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nant shall be saved: for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; as it is written, Be

32 St. Paul justly attributes the loss to Israel of Christian blessing, to their own carnal mind. The lostness of the Messiah was a stumbling which they would not remove. block in their way of believing,

hold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Do I desire grace here? let me in faith be true to my Saviour! Do I desire glory hereafter? let me not be ashamed of Him now, who then will not be ashamed of me.

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CHAPTER X.

JAN. 12, MAY 11, SEPT. 9.

1 BRETHREN, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the right

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eousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live

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by them. But the right

eousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is,

The resurrection of Jesus Christ,

and his ascension, are

indeed among the high things of God, which no depth of human wisdom could have conceived. The word reveals them to us.

to bring Christ down from above :) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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10 O let my heart thus believe, and my mouth gladly thus confess, in this my hour of holy worship, with the congregation of the faithful! So shall I never be ashamed.

13 Hear this, thou consciencestricken soul! Hear it, and cast away despair!

14 Hence godfathers and godmothers are wisely exhorted "to call upon the young christian to hear sermons." of whom they have not heard?

15 Our Church therefore carefully appoints her preachers; and admits none to the office, but those whom, upon examination had, she finds fitted thereto. To them she gives authority for the work,

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him and how shall they hear without a preacher ? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 2o But 20 Whom the Jews rejected, Him Esaias is very bold, and saith, the Gentiles received.

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But

16 Let not this doubt apply to thee. Be not thou faithless, but believing.

I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

21 How vain is mere profession. The Jews ever professed themselves God's people: disobedience was their

ruin.

CHAPTER XI.

JAN. 13, MAY 12, SEPT. 10.

'I SAY then, Hath God cast 1 God casts none away. So long as men sin, they cast themselves away. away his people? God forWhen they forsake sin, God rebid. For I also am an Isceiveth them again. Thus when raelite, of the seed of AbraIsrael returns to their God, he will ham, of the tribe of Benja- be found of them. (See x. 13.) min. 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. 5 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 no more grace. But if it be of works,

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5 Some of the Jews believed in the Lord Jesus, and their faith was blessed to them.

The believer rejects, not good works, but a trust in them. He looks to be saved not for his own virtues, but through God's grace.

7 Sin blinds unbelievers.

hath obtained it, and the rest

8 When the Jews resisted the testimony of miracles, God left them to their own devices.-Evidence could go no higher.

then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election were blinded (according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day*. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall

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11 St. Paul removes at once all notion of reprobation. God's mercy is so wonderful, that He turns even our failings to our benefit. If love to Him cannot move us, a jealousy of possessing inferior advantages may stir us up to return to Him.

* Ps. lxix. 22. This is spoken according to the Hebrew idiom; not as a wish, but as a consequence-" their table will be made a snare to them."

of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their ful13 Each minister magnifies his office, not himself-therefore is it, that they speak boldly.

ness? 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles,

I magnify mine office: if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 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 firstfruit 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

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20 Let us all apply this lesson of humility; and feel with deeper gratitude, our own happy privileges, as the called in Christ Jesus.

for if God spared not the natu

22 O turn thee from sin, and avoid the severity of God. Follow after holiness, and continue in his good

ness.

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. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant

25 All God's dealings are a wonderful mystery. As such let us contemplate them.

26 So then Israel may hope, in God's time, to share with us the kingdom of our Christ?

of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election,

they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Reader! This great and incomprehensible Being is with thee, at this moment. He is thy Father, and thy Friend. Let this truth comfort thy heart. He is a very present help to thee in all thy troubles. Forsake him not.

CHAPTER XII.

JAN. 14, FEB. 29, MAY 13, SEPT. 11.

'I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly ful in the exercise of spiritual gifts. than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us

A holy life is a living sacrifice. It is the offering of the spirit-the sacrifice of the will: a reasonable

service to God, who is himself a Spirit.

2 This is not to prevent a right use of God's bounty in our worldly comforts. It forbids a worldly heart, and condemns a love of the world.

3 By "this grace"-the Apostle means, the authority given him to minister. Humility is specially need

In a nation, in a church, in a family, confusion of offices brings neglect of duties.

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