216 ed thee, that I may shew my power in thee; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will; and, whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say therefore to me: Why doth he then find fault? for who resisteth his will? 20 O man, who art thou that repliest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus ? 21 Or hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction, 23 That he might shew the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared unto glory? 24 Even us, whom also he hath called, not only of the Jews, but also of the gentiles, called the sons of the living God. 27 And Isaias crieth out conchildren of Israel be as the sand of cerning Israel: If the number of the the sea; a remnant shall be saved. and cut it short in justice: because a 28 For he shall finish his word, short word shall the Lord make upon the earth. less the Lord of Sabaoth had left us 29 And as Isaias foretold: Una seed, we had been made as Sodom, and we had been like unto Gomorrha? That the gentiles, who followed not 30 What then shall we say ? after justice, have attained to justice, even the justice that is of faith. the law of justice, is not come unto 31 But Israel, by following after the law of justice. 32 Why so? because they sought works. For they stumbled at the it not by faith, but as it were of stumbling stone. in Siona stumbling stone and a rock 33 As it is written: Behold Ilay of scandal: and whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded. The end of the law is faith in Christ. CHAP. X. 25 As in Osee he saith: I will call, that which was not my people, my people; and her, that was not beloved, beloved: and her, that had BRETHREN, the will of my not obtained mercy, one that hath obtained mercy. 26 And it shall be, in the place where it was said unto them, you are not my people: there they shall be to God, is for them unto salvation. heart, indeed, and my prayer they have a zeal of God, but not ac2 For I bear them witness, that cording to knowledge. 3 For they not knowing the jus so be damned: But foreseeing his obstinacy in sin, and the abuse of his own free-will, he raised him up to be a mighty king, to make a more remarkable example of him; and that his power might be better known, and his justice, in punishing him, published throughout the earth. Ver. 18. He hardeneth. Not by being the cause, or author of his sin; but by withholding his grace, and so leaving him in his sin, in punishment of his past demerits. Ver. 21. The potter. This similitude is used only to shew that we are not to dispute with our Maker; nor to reason with him why he does not give as great grace to one as to ano. ther: for since the whole lump of our clay is vitiated by sin, 'tis owing to his goodness and mercy, that he makes out of it so many vessels of honour; and 'tis no more than just that others in punishment of their unrepented of sins should be given up to be vessels of dis. honour. Ver. 27. Aremnant. That is, a small number only of the children of Israel shall be converted and saved. How perversely is this text quoted for the salvation of men of all religlons, when it speaks only of the converts of the children of Israel. Ver. 8. The justice of God. That is, the justice which God giveth us through Christ: as en the other hand the Jews own justice is that which they pretended to by their own rength, or by the observance of the law, without faith in Christ. tice of God, and seeking to establish unless they be sent ? as it is writ their 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: 6 But the justice which is of and hearing by the word of Christ. faith, speaketh thus: Say not in thy | 18 But 1 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. 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. 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. 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 seek me: I appeared openly to them that asked not after me. in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 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. 11 For the scripture saith : Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded. CHAP. XI. 12 For there is no distinction of SAY then: Hath God cast away 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 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 implies 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. 111 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 visibi lity 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 pro. mised eternal salvation. Ver, 8. God hath given them, &c. Not by his working or acting in them; but by per. mission, 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 vain presumption and security of modern sectaries. otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. | the wisdom and of the knowledge 23 And they also, if they abide of God! How incomprehensible are not still in unbelief, shall be grafted his judgments, and how unsearchin. For God is able to graft them able his ways! 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. 27 And this is to them my covenant: 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 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. 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 acceptable,and the perfect will of God. 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 fall 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 3 For princes are not a terror to that ruleth with carefulness, he that the good work, but to the evil. sheweth mercy with cheerfulness. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the 9 Let love be without dissimula-power? Do that which is good: and tion. Hating that which is evil, thou shalt have praise from the same. cleaving to that which is good. 4 For he is God's minister to thee, 10 Loving one another with the for good. But if thou do that which charity of brotherhood, with honour is evil, fear: for he beareth not the preventing one another. sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. 11 In carefulness not slothful. In spirit fervent. Serving the Lord. 12 Rejoicing in hope. Patient in tribulation. Instant in prayer. 13 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 humBe not wise in your own ble. 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. 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. 5 Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience saké. 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. |