of worshiping God, and defpifed by the other, Ephef. ii. 11.; yet now, fince Chrift is come, this enmity is removed, the very ground of it being taken away by his death, viz. the ceremonial law, Ephef. ii. 14. 15. and Jews (fo many of them as ftood uncut off thro' misbelief) and Gentiles are united together in one covenant, under one head and husband, making up one church to Chrift; hence it is faid that the Gentiles are graffed in among them, or with them, who remained uncut off. See Eph. ii. 15. VII. Tho' the covenant which God made with Abraham had fome temporal promifes in it, as the promife of the land of Canaan, &c. Gen. xvii. 8. which were only additional, added ex fuperabundanti, the like whereof are also added in the New Teftament, Mat. vi. 33. 1 Tim. iv. 8. and in the covenant which was made with David, Pfal. lxxxix. 2 Sam. vii. and Canaan was held forth as a type of heaven, the bleffings of that 'land being promised to all believers, Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 26. 30. 31. Jer. xxxi. 31. compared with verfes 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. Heb. xiii. 5. 6.: And tho' this covenant was adminiftred under types and facrifices, a way of adminiftration fuitable for that age of the church, and fo was but accidental as to the fubftance of the covenant; yet that covenant made with Abraham was the fame for fubftance, with that which is now made with the church under the gospel, having the fame Mediator, Heb. xiii. 8. 1 Cor. x. 1. to 7. John viii. 56. in whom it was made, Gal. iii. 16. 17. 18. 29. falvation then, as well as now, being by grace, Acts xv. 11. and by faith, Rom. iv. 3. 4. 5. Acts x. 43. Heb. xi. 1. 2. 3.4. 13. &c. without works, Rom. iv. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. and fo one way of juftification, Rom. iv. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Gen. xv. 6. Pfal. xxxii. 1. 2. for it is the fame root and the fame olive which Jew and Gentile ftand on; and the Gentiles now under the gofpel are graffed into that fame flock, and taken into that fame covenant, which was made with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob; the Gen

tiles are graffed in with them, partaking of the fame root, and olive with them.

VIII. This covenant made with Abra ham, Ifaac and Jacob, being a covenant of grace, is full, fappy and rich, having promifes of grace, reconciliation, pardon, adoption and fanctification here, fee Jer. xxxi. 31. and Jer. xxxii. 40. and of glory hereafter, to all fuch as believe, and fo follow the steps of their father Abraham, and hence it is called, a covenant of promife, Eph. ii. 12. and we hear of the bleflings of Abraham, Gal. iii. 14. bleffings promifed to him and his believing feed, Gen. xxii. 18. and having many external privileges, mercies and church perogatives, as the ordinances of life, and the feals of this covenant, and the like, which are beftowed on fuch as are external members, and profess themselves believing covenanters: this olive has fatnefs; and partakest of the root and fatness of the olive.

IX. Thofe church privileges which flow from the covenant, flow forth no lefs abundantly to the Gentiles, than they did to the Jews, and fo flow forth to father and children; for there is no difference of ingraffing, but the Gentiles are ingraffed with the Jews, and partake of the fat of the olive with them, or inftead of thefe, who were broken off; the river of fatnefs is not dried up to the Gentiles, nor is the root fending lefs fap to them, than it did to the Jews before, but rather more, feeit is ftiled a better covenant, in some respects, Heb. vii. 22. and viii. 7. to 13. and fo if infants then being in covenant had right to circumcifion, Gen. xvii. 12. and to the means of falvation, fo far as they were capable, Gen. xviii. 19. Deut. vi. 6. 7. why not infants now? Children must not be the worfe for the coming of a better covenant.

X. It is no eafy matter to walk under the receipts of mercy and favours from God, and not wax proud and infolent : Corruption makes the weed of pride bud moft after the fweeteft May shower; when God's favours fhould humble us, they oft

work

work the contrary way; for the Gentiles having received a rare favour, of being graffed in, are now ready to misken themfelves, to boast and infult over the Jews; Boat not thyfelf against the branches.

XI. Tho' God in his juft judgment be removing favours from others, and in mer cy be beftowing them on us, in a rich measure; we fhould not the more of that infult over fuch as are afflicted of the Lord, feeing mercy fhould be shown to fuch; but pity and commiferate the cafe and condition of fucb, and help forward their good all we can: he will not have the converted Gentiles infulting over the poor afflicted outcast Jews; Boaft not thyself against the branches.

XII. Right thoughts of our former condition, while we were in nature, and of our unworthiness of mercy, will help to keep us low and humble under our prefent enjoyments, Ezek. xx. 43. and alfo provoke us to have compaffion upon, and pity others who are in the condition which we were once into, Tit. iii. 2. 3. and for this caufe the apoftle, that he may keep the Gentiles humble, and from infulting over the outcast Jews, mindeth them of what they once were, and fayeth, Thou being a wild olive wert graffed in, and thence infereth, Boast not thylelf, &c.

XIII. Thoughts of God's rare and undeferved mercies towards us, fhould ferve as a bridle to bear down corruption and pride in us. Therefore, to keep the Gen files from boating againft the branches, he tells them, that they are now graffed in, and partaking of the root and of the fatness of the alive.

XIV. The infulting over the off-caft Jews, as if they were never to be taken in again, is a reflecting on the root Abraham, and the covenant made with him, as tho' it were not able to fend up fap to make thofe rotten and blafted branches to bud again; Boaft not against the branches, for thou beare!l not the root, but the root thee; That is, all the good thou haft, thou hast

it from the root; and fince the root was able to fend life and fap to thee who were no branches thereof, why may it not allo fend fap to fuch as are now withered?

XV. Unthankfulness or forgetfulness. of the benefits which we have received, as it is a great fin in itself, fo it ushereth in other fins, and makes a foul not only mifken its benefactors, but even to offer indignitiesto them, and alfo to wax infolent and proud, and infult over others; fo was: it here intimated; Boaft not against the branches: or if thou do, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee: If thou boaft against the branches, thou wilt alfo reflect upon thy benefactors; and the root of all will be, thy forgeting that the root beareth thee; for if thou calledft this to mind, it would help all.

XVI. Serious minding of our own natural condition, and of our way of standing in the condition we are in, would help us to keep calm; and that which puffeth us up, is, we forget the bafis we ftand upon; If thou boast, thou beareft not the root, but the root thee.

VERSES 19. 20. Thou wilt fay then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ftandeft by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear.

Fpofeth

OR further clearing of this, be propofeth an objection, which he faw the infulting Gentiles would have made ufe of, and anfwereth it; and withal preffseth them to humility, from a new argument. Hc had faid, ver 12. that the fall of them was the riches of the world; and ver. 15. that the cafting away of them was the reconciling of the world; and from this he faw the Gentiles would be ready to gather fome ground to encourage them to boaft; and fo he fays, Thou wilt fay then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in; that is, The Jews were cast out of

doors

them in his invifible and mystical body, as living members thereof; fo an open profeffion of the true religion, of faith in Jefus, and of the expectation of falvation only thro' him, with a profeffion of obedience and fubjection unto his laws and commandinents, makes a perfon or a people members of Chrift's vifible body, and of his church and kingdom: Thou ftandeft by faith.

VIII. Pride and haughtiness of spirit is altogether unbefeeming any who profefs faith in Jefus Chrift; and yet the greater their profeffion be, if there be not a true and lively faith at the root, the greater will the pride of their heart be; and therefore the apoftle warneth the Gentiles not to be high-minded: Be not high-minded.

IX. That which maketh many a carnal profeffor too conceited, and thro' pride of heart to misken themselves, is, their forgeting the ground they ftand upon; and right and ferious thoughts of this, that they ftand upon no bafis or foundation of their own, but by faith, would make them have low thoughts of themselves; Thou standelt by faith, fays he, and then infereth, be not high-minded.

X. It becometh all who profess the name of Jefus, to be walking both foberly and in fear, knowing and confidering what ha zard they are fill in, what temptations they are liable unto, and what weaknefs and inability is in them to withstand; they Lould be ftill upon their watch-tower, and guarding against the affaults of the devil: Be not high-minded, but fear.

XI. The more humble a poor foul be, in the fenfe of its own bafenefs, unworthinefs and weaknefs, the more warry and circumfpect will that foul be in its walk; and where pride and felf-conceit aboundeth, it cafts a foul loofe and open to its enemies; Be not high-minded, but fear, goes best together.

VERSE 21. For if God fpared not the natural branches, take heed left he alfo fpare not thee.

His verfe containeth another argu

ment by which he preffeth them to humility and watchfulness, and whereby he inforceth upon them the former exhortation, not to be high minded, but to fear. The argument lieth thus, If thou haft no ground to plead exemption from the judgments of God; then haft thou caufe not to be high-minded, but to fear: but fo it is thou haft no ground to expect that God will pafs thee by, and this he cleareth thus, If he fpared not the Jews, thou haft no caufe to think he will ipare thee; and the ground of this is, becaufe the Jews were natural branches, they had, to speak so, a kindly right, as kindly tenants, to the covenant, and to the privileges thereof, as being the natural iffue of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob,. when as the Gentiles were wild.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. So righteous and juft is God, that when he is provoked to anger by the evil carriage of a people, or vifible church, he will not fpare, but cut them off, were they never fo privileged beyond others, and had they never fo many grounds whereupon to expect a perpetuity of their ftanding: The Jews, tho' natural branches, lineally defcended of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, and firft in covenant, and this covenant-interest runing down thro' many generations, yet they are not fpared: If he spared not the natural branches.

II. God's cuting off and unchurching the people of the Jews, is a ftanding document to all churches, in all ages, and may be a ground of perfuafion unto them, that were they never fo privileged beyond others, if they prove contumacious and unworthy, they fhall be cut off: If he spared not the natural branches, take heed left he alfo fpare not thee.

III. The continual hazard that a church or people is in, of being unchurched and cut off from their church-privileges by God, becaufe of their walking unworthy of, and contemning the light of the gospel, 3 M

fhould