A Remnant Chosen by Grace

1You will say then, hath God discarded his people? by no means, for I my self am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God hath not discarded his people whom he formerly approv'd, don't you know what the scripture says of Elias? how he complain'd to God against Israel, 3in these words, "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I alone am left, and they seek my life also." 4but what said the oracle to him? "I have reserved to my self seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5in like manner at this time there is also a remnant chosen by the divine favour; 6and if it be by favour, it is not upon the account of merit, for then mercy would not be mercy.

7"What then, hath not Israel obtained what he sought for?" no, but the chosen remnant have obtained it, and the rest are obdurate to this day,

8as it is written, "God hath given them up to a state of insensibility, so that their eyes could not see, and their ears could not hear."

9and David says, "let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a gin, and a recompence for their iniquity.

10let their eyes be darkned, so as not to see, and let their back be continually bowed down."

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

11You will say then, "were they suffer'd to stumble meerly for their ruin?" no: but that thro' their fall, salvation might be offer'd to the Gentiles, in order to provoke their emulation. 12now if their fall be to the advancement of the world, and the few converts among them bring in whole numbers of the Gentiles: how much more so will it be, when the Jewish body recover? 13this concerns you Gentiles, for as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I should do honour to my character, 14if I could by any means excite the emulation of my dear countrymen, in order to save some. 15for, if by rejecting them, the world may be reconciled; what shall their restoration be, but a general resurrection? 16Now if the first-fruits be holy, so is the whole product: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17if then, some of the branches are broken off, and thou like a wild olive, were grafted in their place to partake of the root and sap of the olivestock; 18don't triumph over the branches: or if you do, remember the root is not dependent upon you, but you upon the root. 19you will say then, "the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in." 20well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear, 21lest God should not spare you, since he did not spare even the natural branches. 22consider then the divine benignity, and his severity: his severity to those who fell, and his benignity to you, provided you adhere thereto; otherwise you likewise will be lopt off. 23nay, even the Jews, if they don't continue still incredulous, shall be grafted in: since divine power can graft them in again. 24for if you were taken from the wild olive, which was natural to you, to be grafted into a good olive-stock of a different nature, with how much greater reason shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

25I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this secret, (for fear you should presume too much on your selves) that blindness has fallen upon a part of Israel, until the time when the Gentiles shall be fully come in.

26and then all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, "there shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away Jacob from his impiety.

27for this is my covenant with them, that I shall take away their sins."

28Though they are violently prejudiced against the gospel upon your account: yet they are objects of favour upon the account of their having been chosen out of respect to your fore-fathers. 29for the divine gifts and vocation are irrevocable. 30as you in times past did not obey God, yet have now obtained mercy upon the occasion of their disobedience: 31so the Jews are at present incredulous, by reason of the mercy shown to you; so that they themselves are now to be pitied. 32for God hath manifested to all the disobedient, that he would have mercy upon all.

A Hymn of Praise

33O the depth of the divine goodness, wisdom, and contrivance! how impenetrable are his decrees, and his ways past finding out! 34for who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? 35who hath given any thing to him, and he will repay it? 36for of him, and through him, and in him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.