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fome other intentions, even thoughts of their further establishment thereby; If the fall of them be the riches of the world, bow much more.their fulness?

II. So large and inexhauftible is the fountain of goodness and free grace in the Lord, that one's partaking thereof, can be no prejudice to another; the more converts there be to drink at this well-head, they fhall not fare the worse, but rather the better; If the fall of them be the riches of the world, how much more their fulness?

III. It is no new or uncouth thing to fee a land, that fometimes has been forward in a profeffion, and eminent for privileges, ftumble at Chrift and his gofpel, and make fuch a general defection, as that the Lord fhall have but a fmail remnant among them, and few, yea, very few that shall cleave to him, in a day wherein multitudes ftumble and fall: the Jews ftumbled and fell, and were diminished; they stumbled at Chrift, and fuch as flood were but thin fown: The fall of them, and the diminishing of them; that is, of the Jews. IV. When fenfe and carnal reafon would think that Chrift was a loofer, and that his kingdom was like to be overturned quite, yet then may his kingdom be coming, and his work advancing, more than ever when the Jews, that were his only church upon earth, fell, and were dimi nifhed, he wanted not a church for all that, but his kingdom grew the more; for the fall of them was the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles.

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fulness? which abundantly speaketh out their converfion. See Hof. ii. 19. 20. Ifa. Ixii. 4. 5. and liv. 7. 8.

VI. When God fhall turn again the captivity of his people, it will not be one or two here and there whom God will bring in, but multitudes and great companies; yea, the body and bulk of them thall be converted to the faith, and look to bim whom they have pierced: for there is mention made here of their fulness, and that in oppofition to their diminishing. See Hof. i. 11. and iii, 5. Ifa. x. 20. 21. 22. and xi. 16. Jer. 1. 4. 5. in many of which places, and the like, the ten tribes are spoken of as well as Judah, and fo feems to speak of a reftauration yet to be, and which will have a fulness with it; then all the twelve tribes fhall return.

VII. When thefe glorious days among the Jews come, that they fhall become a famous church and people to the Lord, and fhall no more be termed for faken, Ifa. Ixii. 4. it fhall not fare the worfe with the Gentile church; the Jews incoming fhall not prejudice them, but fhall rather further their happiness: How much more their fulnefs? See Zech. viii. 20. 21. Micah iv.-1. 2.

VIII. The very thoughts of the good and glorious days which the Gentile church enjoyed, when their elder fifter was fhut to the door; may afcertain them of good days, when he that halteth is affembled, and fhe that is driven out is gathered, and he that is afflicted, &c. Micah iv. 6. 7. for then all the children of the houfe fhall be together; therefore fays the apostle, How much more their fulness?

IX. Whatever worldly excellency a land doth enjoy, yet are they poor miferable captives, for all that they poffefs in a world, fo long as they want the gofpel, which is the only enriching upmaking thing; the riches of the Gentiles; the gofpel, and the means of the true knowledge of God, is here called, the riches of the world, the only upmaking thing.

VA

VERSES 13. 14. For 1 speak to you Gen-
tiles, in as much 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 fave
Some of them.

UN

ing called immediately by God, Acts xxii.
21. and ix. 5. 6. &c. as the rest were by
Chrift, John xx. 21. having feen the Lord,*:
I Cor. ix. I. and having a large commiffion
to Jew and Gentile, Acts xiii. as the
reft had, Math. xxviii. 19. and being gift.
ed with extraordinary gifts, no less than
the reft; and having a fingular and eminent
power to plant churches, and to fet up,
under Chrift, as one of the firft founders,
the new gofpel difcipline, and the laws
of the kingdom of Chrift, which feems to
be the characteristic mark of apostles, dif-
tinguishing them from all other church-
officers, as well extraordinary as ordinary;
yet for the better difcharge of his duty
in his office, for the further good and e-
dification of the church, he was reftricted
mainly to the Gentiles, and hence is called,
the apostle of the Gentiles. This distribu.
tion of the apoftles thro' the world was
by voluntary agreement among themselves,
Gal. ii. 9. or by the Lord's fpecial appoint-
ment and defignation, Gal. ii. 7. that

Nto the 16th verse, the apoftle is further explicating and amplifying the two arguments he made use of last; and in thefe two verfes he explains and cleareth further that which he faid, verfes 11. and 12. as if he had faid thus; You need not think it ftrange, that I faid the converfion of the Gentiles would provoke the Jews to jealoufy, for I am fo clear in it, that altho' I be the apostle of the Gentiles, fet apart peculiarly by the Lord, immediately, Acts xxii. 21. and ix. 15. and mediately, Gal.ii.9. for the uncircumcifion; yet I am fo defirous to provoke my kinfmen to jealousy by the preaching of the gofpel, that if I could gain fome of them, I would account it a magnifying of my office. Now, fays he, Ifpeak to you Gen-thereby the whole world might more eatiles; I would have you acquainted with this, and I am the more bold to tell you this, because I am the apostle of the Gen. tiles, and fo have fome peculiar authority over you: And what is the bufmefs? even this, that the Jews will not be the worfe of your converfion; for when I am preaching to you, I have an eye at the fame time to my countrymen, to fave fome of them; nor will you be the worfe of theirs, for if fo I would not feek their falvation as I do, if I faw it were prejudicial to you, for I am an apostle especially for you; and yet you may know, that while I am preaching to you, if by any means I can gain and fave fome of them, under God, by my ministry, I will account it a great orna ment to my office, a magnifying of it; and fo the converfion of either can be prejudicial to neither.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Howbeit Paul was an apostle, equal in power and authority with the reft, be

fily have reaped the benefit by their minitry. See Acts xxii. 21. Col. i. 25.

II. This fpecial defignation of the apo ftles work, to fuch a particular charge, did no way degrade them, or leffen their apoftolical authority, or bring them down to the degree or order of fingle paftors, or ordinary officers; but notwithstanding hereof they retained their eminent autho rity as extraordinary officers, containing in them eminently all that belonged to the inferior officers, and fo might exercise their extraordinary apoftolic authority in every place they came to; for tho' Paul was fet over the Gentiles, yet was he ftilli an apostle; an apostle of the Gentiles.

III. The fpecial commiffion that mini-fters have to a people or place, fhould both prompt them to ufe more freedom, boldnefs and authority towards fuch, and move those they are fent to, to regard what they deliver, and lay fome weight upon it, and receive their doctrine the

more

more chearfully: 1 fpeak to you Gentiles fays he; and why? in as much as I am - an apostle of the Gentiles: upon this ground, as he was free with them, fo he would have them take his freedom and faithfulnefs, well, off his hand.

IV. All of us by nature, being under the curfe of a broken covenant, are in a ftate of death; and however we pleafe our condition very well, yet are we in the greatest danger of deftruction and ruin imaginable, and fo ftand in great need to be faved: Save fome of them.

V. The only means which God hath appointed, whereby poor undone fouls are delivered from their hazardous condition, and brought out of the paths leading to death, is the preaching of the gofpel; for thus the apoftle was feeking to fave his own countrymen: Save fome of them. See Rom. i. 16.

VI. The Lord hath appointed a special and particular function for the preaching of the gospel, and thereby feting fome, in a peculiar manner, apart, and inftalling them in that office and function to carry the gofpel; therefore fays he, mine office; which word in the original is taken ordinarily for fuch an office, which men in ecclefiaftic public places have, and fo is used of the apoftles, Acts i. 17. 25. and other ministers, Col. iv. 17. 2 Tim. iv. 5. or of fuch as had a charge of the poor, Acts vi. 3. and however many look upon this office as altogether unneceffary, yet it is as neceflary as life, and without it there is no expectation of life, in God's ordinary difpenfation.

VII. Howbeit many take a light burden of this office, yet in itfelf, and when it is confcientioufly difcharged, it will be found to be a most painful and laborious piece of fervice, exercifing the whole man: Mine office; the word office imports a painful and laborious work, as working in fand and clay, or as runing fo faft, till the duft rife again.

VIII. Tho' the faving of poor fouls,

and delivering of them out of a state of death and damnation, be the work of the right-hand of Omnipotency; yet for his own holy ends he thinks fit to ufe men as inftruments under him therein, holding forth his mind in his word, and declaring the fame in feafon and out of feafon: there fore fays he, If by any means I might fave fome of them: Hence minifters are called, workers with God, 1 Cor. iii. 9. See 1 Tim. iv. 16.

IX. Ministers of the gofpel, in the dif charge of their office and duty, fhould, in fubordination to God's glory, propofe the falvation of fuch as they are fent unto, as their end; and fhould fo carry themfelves, in all the parts of their ministration, as may most tend to the faving and delivering of poor fouls: If by any means I might fave fome of them.

X. Tho' minifters fhould labour mainly in that part of the vineyard which God in his providence hath fent them into; yet all that they do there fhould have a tendency to the good of the whole body of Christ and church univerfal; such a public fpirit becomes all the minifters of the gofpel; for tho' the apostle Paul was peculiarly fet apart for the Gentiles, yet he fo did his duty among them, as he had an eye always unto others, even to the Jews: If by any means I might provoke them to emulation.

XI. Minifters fhould fo walk in every piece of their minifterial calling, as may be gaining and convincing, even to the most wicked profane wretch, and fuch as wickedly oppofe the truth; and they should fo handle the truth as may most prevail with fuch, and not give over the matter as defperate there was no way to gain the Jews, but to provoke them to emulation; and therefore Paul fo preached to the Gentiles, and did his dury in the miniftry among them, as might best provoke them thus: If by any means I might provoke them to emulation.

XII. The best way whereby we can tef

tify our love and refpect to any whom we carry affection unto, is to feek to gain them in to Chrift; and the ftronger our affection be, the more fhould it ftir us up to the ufe of means for this; and therefore fays he, If by any means I might provoke to emulation them which are my flesh.

XIII. As the office of the miniftry is creditable and honourable in itself, Heb. v. 4. fo a faithful and honeft-hearted fervant of God will account it the greatest piece of honour he can meet with in the difcharge of his duty that has gained

fouls to God; that is his crown and joy, Phil. iv. 1. 1 Theff. ii. 19. 20. I magnify mine office, if I may fave fome of them.

VERSE 15. For if the cafting away of them be the reconciling of the world; what shall the receiving them be, but life from the dead?

IN

N this verfe the apoftle doth further explain and illuftrate that argument fet down, verfe r2. and ufeth other expreffions to the fame purpofe; If the cafting away of them, that is, If the flinging away of the Jews, and cafting them out of the church, be the reconciling of the world, that is, be the occafion whereby the gofpel hould be preached to the Gentile world, that thereby they might be reconciled unto God, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? Will there not be joyful days thro' the world, and among the Gentiles, when they shall be received into favour again? will it not be like the refurrection from the dead, when Jew and Gentile fhall both enjoy the fame felicity and happiness? Seeing out of the dead ftate of the Jews, when caft without doors, God brought life to the Gentiles, will he not much more do so out of their enlivened eftate? will it not then be to the Gentiles as the refurrection from the dead?

OBSERVATIONS.

much privileged, and favoured of God as his peculiar people; yet all that will not fave them from thame and lofs, if they rebel against the Lord, and abufe his goodnefs; for the Jews are faid to be caft away; the word imports a flinging away with contempt: If the calling away of them, &c.

II. By reafon of the fall of Adam all mankind are in a state of enmity with God,, they living like rebels without God in a world, refufing fubjection unto his laws, Rom. v. 1o. Col. i. 21. and God carrying himself as a provoked enemy to them, and fo need to be reconciled and made one again; there is a woful outcaft and difcord: betwixt God and man, therefore there is mention here made of the reconciling of the world. See Eph. v. 2.

III: The way how this enmity fhall be taken away, and God and man made good friends again, is only held forth in the gospel of Jefus Chrift, which is therefore called the word of reconciliation, 2 Cor. v. 19. the only fcope thereof being to bring rebels in to Chrift, who is the peacemaker, and fo to enjoy a perfect peace with God; for it was upon the account of the gofpel's coming unto the Gentile. world, when the Jews rejected the fame, that it is faid, The cafting away of the Jews was the reconciling of the world.

IV. Tho' now the Jews be forfaken, afflicted with tempefts, and not comforted, and driven out of the church and presence of God; yet at length God will take them into his favour again, and bring them within the pale of the church, and fo affemble her that halteth, Micah iv. 6. 7. 8.; therefore there is word of receiving them again, What shall the receiving of them be?

V. Though now where-ever the gospel cometh in power and life, there are fruits following it, and fouls brought to life thereby, and fo great ground of joy and gladness upon that account; yet this joy will not be fo full in the church, nor the fruits of the gofpel fo univerfal, as it fhall

I. Let a church or people be never fo be when the Jews are brought home; when

the

446 the eldest fon, that has played the prodigal long, fhall be faved, then there shall be great joy and falvation thro' the whole church and family of God; it fhall then be to the world as a resurrection, or life from the dead; even upon the occafion of the Jews converfion the gofpel fhall fpread farther among the Gentiles, Zech. viii. 22. 23.: What hail the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? See Ifa. lxvi. 18. 19.20. xiv. 1. and ii. 2. 3. Zech. xiv. 16. &c. Micah. iv. 1. 2.

An Expofition of the Epiftle to the Romans.

VERSE 16. For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is alfo boly: and if the root be boly, fo are the branches.

His verfe containeth a third argument proving the future converfion of the Jewish nation, where the apoftle maketh ufe of two fimilitudes, one taken from the levitical law, touching the first-fruits, Lev. xxiii. 14. 17. by the offering whereof the whole lump was fanctified unto them; fee Numb. xv. 20. The other fimilitude is taken from nature; If the root be holy, fo are the branches; and this he largely infifteth upon, as being the more clear of the two, and moft fitted for his purpose. The apostle's argument lieth thus; If the Jewish nation be yet in fome refpect holy, then they will be converted and made partakers of gofpel-privileges: But fo it is, that the Jewish nation is in fome refpect holy; Therefore, &c. The propofition the apostle paffeth as being clear without controversy; The affumption he confirmeth by a clear and undoubted axiom, thus; If the first-fruits be holy, fo is the lump; and if the root be holy, fo are the branches; that is, If Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, the first-fruits and root be holy, fo are the rest of their fucceffors and iffue holy alfo But the former is uncontroverted; Therefore, &c. This verse may be alfo looked upon as holding forth a ground of that which the apostle faid last, viz. a ground of his endeavouring their con

Chap. XI.

verfion, because they were not wholly and every way cut off, but in fome refpect were holy, and therefore there were fome hopes of their converfion by the preaching of the gospel.

in the words; and fome difficulty runing Because there is fome further difficulty thro' this whole purpose which the apoftle is upon: To fave us a labour in runing thro' the rest of this chapter, and that the whole purpofe may be the more clear, we fhall here, once for all, endeavour the fome clear anfwers to thefe ten queftio clearing of the whole bufinefs, by giving following.

First, When he fays, If the root be holy, by the root? fo are the branches; is not Chrift here meant

the firft-fruits must be meant of the fame I answer, Not: For, 1. the root and perfons, both of them being fimilitudes, brought for the fame end, to clear the fame point, and to make up one and the fame argument; but by the firft-fruits we cannot understand Christ, for he was not the first-fruits in respect of the nation of the Jews.

root whose branches were cut off: but no 2. The root here meant,is fuch a foul who is really in Chrift, or is as a branch graffed into him as a root, can be cut off. 3. Into this root the branches will be graffed in again, but there is not a being in Chrift, and out of him. 4. That which is here called a root, is called ver. 24. the Jews own olive, and fo it cannot be meant of Chrift, who is not properly their ral branches of this root; Were they naown olive. 5. The Jews are called natu tural branches of Chrift? no, in no ways; but rather he was a branch of the fame ftock with them, Rom. ix. 5. 6. This root has fome branches natural and fome preternatural, ver. 24. which cannot agree to Chrift.

here by the root?
Secondly, Who is then to be understood

I answer: Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob,
were the first-fruits of the Jews, and thefe

were

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