fay, the Potter may 23. And that he there prepared unto 24. Even us whom Nation as you have long been, in order to your Repentance, and then to fuffer you to fall the more terribly, for refufing the last and greateft Mercy of CHRIST your Meffiah? Is it any more than to do what he pleafes with a broken 23 & 24. And what if, when he thus punishes and rejects you, he pleafes to take the Opportunity of being abundantly merciful Gentiles, and put even them alfo to the believing and repenting into his Church in your Place? he hath called, not of the Jews only, but alfo of the Gen tiles. 25. As he faith also loved, which was not 25 & 26. 'Tis nothing but what your own Prophecies have foretold (Hof. i. 10. and ii. 23.) I will call them (i. e. the Gentiles) my People, that were (formerly) not my People; and her Beloved that was not beloved, i. e. Give that Nation the Privilege of being my Church that was not fo hitherto, &c. are not my people; there fhall they 26. And it shall 27. Efaias alfo cri- the fea, a remnant 28. For he will fi- 27 & 28. And when I fay, but a few of your Nation can be faved, while the Infidelity is fo general, I have your Prophets own Words to juftify me, Ifai. x. 22, 23. Though the Number of the Iraelites be as the Sand of the Sea, yet but a Remnant of them will fo behave themselves as to be faved. For (fays he) when the Lord comes to caft up the Numbers of Good and Bad, he will find but a fort I Balance Balance of true Ifraelites, and the Destruction of the Un- A. D. 57. believers will be very large and great *. 29. And as Efaias faid before, Except the Lord of fabaoth had left us a feed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 29. Which is agreeable to another Account he gives of them, at a Time when their Sins were at a high Pitch, Ifai. i. 9. Surely except the Lard of Sabaoth had been merciful to a Seed, i. e. a few righteous Perfons among us; we had been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrha, i. e. utterly and finally destroyed. 30. What shall we fay then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteoufnefs, even the righteoufnefs which is of faith: 31. But Ifrael, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 30. Well then, what is the Sum and Subftance of all this Argument? Why this: That the Gentiles who had formerly no Notions of CHRIST, nor expected Pardon and Salvation by him, have now obtained it, and are made Members of God's Church, by embracing the Gospel Religion. 31. But the Jews, who have been all along the People of God, have loft this Means of Pardon and fuftification, by their Refufal of the Gospel. And that all this is very agreeable to the divine Juftice and Goodness, and to the Scriptures too. 32. Wherefore? Be 32. And how came the Jews cause they fought it, to fail of it? Why, by fo obfti not nately *Ver. 27, 28. Note, I have given that Senfe of the 23d Verfe, which many learned Men have thought to be most agreeable to the Apostle's Argument. The critical Reader may fee another (and I think a more exact) Sense of Isaiah's Words, both according to the lxx. and the Hebrew, in the learned Bishop Chandler's Vindication of his Defence of Chrif tianity, Vol. I. pag. 285, 286, 290, 291, &c. See also that moft excellent Comment. of Vitringa upon this Paffage of Isaiah, who approves of the Sense here given, and adds another very agreeable to it, and to the true Meaning of both the Hebrew and Greek Words. A. D. 57. not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law for they ftumbled at that ftumbling stone; nately adhering to the Mofaical whereby instead of a Saviour, he is now become their 33. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a ftumbling stone, and rock of offence: and whofoever believeth on him, fhall not be afhamed *. 33. According to thofe Words of Ifai. viii. 14. and xxviii. 16. foretelling that Chrift would be a Stone of tumbling, i. e. of Ruin and Confternation, to all obftinate and unbelieving Jews, but a Saviour and Deliverer to all that would embrace and obey his Gospel. Ver. 33. Shall not be ashamed. See the Note on Heb. xi. 21. СНАР. Х. The CONTENTS. Though the Jewish Nation is rejected for Infidelity; the Apoftle expreffes his earnest Defire they would yet believe the Gofpel and be faved. Allows their Zeal for God and Religion, but shows how mistaken a Zeal it is, by their laying a Strefs of it upon external Privileges and ceremonial Performances. A Comparison between the fevere Terms of Juftification under the Law, and the gracious, plain, and eafy Condition of the Gospel-Covenant. This Covenant offered both to Gentile and Jew, according to the antient Prophecies. Wherefore the Apoftles must needs preach to the Gentile-People, in order to convert them to Chriftianity. Their Preaching and Succefs in it upon both People, agreeable to the Scripture Predictions. 1. ・BRrethren, my I. LL, that I have faid (Chap. hearts defire and prayer to God for ix.) concerning the Rejection of the Jewish Nation for their Infidelity, is ftill with the most ardent Wishes and earnest Pray ers to God, that they would yet believe and continue A. D. 57. the People and Church of God, and be faved. 2. For I bear them 2. For I must do them the Jufrecord, that they have tice to fay, their religious Zeal is a zeal of God, but not very great, but then 'tis an ignoaccording to knowrant and mistaken Zeal; aiming ledge. indeed at a good End, but placed upon quite wrong Means for attaining it. 3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteoufnefs, and going about to establish their righteoufnefs, own have not fubmitted themselves unto the righteoufnefs of God. 4. For Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 3. For they put all the Stress of this great Concern of Pardon and Salvation upon the mere Privilege of being Abraham's Seed, and the Obfervation of the Mofaical Ceremonies; which, alas! is not the Method and Condition that God intends for bringing Mankind to it. 4. For the very End and Defign of that ceremonial Law was, to train Men up to the Belief of CHRIST, in order to Juftification and Happiness; and his Religion has fully answered what those Ceremonies and Sacrifices did fo very faintly represent, and supplied all the Defects of that Difpensation; and hath now put a final End to it. 5. A much easier and more gracious Condition than that of the Law, which was a rigid and a fevere Obligation to an exact Obfervance of all its numerous Precepts; as Mofes himself defcribes it, Levit. xviii. 5. (which xxvii. 26.) 6 & 7. Whereas the Gospel Doctrine and Religion has its main and chief Foundation in a steady and unwavering Belief; that JESUS is our true Meffiah and Saviour, that he died and is rifen again as an Earnest and Pledge of our future Refurrection, though we do A. D. 57. fcend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Chrift again from the dead.) do not actually fee his Body rifing from his Grave; and that he is afcended into Heaven, as an Affurance of our afcending one Day with him alfo, though we do not now fee him actually defcending down from thence to fetch us up thither. This is the religious Faith described by Mofes (Deut. XXX. 11, 12, 13.) 8. But what faith word of faith which 9. That if thou 10. For with the 8 & 9. And agreeable to his Words in the next Verses, is nigh unto thee, even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart, i. e. fo effentially good, clear and plain to be understood, as if it were written in our Hearts; and fo eafy to be profeffed and practifed, as if we had been already familiarly acquainted with it. Such is the Sum of our Doctrine, viz. an open Profeffion that Jefus is our true Meffiah and Saviour, and that, as fuch, he is rifen from the dead, and exalted 10. These two Things, I say, are the plain and reasonable Conditions of our Chriftian Salvation, viz. a firm and ferious Belief in Chrift as the Ground of all fincere Obedience to his fpiritual Laws; and a refolute Profession of that Faith, under all Difficulties and Perfecutions that may befal us for the Sake of it. 11. For the fcripture faith, Whofoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed. 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the fame * Lord 11, 12 & 13. Which gracious Conditions are now offered in the Gofpel to all Mankind, without any Diftinction between Jew and Gentile; God the merciful * Creator and Governor of all being now Ver. 12. The fame Lord over all. Note, This may either refer to God, who is to be called upon, or to Chrift, the Lord, |