Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

their fhame: therefore doth Paul publickly put this queftion to them, the more to convince them and others of their ignorance, Did not Ifrael know? It is a flame that Ifrael, that profeffeth great acquaintance with the law and the prophets, should be ignorant of this.

more narrowly, and therefore fays, that Efaias was very bold; that is, fpoke not darkly or figuratively, but in plain terms, and without fear did declare this truth; and what was it? I was found of them that fought me not; I was made manifeft unto them that asked not after me; that is, Such people as never once had mind of me, nor took pains for me; I put it in their heart to feek me, and they came fpeed; (it is a prophecy of fomething to be, and it is put in the preterite time, to fhew its certainty,) I made myfelf to be found of them (for to the Hebrew word imports,) that fought me not; and I made myself manifeft as a reconciled God to thefe who asked not for me, and looked not as my people; or, I am fought to by them that have not afked aught of me, as Ifa. lii. 15. and Iv. 5.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. When folks are blinded with prejudice against any truth, they wilfully close their eyes at clear and manifeft evidences thereof, and will not fee what otherways they might clearly perceive: tho' Mofes and the prophets gave evidence to this truth, that the Gentiles fhould be called in at length, yet they could not heartily welcome this truth; Did not Ifrael know? they should and might have known, but they did not.

II. The fcriptures are able to make the man of God perfect, and thoroughly fur nifhed, fo as the way to be well acquainted with all neceffary truths is, to be well verf ed in the fcriptures, and acquainted with God's mind there: Did not Ifrael know? &c. is as much as if he had faid, If Ifrael had well tried the fayings of Mofes and the prophets, they had not been ignorant of the churching of the Gentiles.

III. As it is a great fhame for profeffors, and fuch as profess great acquaintance with the word of God, to be ignorant of truths clearly revealed therein.; fo it is neceffary and useful fometimes, that minifters make fuch fenfible of their ignorance, to

IV. Whatever excellencies and external advantages a people may have, yet fo leng as they are ftrangers usto the covenant with promifes, and have not the ordinances of life among them, and the gofpel manifested, and glad tidings of falvation thro' a Mediator, they are in no account with God, but as no people: I will provoke them to jealoufy by them that are no people.

V. Let a people have never fo much infight in the things of nature, and be endued with learning and worldly wisdom, Acts xvii. 18. 1 Cor. i. 20. yea, and have fome knowledge of a Godhead, fo far as the light of nature will help them to, Rom. i. 20. 21. 22.; yet fo long as they are ftrangers to the faving knowledge of God, and of the way to life eternal thro' him, they are but foolish; had they never fo much profound knowledge of natural things, and of ftate matters, and the like, they are but fools in God's account; and the true and faving knowledge of God makes fools other wife, to become wife before God, and to be in account, I will them by a foolish nation.

anger

VI. Free grace can lay hold upon a foolish people, and a people who are not worthy to be accounted a people, and advance them to great dignity and honour, I will provoke them to jealousy by them that are no people, and a foolish nation; that is, he would enter in covenant with them, and make them his people.

VII. When a people or nation break covenant with God, and give him not that fingle and conjugal love which is his due, but take other things in his room, God will be provoked to break the contract of marriage with them, and efpouse others in

their place, I will provoke them to jealousy by them that are no people, &c.

VIII. Oftentimes God in punishing his people, will pay them home in their own coin, and write their fin upon their rod, the more to convince them of their finfulnefs; therefore fays the Lord, as they have moved me to jealoufy, and provoked me to anger, fo fhall I provoke them to jealoufy, and anger them: He threatened to give them a meeting, and accordingly did so.

IV. Whoever have the gofpel laid o pen unto them, they have found the richeft treasure imaginable; and there only where the gospel is unfolded, is the Lord, who is moft excellent and comely, fet forth to view, and there he is feen and manifefted; and in other places of the world, his glory (expreffed in the dim letters of the creation) is hid, his excellency is not manifefted. In the church alone he manifefts himself, in his goodnefs, power, mercy, IX. It is a greater punishment to people truth and juftice; in this refpect he was who have been in covenant with God,found and made manifest unto such as fought when he takes fuch in their room as they bim not. thought least of, and did most contemn and undervalue; and the more defpicable and contemptible they be, whom God taketh in the place of others, tho' it be a greater mercy in itself, yet it is fo much the greater punishment unto them: I will provoke them to jealoufy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation will I anger them.

From verfe 20. OBSERVE,

1. Howbeit people be ready to be difpleafed at freedom in minifters, yet it is their duty to reveal the truths of God plainly and freely, without feud or favour. It is commendable in the minifters of the Lord to use freedom and boldness in delivering their meffage, Efaias was very bold, &c.

II. As by nature people are ftrangers unto God, fo do they live without him, and are not defiring the knowledge of the Moft High, but they are turning their backs upon him, they are not defirous of communion with him, They afk not for him, they feek him not. See Pfal. xiv. 1. 2. 3. Eph. iv. 18. Tit. iii. 3. Gal. iv. 8.

III. God in his rich mercy can prevent with grace even fuch as have no mind to him, and can lay hold on fuch as turn their backs on him, and are altogether careless as to everlasting happiness. I was found of them that fought me not; and was made manifeft unto them that afked not for me. He can put it in their hearts to feek him, so that kindness kyths in his bofom firft.

VERSE 21. But to Ifrael he faith, All day long I have ftretched forth my hands unto a difobedient and gainfaying people.

NOW

OW from the place laft cited, viz. from Ifa. lxv. 1. 2. he cleareth the matter of the inbringing of the Gentiles, and that by clearing the grounds upon which the Lord was pleased to caft off the Jews, Jews, and to take the Gentiles in their room, But to Ifrael, (or against Israel, or of Ifrael) be faith, All day long have I ftretched forth my hands unto a difobedient and gainfaying people. The apoftle followeth the Seventy's interpretation, who render that one word fignifying rebellious, contumacious, and refractory, by two words, the one fignifying fuch a difabedient perfon as is contumacious, incorrigible, imperfuafible, stubbornly difobedient, and unbelieving; the other fignifying a contradicting both in word, Luke xx. 17. and in deed, Luke ii. 34.

This was the meeting which God got at their hands, whom he invited both by his fervants the prophets, and his courtefies, moft tenderly and affectionately, as a loving father or mother ftretcheth out their arms to imbrace their dauted children; and this he did not once or twice, but with great patience and longanimity all day long, ever fince the day brake up wherein he took them to be his own people, and therefore his patience expired, and he was 3 H

weary

weary in fhewing kindness to them (all this is metaphorically fpoken, the more to convince us both of his tender affection and long-fuffering) and he would caft them off as unworthy incorrigible branches now for that caufe.

OBSERVATIONS.

1. When minifters have to do with exafperated and enrated people, who are alfo filled with prejudice, they would do well fo to hold forth the grounds of God's controverfy, as thefe exafperated perfons may fee they have God immediately to do with, as taking notice of their carriage, as the apostle doth here; he will not fpeak any thing as from himself touching God's controverfy with them, for which cause he dil unchurch them, but he cites a paffage clearly fpeaking the thing, But to Ifrael be faith, All day long, &c.

their hands before he give them a bill of divorce, and long waits he on, and forbears to caft them off, waiting for their repentance, and amendment: All day long he Aretcheth out his hand to them. See Jer. vii. 13. and xi. 7.

V. Not only doth God delay to fmite a people and cut them off, when their carriage deferves nothing lefs at his hands, but also he will be dealing by all fair means to gain them, and therefore fends out his fervants to request, obtest and befeech them to return; and by his sweet and tender difpenfations (which might allure any body to draw near him) invites and earnestly calleth upon them back again, he ftretcheth out his hand; he offers great kindness to them, and to welcome them with all his heart, and to pass by their iniquities, if they would but come.

VI. So headstrong are a people in their finful courfes of defection, when once they break loofe, and caft off the fear of God, that no allurements, no invitations, no perfuafions, no gentle dealing, no pardon, no forbearance, can prevail with them to bring them back, but they will down the

II. It is no new thing to fee a people externally in covenant with God, and loadened with many favours and courtesics, turn altogether difobedient, refractory and rebellious, and caft at all God's commandments, and turn altogether incorrigible, that no favours will better thein, no difpenfa-brae, tho' they fhould break their neck; tions will work upon them, but they will ftill wax worfe and worfe; Even Ifrael roas turned rebellious.

III. When people once caft off the yoke of God's laws, and will not be obedient unto his precepts, they turn fo perverfe and defperately wicked, that they crofs God to his face, as it were, and contradict his fervants. at length; and are not afraid to oppofe the work of God, and to fet them felves in oppofition to any good; they were rebellious and difobedient, and they turned gainfaying likewife.

IV. When God has taken a people by the hand, he is loth to give up with them at the fir.l; many wrongs will he tuffer at

they will be rebellious and gainfaying ftil, although God fhould stretch out his band never fo long, even all day.

VII. When mercies and kindneffes are thus abufed, and God's goodness is turned into lafcivioufnefs, and the more gentle he is towards them they grow the worle; his jealoufy will burn at length, and he will fpare that people no longer, but will calt them out of covenant, and out of doors as incorrigible children. This is the ground upon which the Lord had unchurched the Jews, they were a rebellious and gainfar ing people, notwithstanding that God stretched out his hands all the day long unto them. See Jer. vii. 13. 14. 15. Acts xii. 45.

CHAP.

IN

CHAPTER XI.

IN this chapter the apoftle proceedeth to clear that which he was faying touching the rejecting of the Jews, by clearing two objections: The one from the begining unto verfe 11. and thereby cleareth, that notwithstanding of this fentence of rejection gone out against the Jews, there are fome of them who fhali be faved. The next objection is anfwered from verfe 11. to verfe 33. and thereby he cleareth, that the fentence is not final and irrevocable; that nation fhall not lie under that condition always, but at length fhall be enchurched again. And then thirdly, he concludes the whole difputes, from chap. ix. ver. 1. with a grave and weighty epiphonema, tending to admire and extol the wifdom, knowledge, decrees and providence of God in thefe mysteries.

VERSES 1. 2. Ifay then, Hath God can
away his people? God forbid. For I al-
fo am an Ifraelite of the feed of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
God hath not cast away his people which
be foreknew.

T

reafon to prove this, is, For I also am
an Ifraelite of the feed of Abraham, and
tribe of Benjamin, that is, God hath cho-
fen me, and hath not caft me off, and fo
he hath not caft off all the people of the
Jews, for I am an Ifraelite; I am defcended
of noble Ifrael, and am of the feed of Abra-
ham, and of the tribe of Benjamin. The
next reafon is, ver. 2. God hath not caft
away his people which he foreknew.
and among the people of Ifrael there is
fome whom God hath from eternity elect-

In

lings, and beloved ones; and thefe he hath net caft away; and fo he hath not caft off all the people of Ifrael.

OBSERVATIONS.

Hat the apostle may clear fully the doctrine touching the rejection of the Jews, and the inbringing of the Gentiles, he starteth fome objections, and then anfwereth them. The first is here, and it may be thus tak n up: If God hath thused unto life, and hath foreknown as his darcat off the people of the Jews, and unchurched them, then he hath caft off his chosen people, his own peculiar ones, even thofe whom he had chofen to himfelf before all eternity. But this is abfurd. Ifay then, Hath God call away his people? By your doctrine (would the objector fay) you feem to fay, that there is no falvation for the Jews now, but they are wholly cut off from the covenant and hope of mercy. He aufwereth, God forbid. Notwithfland- 11. Whatever oppofition cavillers and ing that God has unchurched the bulk and enemies to truth make a gainft it, it will be body of the Jewish nation; yet he has not fo far from being a lofer thereby, that it forgoten his own peculiar oues, whom he will come forth more victorious, and glohath clected from eternity. The firftrious, than before; fo that objections do

I. Tho' truths be never fo much cleared, enemies thereto, who are but cavilers, will ftill have fomething to object against it; for here is new objections again to be anfwered: I fay then, &c.

3 H 2

but

but ferve to rub the raft off truths: upon occafion of thefe objections the apoitle cleareth the truth, touching the rejection of the Jews, better.

III. It is an ordinary thing for proud profeffors, who are void of the life of grace, to fwell fo with conceit of themfelves, as to think they are the true people of God, and that if he fhould deal with them as with unbelieving hypocrites, he fhould fail of his fpecial promifes: This is the ground of the objection; they thought if God had unchurched them, and caft them cut of the compafs of the covenant, he had cat off his own people: Hath God caft away his people?

IV. Tho' God be chaftifing and punishing nations and kingdoms, and fending fuch univerfal ftrokes, as folk would think he were refpecting no perfons; yet in the mean time he hath an eye unto his own, and whatever way he be dealing with his enemies, he will not forget his own children, to thefe he will keep covenant for ever; fo that be his difpenfations what they will towards falfe-hearted friends, re believers fhall never have juft caufe complain of his dealing with them: Hath God caft off his people? God forbid.

V. God may be avenged on a hypocritical nation, and for their contempt of the gofpel may unchurch them, and take the gofpel from them, and yet be as good as his word unto any true-hearted fecker of his face in that land. Altho' there may be many fincere-hearted believers in a land, to whom God will fhew kindnefs; yet may be juftly purfue a quarrel againit the land, and take the gofpel from it; as he did unchurch the body and bulk of the Jewish nation, notwithstanding there were of his people among them, whom he would not caft off: Hath God caft off his people? God forbid.

VI. Let bowls roll as they please, and let God's difpenfations towards a land be what they will, tho' he fhould even be giving them a bill of divorce; yet true

believers fhould never draw hard conclu. fions therefrom, or once in the leaft fufpect God's faithfulness in his promifes toward them: Athick cloud of fad difpenfa. tions towards the generality of a land, thould neither darken the intereft of believers in a promife, nor dim the fight of their faith of his faithiulnefs and conftancy: therefore fays he, God forbid; this were most abfurd and abominable: let matters go as they pleafe, faith fhould never question God's love and fidelity, or move the queftion, Hath he cajt off his people?

VII. However Satan labour by all means to keep believers from a clear uptaking of their intereft in Chrift, and they have a falfe heart within them that is ready to comply with Satan's defigns; and there be many windings and turnings of a falfe heart, that may make it hard for a poor foul to win to read his name in the book of life; yet believers may, thro' God's grace fearching themfelves, and improving the means appointed of God for attaining to a thorough perfuafion in this, win to fome full affurance of hope, Heb. vi. 11. and of understanding, Col. ii. 2. and of faith, Heb. x. 22. and to a perfuafion, 2 Tim. i. 12. Rom. viii. 38.: therefore fays Paul, For I also am an Ifraelite, &c.,

VIII. Tho' believers, when they have a clear call, may lawfully profefs and avouch their intereft in Chrift, yet it fhould be done with great fobriety and moderation, without pride or affectation; for the apoftle doth in modefty forbear to express what he thought, and therefore leaves it to be gathered from his words, that he was one of God's real children, and fays no more, but I also am an Ifraelite, &c.

IX. No external honours or grandeur, nor external church privileges, will exeem finners from God's wrath and vengeance; God will punish the great as well as the mean, and the church-member that refteth upon that privilege no lefs than others; For, fays he, I alfo am an Ifraelite, of the feed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin:

And

« AnteriorContinua »