The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-27

lot my DrelEren, nv klnSucn, &C.
coriing TO the flesh. Could wish
10 be accursed from Christ! What
an awful wish, for it means what
he had declared impossible in the
9Th chapter. An eternal separa-
tion from Christ, and eternal per.
dtion. Did he wish this? Ger
talnly. He does not say he wished
1t. lie says | could wish; meaning
"if it were lawful and possible l
could wish if even that would save
my counttymen, my self TO be eter.
nally lost.
See how his hearts, wrung. How
lie yearns Tor Israel. The spirit of
his cry is somewhat like that of
Moses for Israel at an earlier per-
iod (Ex. 5--SO. The Jew has failed
aud with breaking heart Paul
paints the picture OF his shame.
No wonder the constituents of
Judaism are amazed aud angered.
Much that Paul has said seemed to
be IN direct conflict with the explic-
1t statements OF the Jewish Bible.
In the Sd chapter of our epistle, he
had proved that both Jews and
Greeks are all under sin; in the
4th chapter that Abraham, their
father, was not justified by any law
promise, butthrough Righteousness
Of faith; iu the 9Th, that any man--
even Gentle might be justified
by faith apart from any ceremonial
rite; in the 9th. 18th and Sth chap
tiers he discusses the justified mans
relation TO SIN, to the law and to
the Holy Spirit, and IN these three
chapters not does even men ton the
jew by name. He had plainly de.
cared that to the Jews were COM
mltted the words OF God. Can he
show. now, that the words in their
own possession were against them
This is the very thing Paul sets out
to do, as We snail now see. AS we
notice:
III. The failure of Israel ia The
light of lsraels Bible Not as
though the word of God had failed.
For they are not all Israel, vino are
Of Israel v The promises OF Israel
stand, though Israel falls. God Is
true, though every man Is liar
Jewish disbelief can never render
void the talthtuIness Of God. Coz
word has not failed, but Israel has.
Poor old Jew lie thought that the
sign OF natural relation was the
seal OF spiritual fellowship; that
the children OF the flesh are the
children OF God; that outward cere.
MONIES were a proof OF d true cove.
nant relation: that natural descent
precludcd failure; that Abraham $
seed was synonym for 'lrue Is
raclites, but in every line and
syllable OF all this, he was utterly
and sadly mist aiken.
Pau! starts out at once in his de.
fence OF the word Of God Ivy show.
Ing that God never promised the
covenant OF blessings to all Abra-
ham S posteritv, but only 10 those
in the line OF Isaac. This, Of course
would exclude lshmael and the Elk
sons OF kelurah. lahmaeiItcs are
not lsrae!Ites. nor are the sons Of d
concublnc children OF the promise,
Sons Of men can be counted sons OF
God, only when they are begottcu
OF God. Only they can be recKoned
tor the seed WHO are the seed. s3a-
rah may laugh at the absurdty OF
God S promise, and lShmael COIN
plain oil the dIscrimin alton, and we
stand amazed before the sweep and
power Of it, but the promise stands.
God word has not failed.
1t was this very principle OF Sc
lection and election that caused the
Jew such CONSERVATION and STUN.
bling 1t was his objection that
the church was not made up Q! his
nation, but OF all nations, with no
other proof OF covenant relation
than righteousness OF character.
and no other principle OF selection
| than the sovereign wlll Of God, and
| no other claim to the Divine favor
| than the claim OF faith Aud Paul
meets m on his own ground, and
| sh ows him out Of his own Scrlptur es
| that even III his own case, God eX-
erc!scd this reversible prlnci pie
Sarah's son and that OF Rcbecca S
twins, TO pr0ycit. Their very birth
was matter OF Divine appointment
| and their future work u matter Of
sovereign discrimination. God
word has not failed. 1t cannot tail
while God IS Tod, and truth Is what
| It Is
| What a comfort is this whole doc
trlnc Of election! Our salvation is
Of grace, We caDnot buy it, nor
work II, nor demand it, We can
only accept IT. Each must accept
it tor himself. Aud because he
must he may. Our righteousness
| /, no security Tor our children.
Faithful Abraham 10 the father OF
Il ialthic7s and perverse generation,
Ceremonies can never beSet spirit
ua!|ty, Circumcision is OF the
heart Scripture promises are
aEalIing only when appropriated
by tal.t-and this b. those tor whom
they were intended. Ii We have
failed, we deserved to; if we nave
succeeded II was by the grace Of
hCd. The doctrine OF election as
taught III the Scriptures IS denied
only by those WHO are ignorant of
SCRIPTURES, Back oil the sovereign
word, there Is the sovereign God,
aud Just because he is sovereign he
IA hHI !, "a