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a For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision, ver. 25. Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes, and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you, Deut. iv. 1. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey, vi. 3. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it, xxx. 12 -14. And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them, Ezek. xx. 11. Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee, by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them, xxxiii. 30-33. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in

A. D. 60. thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it, Matt. vii. 21-27. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it, Luke viii.' 21. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, be being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed, Jam. i. 21-25. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him, 1 John ii. 29. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous, iii. 7.

b Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin, Rom. ii. 20. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, 23. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them, x. 5. And behold, a certain Lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and

with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? Luke x. 25--29. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them, Gal. iii. 11, 12.

C See on Matt. xii. ver. 37.

VER. 14.

“Οταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα, φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῇ, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες, ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος·

For when the Gentiles, a which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, cure a law unto themselves:

a For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law, ver.

12.

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly

because that unto them were committed the oracles of God, iii. 1, 2. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? Deut. iv. 7. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord, Psal. cxlvii. 19, 20. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, Acts xiv. 16. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent, xvii. 30. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, Eph. ii. 12.

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumciVOL. II.

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sion dost transgress the law? ver. 27 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead: so that they are without excuse, i. 19, 20. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things, Phil. iv. 8.

c For as many as have sinned without law; shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law, ver. 12.

VER. 15.

Οἵτινες ἐνδείκνυνται τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου γραπτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὑτῶν, συμμαρ τυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως, καὶ μετ ταξὺ ἀλλήλων τῶν λογισμῶν κατηγορούντων, ἢ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων·

Which shew the work of the law a written in their hearts, their b conscience also

bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another ;)

a For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them, Rom. i. 18, 19.

bAnd they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst, John viii. 9. And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day, Acts xxiii. 1. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence, toward God and toward men, xxiv. 16. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace

2 N

godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, 2 Pet. ii. 9. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire, Rev. xx. 11-15.

b See on John v. ver. 22.

Now to him who is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, Rom. xvi. 25. According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust, 1 Tim. i. 11. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, ac'cording to my Gospel, 2 Tim. ii. 8.

VER. 17.

Ἴδε σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ἐπονομάζῃ, καὶ ἐπαναπαύῃ τῷ νόμῳ, καὶ καυχᾶσαι ἐν Θεῷ, Behold, a thou art called a Jew, b und restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

:

a For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter: whose praise is not of men but of God, ver. 28, 29. Who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God had taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of

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Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called, ix. 4-7. For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure, Psal. cxxxv. 4. Hear ye this O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah; which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name, Isa. xlviii. 1,2. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, Matt. iii. 9. And I say unto you that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, viii. 11, 12. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? John viii. 33. Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I, 2 Cor. xi. 22. We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Gal. ii..15. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, Eph. ii. 11. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ, Phil. iii. 3-7. I know thy works, and