The mystery of Israel's salvation, explained and applied: or, A discourse concerning the general…The mystery of Israel's salvation, explained and applyed: or, A discourse concerning the general…

Q. 2. What is meant by all Israel? Answ. There are divers interpretations which have been given ^(c)thereof. For, 1. Some think, that by all Israel is meant some Few of all Israel. But that cannot be the meaning of the words, for the note of universality, All Israel, will not bear such a particular restrained interpretation. That showeth the Proposition to be an universal, and not a particular Axiom. Surely, the Scripture is not wont to use ⟨p. 6⟩such Akurologies, harsh improprieties of speech, as to say all, when not all but a few only are intended. Besides, the Apostle opposeth that salvation of all Israel, which he predicts as future in the words of my Text, unto the salvation of a remnant, which at that present time when he wrote this Epistle to the Romans was accomplished, v. 5. 2. Others think, that by all ^*Israel, is meant all the elect of God. But though it be a truth, that all the elect of God shall be saved, no link of that golden chain of salvation which beginneth in election, and endeth in eternal glory, can ever be broken, Rom. 8.29, 30. And although it be likewise true, that Israel is sometimes used in Scripture for the elect of God, Gal. 6.16. So Rev. 7.4. All the elect of God, during the reign of Antichrist, are there called the sealed ones of the tribes of Israel; yet that is not the true meaning of all Israel in my Text, for the Apostle in this Chapter discourseth of natural Israel. We must know there is a double Israel spoken of in the Scripture; 1. There is spiritual Israel, h. e.—such as in respect of faith and Religion, are the Lord's peculiar ones, Psal. 73.1. Joh. 1.48. Rom. 2.28, 29. Eph. 2.12. And in this respect it may be that Jether is