Chapter III
A comparing the 1 Cor. VII. 14, with the fore-cited Rom. XI. 16.
Now, for a more full confirmation of this point, I shall proceed to com
pare this place, Rom. xi., with that other, 1 Cor. vii. 14, and by both set
together we shall find this point in hand yet more clear, namely, that our seed now is included in the covenant of grace, as the Jews seed was in that of their fathers. For look what we have heard said of the Jews, Rom. xi.
16, in respect of their fathers and their covenant ; the very same we find
spoken of our children, in that place of the Corinths, in their relation unto us their parents, being believers. The apostle, in that place to the Romans,
* If the first fruits be
arguing for the Jews converson in future times, says,
holy, the lump is also holy; if the root be holy, so are the branches. And in
like manner, in that 14th verse of the 7th to the Corinthians, speaking of the
children of believing Gentiles, he says, they are holy ; and that in respect of their relation to their parents, as believers, as will anon appear. And so
these two places serve most fitly to interpret one the other, and I allege this
latter, not only as a new confirmation of the point itself, but further also of
that interpretation of Rom. xi., which in the former chapter I have given. Now, in that speech of his, Rom. xi., he speaks not of outward, but of true,
inward, real holiness ; not of their ancient, Jewish, legal, and typical holi
ness, which was in all the nation, but of their evangelical holiness. For it
is given as a reason of their future conversion, as ver. 15, which we one
day look for ; which will be an evangelical holiness, not typical. Neither
speaks he this in a promiscuous sense of the whole nation, that they were
holy from the better part, as namely, because some elect should be found
among them, but the speech properly refers to those very elect, and to them only who shall then be called; for if compared with ver. 15, imme
diately foregoing, it appears his scope to be to shew what manner of per
sons, at their receiving and grafting in again (as ver. 15 and 24), they shall
* For if the first
then be. And that by reason of their father s covenant :
fruits be holy, says he, so is the lump; and ver. 27, he explains it out of
Isa. lix., This is my covenant, when I shall take away their sins, both by
a real justifying and sanctifying of them, as by comparing Heb. x. is
evident. And he speaking this of that great and true conversion and sanc-
tification of the elect of that nation to come, as that particle When I shall,
&c., imports, no other than real and gospel holiness can be meant or
440 OF ELECTION. [BOOK V.
intended ; for then, if ever any in any age were holy, they shall eminently be such. Yea, and therefore he must needs prophesy this with an aim to those individual persons in that nation who shall then be holy and con
verted, that are elect and beloved for their Father s sakes. And yet because the generality or the most of that nation shall be then converted,
for, ver. 26, he says, All Israel shall be saved, therefore he useth the word
lump. And I have thought, that that outward typical holiness of the whole
nation before under the law, might be intended as a type of the great and
large extent of real holiness of that whole nation under the gospel, in com
parison of all nations else, which is one day yet to come. And with this
* When it shall turn unto the
suits also the apostle s phrase of speech,
Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 16, speaking there also of the conversion of this nation, as
in this Rom. xi.
Now, then, if true real holiness be promised and intended in that Rom.
xi. 16 to Abraham s seed, to come almost four thousand years after Abra
ham, by reason of their father s covenant, and we be there said in the mean time to succeed them in their covenant, or rather come in as surro
gates, why should we not think that the promise and declaration of God about our next children (which in this other place of the New Testament we meet with, 1 Cor. vii., where it is as expressly said that they are holy), should
there also be meant in the very same sense, especially seeing the same
ground or reason is given in both, namely, the parents their being believers
is given as the reason why the children are holy ; so 1 Cor. vii., even as here in Rom. xi. This is the reason given why Abraham s seed shall be
converted, for if the root be holy, so are the branches, especially seeing that we Gentiles are here said to partake of the same covenant and privilege of that root of roots, as I may call him, Abraham, as ver. 17, which cer
tainly is this, that as his, so our children should be holy ; which is the same thing that in this other place in the Corinths the Holy Ghost is
pleased to speak of them. And although the catalogue and number of Abraham s children to be converted may exceed ours, yet the holiness of the one and the other is the same, and therein these two speeches do sweetly
agree and accord.