Romans 9

Ver. 1, 2. I should have been inexpressibly glad, had I been able on good grounds to affirm that the whole of my Jewish brethren were the peculiar objects of God’s redeeming favour, and heirs of his distinguished blessings, which I have just now mentioned; and I dare, in the most solemn, candid, and Christian, mannen appeal to the all-seeing Jesus Christ, and his Holy Spirit, who search the hearts and try the reins of all the children of men, that my mind is exceedingly overwhelmed with grief and pain as a woman in travail, whenever I think of their present deplorable condition by means of their unbelief. 3–5. I could cheerfully submit to the greatest sufferings which can be endured without sinning; be cut off from life in the most tremendous manner, and be excommunicated from all the churches of Christ on earth; or even, for a time, cut of from all delightful communion with himself; if it could avail to promote his glory in the faith and salvation of these my dear countrymen;—who are descended from Jacob the renowned wrestler with God, and have been rationally adopted as the peculiar people and children of God, and not a few of them made his spiritual children, by special adoption and regeneration;—who have had his glorious temple, ark, mercy seat, Shechinah, and other visible tokens of his peculiar presence, granted to them;—and have been brought into his covenant for temporal and spiritual blessings, which has been frequently confirmed to them;—and have in a most solemn manner received his laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, his ordinances of worship, and promises of blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal;—and have Abraham, Isaac, David, and many other holy men, for their natural ancestors;—and from among whom, in respect of his manhood or human birth, the Messiah sprung, who, in his divine nature, is infinitely blessed in himself, the object of all adoration, and the Most High over all the earth

Romans 9:6-13

But though, to the grief of my soul, the bulk of the Jewish nation are now in a most deplorable condition through their own rejection of the gospel, yet it must not be imagined that God’s covenant of promise which he made with their fathers, is disannulled, or has failed of accomplishment; for all the natural descendants of Jacob were never considered by God as true Israelites, interested in the saving blessings of it.—The restriction of Abraham’s honourable seed to Isaac, who was born by means of supernatural influence, and his descendants, to the exclusion of his posterity by Hagar and Keturah, who were born by natural influence; and the after-preference of Jacob, a younger child by the same mother at one birth, and no way superior to Esau in natural goodness of qualities or works, plainly manifested that not natural descent from Abraham, but spiritual conformity in faith, marked the intended heirs of promise; and that the Jewish posterity of these patriarchs should in due time, for their unbelief, be excluded from the church; and others, no better in themselves, by the sovereign grace of God be brought in to fill their room

Romans 9:14-16

Let none dare to think God unrighteous, in making such a wide difference in his choice and disposal of persons equally sinful and unworthy in themselves: for, as he declared to Moses, he may bestow his undeserved favour, with all its undeserved effects, upon whomsoever he please, without any dependence on their free-will, good disposition, careful inquiries, or diligent endeavours, after salvation, as the cause of his conduct

Romans 9:17

And why may he not, in the same sovereignty, as in the case of Pharaoh, the oppressing king of Egypt, advance men, no worse in themselves than others, to high stations, and preserve them for a time amidst manifold judgments, in order that, by tremendous acts, he may at last manifest the glory of his perfections to all around, in their dreadful, but just, destruction

Romans 9:18

From the above instances it is plainly evident that God, in high sovereignty, extends his free mercy to such sinful and miserable creatures as he pleases, and at the same time leaves other sinners, no worse in themselves, to Satan and their own sinful lusts; that, by abusing his word, ordinances, and providences, they may be hardened, as a punishment for their former sin, and as a prelude and means of ripening them for further destruction

Romans 9:19-21

Let none therefore dare to arraign the Most High, as if he were unrighteous in threatening, condemning, or punishing, men for that obstinacy in wickedness into which he leaves them to fall, or as if it were necessary for him to account for bestowing his undeserved favours upon some and withholding them from others; for, if a potter, who himself is but a fellow creature formed of the dust, may, out of the same lump of clay, form vessels for different purposes and degrees of honour, without injuring the clay, why may not the Most High Creator, Proprietor, and Lord of all, dispose of his creatures as best answers the glory of his perfections, whether in their undeserved honour and blessedness, or in their deserved shame and contempt?

Romans 9:22

Why may not he for the glory of his high sovereignty, and manifestation of his dreadful power and equity upon obstinate and impenitent sinners, defer their punishment, and even load them with many external benefits, till by their increased sinfulness, they have rendered themselves more notoriously deserving of his wrath, and ripe for destruction? 23, 24. And why may he not take this course, in order to manifest the transcendent and endearing riches of his glorious grace in the salvation of those, whom from all eternity he chose to everlasting life, and whom he prepares for it by his renewing and sanctifying grace,—even all his effectually-called ones, whether Jews or Gentiles?

Romans 9:25-29

From these predictions of Hosea and Isaiah, it is plain that God always intended to form a people for himself, by the call of the gospel, where he had none; while only a remnant of the Jews should be saved; and designed, in awful justice, to reject the body of the Jewish nation, and other objects of his wrath, on account of their sin, while, in free mercy, he saves the objects of his love, Gentiles as well as Jews

Romans 9:30

In fulfilment of which predictions, and to manifest which mercy upon the one hand, and just wrath on the other, the poor ignorant idolatrous heathens, who instead of knowing, concerning themselves about, or endeavouring to perform, any good works, had lived in every sinful abomination, have many of them been made by faith to receive and share of the justifying righteousness of Christ, revealed and offered in the gospel

Romans 9:31

On the other hand, the Jewish descendants of Jacob, who with great but misguided zeal, have pursued after righteousness for justification by their own obedience to the law of Moses, have neither fulfilled, nor received, any righteousness which can answer the demands of that law for which they are so zealous, or procure their acceptance with God and title to eternal life

Romans 9:32

And their fulling short of righteousness is not owing to any decree of God hindering them, but to their own pride, perverseness, and unbelief, through which they refuse to accept it, as provided for them in Christ and freely offered in the gospel, and desire to be justified, in whole or in part, by their own obedience to the law: 33. For, as Isaiah foretold, they take such offence at Jesus Christ, the only foundation of the gospel church and of all salvation, on account of his mean parentage, appearances, poverty, and crucifixion, the spiritual nature of his kingdom, and his humiliating doctrines, that they cannot think of owing any part, much less the whole, of their salvation to him alone

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. IX.—Certain and manifest is the supreme God-head of Jesus Christ and his Spirit, who search men’s hearts, and by whom they may swear. And very marvellous in himself, and just suited to our need, is he, who is at once a true man, the promised seed of the Patriarchs, and the most high God, blessed for ever. Great is the honour and mercy to stand related to God as church members, and to enjoy their privileges. Yet, alas, many such, through their unbelief, fall short of spiritual and eternal salvation! But, whether men be saved or damned, the purposes of God are executed, and his promises fulfilled. How free, how sovereign and endearing, is his electing love towards so many sinners, Gentiles as well as Jews, without any regard to their foreseen goodness! And righteous is his whole conduct, as he withholds from none what he ought to give them, and punishes none but on account of their sins, by which they deserve, and are fitted for destruction. Gloriously he marks his sovereignty over his creatures. And it is absurd then to quarrel with his dispensations, or to pry into or perplex ourselves with, his secret purposes, especially when his word, which is our only rule, gives all reasonable encouragement to faith and holiness as the means of manifesting our election. Yea, men’s quarrelling with the sovereignty, mercy, or justice, of his conduct, will provoke him to give them up to judicial blindness and incurable hardness of heart. Multitudes effectually prevent their own justification and salvation by seeking righteousness in their own works in opposition to the righteousness of Christ. But happy and full is their deliverance who rest on him alone for righteousness and strength. 12 I