An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

The second Part.

Vers. 14. How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher?

15. And how shall they preach, except they bee sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The second part of the Chapter, wherein hee shews the stubbornness of the Jews, answering the objections which might have made for their excuse.

The first objection is from the conjunction of the means ordained to the righteousness of Faith, after this sense.

Seeing it is impossible for those that believe not to call upon the Lord Jesus, or for those that hear not the Word, to believe; or those that have not the Word preached to them, that they should hear, or the Word to bee preached to whom the Messengers are not sent, (which connection is gathered from the words of Isaiah, who joyns together the Gospel and the Preachers; the send∣ing of Messengers, and the Hearers rejoycing; the feer, or the coming of the Preachers with gladness in those that received them.) It follows, that the Jews are to bee excused, at least from a stubborn rejecting of Gospel righteousness, because they heard not the Gospel.

Vers. 16. But they have not all obeyed the Gospel: For Esaias saith, Lord, Who hath believed our report?

The Apostle answers, That the Jews heard and did not believe, which hee proves from the Prophets complaint, bewailing, that few believed the word of the Prophets: Therefore the Jews are not to bee excused from stubborn∣ness.

Vers. 17. So then Faith cometh by hearing, and ••earing by the Word of God.

From the same testimony hee confirms the connection

of Faith, hearing, and the Word of God, that hee might draw on the unbeleeving Jews, and provoke those that beleeved to use the means.

Vers. 18. But I say, have they not heard? yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Hee repeats the Objection, and answers that the al∣legation, to wit, that the Jews did not hear the Gospel, was false; because the sound of the Gospel went through∣out the whole world, as the voice of the day and night, as it is said, Psal. 19.5. to which place the Apostle alludes.

Vers. 19. But I say, Did not Israel know? first Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousie by them that are no people, and by a foolish Nation I will anger you.

Another Objection, But perhaps the Israelites did not know, or understand the offer of the Gospel, but through ignorance refused the doctrine they understood not: Therefore they may bee excused in point of per∣tinacy.

Hee refels this Objection, by a threefold testimony of Scripture; The first is out of Moses, Deut. 32.21. who foretells, that because of the Covenant of Grace rejected, or the conjugal Covenant violated, it should come to pass that the Jews should bee rejected from the Covenant, and that the Gentiles should bee taken in, in their stead: Therefore the Jews are guilty of stubborn refusing grace.

Vers. 20. But Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought mee not, I was made ma∣nifest to them that asked not after mee.

The second Testimony from Isaiah 65.1. who boldly, i. e. not fearing persecution from his people, foretells, that, for the Jews frowardness, and stubborn rejecting of grace, it should come to pass, that God casting off the Jews, would take the Gentiles that sought him not, into communion with him by faith.

Vers. 21. But to Israel hee saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands, unto a disobedient and gain-saying people.

The third Testimony, wherein out of Isa. 65.2. hee proves in express terms, that the Jews were condemned for their rebellion: Because God all the day long, or all the time of his forbearance, did offer himself to them as a Father, with his arms spread forth, but they refused him: Therefore the Jews are guilty of rejecting his grace, and for this cause are justly cast off by God.