Conciling of the world, what hall the receiving of them be but life from the dead."

If the partial rejection of the Jews hath been the occafion of reconciling the Jewish and Gentile world; their reception and reunion much more.

16. « For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is alfo holy and if the root be holy, fo are the branch

es.*

And a good ground of expectation that the rejected Ifraelites will be reftored, is, that they are still ari holy nation, as having proceeded from Abraham, who was the first fruit, and the root.

17, 18. "And if fome of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, wert graff ed in among them, and with them partakest of the foot and fatness of the olive-tree: Boaft not against the branches: but if thou boaft, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee;'

If fome of the Jews be rejected, and thou, not holy, nor in covenant with God, art admitted to join the believing Jews, and with them to enjoy church privilege: remember that thou boaft not against the rejected Jews, the branches: But if you are fø thankless towards God, and fo infenfible towards Ifrael, as to boaft over them; be fure of this, that you derive all your prefent privileges from their ancient tock, the covenant of God with Abraham, their an ceftor.

19, 20, 21. « Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in, Well;

becaufe

becaufe of unbelief they were broken off; and thot standeft by faith. Be not high minded, but fear. For if God fpared not the natural branches, take heed left he also fpare not thee."

If you say, that the Jews were rejected, that you hight be admitted: be it fo. They were rejected because of unbelief, and you were admitted by faith: be not haughty, but humble and fearful. For if God-fpared not the natural feed of Abraham, you have no reafon to think he will spare you, his a dopted feed.

22" Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, feverity; Buttowards thee, goodness; if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise, thou alfo fhalt be cut off."

The goodness, and feverity of God are matter of profound admiration! His leverity towards the rejected Jews, and his goodnefs to you, Gentiles'; if you continue to conduct worthy of his goodness ; if not, you also will be rejected.

23. "And they also, if they abide not fill in unbelief, fhall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again."

And thefe rejected Jews, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be received into church-estate again; for God is able to restore them.

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

fhall

all thefe, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree ?"

For if you, gentiles, uncovenanted people, were admitted into church eftate; how much more like. ly is it, that thofe, who were born in covenant' with God, will be readmitted to the enjoyment of their Standing in the church ? ˇ

25, 26,

"For I would not, brethren, that ye hould be ignorant of this mystery, (left ye fhould be wife in your own conceits;) that blindness in part is happened to Jfrael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And fo all ifrael fhall be faved; as it is written, There fhall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and fall turn away ungodlinefs from Jacob.

2

For I wish not, brethren, that you should continue ignorant of this myfterious conduct of divine providence, left you be felf-conceited, that the present blindness of Ifrael is only temporary and will continue no longer than the univerfal reception of the gofpel in the Gentile world: then all Ifrael thall be reftored as hath been predicted of the De liverer who should come out of Zion, that he should turn away the ungodlinefs of Jacob.:

27.

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their fins."

For my covenant is ftill with thefe rejected Ifraelites, and their defcendants, and I fhall take away their fins..

8. As concerning the gafpel, they are ene

:

mies for your fakes but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' fakes."

For these fame rejected Ifraelites are indeed now treated as enemies, to your advantage; but they are ftill beloved on account of their fathers, Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob.

29.

"For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."

God admitted Abraham into covenant, and engaged to be a God to him, and to his feed after bim; and of this covenant God will not repent.

3o, 31. "For as ye in times paft have not be lieved God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief. Even fo have these alfo now not believed, that through your mercy they alfo may ob tain mercy."

For as ye have been unbelievers, and yet have now obtained a standing in the church, whilft they are rejected; by the example of the mercy shown to you they also shall be admitted to mercy.

32.

"For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”

For God now treats the whole unbelieving partof the Jewish nation with deferved severity, that hereafter, when this feverity fhall have wrought effectually upon them, he may grant reftoring mercy to them all, as is his defign.

་་

how un

33, 34, 35, 36. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God fearchable are his judgments, and his

ways paft

finding

Anding out! For who bath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it fhall be recompenfed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever ; Amen."

After having traced the divine conduct with the nation of the Jews, from Abraham to his time, and confidering the riches of divine.mysterious mercy towards the Gentiles; and reflecting on the glorious things till defigned for Ifrael: no wonder that St. Paul exclaimed, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" No one hath been his counsellor; no one hath given to him. We and all things are of him, as the author of our beings; through him, as our conftant fupporter,and the giver of all our bleffings: and to him ought to be all our afcriptions of praife, and our most devoted obedience.

We have now paffed in review those three chapters of St. Paul's epiftle to the Romans which, Mr.S. affirms, contain the weight of evidence of eternal misery, which is in this epiftle. We have not seen one word' of future, much lefs of eternal, mifery in the three chapters. Whatever the rejection of a part of the Jews intended, St. Paul hath exprefsly and repeatedly declared that that rejection fhall be taken off, and they restored to the divine favor, Yea, that God loved them, though, in feverity, he had rejected

them