464 An Expofition upon Chap.'', T 1 M. Why dodo he fay [fine] and it many or all feeing the greaten number ofJews were ref ufed in Paella time ? S 1 L. Paul Ipeaks not of one age of them, but of the whole nation in all ages,ever fince they were fepa rated in A- braham to be Gods own peculiar people, and CO from thence to the end of the world : and then who perceiveth nut that the Apufile might well lay [tome] teeing fo very great a part were favrd? for there were many Patriarchs,Kings, Prophets, Priefls,and innumerable pri- vate men and women, all dear to God, and we read of five thoufand converted at the beginning ofre Gofpell by Pe- ter and other Apoffles, At1. & 4 And towards the confummation of the world, in great heaps they flail be drawn to Chrift : So as Paul did well to fay, a certain number only were broken off. T t M. But many of the branch =.r he bro- ken of, it may feem the eletï may perifb, for what are the branches but Gods own elec ?ed people ? S t t. It is impoíìble that the elea fhould perfh, Chrift bath laid it, Mat. 24.21. For the gifts of ele &ion, faith, and juffification, &c. are without re- pentance, fuch as God never changeth and taketh away, but if the ele& perith, then mutt God change, Roma t t.29. Paul therefore fpeaketh not here of right and truebranches,fuchas elelt and faithful(perfons be, which cannot be cut offbut of counterfeit feenting bran - ches,whobe firth in their own opinion, and in the. account of the Church,but not being indeed ele&ed and called to Chrifi; and there may and do fall away. The ground and proof of this difference we have in Jolt. t 5.2,3,4 alto Rom. 9.7. where is a plain odds between the chil- dren of Abraham, and Rom. a. 3 t . where is mention made of Jewes inward, and Jewes outward, in the Spirit and in the letter. And i Joh. 2.19. it is Paid that fumè were of us,and force were among us ; the former remained in the Church, the other did not,but plaid Apoftataes and revolters, running to the enemies camp. TIM of ! T 1 M. The knots being loo,frd, 'hew us tte inftiuthonr we leave front thefe fill- 'words S 1 L. The do&rives from them be two ; firf,the promile of grace and fal- vation is not tilçcd or tycd to Belhly ge- neration : the reafon is, becaufe grace corneal by regeneration 'at the plealisre ofGod, and not by generation at the will of man, job. 1. 12, 13. Godly pa- rents do convey their corrupt feed to their children,but not their fanaifying Spirit : elfe all that defcend offaithfull parents Ihould be faved,which is not fo; as in Ifbtnael,Efau,Cain,Abfalom, &c. T i M. Weatprofit isto be made of thin doctrine ? S 1 L. It warneth all children which come of godly parents, to ftrive to be like them in faith and verme; as Chrifl exhorted/ the Jewes, Job. 8.46. to doe the works of4bra am,and Paid, Rom 4. 1a. to tread in the Reps of his faith : otherwife the piety of progenitors will not help: for,notfptinging front good parents, but being like them makes us happy ; the Jewes were of Abraham,and yet were broken off T i M. What it thefecund Dottrine ? S 1 L. This breacking the branches I teacheth us that it is not enough to profelTcGod,. for fo did thefe Jewes; nor to'know hint and have the Sacra- ments, for fo had they ; but to labour to be well grounded and rooted in Chriff by a. lively faith working by love. For all they that be not thus,feem they never fo holy and glorious, may and (hall fall and be broken off, either at death, or when the winds of tempta- tion blow.Mat 7.25. T 1 M. What life of thin inflrutiion? S t L. It ferves to reprove filch as raft in external( things, never trying them - felves : their end is to be deceived at laR; as they which truft in a crackt title, or lean on a broken Raffe. Ts M. What it meant by the wilde Olive- tree S t t. The wilde Olive is put for a branch or grift : for whole trees ale not to be graffed, but branches; and thefe branches of the wilde Olive,figni- fie Reafon. Interpre- tation.
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