Of Eleflion. 393 t;lc, he had concluded this d1!courfe , verj, )O, p. of this 1 r. Chclp.) to be-~· have themfelvcs anfwerably , as they were a Church to God: And lo indeed Ch'ap; 2. ~11 tbat firll ufe and application he makes unto thef!! of that his fore-going Do·~ tl:rine, Chup, n. is, how to walk as a Church, both oilicers and memberS\ T hus Chap. It. an Ufeanfwcring to this his former Doctrine , Chap. 11. and as that fpectal mercy vouchfafcd them,even to be plar)):ed as a Church to Chrill, diflintl from the Jewifi1 Church and in their !lead. Now therefore as his Application and Ufe o! the D octrine is fpeken to them as to a Church, Ch,,p, 12. fo the D octrine it !elf , which is the thing in hand, Chap, 1 r. that fpeaks of their engrafting in, is to be undcrllood. And 4· I may a<;Id this, that all cpifllcs written by Apofllcs , are written to the Gentile Saint$ confidered as Churches. So to the Corinths aad to the Galathiaas; and fo this; with all the reil. · Wherefore )· Obferve this his exhortation or covenant, to fland and con– tinttt in Gods goodntfl: that as it was not fpoken fo much to the particular pcrfons of thefe Romans, fingly confidered; fo anfwerably it is not intended of th eir falling perfonally away, and in that refpect to be cut off fingly and apart (through that I exclude not) but it is fpoken in relation to fucceiiion, and fo, of their continuance as a Church before God in after ages, and in their pof\~rity o As if he had faid, Let every oae look to it, (and upon that con.fideration look to it, ) to continue in the !lock into which they were iggraf– ted, and to propagate this priviledge to pofierity. For; •· This continuing thus, and taking heed of being cut off, muf\ anfwer to the example of the Jews, whom he fets before them as brokeoff, for them to take heed lef\ they came fo to be broken off as they were. Now the Jews breaking off, and the feverity of it, mentioned verfe 22. is to be underltood principally to confif\ in this : that not only the J>erfons of the prefent Jews were broken off, but likewife a !lop put to the nation to be a Church in refpeCl: to fucceiiion of pof\erity, and fo their Children broken off with them , from being any longer a Church unto Chrifl; God had call off them , and their po– fterity after them. And if thegoodntfs, or priviledge vouchfafed the Gen. tiles had not been like to that of the Jews ,even in this refpe&, what ground or appearance had there been of their boafiing, or equalling themfelves to the Jews (who for 2ooo, years had enjoyed this priviledge of continuance )if the promife to thefe R.omans.were to have it but in their own perfons, and reached but to an age, if they might notby !landing in the Faith, have continued to it others after them; There had neither been fuch caufe to compare this good– nefs or favourvouchfafed them, with that to the Jews: Nor had it been any way anfwerable to the feverity towards the Jews, with which he threatneth them, ver[22. if thisgoodlle[s were not meant of a continuance of this grace to them and theirs, asthe feverity was a breaking off ofthe Jews and theirs ~~ 0 And 2. Herein how proper was this Admonition to this Church of Rome 1 which the Apofile knew would in .after Ages become the greatefi Apofiate Church in the World, and the Mother of all Apofiatizing Churches (as Joh~t bath it) which yet makes this very boafi (not againf\ Jews only, but againfi other Churches of the Gentiles alfo) of her fianding more firm and fure then the Jews ever did, whom God rejected; that againfi Hrr the gates of HeOfbart 11ot prevail. Yea, and in diflinct terms fhe boafis of th.is very thing, namely:, her continuance and fucceiiion in all Ages. And fo the Caveat about boafting here is thus peculiarly directed to thefe R01nmu, and that as a Church in Romr, for as fo confidered the boafleth of her felf. And whereas it may be obje6ed, That though a continuance of Succeiiion is here to be underflood, yet that it follows not, it fhould be meant of their Children in a way of Propagation, feeing there is another way of continu ing this priviledge of Grace among the Gentiles, and may be underf\ood to be in– tended in thisRomtJ1zChurch, namely, by a new addition of Converts daily added to the Churc)l, who fhould !land up after them. This I exclude ilot. E e e
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