39 2 Of Eleflion. ~~---------------- ~ BooK V. ~ CHAP. li. That this Covenant is derived unto the Churches of the Gentiles, in a conformity to the Jewt priviledge {IS they were aChurch. . ANd as rhus we have feen the derivation of the Covenant to the Children , of Believing Parents, founded on a conformity to A6rahams privilcdge, and fo propagated in a Family way, in a correfpondency uAto him and his Fa– mily : So you !hall alfo fee it founded on a conformity to the Jews priviledge, as they were aChurch; and fo derived in a Church way, as a priviledge made to Believers as member> of Churches. This ( I take it) will arife out of the Scope of that admonition given the Gentiles, Rom. 11, from the enmplo of the Jews being broken off, and our being engrafted in their !lead. Theca– veat or warning which the Apofile there gives is this, that the Gentiles being tngrafttdo11 the Jews root, they would look well to their j/a11di11g i11 that . Grace, ver{. :<o, and co11tit1Ue i11 Gods goodnefs vouch(aftd, verle 22. and 11ot /;oafl agt~infl tht Jews who were broke off, verfe tS, Now that you may clearly fee, that which I feck to prove to arifc out of it, I give thefe obfervations upon that difcourfe of the Apo!l:le in that Chapter, which put together will rife up to a demonfiration of it. The firfi is (That whichCalvitt alfo and Btztl have obferved,though to an· other purpofe) that although rhe Apofile gives this Admonition in the fingu– lar number, [Thou, and Thee J aimoil. in every verfe: Yet he fpeaks not fo much to particular perfons tingly confidered, but tothe Gentiles colledively, in a bulk or Body, as di!lintl: here from the Body of the Jews. · Which is evi– dent, r. Becaufo he oppofeth thtfe unto whom hegives t\le admonition , unto the 'jcws as fo confidered. 2, Becaufe that B oaj/ing ( which he forewarnsthem of, verfe 18, 19.) that the Jews were broken off that thefe Gentiles might be engrafted in, connot be fuppofed it lhould befo grofs a way of boa!l.ing, as that each particular Roman or Gentile fhould for themfclves apart, perlonally and tingly confidercd, glory again!l. the whole Nation of the Jews, And there– fore thirdly, Though vtr{e 17. he fpeaks in the tingular number, [Thou] yet he exprelleth it thus , thou having 6un a wild Olive Tree; which evident· ly implies that he fpeaks of the bulk and Body of the Gentiles, not ro particular perfons: For then he would have fa id, Thou being "branch of thr wtld O!tve. • 2. Obfcrvc, that though it be to be extended to the whole Body of the Gentiles , in oppolition to the whole Nation o( the Jews; yet it is in the ad– monition more particularly intended, diretl:ed and brought borne to thefe Ro– mans, to whom this Epifile was wraten : And thefe contidered as cafi into a Body of a Church, or Churches; in oppofition to the Jews as they were con– tidered, as once a Church unto God, and therefore this admonition being given thus to tbem, is withal direded under them, to all Chrifiian Churches of the Gentiles. And therefore, r, He fpeaks to them as to one Man [ thors and thee] becaufe he fpeaks to them as to a collctl:ive Body. AAd 2. He fpeaks of their engrafting, not into the Jews Church (as Profclites were cf old) that they lhould be members of that Church as if it !l.ill !l.ood; but in !1:ead of the Jews Church ( coAtidered as broken off, and thefe growing up of them– fel ves on the Jews!lock) to be aChurch <'f themfclvcs unto God , entire, and di!linCl from th 2t of rhe Jews, in the room thoreot: l· T hcrcf.'>fc from occa– tion ot thefe mercies of God in Mgrafting them int:> this Body or tree , fpoken of in this Chapter, he exhorts themChap. r2. by the mercies ofGod vouchfa– fcd them herem( with the admiratioc ot which mercies both to Jew and Gent,lc,
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