contumelious, proud, haughty, 7 To them indeed, who ac Inventors of evil things, disobe-cording to patienee in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life: dient to parents, 31 Foolish, dissolute, without affection, without fidelity, without mercy. 8 But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the 32 Who, having known the truth, but give credit to iniJustice of God, did not under-quity, wrath and indignation. stand that they, who do such things, are worthy of death: and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them. CHAP. II.' The Jews are censured, who make their WHE 2 For we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that do such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them who do such things, and dost the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek: 10 But glory and honour and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 d For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For whosoever have sinned without the law, shall perish without the law: and whosoever have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law. 13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God: but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the gentiles who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these having not the law, are a law to themselves : 15 Who shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them, and their thoughts be tween themselves accusing, or also defending one another. 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and long-suffering? knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance? 5 But according to thy hard-judge ness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, 6 Who will render to every man according to his works. a Matt. 7. 2-b Wis. 9. 24. 2 Pet. 3. 2.- Matt. 16, 27. 16 In the day when God shall the secrets of men by JESUS CHRIST, according to my gospel. 17 But if thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, d Deut. 10. 17. 34. 19. Wis. 6. 8. 10. 34. Ephes 6.9. 1. 17.- Matt. 7.21. 11. 2. Job 247 a 18 And knowest his will, and | inwardly; and the circumcision approvest the more profitable is that of the heart, in the spirit, things, being instructed by the not in the letter: whose praise Iaw, is not of men, but of God. 19 Art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in dark ness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having the form of knowledge and of truth in the law. 21 Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest not thyself: thou that preachest that men should not steal, stealest: 22 Thou that sayest, men should not commit adultery, committest adultery: thou that abhorrest idols, committest sacrilege: 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, by transgression of the law dishonourest God. 24(For the name of God through youisblasphemed among the gentiles, as it is written.) 25 Circumcision profiteth indeed if thou keep the law; but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 If then the uncircumcised keep the justice of the law; shall not this uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not that which by nature is uncircumcision, if it fulfil the law, judge thee who by the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law? 28 For it is not he is a Jew, that is so outwardly: nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, 29 But he is a Jew that is one a Phil. 1. 10.-b Isaias 52. 5. Ezec. 86. 20.-c Matt. 12. 42.- Isaias 48. CHAP. III. The advantages of the Jews. All men are sinners, and none can be justified by the works of the law: but only by the grace of Christ. WHA THAT advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them. 3 For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid. -4 But God is true: and every man a liar, as it is written: That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged. 5 But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath? 6 (I speak according to man.) God forbid; otherwise how shall God judge this world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that there may come good? whose damnation is just. e Infra, 9. 4.-f2 Tim. 2. 13.- John 3. 33. Ps. 115. 11.-h Ps. 50. 6. CHAP. III. Ver. 4. God only is es sentially true. All men in their own capacity are liable to lies and errors: nevertheless God, who is the truth, will make good his promise of keeping his church in all truth. See St. John xvi. 13. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre, with theirtongues they have dealt deceitfully. d The venom of asps is under their lips. 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet swift to shed blood. 16 Destruction and misery in in their ways. 17 And the way of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law speaketh, it speaketh to them that are in the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be made subject to God. 20 Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justifed before him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now without the law the justice of God is made mani a Gal. 3. 22. Supra, 1. 17. Infra, 11, 9.-b Ps. 13. 3.-c Ps 5. 11. Jass 3. 8.-d Ps. 139. 4.-e Ps. 9. 7.-ƒ Isaias 59. 7. Prov. 1. 16.-g Ps. 35. 2.-h Gal, 2. 16. Ver. 10. There is not any man just, viz., by virtue either of the law of nature, or of the law of Moses; but only by faith and grace. fest; being witnessed by the law and the prophets. 22 Even the justice of God by faith of JESUS CHRIST, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned; and do need the glory of God. 24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemp tion that is in CHRIST JESUS. 25 Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins. 26 Through the forbearance of God, for the shewing of his justice in this time: that he himself may be just, and the justifier of him who is of the faith of JESUS CHRIST. 27 Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we account a man to be justified by faith without the works of the law. 29 Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the gentiles? Yes of the gentiles also. 30 For it is one God that justifieth circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith. Ver. 28. By faith, &c. The faith to which the apostle here attributes man's justification, is not a presumptuous assurance of our being justified: but a firm and lively belief of all that God has revealed or promised; Heb. xi. A faith working through charity in Jesus Christ, Gal. v. 6. In short, a faith which takes in hope, love, repentance, and the use of the Sacraments. And the works which he here excludes, are only the works of the law; that is, such as are done by the law of nature, or that of Moses, antecedent to the faith of Christ: but by no means such as follow faith and proceed from it 31 Do we then destroy the | justifieth the ungodly, his faith law through faith? God forbid:is reputed to justice according but we establish the law. to the purpose of the grace of CHAP. IV. Ver. 2. By morks. Done by his own strength, without the grace of God, and faith in him. Ibid. Not before God. Whatever glory or applause such works might procure from men; they would be of no value in the sight of God. Ver. 3. Reputed, &c. By God, who reputeth nothing otherwise than it is. However, we may gather from this word, that when we are justified, our justification proceedeth from God's free grace and bounty; and not from any efficacy which any act of ours could have of its own nature, abstracting from God's grace. Ver. 4. To him that worketh. Viz., As of his own fund, or by his own. strength. Such a man, says the apostle, challenges his reward as a debt, due to his own performances; whereas he who worketh not, that is, who presumeth not upon any works done by his own strength; but seeketh justice through faith and grace, is freely Justified by God's grace." God. 6 As David also termed the blessedness of a man, to whom God reputeth justice without works: 7 Blessed are they, whose biniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin. 9 This blessedness then doth it remain in the circumcision only, or in the uncircumcision also? For we say that unto Abraham faith was reputed to justice. 10 How then was it reputed? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the b Ps. 31. 1.-c Gen. 17. 10. and 11. Ver. 7. Blessed are they, whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. That is, blessed are those who, by doing penance, have obtained pardon and remission of their sins, and also are covered; that is, newly clothed with the habit of grace, and vested with the stole of charity. Ver. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin. That is, blessed is the man who hath re tained his baptismal innocence, no grievous sin can be imputed to at And likewise, blessed is the man, who after falling into sin, hath done penance and leads a virtuous life by frequenting the sacraments necessary for obtaining the grace to prevent a relapse, that sin is no mo imputed to him. Ver. 9. In the circumcision, &c. That is, is it only for the Jews that are circumcised? No, says the apostle, but also for the uncircumcised Gentiles; who by faith and grace may come to justice; as Abraham did before he was circumcised. Justice of the faith which he had being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe being uncireumcised, that unto them also it may be reputed to justice. 12 And might be the father of circumcision, not to them only that are of the circumcision, but to them also that follow the steps of the faith that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham. 13 For not through the law was the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world; but through the justice of faith. and calleth those things that are not, as those that are. 18 Who against hope believed in hope; that he might be made the father of many nations according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be. 19 And he was not weak in faith; neither did he consider his own body now dead, whereas he was almost an hundred years old, nor the dead womb of Sara. 20 In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God: 21 Most fully knowing that whatsoever he has promised, he is able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was re 14 For if they who are of the law, be heirs; faith is made void, the promise is made of no effect. 15 For the law worketh wrath.puted to him unto justice. For where there is no law; neither is there transgression. 16 Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the proImise might be firm to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. 17 (As it is written: I have 'I made thee a father of many nations) before God, whom he believed, who quickeneth the dead; a Gal. 3, 18. Heb. 11. 9.- Gen. 17. 4. Ver. 14. Be heirs. That is, if they alone, who follow the ceremonies of the lam, be heirs of the blessings promised to Abraham; then that faith which was so much praised in him, will be found to be of little value. And the very promise will be made void, by which he was promised to be the father, not of the Jews only, but of all nations of believers. Ver. 15. The law worketh wrath. The law, abstracting from faith and grace, worketh wrash occasionally, by being an occasion of many transgres sions, which provoke God's wrath. 23 Now it is not written only for him, that it was reputed to him unto justice, 24 But also for us, to whom it shall be reputed, if we believe. in him, & that raised up JESUS CHRIST our Lord from the dead, 25 Who was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification. CHAP. V. The grounds we have for hope in Christ. Sin and death came by Adam; grace and life by Christ. BEING EING justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord JESUS CHRIST. 2 By whom also we have access through faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God. 3 And not only so; but we c Gen. 15. 5.-d 1 Pet. 1. 21.- Isaias 53. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 3-f Ephes. 2. 18. |