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5 to every one that believeth.

For Moses describeth the

righteousness which is by the law, 6 these things shall live by them.

*

The man who doeth But the righteousness

which is by faith speaketh thus, † Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ 7 down:) Or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (that is, to 8 bring Christ again from the dead.) But what saith he? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: 9 that is, the word of faith which we preach; That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be 10 saved. For with the heart man believeth to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, + Every one that believeth on 12 him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference

* Lev. xviii. 5. + Deut. xxx. 14.

Isaiah xxviii. 16.

Verse 5. For Moses describeth the only righteousness which is attainable by the law, when he saith, The man who doeth these things shall live by them —That is, he that perfectly keeps all these precepts in every point, he alone may claim life and salvation by them. But this way of justification is impossible to any who have ever transgressed any one law in any point.

Verse 6. But the righteousness which is by faith-The method of becoming righteous by believing. Speaketh a very different language, and may be considered as expressing itself thus: (to accommodate to our present subject the words which Moses spake, touching the plainness of his law :) Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven, as if it were to bring Christ down or, Who shall descend into the grave, as if it were to bring him again from the dead-Do not imagine that these things are to be done now, in order to procure thy pardon and salvation.

Verse 8. But what saith he-Moses. Even these words, so remarkably applicable to the subject before us. All is done ready to thy hand. The word is nigh thee-Within thy reach; easy to be understood, remembered, practised. This is eminently true of the word of faith-The gospel. Which we preach-The sum of which is, If thy heart believe in Christ, and thy life confess him, thou shalt be saved.

Verse 9. If thou confess with thy mouth—Even in time of persecution, when such a confession may send thee to the lions.

Verse 10. For with the heart-Not the understanding only. Man believeth to righteousness-So as to obtain justification. And with the mouth confession is made-So as to obtain final salvation. Confession here implies the whole of outward, as believing does the root of all inward, religion.

Verse 12. The same Lord of all is rich-So that his blessings are never

between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord of all 13 is rich to all that call upon him. For * whosoever shall call 14 upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? 15 and how shall they hear without a preacher ? But how shall they preach, unless they be sent ? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them who bring the good tidings of peace, who bring the glad tidings of good things! But all have not obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? Faith then cometh 18 by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their voice is gone into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Hath not Israel known? First Moses saith, § I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are not a nation, 20 by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Isaiah is very

16

17

bold, and saith, I was found by them that sought me not:

* Joel ii. 32.

+ Isaiah lii. 7.
§ Deut. xxxii. 21.

Isaiah liii. 1. || Psalm xix. 4.
Isaiah lxv. 1, 2.

to be exhausted, nor is he ever constrained to hold his hand. The great truth proposed in the eleventh verse is so repeated here, and in the thirteenth, and farther confirmed, verses 14, 15, as not only to imply, that "whosoever calleth upon him shall be saved;" but also that the will of God is, that all should savingly call upon him.

Verse 15. But how shall they preach, unless they be sent―Thus by a chain of reasoning, from God's will that the gentiles also should " call upon him," St. Paul infers that the apostles were sent by God to preach to the gentiles also. The feet―Their very footsteps; their coming.

Verse 17. Faith, indeed, ordinarily cometh by hearing; even by hearing the word of God.

Verse 18. But their unbelief was not owing to the want of hearing. For they have heard. Yes verily-So many nations have already heard the preachers of the gospel, that I may in some sense say of them as David did of the lights of heaven.

Verse 19. But hath not Israel known-They might have known, even from Moses and Isaiah, that many of the gentiles would be received, and many of the Jews rejected. I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are not a nation-As they followed gods that were not gods, so he accepted in their stead a nation that was not a nation; that is, a nation that was not in covenant with God. A foolish nation-Such are all which know not God.

Verse 20. But Isaiah is very bold—And speaks plainly what Moses but intimated.

I was made manifest to them that asked not after me. 21 Whereas with regard to Isaiah he saith, All the day have I stretched forth my hands to an unbelieving and gainsaying people.

CHAP. XI. 1 I say then, Hath God rejected his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abra2 ham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not rejected his

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ple whom he foreknew. Know ye not what the scripture saith 3 of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel, * Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thy altars: 4 and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God to him? I have reserved to myself seven 5 thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. And

so likewise at the present time there is a remnant according 6 to the election of grace. But if by grace, then it is no

more of works: else grace is no longer grace. And if it be of works, then it is no more grace: else work is no longer

* 1 Kings xix. 10.

Verse 21. An unbelieving and gainsaying people—Just opposite to those who believed with their hearts, and made confession with their mouths.

Verse 1. Hath God rejected his whole people-All Israel? In nowise. Now there is "a remnant" who believe, verse 5; and hereafter "all Israel will be saved," verse 26.

Verse 2. God hath not rejected that part of his people whom he foreknew -Speaking after the manner of men. For, in fact, knowing and foreknowing are the same thing with God, who knows or sees all things at once, from everlasting to everlasting. Know ye not—That in a parallel case, amidst a general apostasy, when Elijah thought the whole nation was fallen into idolatry, God "knew" there was a remnant" of true worshippers.

Verse 4. To Baal-Nor to the golden calves.

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Verse 5. According to the election of grace-According to that gracious purpose of God, "He that believeth shall be saved."

Verse 6. And if by grace, then it is no more of works-Whether ceremonial or moral. Else grace is no longer grace-The very nature of grace is lost. And if it be of works, then it is no more grace: else work is no · longer work—But the very nature of it is destroyed. There is something so absolutely inconsistent between the being justified by grace, and the being justified by works, that, if you suppose either, you of necessity exclude the other. For what is given to works is the payment of a debt; whereas grace implies an unmerited favour. So that the same benefit cannot, in the very nature of things, be derived from both,

7 work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh; but the election hath obtained, and the rest 8 were blinded: According as it is written, * God hath given them a spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and 9 ears that they should not hear, unto this day. And David saith, † Let their table become a snare, and a trap, and a 10 stumblingblock, and a recompence to them: Let their eyes

be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their 11 back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled so as to fall? God forbid but by their fall salvation is come to the gen12 tiles, to provoke them to jealousy. But if their fall be the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the gentiles; 13 how much more their fulness? For I speak to you gen+ Psalm lxix. 22, 23.

* Isaiah xxix. 10.

Verse 7. What then-What is the conclusion from the whole? It is this that Israel in general hath not obtained justification; but those of them only who believe. And the rest were blinded-By their own wilful prejudice.

Verse 8. God hath at length withdrawn his Spirit, and so given them up to a spirit of slumber; which is fulfilled unto this day.

Verse 9. And David saith-In that prophetic imprecation, which is applicable to them, as well as to Judas. A recompence—Of their preceding wickedness. So sin is punished by sin; and thus the gospel, which should have fed and strengthened their souls, is become a means of destroying them.

Verse 11. Have they stumbled so as to fall-Totally and finally? No. But by their fall-Or slip: it is a very soft word in the original. Salvation is come to the gentiles-See an instance of this, Acts xiii. 46. To provoke them-The Jews themselves, to jealousy.

Verse 12. The first part of this verse is treated of, verses 13, &c.; the latter, How much more their fulness, (that is, their full conversion,) verses 23, &c.

So many prophecies refer to this grand event, that it is surprising any Christian can doubt of it. And these are greatly confirmed by the wonderful preservation of the Jews as a distinct people to this day. When it is accomplished, it will be so strong a demonstration, both of the Old and New Testament revelation, as will doubtless convince many thousand Deists, in countries nominally Christian; of whom there will, of course, be increasing multitudes among merely nominal Christians. And this will be a means of swiftly propagating the gospel among Mahometans and Pagans; who would probably have received it long ago, had they conversed only with real Christians.

Verse 13. I magnify my office-Far from being ashamed of ministering to the gentiles, I glory therein; the rather, as it may be a means of provoking my brethren to jealousy.

tiles, as I am the apostle of the gentiles, I magnify my 14 office: If by any means I may provoke to jealousy those 15 who are my flesh, and save some of them. For if the cast

ing away of them be the reconciling of the world, what will 16 the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the first-fruits be holy, so is the lump: and if the root 17 be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the 18 root and fatness of the olive tree, Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but 19 the root thee. Wilt thou say then, The branches were 20 broken off, that I might be grafted in? Well; they were

broken off for unbelief, and thou standest by faith. Be not 21 highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural 22 branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold

therefore the goodness and severity of God: Toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou con23 tinue in his goodness: else shalt thou also be cut off. And they, if they do not continue in unbelief, shall be grafted in:

Verse 14. My flesh-My kinsmen.

Verse 15. Life from the dead-Overflowing life to the world, which was dead.

Verse 16. And this will surely come to pass. For if the first-fruits be holy, so is the lump-The consecration of them was esteemed the consecration of all; and so the conversion of a few Jews is an earnest of the conversion of all the rest. And if the root be holy-The patriarchs from whom they spring, surely God will at length make their descendants also holy.

Verse 17. Thou-O gentile. Being a wild olive tree-Had the graft been nobler than the stock, yet its dependance on it for life and nourishment would leave it no room to boast against it. How much less, when, contrary to what is practised among men, the wild olive tree is engrafted on the good!

Verse 18. Boast not against the branches-Do not they do this who despise the Jews? or deny their future conversion?

Verse 20. They were broken off for unbelief, and thou standest by faithBoth conditionally, not absolutely: if absolutely, there might have been room to boast. By faith-The free gift of God, which therefore ought to humble thee.

Verse 21. Be not highminded, but fear—We may observe, this fear is not opposed to trust, but to pride and security.

Verse 22. Else shalt thou-Also, who now "standest by faith," be both totally and finally cut off.

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