Rome; and more efpecially to thofe who are the beloved of God, on account of their faith, to the called feed of Abraham, to the faints by profesfion. May grace be multiplied to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrift.

8 And first, I thank my God through Jefus Chrift, on account of all of you, who have embraced the gof pel, that your faith in Jefus Chrift is fo confpicuous, that it is spoken of throughout the whole Roman empire.

9 In faying, I am thankful for your converfion, I fpeak the truth; for I call God to witness, whom, with the utmeft earnestness, I ferve in the miniftry of the gospel of his Son, that conftantly I make affectionate mention of you,

and character of Chrift, which it was of great importance for them to know.

Ver. 8.-I thank my God, through Jefus Chrift, for all of you. In the beginning of his epiftles, Paul generally fubjoined to the apoftolic benediction, a folemn thanksgiving for the faith, charity, patience, and other virtues of the brethren to whom he wrote, to make them fenfible of their happy ftate, and to lead them to a right improvement of the advantages which they enjoyed as Chriftians.

2. That your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. The faith of the Romans, which occafioned fo much difcourfe, was their turning from idols. An event of this kind could not fail to be fpoken of with wonder through the whale empire, as there were multitudes of frangers continually coming to Rome from the provinces, who on their return home would report what they had feen. For this the apoftle thanked God, because the converfion of the Romans encouraged the inhabitants of other cities to forfake the established idolatry. Befides, Rome being the metropolis of the world, the converfion of so many of its inhabitants, brought no fmall credit to the evidences of the gofpel.

Ver. 9. For God is my witnefs. The Roman brethren being moftly Jews, this folemn affeveration concerning the mention which the apoftle made of them in his prayers, was intended to convince them that their converfion was as much the fubject of his thanksgiving to God, as the converfion of the Gentiles.

1o Making requeft (if by any means now at length I might have a profperous journey by the will of God)

to come unto you.

:: For I long to fee you, that I may impart unto you fome fpiritual gift, to the end you may be eftablifhed;

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of and me. you

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purpofed

to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have fome fruit among you alfo, even as among other

Gentiles.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians, both to the wife,

and to the unwife.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the

1ο Πανζοτέ επι των προσευ χων με δεόμενος, ει πως ηδή θε ποτε ευοδώθησομαι εν τω λημαζι του Θεου, ελθείν προς ὑμας.

1 1 Επιποθω γαρ ίδειν ὑμας, ἵνα τι μεταδω χαρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικον, εἰς τὸ ςηρίχθηναι ὑμας·

1 2 Τετο δε εςι, συμπαρα κληθηναι εν ύμιν δια της εν αλ ληλοις πίςεως, ύμων τε και εμε

13

1 3 Ου θελω δε ύμας αγνό ειν, αδελφοι, ότι πολλακις προεθεμην ελθειν προς ὑμας, (και εκωλύθην εκωλύθην αχρί τε δευρο) ἵνα καρπον τινα σχὼ και εν ὑμιν, καθώς και εν τοις λοιποις εθε

Ver. 11. That I may impart to you fome fpiritual gifi. That many of the brethren at Rome were already poffeffed of tpiritual gifts, is evident from Rom. xii. where directions are given them concerning the exercife of thefe gifts. A number of the Roman brethren having been converted in the caft, may have received fpiritual gifts from one or other of the apollles; and with refpect to the reft, St. Paul propofed to enrich fome of them with thefe gifts on his coming to Rome. Ver. 12. Mutual faith both of you and me. As often as the apoftles communicated fpiritual gifts to their difciples, it was a new proof to themselves of the divine prefence with them, and an additional confirmation of their miffion from God in the eyes of others, both of which, no doubt, gave them great joy.

Ver. 14. To the Greeks and to the barbarians. Under the name of Greeks, the Romans were comprehended, because they were now be

come

come a learned and polished people. For the meaning of the name barbarian, fee 1 Cor. xiv. 11. note.

gofpel to you that are at θυμον και ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐν Ῥωμη ευαγΓελισασθαι.

Rome alfo.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew frft,

and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The juit hall live by faith.

16 Ου γαρ επαισχύνομαι το ευαγγελιον τε Χριςε δυνα μις γαρ Θε8 εςιν εις σωτηριού παντι τω πιςευοιι, Ιεδαίω τε πρώτον και Ἑλληνι.

17 Δικαιοσύνη γαρ Θε8 εν αυτω αποκαλυπζεται εκ πίσεως εις πισιν· καθως γεγραπται Ὁ δε δίκαιος εκ πισέως, ζης

σεται.

Ver. 15. To preach the gospel to you who are in Rome alfo. The original word, vayyoda, was firft used by the LXX. to fignify the publifhing of any good news: and having inferted it in their tranflation of 11. lx. 6. lxi. 1. where Meffiah's preaching good tidings to the poor is foretold, (fee Luke iv. 21.) the apottles juftly appropriated it to the preaching of the gofpel, as the beft news mankind could hear. In regard, that Paul, after acknowledging he was bound to preach the gofpel both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, adds, I am ready to preach the gofpel even to you who are in Rome, the idolatrous inhabitants of Rome certainly were included in the expreffion, you who are in Rome. This verfe, therefore, as well as the following, is a proof that the epiftle to the Romans was intended, not for the Roman brethren alone, but for unbelievers also, to whom copies of it might be fhewn.

Ver. 16- -1. For I am not afbamed of the gospel. Here the apostle infinuates, with great propriety, that the gofpel is not an inftitution like the heathen myfteries, which the keepers concealed from all but the initiated; either because they were ashamed of the infamous things practised in them, Epef. v. 1, 12. or, because they thought the only way to render them venerable, was to conceal them; whereas the doctrines and precepts of the gospel being honourable in themfelves, and beneficial to fociety, cannot be too openly published. Perhaps, alfo, the apoftle meant, that notwithstanding the idolatrous Greeks and Romans boafted of their genius and learning, he would boldly preach the gospel even to them, fully affured that it is the power of God unto falvation; a difpenfation of religion in which God most effectually exerts his power, for faving every one who believeth.

2. To the Jew first. This is faid, because, according to Chrift's commandment, the gofpel was to be firft preached to the Jews, as the keepers of the ancient revelations. See Rom. xv. 8 note 1.

3. And alfo to the Greek. After Alexander's generals established their empire in Egypt and Afia, the inhabitants of these countries were confidered as Greeks, because they generally spake the Greek

language

am willing, according to my ability, to preach the gospel even to you unbe lieving Gentiles, who are in Rome.

16 For although the learned among you think it foolishness, I am not afhamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God, (1 Cor. i. 24.) the powerful means which God makes ufe of for working out falvation to every one who believeth; to the few first, and alfo to the Gentile.

17 First, The gospel is the power of God for falvation, to every one who believeth; because the righteoufnefs of God's appointment by faith, is revealed in it, in order to produce faith in them to whom it is preached. And to this righteousness the Jews cannot object, fince it is written : But the juft by faith, fhall live..

language; and as the Jews were little acquainted with the other idolatrous nations, they naturally called all the heathens Greeks. Hence, in their language, Jew and Greek comprehended all mankind.

Ver. 17.-1. For the righteoufnefs of God by faith, is revealed in it, in order to faith. This tranflation, which refults from conftruing the words properly, affords a clear fenfe of a paffage, which, in the common tranflation, is abfolutely unintelligible. Befides, it is fhewn to be the right translation, by other paffages of fcripture, in which the expreffion, dixxion Ex wisews, righteoufnefs by faith, is found, Rom. iii. 22. ix. 30. x. 6. Philip. iii. 9.-Righteousness by faith, is called the righteoufnefs of God, 1. Becaufe God hath enjoined faith as the righteousness which he will count to finners, and hath declared that he will accept and reward it as righteoufnefs: 2. Becaufe it ftands in oppofition to the righteousness of men, which confifts in a finless obedience to the law of God. For if men gave that obedience, it would be their own righteoufnefs, and they might claim reward as a debt.

2. Is revealed in it. The righteoufnefs of God by faith, was made known to the Jews darkly in the covenant with Abraham, and in the types of the law of Mofes: but it is now clearly revealed in the gospel to all mankind.

3. The juft by faith, fhall live. They who are juft by faith, fhall live. This tranflation is agreeable both to the order of the words in the original, and to the apostle's defign; which is to fhew, that the doctrine of the gospel concerning a righteousness by faith, is attefted even by the prophets. Befides, it reprefents Habakkuk's meaning more truly than the common tranflation. For, in the paffage from VOL. I.'

which