The Apostle here advances still further in the discussion of a topic most unwelcome to his countrymen, and which he had touched with the utmost gentleness in the beginning of the third chapter." What advantage then hath the Jew?" he exclaimed in the character of an Israelite, indignant that other nations should be associated in religious privileges with his own. "Much every way," replied the Apostle, softening as much as possible the humiliating truths which it was his duty to unfold-"much every way; chiefly, that unto them were committed the Oracles of God." .. He there contends against the selfish and monopolizing spirit of his countrymen, who wished to confine to the professors of the Mosaic law all the favour of God. Here he enters upon a harder task; and with evident reluctance girds himself to the effort of communicating tidings, which, so far from allowing them to indulge their boast of undisputed superiority over the Gentile world, would in fact divest them of their spiritual privileges, and completely destroy their hopes of temporal pre-eminence. He is now preparing to record in explicit terms that consummation of national disappointment and disgrace, to which our Saviour had indeed alluded more than once in the course of His ministry, but in more dark and figurative terms. 66 I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." a

a Matt. viii. 11.

.

It was not to be expected that bigoted and ob stinate Jews would patiently listen to declarations, subversive of all their national pretensions, and affronting to all their religious prejudices. It was even natural that serious and well-disposed men should doubt the accuracy of assertions, which appeared to be at variance with those sources of religious knowledge, which Jews and Christians held in equal reverence, though they explained them in different senses. Nor was it likely that a presage of so much evil to their civil polity, so much censure upon their individual conduct, and such utter annihilation to their claims of spiritual superiority, should be received without the most determined opposition; nor without a confident reliance upon the arguments, which they wielded in defence of their national opinions and national glory.

They particularly insisted upon their descent from Abraham, to whom the promises of possessing the land of Canaan, and that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed, were originally made. They interpreted these promises as an assurance of Divine favour, to be exclusively enjoyed by the posterity of Abraham; to be manifested also by the possession of earthly dominion and other temporal advantages. This argument, resting their exclusive claim to the favour of God upon the promises made to their great progenitor, had been put forward in the fourth chapter; and had there received an answer, adapted to the position in which the argument then stood, and in which the law of works was contrasted with the offer of grace through faith.-But the Jew

was not so easily dislodged from that strong hold of national right, which he conceived himself to occupy in consequence of his descent from Abraham. St. Paul therefore enters into a more particular consideration of this question; and argues, that his countrymen could not prove that they were entitled to the peculiar favour of the Almighty, merely because they were descended from Abraham. If the possession of spiritual privilege and national distinction were ensured to those, who could trace their lineage to that distinguished Patriarch, then might the Ishmaelites as well as the Edomites claim at least to be put on a footing of equality with the children of Israel.--For it was well known that Ishmael was the son of Abraham as well as Isaac; and Esau his grandson as well as Jacob. "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth ;) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger."

The argument therefore, which is conducted in this and in the succeeding chapter, leads to the conclu

sion; that, whatever privileges the Jews had received from God above other nations; and whatever expectations the promises made to their forefathers might raise in them, yet they had no just reason for complaining of the manner, in which it now appeared that the Almighty was prepared to act towards them. His present dispensation of severity, no less than His former one of mercy, was in strict accordance with the promise, which He made to Abraham, and with His frequent declarations in Scripture. It was no injustice to the Jewish nation, if God now thought fit to exercise in favour of the Gentiles the same sovereign power, by which He preferred Jacob the younger brother and his posterity to be His people; instead of Esau and his posterity, whom He rejected. "The earth is the Lord's;" the nations that possess it have not any title, but what He gives them, to the countries they inhabit, nor to the good things they enjoy. He may dispossess or even exterminate them, when it is His supreme pleasure. As He destroyed the Egyptians in the deliverance of the Israelites; so He may, according to His good pleasure, raise or depress, take into favour or reject, the several nations of this world".

It will here be observed that the very arguments, by which the Apostle endeavours to convince his countrymen that they could not without injustice complain of the loss of the Divine favour, served to remind them in how great a degree that favour had been displayed towards them; as they ought also to have produced the effect of awakening their con

a See Locke, Preface to Sect. viii.

a

sciences to the recollection of how little they deserved the continuance of that favour. In the process of his argument indeed he appeals to the Scriptures in proof of that melancholy fact. He shews by the evidence of God's own declaration, that the body of the Jews were to be rejected, and that a remnant only of the faithful were to be preserved that to these were to be joined the believing Gentiles, in order to form "a peculiar people," a religious community, acceptable to their Almighty Sovereign. "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved." In concluding this part of his argument, he shews that the Jews, whatsoever surprise they might testify, or whatsoever complaint they might utter, at the announcement of that humiliation and punishment which awaited them, had been long ago apprised both of the effect and cause by the plainest testimony of those antient oracles, to which they were so fond of appealing." But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

b

I shall now, in conclusion, advert more particularly to one of the most considerable of those mistakes, which have originated in a misapprehension of St.

a Rom. ix 25.

b Rom. x. 19-21.