45 2 An Expofition upon Chap.1í 1c. themfelves and their children, Mat. 27. them were left in unbeleef, and fhould z S . they doemoll woefully lye under it perifh and be deftroyed. This latter unto this prefent houre:which fhould be part was proved by teflimony of of force co admonifh all men to avoide Scripture out of Efay and David, which- profane curling; for fuch as love cur 'told before that God would give them fing 'hall be cloathed with it, and blef- the fpirit of (umber, and darken their fing fhall be far fromthem, as it is writ- eyes,and lay a 'Jumbling blocke before ten in one of the Pfalmes. them, hereupon one might fay unto Paul, Did God this to the Jewes that theymight Rumble and fall, that is, come to utter ruine and deftruftion? Which queflion, dothnot inquire into the intention of the wicked Jews,what they meant by refufing.of Chrifl,but in- to the ends of Gods counfell, :delivering them to be hardned, that they might be cal} out from Ghrif} and his falvation. What God did refpe i herein, is now demanded. T i M. What doe we learn from this ob- jeilion ? S t L. That carnali reafon thinketh mans deflru &ion to be the only and main end of Gods reprobation ; as if a Tyrant fhould put out anothers eye, and then lay a block in his way to make him fiumble and fall, that fo he might daft: himfelfein peeces. Let us not mar - veil then, if Gods counfell be charged now with cruelty and injuflice, Peeing it was fo then even in the Apoftles time. T a M. How doth the Apoflfe anfwer this objeeiion? S t L. Two wayes : Fir'i, negatively, denying this falfe end of Gods counfell, [ God forbid,] 'hewing that it was not their downtall which God intended. Secondly, affirmatively, putting down the true ends of the fame, as firft the fal- vation of the Gentiles;and fecondly,the converfion of the Jews by their example [But rather, &c.] T r M. What learnewe from the A4poflies denyingof the thing objected? S a L. That though the perdition of the unbeleeving Jewes, and other ene- mies of God be the events which fol- loweth upon their eternall reprobation, ( for they cannot be faved whom God would not choofe unto falvation, and it isa thing decreed of God, otherwife it could not be) yet it is not the end which x Part of the Chap tCr. DIALOGUE XL Verle t s. /demand then, bay a they ftumbled that they fhould fall? God forbid ? but through their fall Jalvation cometb unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to follow them. TiMoyn.aus. Hat doth the Apoftle now per- forme in thefe words, and fa fol- lowing ? S i L. Now, he prepareth himlelfe a way to exhort thee beleeving Gentiles to modefly ( not to infult over the call -away Jewes) and to comfort the unbeleeving abje& Jewes, not to de- fpaire for their fall, as if they were ne- ver to rife and be reflored. And this he doth unto verte 33. So as here the A- poftle let upon the other two parts of the Chapter, the one Paræneticall, con- taining exhortations unto humility:the other, Prophetical!, foretelling the revocation of the Jewes to their great comfort. T r M. How doth Paul pale forwards to this exhortatory part ? S i L. By a double Frolepfrs, or pre- occupation, where he meeteth with,and anfwereth two objeaions, which a per- verfe cavilling Jew might make againfi his former matter. The firfc of them is in this r r verle, to this purpofe. What, (hall the reje &ed Jew always remain in unbeleef, and fo perifh ? Or bath God call off fo many Jewes to this end, that he might 'uttery ldeftroy them? This queftion arifeth out of the former part of the Chapter, wherein Paul had taught rwo things: Firfi, that Come Jewes then living, were ele& by grace, and fhall.be faved. Secondly, that the moll part of roo mdt of cods touafel is oritthnt ,lac lows. Doliripe
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