Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 9 · Verses 4-5 – Verse 6
VERSE 4. Who are Iſraelites: to whome pertaineth the Adoption, and the Glorie, and the bOr Teſtaments.Couenants, and the giuing of the Law, and the ſeruice of God, and the promiſes.
5. Whoſe are the Fathers, and of whome as concerning the Fleſh, Christ came, who is ouer all, God bleſſed for euer, Amen.
HEre is the third Argument to proue Pauls griefe, and to manifeſt his louelove towards the Iewes, and it is a confeſſion of diuers ſingular priuiledges, as their due. Theſe he reckoneth, not that it cannot be that God ſhould abdicate ſuch a people; but that he might ſhew his louelove. For hee doth not extenuate their worth, which is the effect of hatred; but largely confeſſeth it, which is a token of his louelove: And therefore his griefe muſt needs bee ſo much the more, that a people ſo endowed (the attractiue of his louelove) ſhould for their hardnes and ſtubborneneſſe be reiected.
Who are the Iſraelites? that is, becauſe they are the Iſraelites: the Relatiue being here put for the Coniunction cauſal, which is ordinary in the Scripture. So Pſal. 7.10. God is my defence, who keepes the true in heart: that is, becauſe he keepes. So I expound that controuerted place, 1. Tim. 5.17. The Elders, &c. eſpecially they who labour; that is, becauſe they labour.
Iſraelites: Geneſis 32.That Nation had this name from Iacob, who was ſo called vponupon a ſpeciall occaſion mentioned in his ſtory? Iſrael ſignifies a Prince, or Preuailer with God, or (as wee may ſay, Gods Fauourite. The Name Iewes, was firſt not ſo generall, ſignifying onelyonly them, who, in Rehoboams time, at the diuiſion of the kingdom, cleaued to the houſe of Iudah; but after the Captiuitie, it grew to be a generall Name: for all of that Nation of what Tribe ſoeuer. He ſaith not, which are the Iewes, which was a name of great excellencie; but, which are the Iſraelites: a more ancient Name, and more honorable: beſide, the name Iew was then in much contempt, as it is at this day.
To whom pertaines the Adoption: not Eternall in Chriſt, proper to the Elect, of which Ephe. 1 5. but temporall: God paſſing by other Nations, and chuſing them to be his Church & people. Thus are they called his firſt-borne, his white ſonne and darling.Exod. 4.22. Iere. 31.20.
The glory: Pſalm. 26.8. 1. Sam, 4.21.that is, the Temple and the Arke, which are ſo called elſe-where, becauſe tokens of Gods preſence among them.
And the Couenants: not the two Tables of the morall law, as Beza: but rather, the couenant made with Abraham, and often renewed.
The giuing of the law: vvhichwhich is to be referred both to the law it ſelfe, which was a great priuiledge, to hauehave a rule to teach them the true worſhip of God, all other Nations wandring in the vanity of their owne inuentions: And to the circumſtances alſo with the which the law was giuen.
And the ſeruice of God: The ceremoniall worſhip, which was moſt beautifull. Other Nations knew there was a God to be ſerued; but how, they knew not; and therefore they fell into moſt horrible Idolatry.
The promiſes: Act. 2.39.ſcattered through the Bible, entailed to the Iewes and their children; ſo that whoſoeuer would come to God, muſt come by the meanes of the Iewes.
Whoſe (not of whom) are the Fathers. This alſo is a great priuiledge, to deſcend of honourable Anceſters: as of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, of the which the Iewes oft boaſted: and indeed they are in regard of their births, the honorableſt Nation vnderunder the Sunne.
Of whom came Chriſt: Hee tooke his humane nature of their ſtock. It is a great honour to all mankind that he tooke not the Nature of Angels, but of Man. But much more to that Nation, that he tooke the ſeed of Abraham.
And making mention of Chriſt, he doth 2. things, 1. Deſcribeth him. 2. Praiſeth him.
His deſcription is, that he is God ouer all: where wee hauehave great myſteries. He came of the Iewes, therefore hee is very Man. He is God alſo, which the Iewes deny, &c. Hee alſo that came of the Fathers is God. Where we hauehave his two Natures; God, and Man, and their Perſonall vnion.
Bleſſed for euer. Amen. This addition of praiſe ſhewes, that ſo often as wee hauehave occaſion to thinke on, or mention our bleſſed Sauiour, wee ſhould confeſſe his praiſe. All theſe priuiledges are great, yet not ſo much the praiſes of the Iewes, as the gifts of God.
doctrine The Iewes were a moſt honourable people, Rom. 30.1. Pſa. 19.20.
Ʋſe 1.Be equall toward all men, either Friends or Enemies: If friends, flatter them not: Though Paul loues the Iewes, yet hee tels them of their faults: If Enemies: Enuy them not their priuiledges. The Iewes are Pauls mortall enemies, and wicked men; yet hee maketh them not worſe then they are; he conceales not their honour, but freely acknowledgeth it.
So if Magiſtrates be wicked, yet they are Magiſtrates, and ſo to be honoured: If Miniſters be negligent and profane; Guali. hom. in locum.yet till the authoritie of God and the Magiſtrate diſplace them, they are to bee reuerenced as Miniſters, and to hauehave their Titles and Duties, that thereby they may be put in minde of their duty.
doctrine Ʋſe 2.The Iewes are not to be hated, but to bee beloued vponupon theſe Reaſons, by Pauls example.
Vſe 3.Paul grieues that ſo worthy a people ſhould be reiected; ſo it cannot but be a griefe to a godly minde; to ſee men and women of excellent beauty, comelineſſe, wit, learning, place, &c. to liue to the diſhonour of GOD, and to goe to hell.
Vſe 4.Notwithſtanding all theſe priuiledges, the Iewes are caſt off: It was much to hauehave ſuch priuiledges, but they profited them not, becauſe they adorned them not, with beleeuing hearts, and a godly life.
Let England thinke of this, who are no leſſe priuiledged, though many leſſe godly.
They are Iſraelites, we are more, for we are Chriſtians, a more honourable Title. Art thou a Chriſtian? For ſhame diſhonour not that Title by liuing like a Heathen.
They were the people of God, ſo are we: Let vsus obey him which they did not: and then wee ſhall neuer ſuffer as they doe.
They had the Glory, the Couenants, the ſeruice, the Promiſes: So hauehave we, let vsus bee warned by their harmes to amendment of our liues, leſt theſe things be taken from vsus, as they were from them.
The Fathers are theirs: ſo are they ours by a better right: Theirs by the right of the fleſh, ours by the right of Faith.
Haſt thou Honorable, and religious Parents? Imitate their vertues: If they hauehave made thee honourable, ſo liue thou, that thy children alſo may account it their houour, not their ſhame to name thee, when thou art raked vp in the duſt.
Chriſt came of them: ſo came be of vsus alſo in the Generall, and for vsus, which is a greater glory, elſe to come of vsus is not auaileable. It is probable, that many of Chriſts kindred may be in hell. Had not Mary her ſelfe carried him in her heart by Faith; her conceiuing and carrying him in her wombe, had little auailed her ſoule.Beatior Maria peripe…endo fide Chriſtum, quam concipiendo car…. Aug.
No outward priuiledges can ſtop the Anger of God, if we be wicked: they doe rather make way for the ſame: as a man is more offended with the ill behauiour of a ſeruant aduanced by him. Remember at the day of Iudgement thou ſhalt bee ſtript of all thy priuiledges, of Birth, Honour, &c. and ſhalt ſtand naked before God.
Vſe 5.As it helped not the Iewes, becauſe they were Idolaters, to hauehave Abraham to their Father: ſo neither the Biſhops of Rome, becauſe they are vile Idolaters, to hauehave Peter for their Predeceſſor.
VERSE 6. Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect, &c.
NOw Paul enters the liſts with the Iew, who obiected againſt Iuſtification by Faith on this manner:
If Iuſtification be by Faith, then the Iewes not belceuing in Chriſt, cannot be iuſtified.
But the Iewes muſt be iuſtified, though not beleeuing.
Therefore.
The Minor is denied; which they proue thus:
If they be not Iuſtified, but Reprobated, then the Word of God takes no effect but failes: Therefore.
In this part of the ſixt verſe which we hauehave in hand, Paul denies the Maior, affirming the plaine contrary, that though they bee reprobated, yet the Word of God is not of no effect.
This concluſion Paul proues in the verſes next following, taking away the ground on the which the Iewes built their Conſequence, as we ſhall ſee by and by.
The ſumme of that which in theſe words is propounded is, That though the multitude of the Iewiſh Nation be reiected, yet the word (of promiſe) failes not.
doctrine The promiſes of God are ſure, Rom. 4.16. 2. Cor. 1.20. Tit. 1.2. Heb. 6.17.
Vſe 1.God is full of compaſſion, and hath made many mercifull promiſes: this is comfortable: yet this were nothing, if God were changeable as we are, to day a friend, to morrow a foe; making a promiſe to day, and repealing and reuerſing it to morrow. Laban changeth often with Iacob, but God neuer changeth with vsus, but keepeth his promiſe for euer, and his truth endureth from generation to generation.
We promiſe, and many times faile either by the mutability of our will, or the Imbecilitie of our power, or the ſcantneſſe of our knowledge, not being able to foreſee impediments. But God is not mutable, nor weake, nor ignorant: When he promiſeth, he foreſees what can be againſt it; he is the ſame; he neuer repents; and he is able to bring it to paſſe. Therefore if we be ſure of the promiſe, we are as ſure of the performance.
This ſtabilitie and truth of God, vpholds vsus in trouble. Which if it could faile, Satan had a thouſand times ere this ouerthrowne vsus. God promiſed Dauid he ſhould be a King: But Saul was aliue, and his enemy, and went about by open force, and ſecret practices to kill Dauid: ſo that in the eye of fleſh and bloud, it is a thouſand to one but Dauid ſhall dye before Saul. For all this Dauid lookes to be King. Why? Becauſe God had promiſed, which promiſe comforted him in all his troubles. Pſal. 119.41,42,49,50.If thou wouldſt not be ſwallowed vp in the ſurges of tentation, Caſt anchor on the truth and promiſes of God.
Vſe 2.As are the promiſes, ſo are the threatnings: It cannot bee proued from Adam to this day, that God did euer in any tittle fayle of his promiſe to the godly. Neither can it, or euer ſhall be found that God euer hath or will faile of one iot of his threatnings, but that he will make them good vponupon the hayry ſcalpe of ſuch as goe on in their wickedneſſe without repentance.
Art thou a blaſphemer or a drunkard, &c. and repenteſt not? If thou beleeueſt God to be true, and his Word, thou mayſt reade thine owne ſentence and doome: Remember that God can as ſoone deny himſelfe, as not performe his word, to penitent, and impenitent. For hee is true and conſtant, and requireth ſuch Worſhippers.
For they are not all Iſrael, which are of Iſrael.