I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, _of_ the tribe of Benjamin. Ver. 1. _I say then, Hath God, &c._] As I may seem to have said, Rom 10:1-21 Ministers must do their utmost to prevent mistakes. Zuinglius, when in his sermons he h... [ Continue Reading ]
God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Ver. 2. _Saith of Elias_] A man of such transcendent zeal, that to heighten the expression thereof some have legended of him, that when he dre... [ Continue Reading ]
Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. Ver. 3. _And I am left alone_] To withstand and reform the common corruptions. Some have commended it to our consideration, that from the first service in the temple when it was built, and... [ Continue Reading ]
But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to _the image of_ Baal. Ver. 4. _The image of Baal_] Τη Βααλ, to that lady, as our modern idolaters also call the Virgin Mary, whom they despight with seeming honours. They would per... [ Continue Reading ]
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Ver. 5. _According to the election of grace_] St Paul was _Constantissimus gratiae praedicator, _ as Austin calleth him, a most constant preacher of God's free grace.... [ Continue Reading ]
And if by grace, then _is it_ no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if _it be_ of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Ver. 6. _Then is it no more of works_] Whatsoever conferrumination _a_ of grace and works Papists dream of. They think that as he that... [ Continue Reading ]
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded Ver. 7. _Israel_] _i.e._ The carnal Israelite. _ He seeketh for_] viz. Righteousness and salvation by works. _ Hardened_] By a judiciary hardness.... [ Continue Reading ]
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. Ver. 8. _The spirit of slumber_] So that with those bears in Pliny they cannot be awakened with the sharpest prickles; and with those asses in E... [ Continue Reading ]
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Ver. 9. _Be made a snare_] As the bait is to the birds.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. Ver. 10. _Bow down_] _i.e._ Bring them down into bondage and misery. Compare Leviticus 26:13 .... [ Continue Reading ]
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but _rather_ through their fall salvation _is come_ unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Ver. 11. _Have they stumbled_] He that stumbleth and comes not down, gets ground.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now if the fall of them _be_ the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? Ver. 12. _How much more their fulness_] _O dieculam illam! dexter mihi prae laetitias alit oculus._ How long, Lord, holy and true?... [ Continue Reading ]
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: Ver. 13. _I magnify mine office_] I make the utmost of it by gaining souls to Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
If by any means I may provoke to emulation _them which are_ my flesh, and might save some of them. Ver. 14. _And might save some_] Ministers must turn themselves as it were into all shapes and fashions, both of spirit and speech, to win people to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
For if the casting away of them _be_ the reconciling of the world, what _shall_ the receiving _of them be_, but life from the dead? Ver. 15. _Be the reconciling_] Not as a cause, but as an occasion. _ Life from the dead_] That is, _Res summe bona, _ saith Phocius, a special good thing.... [ Continue Reading ]
For if the firstfruit _be_ holy, the lump _is_ also _holy_ : and if the root _be_ holy, so _are_ the branches. Ver. 16. _If the firstfruit be holy_] Not with a natural, but a federal holiness, as 1 Corinthians 7:14 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Ver. 17. _Were grafted in_] Gr. ενεκεντρισθης, pricked into the middle, the centre of the olive.... [ Continue Reading ]
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Ver. 18. _Boast not_] Gr. throw not up thy neck, in a scornful insulting way, but rather pity and pray for them. (Isidor. Solil.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Ver. 19. _Thou wilt say_] Carnal reason will have ever somewhat to say, and is not easily set down. (Greg. Moral.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: Ver. 20. _Be not high-minded, but fear_] _Alterius perditio tun sit cautio, _ saith one. _Ruina maiorum sit cautela minorum, _ saith another. Seest thou thy brother shipwrecked? look well to thy... [ Continue Reading ]
For if God spared not the natural branches, _take heed_ lest he also spare not thee. Ver. 21. _Take heed lest_] _Cavebis autem si pavebis._... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in _his_ goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Ver. 22. _Severity_] Gr. Λποτομιαν, Resection or cutting off, as a surgeon cutteth off proud and dead flesh. The disp... [ Continue Reading ]
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. Ver. 23. _God is able_] He can fetch heart of oak out of a hollow tree, and of carnal make a people created again, Psalms 102:18; Ephesians 2:10 .... [ Continue Reading ]
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 shall these, which be the natural _branches_, be graffed into their own olive tree? Ver. 24. _Contrary_] Therefore nature contributes nothing toward the work... [ Continue Reading ]
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Ver. 25. _That blindness in part_] It is neither total nor perpetual. Lyra was a famous Eng... [ Continue Reading ]
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: Ver. 26. _Shall turn away ungodliness_] That is, He shall pardon their sin. The prophet Isaiah hath it, Unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, &c. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
For this _is_ my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Ver. 27. _When I shall take_] By the spirit of judgment and of burning, Isaiah 4:4; cf. Isaiah 27:9 .... [ Continue Reading ]
As concerning the gospel, _they are_ enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, _they are_ beloved for the fathers' sakes. Ver. 28. _They are enemies_] _i.e._ Hated of God, as appears by the opposition; and banished, as it were, by a common consent of nations, out of human society. See 1... [ Continue Reading ]
For the gifts and calling of God _are_ without repentance. Ver. 29. _Are without repentance_] When God is said to repent, it is _Mutatio rei non Dei, effectus non affectus, facti non consilii, _ a change, not of his will, but of his work. Repentance with man is the change of his will; repentance wi... [ Continue Reading ]
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Ver. 30. _Through their_] By occasion of their unbelief. _Pungit Iudaeos et humiliat Gentes, _ saith one.... [ Continue Reading ]
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. Ver. 31. _That they also_] It noteth not the cause, but the event, as 1 Corinthians 11:19 .... [ Continue Reading ]
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Ver. 32. _For God hath concluded_] Or locked them all up in the law's dark dungeon, αυνεκλεισε, Galatians 3:22. Unbelief breaks all the law at an instant by rejecting Christ, as the first act of faith obeys all the law... [ Continue Reading ]
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable _are_ his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Ver. 33. _O the depth of the riches_] The Romans dedicated a certain lake, the depth whereof they knew not, to Victory; so should we admire the unsearchable counse... [ Continue Reading ]
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Ver. 34. _Who hath been his counsellor_] Alphonso the wise (the fool rather) was heard blasphemously to say, that if he had been of God's counsel at the creation, he could have advised and ordered many things much better than... [ Continue Reading ]
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? Ver. 35. Who hath first given to himJ Do we not owe him all that we have and are? And can a man merit by paying his debts?... [ Continue Reading ]
For of him, and through him, and to him, _are_ all things: to whom _be_ glory for ever. Amen. Ver. 36. _For of him_] As the efficient cause, and "through him" as the administering cause, and "to him" as the final cause, are all things. A wise philosopher could say, that man is the end of all in a s... [ Continue Reading ]