468 An Expofitton upon Chap. it (hewed any mercy either on our fouls or bodies, name or goods; for he can never be truly thanktull to God who is unthanktull to the means by whom God doch him good. DIA L G GUE XVI. I Verf. I9, 20. Thou wilt fay then, the branches are broken off, that thou mightefl be Leafed in ; well becaufe of unbelief they were broken off ,and thou fiandeff by faith. T I M O T st E u s. / WHat cloth this Text contain ? / S I L. Two things : Firfl, an objection on the behalf of the Gentiles, why they ought to boar}, verf. 19. Se- condly, the anfwer of the Apofile thereunto verf. 20. T I M. What do the Gentiles objeU and aUedge for themselves ? S I L. That they might boafl and re- joyce againfl the Jew, becaufe they were more worthy then they ; for, for their fakes (that they might be called to be Gods people) the Jewes were bro- ken offand deftroyed : as if they fhould lay, The Jewes are broken off and call out for my fake, they give place unto nie; but the leffe worthy doe give place to the more worthy : therefore I excell them and may glory again(} them,for he is of more worthineffe for whore fake thingis done, then is that which is done for his fake. T t M. What cloth this objetlion teach us? S r t. This letton, that humane rea- fon is exceeding prone to pride and arrogancy ; which appeareth hereby, that not only rib argument can be fo found and ftrong as to call it back from pride unto modefly, but it will rather take occafion to ftrengthen it felf in arrogancy,by that which is brought in to humble and take it down. This hap- tied here unto Pau! the Apoftle, wing this firm reafon to prove the Gentiles ought not to be proud, for that they had been once as a wilde Olive, tlranger s from Chrift,but were now planted into the true Olive,and become Gods peuple in fleadotthe Jewes. This reafon doth but the more lift up the Gtntiles in pride, who attribute it to their own worthineffe, that the Jews were reje&ed and they received. This fhewes the wicked pride of nian, (to wit) how hard it is to reclaim it and bring it unto humility:for as other fin- nets have their defence, the covetous pretend thrift, care of wife and chil- dren ; the drunkard good fellowfhip, the wanton youthfulnefTe, the revenger injuries of others provoking; fo the proud perfon pleads his own excellent parts and worthinetfe. And hence it it cometh to paffe,that few proud wits are reformed and cured, becaufe they are drunken with opinion of their own worth and goodnefre ; whick nittft be denyed and renounced, ere they be pleating to God who loves the humble. T r M. What other things do ye obferve in the words of the objellion? S I L. The great difference which 'is between worldly grafting, and that which is fpirituall, whereof Paul now fpeaketh: they are both like in this, that there is in both an uniting .and conjun &ion between the frock and that which is grafted into it, they become one and have a communion, the root and branches. Chrift and his Church be molt nearly conjoyned, fo as the Church bath the appellation and name of Chrift put upon it for his union fake : fee I Ger. I2.12. howbeit there two kindes of grafting do difagree in there two things. Firft, in the manner of grafting, a good fcion and graff is taken and let in a wilde and barren flock, as a pippin or a pearmain, on a crab -tree : but in the fpiritual it isclean contrary ; for the branches of the wilde Olive tree(as the Gentiles were,) are taken and graffed into the true tree, the body of the Church and fociety of the godly, this is good : but the graffi are unfruitfull,barren, and wilde Olive trees,(that is) wicked and unclean men: and indeed it cannot be otherwife, for whofoever is found without Chrift and his Church, (his body) he can be no other
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=