5 ness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith in 6 all nations, for his name: Among whom are ye also the 7 called of Jesus Christ: To all that are in Rome, who are beloved of God, called and holy: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,

rection from the dead-For this is both the fountain and the object of our faith; and the preaching of the apostles was the consequence of Christ's resurrection.

Verse 5. By whom we have received-I and the other apostles. Grace and apostleship-The favour to be an apostle, and qualifications for it. For obedience to the faith in all nations—That is, that all nations may embrace the faith of Christ. For his name—For his sake; out of regard to him.

Verse 6. Among whom—The nations brought to the obedience of faith. Are ye also-But St. Paul gives them no pre-eminence above others.

Verse 7. To all that are in Rome-Most of these were heathens by birth, verse 13, though with Jews mixed among them. They were scattered up and down in that large city, and not yet reduced into the form of a church. Only some had begun to meet in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. Beloved of God-And from his free love, not from any merit of yours, called by his word and his Spirit to believe in him, and now through faith holy as he is holy. Grace-The peculiar favour of God. And peace-A -All manner of blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. This is both a Christian salutation and an apostolic benediction. From God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ-This is the usual way wherein the apostles speak, "God the Father," ""God our Father." Nor do they often, in speaking of him, use the word Lord, as it implies the proper name of God, Jehovah. In the Old Testament, indeed, the holy men generally said, "The Lord our God;" for they were then, as it were, servants; whereas now they are sons: and sons so well know their father, that they need not frequently mention his proper name. It is one and the same peace, and one and the same grace, which is from God and from Jesus Christ. Our trust and prayer fix on God, as he is the Father of Christ; and on Christ, as he presents us to the Father.

Verse 8. I thank-In the very entrance of this one epistle are the traces of all spiritual affections; but of thankfulness above all, with the expression of which almost all St. Paul's epistles begin. He here particularly thanks God, that what otherwise himself should have done, was done at Rome already. My God-This very word expresses faith, hope, love, and consequently all true religion. Through Jesus Christ-The gifts of God all pass through Christ to us; and all our petitions and thanksgivings pass through Christ to God. That your faith is spoken of—In this kind of congratulations St. Paul describes either the whole of Christianity, as Col. i. 3, &c.; or some part of it, as 1 Cor. i. 5. Accordingly,

9 that your faith is spoken of through the whole world.

For

God, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, is my witness, how incessantly I make mention of you; 10 Always requesting in my prayers to come unto you, if by

any means now at length I may have a prosperous journey 11 by the will of God. For I long to see you, that I may

impart to you some spiritual gift, that ye may be estab12 lished; That is, to be comforted together with you by the 13 mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I have often purposed to come to you, (though I have been hindered hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the

here he mentions the faith of the Romans, suitably to his design, verses 12, 17. Through the whole world-This joyful news spreading everywhere, that there were Christians also in the imperial city. And the goodness and wisdom of God established faith in the chief cities; in Jerusalem and Rome particularly; that from thence it might be diffused to all nations.

Verse 9. God, whom I serve-As an apostle. In my spirit-Not only with my body, but with my inmost soul. In the gospel-By preach. ing it.

Verse 10. Always-In all my solemn addresses to God. If by any means now at length-This accumulation of particles declares the strength of his desire.

Verse 11. That I may impart to you-Face to face, by laying on of hands, prayer, preaching the gospel, private conversation. Some spiritual gift-With such gifts the Corinthians, who had enjoyed the presence of St. Paul, abounded, 1 Cor. i. 7, xii. 1, xiv. 1. So did the Galatians likewise, Gal. iii. 5; and, indeed, all those churches which had had the presence of any of the apostles had peculiar advantages in this kind, from the laying on of their hands, Acts xix. 6, viii. 17, &c., 2 Tim. i. 6, But as yet the Romans were greatly inferior to them in this respect; for which reason the apostle, in the twelfth chapter also, says little, if any thing, of their spiritual gifts. He therefore desires to impart some, that they might be established; for by these was the testimony of Christ confirmed among them. That St. Peter had no more been at Rome than St. Paul, at the time when this epistle was wrote, appears from the general tenor thereof, and from this place in particular: for, otherwise, what St. Paul wishes to impart to the Romans would have been imparted already by St. Peter.

Verse 12. That is, I long to be comforted by the mutual faith both of you and me -He not only associates the Romans with, but even prefers them before, himself. How different is this style of the apostle from that of the modern court of Rome!

Verse 13. Brethren-A frequent, holy, simple, sweet, and yet grand, appellation. The apostles but rarely address persons by their names;

14 other gentiles. I am a debtor both to the Greeks and the 15 barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. Therefore, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel 16 to you also who are at Rome. For I am not ashamed

of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; both to the Jew, and to the gen17 tile. For the righteousness of God is revealed therein from faith to faith: as it is written, * The just shall live by faith.

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* Hab. ii. 4.

as, "O ye Corinthians,” “O Timotheus." St. Paul generally uses this appellation, 'Brethren;" sometimes in exhortation, " My beloved," or, "My beloved brethren;" St. James, "Brethren," "My brethren," 66 My beloved brethren;" St. Peter and Jude always, Beloved;" "St. John frequently, "Beloved;" once, "Brethren;" oftener than once, My little children." Though I have been hindered hitherto―Either by business, see Romans xv. 22; or persecution, 1 Thess. ii. 2; or the Spirit, Acts xvi. 7. That I might have some fruit-Of my ministerial labours. Even as I have already had from the many churches I have planted and watered among the other gentiles.

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Verse 14. To the Greeks and the barbarians-He includes the Romans under the Greeks; so that this division comprises all nations. Both to the wise, and the unwise-For there were unwise even among the Greeks, and wise even among the barbarians. I am a debtor to all-I am bound by my divine mission to preach the gospel to them.

Verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel-To the world, indeed, it is folly and weakness, 1 Cor. i. 18; therefore, in the judgment of the world, he ought to be ashamed of it; especially at Rome, the head and theatre of the world. But Paul is not ashamed, knowing it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth-The great and gloriously powerful means of saving all who accept salvation in God's own way. As St. Paul comprises the sum of the gospel in this epistle, so he does the sum of the epistle in this and the following verse. Both to the Jew, and to the gentile―There is a noble frankness, as well as a comprehensive sense, in these words, by which he, on the one hand, shows the Jews their absolute need of the gospel; and, on the other, tells the politest and greatest nation in the world both that their salvation depended on receiving it, and that the first offers of it were in every place to be made to the despised Jews.

Verse 17. The righteousness of God-This expression sometimes means God's eternal, essential righteousness, which includes both justice and mercy, and is eminently shown in condemning sin, and yet justifying the sinner. Sometimes it means that righteousness by which a man, through the gift of God, is made and is righteous; and that, both by receiving Christ through faith, and by a conformity to the essential righteousness of God. St. Paul, when treating of justification, means hereby the righ

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who detain the 19 truth in unrighteousness; For what is to be known of God 20 is manifest in them; for God hath showed it to them. For those things of him which are invisible, both his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen from the creation

teousness of faith; therefore called the righteousness of God, because God found out and prepared, reveals and gives, approves and crowns it. In this verse the expression means, the whole benefit of God through Christ for the salvation of a sinner. Is revealed-Mention is made here, and verse 18, of a twofold revelation,-of wrath and of righteousness: the former, little known to nature, is revealed by the law; the latter, wholly unknown to nature, by the gospel. That goes before, and prepares the way; this follows. Each, the apostle says, is revealed at the present time, in opposition to the times of ignorancë. From faith to faith-By a gradual series of still clearer and clearer promises. As it is written-St. Paul had just laid down three propositions: 1. Righteousness is by faith, verse 17: 2. Salvation is by righteousness, verse 16: 3. Both to the Jews and to the gentiles, verse 16. Now all these are confirmed by that single sentence, The just shall live by faith-Which was primarily spoken of those who preserved their lives, when the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem, by believing the declarations of God, and acting according to them. Here it means, He shall obtain the favour of God, and continue therein by believing.

Verse 18. For-There is no other way of obtaining life and salvation. Having laid down his proposition, the apostle now enters upon the proof of it. His first argument is, The law condemns all men, as being under sin. None therefore is justified by the works of the law. This is treated of to chap. iii. 20. And hence he infers, Therefore justification is by faith. The wrath of God is revealed-Not only by frequent and signal interpositions of divine providence, but likewise in the sacred oracles, and by us, his messengers. From heaven-This speaks the majesty of Him whose wrath is revealed, his all-seeing eye, and the extent of his wrath: whatever is under heaven is under the effects of his wrath, believers in Christ excepted. Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness-These two are treated of, verses 23, &c. Of men— –He is speaking here of the gentiles, and chiefly the wisest of them. Who detain the truth—For it struggles against their wickedness. In unrighteousness—The word here includes ungodliness also.

Verse 19. For what is to be known of God-Those great principles which are indispensably necessary to be known. Is manifest in them; for God hath showed it to them-By the light which enlightens every man that cometh into the world

Verse 20. For those things of him which are invisible, are seen-By the eye of the mind. Being understood-They are seen by them, and them only, who use their understanding.

of the world, being understood by the things which are 21 made; so that they are without excuse: Because, knowing

God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart 22 was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image in the likeness of corruptible man, and of birds, and 24 of four-footed creatures, and reptiles. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the desires of their 25 hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature above the Creator, who is blessed for 26 ever. Amen. Therefore God gave them up to vile affec

tions for even their women changed the natural use to that 27 which is against nature: And likewise also men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward each

Verse 21. Because, knowing God-For the wiser heathens did know that there was one supreme God; yet from low and base considerations they conformed to the idolatry of the vulgar. They did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful-They neither thanked him for his benefits, nor glorified him for his divine perfections. But became vain--Like the idols they worshipped. In their reasonings-Various, uncertain, foolish. What a terrible instance have we of this in the writings of Lucretius! What vain reasonings, and how dark a heart, amidst so pompous professions of wisdom!

Verse 23. And changed-With the utmost folly. Here are three degrees of ungodliness and of punishment: the first is described, verses 21-24; the second, verses 25-27; the third, in the 28th and following verses. The punishment in each case is expressed by God gave them up. If a man will not worship God as God, he is so left to himself that he throws away his very manhood. Reptiles-Or creeping things; as beetles, and various kinds of serpents.

Verse 24. Wherefore-One punishment of sin is from the very nature of it, as verse 27; another, as here, is from vindictive justice. Uncleanness-Ungodliness and uncleanness are frequently joined, 1 Thess. iv. 5; as are the knowledge of God and purity. God gave them up—By withdrawing his restraining grace.

Verse 25. Who changed the truth-The true worship of God. Into a lie -False, abominable idolatries. And worshipped-Inwardly. And served -Outwardly.

Verse 26. Therefore God gave them up to vile affections-To which the heathen Romans were then abandoned to the last degree; and none more than the emperors themselves.