were the first-fruits of the Jews, and thefe were the root of this stock; not Abraham alone, for then the Ithmaelites fhould become branches; nor Abraham with Ifaac, or elfe the children of Efau fhould become branches; but Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, all three, as fo many vines making up this one root: hence we find them oftentimes mentioned all three together, when mention is made of covenant bleffings, as Exod. xxxii. 13. Deut. ix. 27. 2 Kings xiii. 23. Micah vii. 20. and with all the three is the fame covenant, with the fame promifes, made; fee Gen. xv. 18. xxvi. 3. 4. and xxviii. 13. 14. and hence, verfe 28. they are called, fathers, which were not properly spoken of one alone; fo what is faid to Abraham, Gen. xii. 2. 3. and xxii. 18. 19. is faid to Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 14. to fhew us, that these made up one complete root, of which the pofterity of all the three were only the natural branches. Thirdly, How, or upon what fcore is it, that Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob are thus called the root? I answer: Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob are not to be accounted the root, merely upou a physical or natural account, but rather upon a moral account, as covenanting, not as believing, fathers, fo much as believing heads of families: Nor are they the root in respect of their personal faith and holiness, but rather in refpect of a covenant made with them as the head of fuch families; and hence their believing iffue plead the covenant made with them, as Exod xxxii. 13. Deut ix. 27. 2 Kings xiii. 23. Luke i. 72. 73.; hence they be came the radical means of conveying church privileges to their iffue, and for this caufe are called the root, the covenant being made with them, and they accepting of the terms of the covenant from God, for themfelves and their pofterity; and fo from them this covenant-intereft, and privileges following thereupon, had a lineal defcent, and ran down from father to fon; whileas before, tho' the fame covenant of grace was in being, (it being promulgated to Adam after the fall,) yet did it not run down fo lineally as in Abraham's pofterity, but rather was perfonal; nor was it entered formally with any as head of a family, but every man taken in for himself.. Fourthly, What holiness is this that is here meant, which paffeth from root to branches, from Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, to their posterity? 1 anfwer: It is not to be underflood of inherent holinefs, and true fanctification; For, 1. this holiness is not propagated by nature; the believing parent conveyeth not his graces to his iffue. 2. There are none born holy, and fanctified by nature; for by nature, we are all children of wrath, Eph. ii. 2.; but it is to be underflood of a federal holinefs; a holiness flowing to a fociety, family, or nation, by virtue of a covenant; a holinefs agreeing to a stock by God's gracious eftimation, whereby they are feparated to himself for fpecial fervices, and admited to fpecial privileges; and this is propagated from father to fon, as freedom in a borough floweth from father to fon, and agreeth to whole nations, Deut. vii. 6. 7.; and this propagation floweth not from natural generation, but is a fruit of grace and free love; for it is of God's free grace that he covenants with any, and their feed, as he did with Abraham, and to entail the children to the privileges beftowed upon the parent. Fifthly, But how can the Jews who are now living be accounted holy upon Abraham's account, feeing they are unchurched, and not admited to church-pri-. vileges; and fecing they cannot be account. ed holy, this day, the apostle's argument can have no weight, when he fays, If the root be holy, fo are the branches? I answer: When the apoftle fays, If the root be holy, jo are the branches, he doth not mean, that the Jews are now actually inftated into that ftate of holiness, (I am here fpeaking of the body and bulk of 3 L them, them, which is as yet cut off,) but only that they are holy intentionally in the decree of God, and when they thall be call ed in, they shall be federally holy actually, by virtue of the fame covenant inade with this root and thus he clearly pointeth this forth, that when they shall be received in, and ingraffed in their own olive tree, the fame holy root hall derive federal holinefs to them; the root being ftill fresh and fappy, notwithstanding of their being long broken off it. Neither is it abfurd to fay, that fuch Jews as are not yet converted, yea, poffibly, not yet born, are federally holy, and in fome respect in covenant with God: God can make a covenant even with fuch as are not in a capacity to reftipulate, as we fee, Deut. xxix. 14. 15. fuch as were not prefent, but poffibly unborn, were entered into cove hant with God; and fo the Jews, who in due time are to be converted, may be federally holy, in a feminal refpect. Sixthly, What are we to understand by thefe branches? Whether are we to understand thereby particular believers, confidered perfonally, here and there, receiving the offer of the Meffias; or, is the word to be taken collectively? 1 answer: We are to understand it in a collective fenfe; For, 1. the apoftle's purpofe being one in this later part of the chapter, by the branches here, which are to be graffed in, he must mean the fame that fell, and were cut off, and whofe fall and outcasting was the occafion of the coming of the gofpel unto the Gentiles, and thefe were the collective body of the Jews. 2. He fpeaks of a body caft out for many hundreds of years; 3. and of a body and of a body which being once in, was caft out; and being caft out, may be taken in again; 4. whofe taking in will be to the Gentile world as life from the dead. And, 5. they are fuch as are oppofed to the Gentile world, and the Gentile world to them. 6. They are fuch a body as are filed Ifrael, and verfe 25. and all Ifrael, verfe 26. and of whom there is an all, verfe 32. Seventhly, Muft we take the Gentiles alfo collectively? I anfwer: Óf neceffity we muft, feeing 1. the one party oppofed is taken collectively, as we have fhown, the other must be fo taken likewife.. 2. They are called the world, verfe 15. 3. The iffue proveth it, feeing now we fee nations taken in, and whole bodies of people. 4. We hear alfo of the fulness of the Gentiles, verfe 15. Eighthly, What is it to be ingraffed? or, how are either Jews or Gentiles faid to be ingraffed? 1 anfwer, 1. The ingraffing is the ob taining of an actual intereft and flate in the vifible church; whence floweth an actual fruition of church privileges. Whatever way it can be made out, or made to appear, that the Jews were caft off, the fame way are we Gentiles graffed in, and the Jews fhall be again graffed in; for the Gentiles come in amongit them, or inflead of them, verfe 17. that is, in the room where they were: and they will be again graffed in, that is, in their old place again. Ninthly, Then it would feem that the apostle meaneth, all alongst here, the visible church, and the ingraffing and cafting cut, fhould be in and out of the vifible church, and not the invifible, tho' many particulars in the text feem to point out an invifible church; as, 1. verfe 15. the ingraffing is called reconciliation. 2. It is faid to be by faith; and, 3. the outcafting by unbelief verfe 20. and hardening or blinding, veri 25. 4. This ingraffing is faid to be a act of God's fole power, verfe 23. 5. Tr effect of it is Jalvation, verles 26. 27 6. It is a fruit of election, verfe 28, and 7. of God's mercy. I anfwer: He is principally here fpeak ing of the church as visible; For, 1. th ingraffing is in Abraham, Ifaac and Jaco as the root. 2. The ingraffing is of collective body, as we fhewed before. 3. is visible, and therefore into a visible church; | As to thefe objections, it is answered thus: To the firft, We fhewed the meaning of verfe 15. before, to be only this, That the gofpel, which is the mean to reconciliation, came to the Gentiles. To the second, Faith is here taken for the profeffion of faith. To the third, This unbelief is open rejecting of the gofpel. To the fourth, It will even be a work of God's power, to work them to a profeffion, and to bring them to a church state. To the fifth, To be in a church ftate, is to be in a fair way to falvation, being to partake of faving ordinances; and hence it will come to pafs, that many of them fhall be faved in effect. To the fixth, They are elected to a vifible church ftate, Deut. vii. 7. 8. To the laft, The privivilege of a church ftate is indeed a great mercy. But all these particulars fhall be further cleared as we go through. Tenthly, There feemeth to be a parallel here between the Jews and the Gentiles, as to their church state, wherein doth that confift? I answer: In that, 1. As the Jews were in the flock, branch and twig, old and young, Ifa. xliv. 3. and xviii. 5. fo are the Gentiles. 2. As the Jews were broken off, father and fon, fo are the Gentiles in graffed. 3. As the better part of the Jews did abide still into the olive; fo are the Gen- Having thus briefly given fome clear. nefs unto thefe doubts, we shall obferve a few things, and go on. OBSERVATIONS. I. In explaining points of truth, we may make ufe of metaphors and fimilitudes, providing they be plain, obvious, and not too far ftrained; fuch as the apostle doth here make ufe of, when he fays, As the first-fruits are holy, fo is the lump, &c. II. Howbeit many a godly and gracious parent may have unholy, profane, and graceless children, void of fanctification and inward bolinefs; yet the iffue, branches, and children of fuch as are externally and outwardly in covenant with God, are with them in covenant alfo; he taking into covenant father and fon, root and branch, Gen. xvii. 12. Deut. vii. 8. and x. 15. Amos iii. 2.: If the first-fruits be holy, fo is the lump: and if the root be holy, fo are the branches. See Acts ii. 39. III. Howbeit grace and true inward holiness be rare, yet all the members of the visible church are holy to God, as fingularly feparated and fet apart for God and his ufe, Deut. vii. 6. 7. and x. 15. having his ordinances fet up among them; If the root be holy, fo are the branches : Thus holiness is attributed to all who are externally in covenant, and members of the vifible church, be they young or old. IV. Whatever privileges children are advanced to, and made partakers of, it is in and thro' their parents, by virtue of the covenant made with fathers and children; and fo they ftand not on their own bottom: If the root be holy, fo are the branches. Children may claim church privileges upon the account of their parents, and reafon themfelves in covenant by virtue of their parents, all being one ftock, partaking of the fame honours; 3 L 2 for for to reafon from parents to children, feems to have been a known maxim, and uncontroverted, when the apostle faid, if the root be holy, fo are the branches. V. However many, yea, the whole bulk and body of the branches of the Jewish ration, be cut off, and have been withering, as being without fap thefe many hundreds of years; yct there is freshness and fap in the root: the covenant made with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, is recent and frefl before the Lord, and is not buried and forgoten quite: The root is holy. tree, wert graffed in amongst them, and with them partakeft of the root and fatnefs of the olive tree; Bajt not against the branches; but if they boaft, thou beareft not the root, but the root thee. B Efore the apoftle proceed to any more arguments, proving the future converfion of the Jews, he fpeaketh a word of caution unto the Gentiles, advifing them not to infult over the Jews, or wax proud because of their enjoyments; and this pur pofe he profecuteth unto veríe 22. In thefe two verfcs the caution is fet down, and fome arguments enforcing it. The caution is, verfe 18. Beast not against the branches ;. tho' thou now be gruffed in amongst them, or with them, or in room of them, and as they of old, fo thou now partakeft of the root, and of the fatness of the olive-tree; that is, Tho' thou hast geten their place, and art admited to partake of the fame privileges, and external enjoyments and ordinances, by virtue of the covenant made with Abraham, which they enjoyed, and fo art living as living menbers in a church.ftate, fucking the juice and fap of external covenant blefings, privileges and ordinances, from the olive root and tree; yet mifcarry not yourselves, be not proud of that, but carry yourfelves humbly, neither infult over thefe branches that are now broken off: And the reafon is, 1. Because they are not all cut off, there are fome of the branches here and there left uncut off, for only fome of them are cut off. 2. Thou waft but a wild olivetree by nature, having no natural affinity with this flock, and if God's free grace had not made a change on thee, thou hadst not been graffed in yet; fpeaking of the Gentiles here, where he calleth them a VI Tho' a people may cut themfelves off by open and avowed breach of cove. mant, and fo may banish themfelves and many of their pofterity from the rich and excellent bluffings of the covenant; yet God at length may change his difpenfations to that people, renew his old covenant after many years, and raife it up again, tho' buried and forgoten: the Jews had oured them felves and their pofterity thefe many hundred years, and yet that fame covenant will God renew, in end, with that people: If the root be haly, fo are the branches. The fap of that covenant fhall yet be communicated unto them, and by virtue thereof fhall they grow up and bud into a church to God. VII. The frefhnefs and livelinefs of this root and covenant, which God made with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, may afcertain us of the converfion of the Jews, and perfuade us that they fhall yet revive; and when they fhall be brought home, they fhall be admited to all church privileges upon the old fcore, even upon the account of the old covenant made with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob; For if the root be holy, fo are the branches: This is his argument whereby he proveth, that the Jews fhall be converted, because the root is yet holy, and by virtue thereof they fhall become holy, and ate at prefent radically and in-wild olive, he understands the first of the tentionally holy. VERSES 17. 18. And if fome of the branches be treken of, and tcu, being a wild olive Gentiles, who were taken in and their iffue, and not their iffue alone, for the fprigs growing out of thefe branches which were inoculated, do naturally partake of the the fap of the tree. 3. Thou wert graffed in amongst them; thefe who were left were as highly privileged as thou, and thon but, partakeft of the fame fap with them who are left. And, 4. If thou boaft, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee; that is, Ty infulting over the old branches reflects upon Abraham the root, and it is but folly for thee to infult over him, fee ing he beareth thee, and thou beareft not him; all the external privileges which thou art advanced to, thou hail them in and thro' Abraham, theroot and the foreman in the covenant. OBSERVATIONS.. I. Tho' fuch as are perfonally and inwardly in covenant with God, and branches in Chrift, thro' a true and lively faith, fhall never be broken off, Jer. xxxi. 33. 34. &c. Ifa. liv. 13. John vi. 45. Jer. xxxii. 40. where it is called an everlafting covenant: God holding his hand still about thefe, Ifa. liv. 10, and lix. 21.; yet fuch as are only visible and externally by profeffion, in covenant, and thereby only in Chrift, as feeming branches, may be cut off: for fo was it here; fome of the Jews were cut off; And if fome of the branches be broken off. II. Folks feeming profeffion and fair outfide and pretences, will not fave them from a fad unchurching ftroke, when God is greatly provoked to anger, by their not walking anfwerable to their profeffion; for here fome branches, tho' branches, are tho' branches, are broken off. III. However the Lord bring fad and fore judgments upon a land, in general, and unchurch, or take the gofpel and ordinances from the whole land, where the fame gofpel has been abufed, and contemned; yet will he have refpect unto fuch as are mourning for the iniquities of the land, and are imbracing the offers of a Mediator, and clofing with God in Chrift: the cove nant relation betwixt God and them fhall ftand; and tho' others fhall be cut off from the ftock they feemed to be graffed into, yet their intereft fhall remain fure, and they fhall not be cut off; for here there was but fome branches, that were broken off; the believing branches flood and enjoyed their privileges. IV. Before Chrift came, the body of the Gentiles were living in a wild conditi on, being without the bounds of the church, without the hedge; having no communion with the church of God, which was then only among the Jews, Deut. xxxii. 8. Pfal. lxxvi. 1. 2. and fo without God's fatherly care and protection, Ifa. iv. 5. 6.and xxxi. 4. 5. his culture, Ifa. v. 2. 3. the enjoyment of the ordinary means of falvation, Pfal. cxlvii. 19. the offers of Chrift, Eph. ii. 12. and of the covenants of promife, ibid, and the privileges thereof, and fo out of all hope of mercy, and poffibility, in God's ordinary way of falvation; hence they are called the wild olive: The Jews then being the only church of God, and the Gentiles wholly without; except fome few profelites who were taken in. V. How defperate like foever a peo-ple's cafe may feem to be, yet when the time of love cometh, wherein he will fhew mercy, their former fad and finful conditi on will not hinder him to manifeft his lov-· ing kindness, and mercies; for albeit the Gentiles being for fo many ages kept out of the church, and living in a wild-condition, without God, feemed to be altogether in a helpless condition; yet God in due time did graff them in, according to his manifold promifes, Ifa. ii. 2. 3. Pfal. xxii. 27. Ifa. lx. 1. 2. 3. 4. 11. Pfal. ii. 8.9.. and 1xxii. 7. 8. 9, 10. Ia. xi. 10. xlix. 22. and liv. 3. Thou being a wild olive tree art graffed in. VI. Howbeit there was a long ftanding enmity betwixt Jew and Gentile, before Chrift came, fo that the one was within the church of God, and worshiped him." according to his own appointment; the other, except some few profelites, was without the church, and without all right way of |