VERSE 6.Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.
OUr Apostle having in the Verses foregoing, in the five Verses precedent, expressed the grief and sorrow of his heart, for the Jews rejection, (who were his brethren according to the flesh,) yet not expressing their re∣jection, but onely intimating of it, and leaving it to be concluded and gathered, in this sixth Verse; he en∣treth upon the second part of the Chapter, and herein he falleth upon a defence of Gods Promise, proving it to be firm and stable, though the Jewes be rejected: and he defendeth the stability of it, both against the Objections of the Iewes, and against the humane reasonings of flesh and blood, that might be brought to the contrary, from the sixth verse to the 24. And first of all, the Apostle clea∣reth the Lord from inconstancy, from the sixth verse to the 14. Secondly, he cleareth God from iniquity and injustice, from the 14 verse to the 19. Thirdly, he cleareth God from cruelty, from the 19 verse, to the 24.
Now in this sixth Verse, first of all the Apostle putteth down a preven∣tion of an Objection that the Jewes might make, in the first words of the Verse; for this they might object [Object.] and say.
If so be we, that are the sons of Abraham, be rejected and cast off, (as you Paul seem to intimate, and imply in your complaining,) surely then the Word of God unto Abraham, and unto his seed, should be voyd, and of none effect; [Answ.] therefore you are deceived, we are not rejected.
Now this our Apostle preventeth, and meeteth withal, by denying their consequence, and shewing that it maketh not the Word of God voyd, and of none effect, if the Jews (coming of Abraham) for the greatest part be rejected; no, saith the Apostle, this is no good consequence, though the Jewes for the body of them, and generality be rejected, to say that the pro∣mise of God is frustrate: then to this denyal of their consequent, he sub∣joyneth a reason of it, why it is so, (that though the Jewes be rejected, yet the Word of God is not void,) because many of the Israelites, of the body of the Israelites, and of the seed of Abraham, they are not such to whom the Promise belongeth; why so? because they are not true Israelites, they are not the Israel of God, they are Israelites by the flesh, by carnal gene∣ration,