Land of Promise; but hated Esau, i. e. He gave him a Dry and Barren Country, and made his Mountain wast; That by Gods hating Esau, is only meant he Loved him less than Iacob, &c. Such should consider, That the scope of the Apostle is, to show, That some are the Children of God, and of the Promise, and not others; and they must not make him Cite Testimonys out of the Old Testament impertinently. Much is Written pro and con upon this Argument. But I remember, he that writes a Commentary, must not too far involve himself in Controversy..

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid Another Anticipation of an Objection. Some might Object and say, if God Elect some, and Reject others, their case being the same, or their Persons being in themselves equal and alike, then he is Unjust and Partial: To this he Answers, 1. More generally, with his repeated Note of Detestation, God forbid; the Syriake Translator Reads it God forgive; Noteing thereby, the hainousness of such a thought, and then He Answers this Cavil more particularly; showing 1. That God is not unjust in Electing some, v. 15, 16. And 2. That he is not unjust in Rejecting others, ver. 17..

For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion q. d. God is not chargeable with any injustice in Electing some, and not others; for this is an Act of mere mercy and compassion, and that can be no violation of Justice. To prove this, he cites a Testimony out of Exod. 33.19. vid. locum. There He tells Moses, That the good Pleasure of His Will, was the only Rule of all his favourable and merciful Dealings with the Children of Men. The same thing is intended and expressed in Two several Phrases: And the Ingemination imports the Freeness of God's Mercy; nothing moves Him thereunto, but his own gracious Inclination; and also the Arbitrariness thereof; it depends only upon his good Will and Pleasure. The Sum is, if God show Mercy to some, and not to others, He cannot be accused of injustice, because He injures none; nor is He obliged or indebted to any..

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy q. d. God's Election is not of Iacob's, or of any other Man's willing or running, i. e. It is not from his good Desires or Deeds, his good Inclinations of Actions, or from the fore-sight thereof; but it is of God's mere mercy and good pleasure. This Text wounds Pelagianism under the fifth Rib. Nec volenti, nec volanti, was the Motto of a Noble Personage..

For the Scripture says unto Pharaoh This Verse shows, That God is not unjust in Rejecting others of equal Condition with the Elect: For the Proof of which, he cites a Testimony out of Exod. 9.16. This Verse must be joyn'd with the 14. God forbid, for the Scripture says, i. e. God says in the Scripture., Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up i. e. I have created or promoted thee to be King in Egypt. Or, (as some) I have raised or stirred thee up to oppress my People: Or, I have hardened thee, a it follows in the next Verse, and given thee up to thy own rebellious and obstinate Mind., that I might show my power in thee q. d. I have done what I have done for this very end, that the whole World may Ring of my Power and Glory. And this shows, that it is not unjust in God to reject Sinners of the Children of Men, because thereby he farthers his own Glory. For this end all things are made, and all things are accordingly ordered and disposed, Prov. 16.4., and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Therefore] This Verse is a short Repetition of the fore-going Argument. has he mercy on whom he will have mercy See ver. 15. and the Notes there., and whom he will, he hardeneth i. e. In a judicial way. Besides natural hardness, which is in all men, and is Hereditary to them; and habitual hardness, which is Contracted by a Custome in Sin. As a Path is hardened by the continual trampling of Passengers; there is judicial or judiciary hardness, which is inflicted by God as a Punishment. Men harden their own hearts sinfully (so 'tis thrice said of Pharaoh in Exodus, That He hardened his own heart, Exod. 8.15. and 9.34.) and then God hardens their hearts judicially; so 'tis often said of God in Exodus, That He hardened Pharaoh's heart, Exod. 7.13. and 9.12. and 10.1, 20, 37. and 14.8. God is not said properly to harden the hearts of men, i. e. He does not make their soft hearts hard, nor does he put hardness into the hearts of Men (as our Adversaries slanderously report us to Affirm) nor does he barely permit or suffer them to be hardened, (which is the Opinion of the Papists, about this matter;) but Two wayes may He be said to harden sinners. 1. By forsaking them, and not softning their Hearts; As darkness follows upon the Sun's with-drawing of his light; so does hardness upon God's with-holding his softning Influence. 2. By Punishing them, He inflicts farther hardness, as a Punishment of former hardness; and this he infuseth not; but it is Effected, Either 1. By Satan, to whom hardned sinners are delivered up: Or 2. By themselves, they being given over to their own hearts Lusts. Or 3. By God's word and works, which accidentially harden the hearts of Men, as might be shown..

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why does he yet find fault? For who has resisted his will Here he obviates a Third Objection or Cavil. The First was, That God is unfaithful, ver. 6. The Second, That God is unjust, ver. 14. Now the Third is, That God is severe and cruel. Some might object and say, If God, in those Courses which He takes with Men and Sinners, does follow only his own will and pleasure; and all things are done thereafter. Why then does He complain of Sinners and find Fault with them? It seems it is his will to reject them; and, Who has Resisted, or can make Resistance thereunto? It seems to be a common Saying amongst the Hebrews, That none can withstand God, vid. 2. Chron. 20.6. (& alibi.)?

Here follows the Answer to this Cavil; which is either Personal to the Caviller in this, and the next Verse, or real to the Cavil in the two following Verses. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God The Apostle seems to speak these words with some warmth, as if his Spirit and Zeal was stirred at the sawciness of the Caviller. q. d. Dost thou consider what thou art? Thou art but a Man, a piece of living Clay, a little breathing Dust, a contemptible Worm in comparison; and darest thou to word it with God, to dispute with thy Maker; to question or call Him to an account? You may argue Matters with your fellow Creatures, but not with your Creator, See Isa. 45.9, 10. from whence this seems to be borrowed, vid. Io. 40.2.? Shall the thing formed, say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus q. d. Shall the Wood quarrel with the Carpenter, the Iron with the Smith; or as 'tis in the next Verse, the Clay with the Potter??

Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour He Argueth from the Less to the Greater, That if a Potter has power over his Clay, to Form it as he pleaseth, then God has much more power over his Creatures, to Form them, or order them as He listeth. God's Authority over his Creature is Greater, than that of a Power over his Clay. The Potter made not his Clay; but both Clay and Potter are made by God. Here is something implied, that as there is no difference in the matter or lump, out of which the Potter frameth diversity of Vessels: So there is no difference in Man-kind; all Men are alike by Nature, and in the same corrupt State; both those who are Elected, and those who are Rejected, that are made vessels of mercy, or vessels or wrath. And here is this expressed, That as the Potter maketh vessels of honour or dishonour, of nobler or viler Use, out of the same lump, as he listeth; and is not bound to give a Reason of his so doing to his Pots. So God may choose some, and reject others, and give no Account thereof unto his Creatures. The Potter takes nothing from the Clay, of what Form soever he makes it; and the Creator does no Wrong to the Creature, however he does dispose of it.?

What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction q. d. What hast thou to answer or object against God, if He take a severe Course with some? Seeing, 1. He thereby Manifesteth his great displeasure against Sin, and his Power to take Vengeance of Sinners: Seeing, 2. He bears long with them in their Sins; exerciseth great Patience towards them, in the midst of their Provocations; giving them space to Repent, if they can or will: And seeing, 3. They are Vessels of wrath, fitted to Destruction: Partly by themselves, and their own sensual Courses; Partly by God's Righteous Iudgment, who gives them up thereunto.? In this, and the next Verse, is a real Answer to the Cavil, in ver. 19. The Apostle having spoken before of God's absolute Right and Power over his Creatures, to dispose of them at his Pleasure, as the Potter does his Clay. Lest any should tax God with Tyranny and Partiality towards his Creatures, He sub-joyneth the Reasons of his different proceedings with the one, and with the other.

And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory q. d. Again, on the other side, What hast thou to say, if he proceed more Mercifully with others? Seeing, 1. He thereby Manifesteth the Riches of his Glory, or his glorious Grace: And seeing, 2. They are Vessels of Mercy, which he had afore prepared unto Glory, i. e. He had done it by Election from Eternity, and by Regeneration, and Sanctification of the Spirit in time. He speaks here of Two sorts of Vessels, some of wrath, and some of mercy, as he had before spoken of Vessels of honour, and of dishonour: Concerning the Latter, he speaks Passively, That they are fitted to destruction, vid. ver. 22. Concerning the Former, he speaks Actively, That God has prepared them unto glory..

Even, us whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles Hitherto he has been showing, That the Promise was never made or meant to the Carnal Seed of Abraham. This Argument he began ver. 6, 7. and he continues it (using several Apostrophes and Amplifications, which were to his purpose) till he comes to these words; and here he tells you plainly, who are the True Seed of Abraham, and the Children of the Promise; even the called of God of all Nations, whether Iews or Gentiles. And he takes occasion to fall into it, by speaking of some in the foregoing Verse, that were Vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory; Now here, in this Verse, he tells you who these are (and to be sure they are the Persons he is enquiring after, viz. The Spiritual Seed of Abraham, and the Children of the promise) He sayes, They are such as God called, i. e. Effectually called, not of the Iews only, but of the Gentiles also; and that this is so, he farther proves in the following Verse..

As he says also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her, Beloved, which was not beloved Here the Apostle proves, That the Gentiles were children of the promise, or that the promise belonged to them, as well as to the Iews: And because the Iews could not endure to hear of this, he cites Two Testimonyes out of Hosea, to convince them: One is in this Verse, and it is taken out of Hosea 2.23. The other is in the following Verse..

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called, The children of the living God This Testimony is taken out of Hosea 1.10. And 'tis as if he had said; This that I Affirm concerning the Conversion, and calling of the Gentiles, is nothing else but what the Prophet Hosea long ago did Preach to our Fathers. Some think, these places in Hosea do speak primarily of the Iewes, and but secundarily, or by consequence of the Gentiles. Others think, that they speak chiefly of the Gentiles: Those Terms (not beloved, and not a people) being in Scripture mostly used of them..

Esaias also cryeth Hereby is noted the Prophets Zeal, or his openness and plainness. The Testimony Recorded, is found in Isa. 10.22, 29. concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea For Number or Multitude, for so the promise was to Abraham, Gen. 22.17. and 32.12., a remnant shall be saved Isaiah says, Shall return, i. e. From the Captivity, or from Sin (as 'tis Isai. 10.21.) This shows, none can be saved, but they which Return and Repent.. In this, and the Two next Verses, he proves, That it was foretold of old, by Esaias the Prophet, That God should pass by the greatest part of the Iews, and save only a remnant, or a few of them.

For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth This Verse is also found in that forecited place, Isa. 10.22, 23. The Apostle in this, and in the other Citations, follows the Seventy, which was a received Translation, and had been in request about Three Hundred Years, though in this and in other Places, it is very different from the Hebrew Text; That which God is said to finish, and cut short is his work. The Greek is, which signifies his word, or the Account, as some read it. This is brought in as a Reason, why a remnant only should be saved; because God would shorten the Account, or (as we read it) make a short work in the Iewish world. He would bring a sudden Destruction upon that people. Senacherib, and the Assyrians, or Titus Vespatian, and the Romans, shall make a complete and speedy Conquest of them; Few of them shall remain, the greater part being involved; First in Infidility, then in Destruction. The Apostle makes those few to be a Type of God's Elect among that People, that should be Saved by Faith in Iesus Christ..

And as Esaias said before In Isa. 1.9. Except the Lord of sabaoth Or of Hosts: The Mighty God, whose Host all Creatures are, which Execute his Will, as Souldiers the Will of their Commander. had left us a seed He means by a Seed, the same that he meant before by a Remnant; a small number. These were left as a little Seed, out of a great heap of Corn; that which is chosen, and left for Seed, is little in comparison of the whole Crop., we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha i. e. Utterly wasted and destroyed as they were, Ier. 50.40.

What shall we say then This is the Conclusion of the Apostles Discourse about the Election of some, and the Rejection of others; as also about the calling of the Gentiles, and the casting off the Iews.? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness That never minded or regarded it: Instead of following after it, they Fled from it. They were full of all Unrighteousness, chap. 1.18. to the end, Eph. 2.2, 3., have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith Viz. Gospel-Righteousness, or the Righteousness of Christ, which is received by true Faith..

But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness i. e. The unbelieving Iews, who paid great Reverence to the Law of God, regarding and observing the outward Precepts and Ceremonies thereof., has not attained to the law of righteousness They came short of that Righteousness which the Law requires, which God will Accept; and which is to be attained, not by works, but by faith, as it follows in the next Verse..

Wherefore Here is the Reason of the foregoing seeming Paradox; why they, who followed after the Law of Righteousness, should not attain it, rather than other; because they sought it not aright; they sought it not in a way of Believing, but of Working: These Two are Opposed in the business of Iustification, as before at large, in Chap. 3. and 4.? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law i. e. As if they could have attained Righteousness or Iustification in that way, which was impossible to do.: For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone i. e. The true Messiah. q. d. So far were they from seeking Righteousness by Christ, that on the contrary they took Offence at him, to their own Destruction, Mar. 6.3. 1 Cor. 1.23. They thought it impossible that he should give them a Righteousness better than their own. This happened to them according to the Prophecy that went before them: So it followeth;.

As it is written viz. in Isa. 8.14. and 28.16. to which Prophecy also, the Apostle Peter refers, in 1 Pet. 2.6, 7, 8., Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone Iesus Christ is properly a Corner Stone, Elect and Precious; but accidentally and eventually a Stumbling Stone, Luk. 2.34., and rock of offence, and whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed Or Confounded. Isaiah says, He that believeth; the Apostle, Whosoever believeth; which is much the same: An indefinite Proposition is equivalent to an Universal: The Prophet says, He that believeth shall not make hast; the Apostle, He shall not be ashamed. He that is Rash and Hasty will at last be ashamed and confounded..