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ROM. II. 29.

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1 Chron. xxix. 17. The king's daugh-In whom also ye are circumcised with

the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead, Col. ii. 11, 12.

c And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? ver. 27. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead where

serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter, vii. 6. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost, xiv. 17. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit, John iii. 5-8. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, Phil. iii. 3.

ter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold, Psal. xlv. 13. Ŏ Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Jer. iv. 14. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-in we were held; that we should crites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, Matt. xxiii. 25-28. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? Luke xi. 39, 40. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you, xvii. 21. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worship. pers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, John iv. 23, 34. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price, 1 Pet. iii. 4. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked, Deut. x. 16. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live, xxx. 6. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskin of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings, Jer, iv. 4.

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d How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? John v. 44. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God, xii. 43. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God, 1 Cor. iv. 5. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth, 2 Cor. x. 18. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts, 1 Thess. ii. 4. But let it be the hidden man of heart, in that which is not cor

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ruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price, 1 Pet. iii. 4.

CHAP. III.-VER. 1.

Τί οὖν τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου, ἡ τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια τῆς περιτομής ;

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

VER. 2.

Πολὺ, κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὅτι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ. a Much every way: chiefly, b because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

a For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? ver. 3. I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, xi. 1, 2. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity: but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. And they also if they abide not in unbelief, shall be graffed in; for God is able to graff them in again, 15-23. As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your

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sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, 28, 29.

b See on chap. ii. ver. 18. clause 1. e For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me, 1 Cor. ix. 17. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imPuting their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation, 2 Cor. v. 19. But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter, Gal. ii. 7. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called, 1 Tim. vi. 20.

d See on John vii. ver. 38. clause 2.

VER. 3.

Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; μὴ ἡ ἐπι στία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταρ hs.

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bshall their unbelief make the faith of For what if some did not believe? God without effect?

a Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel, Rom. ix. 6. But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? x. 16. I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For 1 also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is

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no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, xi. 1-7. For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it, Heb. iv. 2.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. xi. 29. God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numb. xxiii. 19. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent, 1 Sam. xv. 29. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth: so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee, Isa. liv. 9, 10. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the

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thing whereto I sent it, lv. 11. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: That he who blesseth himself in the earth should bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes, Ixv. 15. 16. Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? Thus they have despised my people that they should be no more a nation before them. Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth: Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob,

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and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them, Jer. xxxiii. 24-26. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away, Matt. xxiv. 35. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself, 2 Tim. ii. 13. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath : That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, Heb. vi. 13-18.

VER. 4.

Μὴ γένοιτο· γινέσθω δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθὴς, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης καθὼς γέγραπται· Όπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου, καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.

cut every man a liar; as it is written, a God forbid: yea, b let God be true, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

for if

a Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law, Gal. iii. 21.

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b He is the Rock, his work is perfect for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he, Deut. xxxii. 4. Wilt thou also disaunul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Job xl. 8. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting? and his truth endureth to all generations, Psal. c. 5. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endur

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eth for ever, cxix. 160. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name, cxxxviii. 2. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old, Mic. vii. 20. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true, John iii. 33. But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay, 2 Cor. i. 18. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began, Tit. i. 2. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, Heb. vi. 18. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son, 1 John v. 10. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life, 20. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth, Rev.

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cI will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker, Job xxxvi. 3. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest, Psal. li. 4. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinBut wisdom is justified of her children, Matt. xi. 19.

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VER. 5.

Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀδικία ἡμῶν Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην συνίστησι, τί ἐροῦμεν ; μὴ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργήν; (Κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω.)

But if our unrighteousness commend

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the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous, who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man.)

a For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ver. 7. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus, 25, 26. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, v. 8. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord, 20, 21.

b But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Rom. ii. 5. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God, iii. 19. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? Nay but, 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? ix. 11-20. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord, xii. 19. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no good with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If 1 whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with

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ROM. III. 5-8.

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the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments, xvi. 5—7. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her, xviii. 20.

bers servants to righteousness unto holiness, Rom. vi. 19. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 1 Cor. ix. 8. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto, Gal. iii. 15

VER. 6.

Μὴ γένοιτο· ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν oμor;

blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people, Deut. xxxii, 39-43. The righteous shall rejoice, when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righ- I speak after the manner of men, teous: verily, he is a God that judgeth because of the infirmity of your flesh. in the earth, Psal. lviii. 10, 11. O For as ye have yielded your members LORD God, to whom vengeance be- servants to uncleanness and to inilongeth, shew thyself. Lift up thy-quity; even so now yield your memself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud, xciv. 1, 2. God is jealous; and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies, Neh. i. 2. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The LORD is good, a strong-hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies, 6-8. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you ; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, 2 Thess. i. 6-9. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest, Rev. xv. 3, 4. And I heard VOL. II.

God forbid for then how shall God judge the world?"

a See on chap. ii. ver. 2.

VER. 7.

Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ψεύσματι επερίσσευσεν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτ τοῦ, τί ἔτι κἀγὼ ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς κρίνομαι ;

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

VER. 8.

Καὶ μὴ (καθὼς βλασφημούμεθα, καὶ καθώς φασί τινες ἡμᾶς λέγειν,) ὅτι ποιήσως μεν τὰ κακὰ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά; ὧν τὸ κρίμα ἔνδικόν ἐστι.

And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) b Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

a Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake, Matt. v. 11. Having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of 20

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