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A. D. 57. that is feen, is not hope for what a man feeth, why doth he yet hope for.

25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26. Likewife the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we

Hope. We live upon Expectation, not Enjoyment. And this Hope as a Duty, and Condition of this future Glory, obliges us to go thro' the Sufferings of Life with all Patience and Constancy.

26. And indeed our Afflictions and Hardfhips are fometimes fuch, that we have ardent Defires after a Release from them; not knowing very often what is most fit for us, to beg of God as moft agreeable to his wife Defigns in them. But the Holy Spirit is our conftant Comforter in fuch difficult Cafes, guiding and infpiring us with fuch good Motions and Defires as we cannot oftentimes in Words exprefs.

fhould pray for as we
ought: but the Spirit
it felf maketh inter-
ceffion for us with
groanings which can-
not be uttered.

27. And he that fearcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh

*

27. But whether we exprefs them or no, God the Searcher of Hearts knows and accepts them all as agreeable to the Dictates of his own Holy Spirit, whofe Office it is fo to affift† the Minds of all diftreffed Chriftians, that they fhall be enabled to ask nothing, but what is confiftent with his holy Will and Religion. 28. This

interceffion for the
faints, according to
the will of God t.

Ver. 26, 27. væsgevrvyxáves, intercedes for us. Not in the Senfe that CHRIST is an Interceffor with GOD the Father; but helps and does for us, in the fimple Sense of the Word.

+ Ver. 27. Because be maketh Interceffion for the Saints. Or rather, ori, That he maketh Interceffion. Or else thus, He that fearcheth the Hearts [God] knoweth [i. e. accepteth and approveth] the Mind of the Spirit, becauje be maketh Interceffion agreeably to the Will of God.

[See Dr. Claget's Difcourfe of the Holy Spirit, Chap. v. §. 6. Part I. and II, page 46, &c.]

28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

eternal Benefit and

*

28. This therefore is fufficient A. D. 57. to comfort and encourage you all, both Gentile as well as Jewish Converts, that whatever Afflictions may befal

you upon Account of your Profeffion, God will turn them all at last to your Advantage; fince it was his Pur

pofe to call you all equally into the Privileges of the Chriftian Covenant.

29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predeftinate to be

conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firft born among many bre

29. And if God thus intended you all the like Means, it cannot be doubted but he defigns you the End, viz. To be like his Son Jefus Chrift in the Glories of the future State, as you resemble him in his Sufferings in this. thus he will be truly the Head and Chief of all true Chriftians, whom he is pleased to condefcend to call his Brethren.

thren.

And

30.Moreover, whom 30. For otherwife, it would be he did predeftinate, an unaccountable Proceeding in them he also called: God, thus originally to declare and whom he called, the Gentiles as well as Jews, cathem he also juftified: pable of being Members of his and whom he juftifi- Church in Chrift; to fend his Aed, them he also glo- poftles to invite them into it, to accept of their fincere Faith, as he did that of Abraham to their Juftification, and Pardon of their past Sins; and yet at laft to deny them that eternal Life and Happiness, without which all the reft is of no Advantage to them.

rified.

31. what fhall we then say to these things?

31. Well then, if it appears that God has actually taken

S

them

Ver. 28. According to his Purpose, i. e. his Purpose declared by his Prophets. See Gen. xviii. 18. Ephef. iii. 1

11.

A. D. 57. things?

If God be for us, who can be against us. gainst it?.

32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how fhall he not with him allo freely give us all things?

33. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifieth:

34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh in

terceffion for us.

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them into his gracious Covenant and Religion, what has any zealous Jew to do to speak a

32. If God has been fo infinitely gracious as to give his Son to die for the whole World; how can he be conceived to bestow the Benefits of his Death to fome Believers, and deny it to others?

33 & 34. Since GOD has chofen the Gentiles alfo into the Chriftian Church; and has pardoned them upon their Repentance and Faith in Chrift; what Jew fhall condemn them as unworthy of fuch a Mercy? Since Chrift has died for their Sins, is rifen as their powerful Saviour, and fits at the right Hand of God as their Advocate and Interceffor, who can plead any Thing against them?

35 & 36. Who fhall deprive them of the Fruit of the Love of Chrift toward them, while they continue to live worthy of it? Nothing furely, no not the fharpeft Afflictions and Perfecutions of

the most malicious and powerful Adverfaries. (Even though they were in as ill a Condition, as thofe the Pfalmift fpeaks of, Pfal. xliv. 22.)

37. They will triumph over greater Difficulties than these, by

Ver. 31. If God be for us.

a

Here again the Apostle

makes himself as one of the Gentile Converts for their greater

Encouragement to embrace his Argument.

than conquerors, thro' him that loved us.

38. For I am perfuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord.

our Lord.

a steady Faith and Obedience to so A. D. 57. powerful and loving a Redeemer.

38 & 39. And I hope and perfuade myself, that their religious Principles will be fo firm and fteady, as that neither the Fear of prefent Death, nor the Hopes of any Advantages of this Life; nor the Power and Temptations of wicked Spirits, nor prefent Sufferings, nor future Inconveniencies; nor the Height of Profperity, nor the Depth of Adverfity, nor any Thing whatever, fhall move them from their Duty, or deprive them of their Reward in Christ Jesus

CHAP. IX.

The CONTENTS.

The Apostle difcourfes of the Rejection of the Jewish Nation, from being any longer God's Church and People, upon their Infidelity; and taking the believing Gentiles in their Room. Handles this melancholy Argument with great Tenderness and Concern for his Nation. National Mercies and Privileges at God's free Difpofal and arbitrary Limitation. It was fo in Abraham's Covenant, and the Promife made to him; in the Inftances of Ifaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Efau. The Sins and Ingratitude of any Church or People may be pardoned, or punished, more or less, fooner or later, as divine Wifdom and Justice fhall fee fit, as in the Inftances of Mofes and the Ifraelites, and of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Infidel Jews make a stubborn Objection against the divine Punishments; the Apostle reproves them for it. Then he fhows their Rejection for their refufing the Gofpel Religion, and the Reception of the Gentiles into

S 2

the

A.

the Chriftian Covenant, in their Stead, to be agreeable
to divine Truth, Justice, and Wisdom, and to the Scrip-
tures of the Old Testament.

4. D. 57. 1. Say the truth in
I
Christ, I lie not,
my confcience alfo
bearing me witness
in the holy Ghoft.

i.

BE

EING now to speak of God's rejecting the unbelieving Nation of the Jews, from being any longer his Church and People, and his receiving the Gentiles into the Chriftian Covenant in their Room: Upon this melancholy Argument I call my own Confcience, and the Holy Spirit the Searcher of Hearts to witness, that I fhall fay nothing out of Prejudice, nothing but fuch plain Chriftian* Truth as my Apoftolical Office obliges me to, for vindicating the divine Juftice and Goodness in the prefent Punishment of that obdurate Nation.

2. That I have great heaviness and continual forrow in my heart.

Sorrow and Concern.

3. For I could with
that my felf were ac-
curfed from Chrift for
my brethren, my kinf-
men according to the

flesh.
Brethren, into it +.

2. They can teftify that I never speak or think on this doleful Subject of their Infidelity and Rejection, without the deepest

3. Nay, that, if it were a proper Wifh, or could do them any Service, I could wish to be excommunicated and excluded the Chriftian Covenant my felf, to fave and bring them, my dear 4. Them

* Ver. 1. The Truth in Chrift. 'Adua i Xers Cbriftian Truth, as is 'Aau is all Men, and Xesy, Chriftians, Cor. xv. 22. and Rom. viii. 1.

+ Ver. 3. Accurfed from Chrift. The Word avalua & áváteua Tivar, in the lxx, when spoken of Perfons, always fignity to be fentenced or devoted to Death, or to be cut off from the Living. And 'tis most probable St. Paul meant no more here than wishing he could fave his Brethren by dying for them; that he could willingly take his Part in that temporal Curfe that was fhortly coming upon the Jews; provided he could thereby convert them to Chriftianity, and gain them a Share in its future and eternal Rewards.

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