Neither having done any good or evil— These words may possibly have been added by St. Paul, the more expressly to obviate an objection of the Jews, who might be ready to say, that Esau was rejected because he was wicked; as they did of Ishmael, that he was rejected, because he was the son of a bond-woman.
The principal thing which requires to be settled in this chapter is, what kind of election and reprobation the Apostle is here discoursing about? whether election, by the absolute decree and purpose of God to eternal life, and reprobation, by a like absolute decree, to eternal misery; or only election to the present privileges and external advantages of the kingdom of God in this world; and reprobation, or rejection, as it signifies the not being favoured with those privileges and advantages? And it appears demonstrably, that the Apostle is discoursing of the latter election and rejection, and not the former: for, I. The subject of his argument is manifestly the privileges enumerated Romans 9:4-5 from which he supposes the Jews were fallen or would fall; or that for a long time they would be deprived of the benefit of them: for it is with regard to the loss of those privileges that he is so much concerned for his brethren, and kinsmen according to the flesh, Romans 9:2-3.; and it is with reference to their being stripped of those privileges, that he vindicates the word and righteousness of God, Romans 9:6-24. Not as though the word of God had taken no effect, or failed, &c. proving that God, according to his purpose of election, was free to confer them upon any branch of Abraham's seed. Consequently those privileges were the singular blessings which, by the purpose of God, according to election, not of works, but of him that calleth, were conferred upon Jacob's posterity. But those privileges were onlysuch as the whole body of the Israelites enjoyed in this world while they were the church and people of God, and such privileges as they might afterwards lose, or be deprived of; therefore the election of Jacob's posterity to those privileges was not absolute election to eternal life. II. Agreeably to the purpose of God according to election, it was said to Rebecca, The elder shall serve the younger; meaning, the posterity of the elder and the younger. For, Genesis 25:23 the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger. These are the words which signify the purpose of God according to election. Therefore the election refers to Jacob's posterity, or the whole nation of Israel; but the whole nation of Israel were not absolutely elected to eternal life: therefore, &c.—III. Agreeably to the purpose of God according to election, it was said to Rebecca, the elder shall serve the younger; but to serve, in Scripture, never signifies to be eternally damned in the world to come; consequently the opposite blessing, bestowed upon the posterity of the younger, could not be eternal salvation, but some privileges in this life. Therefore the purpose according to election refers to such privileges. IV. The election here spoken of took place first in Abraham and his seed, before his seed were born; and then (secluding Ishmael and all his posterity) in Isaac and his seed, before they were born; and then (secluding Esau and his posterity) in Jacob and his seed, before they were born. But the Scripture never represents eternal life, as bestowed upon any family or race of men in this manner. Therefore, &c.—V. Vessels of mercy (Romans 9:23.) are manifestly opposed to vessels of wrath, Romans 9:22. The vessels of mercy are the whole body of the Jews and Gentiles, who were called or invited into the kingdom of God under the Gospel, Romans 9:24.; consequently the vessels of wrath are the whole body of the unbelieving Jews. So Romans 9:30-31 the whole body of believing Gentiles, who, according to God's purpose of election, had attained justification, are opposed to the whole body of the Israelites who came short of it:—but men shall not be received to eternal life, or subjected to eternal condemnation at the last day in collective bodies; but according as particular persons in those bodies have acted well or ill. Therefore, &c.—VI. Whoever carefully peruses chap. 9: Romans 10:11 : will find, that those who have not believed, chap. Romans 11:31 are the present rejected Jews, or that Israel to whom blindness hath happened in part, chap. Romans 11:25.;—the same who fell, and on whom God hath shewn severity, chap. Romans 11:22.; the same with the natural branches, whom God spared not, chap. Romans 11:21.; who were broken off from the olive-tree, chap. Romans 11:19; Romans 11:17.; who were cast away, chap. Romans 11:15.; who were diminished and fallen, chap. Romans 11:12.; who had stumbled, chap. Romans 11:11.; who were a disobedient and gainsaying people, chap. Romans 10:21.; who being ignorant of God's righteousness went about to establish their own, chap. Romans 10:3.—Because they sought righteousness, not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, chap. Romans 9:32.; and they had not attained to the law of righteousness, chap. Romans 9:31. These same people, spoken of in all these places, are the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, Romans 9:22.; and the same for whom St. Paul had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart, Romans 9:2-3. In short, they are the unbelieving nation, or people of Israel; and it is with regard to the reprobation or rejection of this people, from the peculiar kingdom of the Messiah, that he is arguing, and vindicating the truth, justice, and wisdom of God, in the present chapter. Now if we turn back and review those three Chapter s, we shall find that the Apostle, chap. Romans 10:1 heartily desires and prays, that those same reprobated and rejected people of Israel might be saved; he affirms that they had not so stumbled as to fall finally and irrecoverably, chap. Romans 11:11.; that they should again have a fulness, Romans 9:12.; that they should be received again into the church, Romans 9:15.; that a holiness still belonged to them, Romans 9:16.; that if they did not still abide in unbelief, they should be grafted into their own olive-tree again, Romans 9:23-24.; and that blindness was happened to them only for a time, till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, Romans 9:25.; and then he proves from Scripture, that all Israel, all this nation, at present under blindness, shall be saved, Romans 9:26-27. That as touching the [original] election, they were still beloved for the sake of the fathers, the patriarchs, Romans 9:28.; that in their case, the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, Romans 9:29.; and that through our, the believing Gentiles', mercy, they shall at length obtain mercy, Romans 9:31. All these things are spoken of that Israel or body of people, concerning whose rejection the Apostle argues in the 9th chapter; and therefore the rejection about which he here argues cannot be absolute reprobation to eternal damnation, but their being, as a nation, stripped of those honours and privileges of God's peculiar church and kingdom in this world, to which, at a certain period, they should again be restored. But once more, VII. Whoever carefully peruses those three Chapter s will find, that the people, who in times past believed not God, but have now obtained mercy, through the unbelief of the Jews, (chap. Romans 11:30.) are the whole body of the believing Gentiles; the same who were cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into the good olive-tree, chap. Romans 11:24; Romans 11:17.; the same to whom God had shewn goodness, chap. Romans 11:22.; the world that was reconciled, chap. Romans 11:15.; the Gentiles, who were enriched by the diminishing of the Jews, chap. Romans 11:12.; to whom salvation came through their fall, chap. Romans 11:11.; who had attained to righteousness, or justification, chap. Romans 9:30.; who had not been God's people, nor beloved; but now are his people, beloved, and the children of the living God; Romans 9:25-26. See also Romans 9:24; Romans 9:23; Romans 9:21. He speaks of the same body of men in all those places, namely, of the believing Gentiles principally, but not excluding a small remnant of the believing Jews, who were incorporated with them. And it is this body of men, whose calling and election he is proving; in whose case the purpose of God according to election stands good; and who are the children of the promise counted for seed, Romans 9:8.—They are the election, or the elect. Now concerning this called, or elect body of the people, or any particular person belonging to this body, the Apostle writes thus, in chap. Romans 11:20-22.: "Well, because of unbelief, they, the Jews, were broken off, reprobated, rejected, and thou standest, in the church, among God's called or elect, by faith. Be not high minded, but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God, on them, the Jews, which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness; if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off, rejected and reprobated." This proves, that the calling and election, which the Apostle is here urging, is not absolute election to eternal life, but to the present privileges of the church;—the honours and advantages of God's peculiar people: which election, through unbelief and misimprovement, may be rendered void, and come to nothing.
Romans 9:12-13. The elder shall serve the younger— These words, the elder shall serve the younger, in Genesis 25:23 are used only in a national sense, and not personally; for in this sense the proposition is not true: which makes it plain that the words, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, Romans 9:13 are to be taken also in a national sense, for the preference which God gave to the posterity of one of them to be his people, and possess the promised land. See Deuteronomy 7:6-8. The word hated is often used in sacred Scripture comparatively, signifying only "to postpone in our esteem or kindness." I have loved Jacob, and hated Esau, therefore, can only mean, "I have greatly preferred the former to the latter." See Genesis 29:31.Luke 14:26. John 12:25. From the 7th to the 13th verse the Apostle proves to the Jews, that though the promise was made to Abraham and his seed, yet it was not to all Abraham's posterity, but God's first choice, Isaac and his posterity. And then again when Rebecca had conceived twins by Isaac, who was but one of the sons of Abraham, God, of his blessed pleasure, chose Jacob the younger, and his posterity, to be his peculiar people. See Locke and the preceding note. Dr. Doddridge upon the 13th verse observes, that the words there, in connection with the preceding and following, do indeed prove, that God acts with a sovereign freedom, accountable to none in the dispensation of his favours; and consequentially prove that it was not upon the foresight of the obedience and piety of Jacob on the one hand, or the profaneness of Esau on the other, that this preference was given; for then the argument taken from the having actually done neither good nor evil, would be very weak. The Doctor afterwards adds, Nevertheless it is certain, that the Apostle does not here speak of the eternal state of Jacob and Esau, (whatever some may suppose deducible from what he says,) nor does he indeed so much speak of the persons, as of their posterity, since it is plainly to that posterity that both the prophesies which he quotes in support of his argument refer; Genesis 25:23. Malachi 1:2-3. His laying waste the heritage of the Edomites for the dragons of the wilderness, is so different a thing from his appointing the person of Esau to eternal misery by a mere act of sovereignty,—without regard to any thing done, or to be done, by him to deserve it,—that I will rather submit (says the Doctor) to any censure from my fellow-servants, than deal so freely with my Maker, as to conclude the one from the other.