4.6. xxii. 21. f

When  St. Paul  wrcte  to  Rome,  the  metropolis  of  the
gentile  world,  where  there  were  a  great  many  yeivs,
the  Holy  Ghoft  dijecled  him  to  clear  up  the  queftion
concerning  the  genera!  eleftion  of  the  Gentiles,  and
the  general  rejection  of  the  Jews:  and  this  he  did,
both  for  the  comfort  of  the  humble,  gentile  believ
ers,  and'for  the  humiliation  of  his  proud,  felf-elecled
counfymen  ;  that  being  provoked  toj-aloufy,  they,
or  at  leaft/c/72£  of  them,  might  with  the  Gentiles  make
their  perjenal  calling  and  election  fure  by  believing  in
Chriit. As  the  Jews  were  generally  incenfed  againll
him,  and  he  had  a  moft  difagreeable  truth  to  ivrite,
he  dips  his  pen  in  the  oil  of  brotherly  love,  and  be
gins  the  chapter  by  a  moil  awful  proteuatian  of  his
tender  attachment  to  them,  and  forrowful  concern  for
their  falvation  ;  hoping  that  this  would  foften  them,
and  reconcile  their  prejudiced  minds. But  if  he  had
represented  them  as  ABSOLVTE  reprobates,  and  vcf-
fels  of  wrath,  IRREVERSIBLY  ordained  of  God  to  de
ft  ru&ion,  he  would  abfurdly  have  defeated  his  own
defign,  and  exafperated  them  more  than  ever  againft
his  dcdlrine  and  his  perfon. That  he  told  them  with
Cne  breath,  he  wijnut  to  be  accurfed  from  Chrijl  for


•\  It  is  retnarkable  that  jewifh  rage  firft  broke  out  againft  our  Lord,
\vhen  he  touched  their  gieat  Diana  —  the  do&rine  of  their  abfolute
ckdbon. You  think,  faid  he,  to  be  faved,  merely  becaufe  you  are
Abraham's  children,  and  God's  chofen,  peculiar  people. But  /  tell  you
cf  a  truth,  God  is  not  fo  partial  to  lirael  as  you  fuppofe  :  Many  ?i£~
(i-^vs  lucre  in  Ifrael  in  the  days  of  Elias,  but  to  none  cf  them  ivas  Elias
f>nt,  but  to  a  Zi  uoNi  AN  f  heathen)  -widow. And  many  lepers  ivere  in
Ifrael  in  the  time  of  EHJhay  yet  none  of  them  ivas  cleanfed,  fave  Naaman
tbe  SYRIAN. Luke  iv. 25,  &c. The  Jews  never  forgave  our  Lord
that  levelling  faying  ;  If  he  na-rrowly  efcaped  their  fury  at  Nazareth,
it  was  only  to  meet  it  encreafed  fevenfold  in  the  Loly  city. 