Wesley Corpus

(2.) This olive-tree is not barely the outward visible Church, but the invisible, consisting of holy believers. So the text: “If the firstfruit be holy, the lump is holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” (Verse 16.) And, “Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.” (3.) These holy believers were still liable to be cut off from the invisible Church, into which they were then grafted. (4.) Here is not the least intimation of those who were so cut off being ever grafted in again. Therefore, those who are grafted into the good olive-tree, the spiritual invisible Church, may nevertheless so fall from God as to perish everlastingly. 13. “But how does this agree with the 29th verse, “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance?’” The preceding verse shows: “As touching the election” (the unconditional election of the Jewish nation) “they are beloved for the fathers' sake;” for the sake of their fore fathers. It follows: (In proof of this, that “they are beloved for the fathers' sake,” that God has still blessings in store for the Jewish nation :) “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance;” for God doth not repent of any blessings he hath given them, or any privileges he hath called them to. The words here referred to were originally spoken with a peculiar regard to these national blessings. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent.” (Numb. xxiii. 19.) 14. “But do not you hereby make God changeable? Whereas ‘with Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James i. 17.)” By no means. God is unchange ably holy: Therefore, he always “loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity.” He is unchangeably good: Therefore he pardoneth all that “repent and believe the gospel.” And he is unchangeably just : Therefore, he “rewardeth every man according to his works.” But all this hinders not his resisting, when they are proud, those to whom he gave grace when they were humble. Nay, his unchangeableness itself requires, that, if they grow high-minded, God should cut them off; that there should be a proportionable change in all the divine dispensations toward them. 15.