tice of God, and seeking to establish unless they be sent ? as it is writtheir own, have not submitted ten: How beautiful are the feet of themselves to the justice of God. them that preach the gospel of peace, 4 For the end of the law is of them that bring glad tidings of Christ, unto justice to every one good things. that believeth.

5 For Moses wrote, that the justice which is of the law, the man that shall do it shall live by it.

16 But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: Lord, who hath believed our report ?

17 Faith then cometh by hearing: and hearing by the word of Christ.

6 But the justice which is of faith, speaketh thus: Say not in thy 18 But I say: Have they not heart, Who shall ascend into hea- heard? Yes, verily, their sound ven? that is, to bring Christ down: hath gone forth into all the earth 7 Or who shall descend into the and their words unto the ends of the deep? that is, to bring up Christ whole world. again from the dead.

19 But I say: Hath not Israel known? First Moses saith: I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation; by a foolish nation I will anger you.

8 But what saith the scripture? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart. This is the word of faith which we preach. 9 For if thou confess with thy 20 But Isaias is bold, and saith: mouth the Lord JESUS, and believe I was found by them, that did not in thy heart that God hath raised seek me: I appeared openly to them him up from the dead, thou shalt that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith: All 10 For, with the heart, we believe the day long have I spread my hands unto justice; but, with the mouth, to a people, that believeth not, and confession is made unto salvation. contradicteth me.

be saved.

11 For the scripture saith: Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded.

12 For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. 14 How then, shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher ?

15 And how shall they preach

CHAP. XI.

God hath not cast off all Israel.

I SAY then: Hath God cast a way

his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. Know you not what the scripture saith of Elias: how he calleth on God against Israel?

3 Lord, they have slain thy prophets, they have dug down thy altars: and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

4 But what saith the divine an

Ver. 9.. Thou shalt be saved. To confess the Lord Jesus, and to call upon the name of the Lord, ver. 13. is not barely the professing a belief in the person of Christ: but moreover im. plies a belief of his whole doctrine, and an obedience to his law; without which the calling him Lord will save no man. St. Matt. vii. 21.

Ver. 15. Unless they be sent. Note this against all new teachers, who have all usurped to themselves the ministry without any lawful mission derived by succession from the apos tles, to whom Christ said, John xx. 21. As my father hath sent me, I also send you

swer to him? I have left me seven long indeed as I am the apostle of thousand men, that have not bowed the gentiles, I will honour my mitheir knees to Baal.

5 Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace it is not now by works otherwise grace is no more grace.

7 What then? That which Israel sought he hath not obtained: but the election hath obtained it, and the rest have been blinded.

8 As it is written: God hath given them the spirit of insensibility; eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear; until this present day.

9 And David saith: Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompence unto them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see: and bow down their back always.

nistry,

14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15 For if the loss of them be the reconciliation of the world; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

16 For if the first fruit be holy, so is the lump also and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17 And if some of the branches be broken, and thou being a wild olive, art ingrafted in them, and art made partaker of the root and of

the fatness of the olive tree.

18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast: thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then: The branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.

20 Well: because of unbelief they were broken off. But thou standest by faith: be not highminded; but fear.

11 I say then, have they so stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid. But by their offence, salvation is come to the gentiles, 21 For if God hath not spared that they may be emulous of them. the natural branches; lest perhaps 12 Now if the offence of them he also spare not thee. be the riches of the world, and the 22 See then the goodness and diminution of them, the riches of the severity of God: towards them the gentiles; how much more the indeed that are fallen, the severity, fulness of them? but towards thee, the goodness of God, if thou abide in goodness,

13 For I say to you gentiles; as

Ver. 4. Seven thousand, &c. This is very ill alleged by some against the perpetual visibility of the church of Christ: the more because however the number of the fathful might be abridged by the persecution of Jezabel in the kingdom of the ten tribes; the church was at the same time in a most flourishing condition (under Asa and Josaphat) in the kingdom of Judah.

Ver. 6. It is not now by works, &c. If salvation were to come by works, done by nature, without faith and grace, salvation would not be a grace or favour, but a debt: But such dead works are indeed of no value in the sight of God towards salvation. It is not the same with regard to works done with and by God's grace: for to such works as these he has promised eternal salvation.

Ver. 8. God hath given them, &c. Not by his working or acting in them; but by permission, and by withdrawing his grace in punishment of their obstinacy.

Ver. 11. That they should fall. The nation of the Jews is not absolutely and without remedy cast off for ever; but in part only (many thousands of them having been at first converted) and for a time: which fall of theirs God has been pleased to turn to the good of the gentiles.

Ver. 20. Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. We see here that he who standeth by faith may fall from it: and therefore must live in fear, and not in the wain presumption and security of modern sectaries.

otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

24 For if thou wert cut out of the wild olive tree, which is natural to thee and contrary to nature, were grafted into the good olive tree; how much more shall they, that are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery (lest you should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the gentiles should come in. 26 And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and recompence shall be made him? 36 For of him, and by him, and in him are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen. CHAP. XII.

I

Lesson of Christian virtues. BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the new ness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the ac27 And this is to them my cove-ceptable,and the perfect will of God. nant: when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers.

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.

30 For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief;

31 So these also now have not believed, for your mercy that they also may obtain mercy.

32 For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.

33 O the depth of the riches of

3 For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith.

4 For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office:

5 So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6 And having different gifts, according to the grace that is given us, either prophecy, to be used according to the rule of faith.

7 Or ministry, in ministering; or he that teacheth, in doctrine.

8 He that exhorteth in exhorting, Ver. 22. Otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. The gentiles are here admonished not to be proud, nor to glory against the Jews; but to take occasion rather from their fall to fear and to be humble, lest they be cast off. Not that the whole church of Christ can ever fail from him; having been secured by so many divine promises in holy writ: but that each one in particular may fall, and therefore all in general are to be admonished to beware of that, which may happen to any one in particular

Ver. 32. Concluded all in unbelief. He hath found all nations, both Jews and gentiles, in unbelief and sin; not by his causing, but by the abuse of their own free-will: so that their calling and election is purely owing to his mercy.

he that giveth with simplicity, he
that ruleth with carefulness, ne that
sheweth mercy with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimula-
tion. Hating that which is evil,
cleaving to that which is good.

10 Loving one another with the charity of brotherhood, with honour preventing one another.

11 In carefulness not slothful. Iu spirit fervent. Serving the Lord. 12 Rejoicing in hope. Patient in tribulation. Instant in prayer. 18 Communicating to the necessities of the saints. Pursuing hospitality.

14 Bless them that persecute you bless, and curse not.

15 Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep.

16 Being of one mind one towards another. Not minding high things, but consenting to the humble. Be not wise in your own conceits.

17 To no man rendering evil for evil. Providing good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible, as much as is in you, having peace with all men. 19 Not revenging yourselves, my dearly beloved, but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge to me; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20 But if thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat if he thirst, give him drink. For, doing this, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. 21 Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.

CHAP. XIII. Lessons of obedience to superiors. LET every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God.

2 Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation.

3 For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to thee, for good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil.

5 Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6 For therefore also you pay tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving unto this purpose.

7 Render therefore to all men their dues. Tribute, to whom tribute is due: custom to whom custom: fear to whom fear: honour to whom honour.

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law.

9 For Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.

11 And that knowing the season: that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is passed, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy:

14 But put ye on the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences.

Ver. 2. Eat all things, viz. without observing the distinction of clean and unclean meats, prescribed by the law of Moses; which was now no longer obligatory. Some weak christians, converted from among the Jews, as we here gather from the apostle, made a scruple of eating such meats as were deemed unclean by the law; such as swine's flesh, &c. which the stronger sort of christians did eat without scruple. Now the apostle, to reconcile them together, exhorts the former not to judge or condemn the latter, using their christian liberty; and the latter to take care not to despise, or scandalize their weaker bre thren, either by bringing them to eat what in their conscience they think they should not or by giving them such offence, as to endanger the driving them thereby from the chris tian religion.

Ver. 5. Between day, &c. Still observing the sabbaths and festivals of the law