Study Desk

For Moses describes the justice that was to be had by the law, thus : "the man who performeth the things here required, shall have life thereby."

for if you openly confess, that Jesus is the Lord, and sincerely believe, that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

for the scripture saith , "whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed."

but all do not obey the gospel. for Esaias saith, "Lord, who hath believed our report?"

You will say then, hath God discarded his people? by no means. for I my self am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

and if it be by favour, it is not upon the account of merit. for then mercy would not be mercy.

"What then, hath not Israel obtained what he sought for?" no, but the chosen remnant have obtained it, and the rest are obdurate to this day,

and David says , "let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a gin, and a recompence for their iniquity.

You will say then, "were they suffer'd to stumble meerly for their ruin?" no: but that thro' their fall, salvation might be offer'd to the Gentiles, in order to provoke their emulation.

this concerns you Gentiles. for as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I should do honour to my character,

for, if by rejecting them, the world may be reconciled; what shall their restoration be, but a general resurrection?

well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear,

for if you were taken from the wild olive, which was natural to you, to be grafted into a good olive-stock of a different nature, with how much greater reason shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?

I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this secret, (for fear you should presume too much on your selves) that blindness has fallen upon a part of Israel, until the time when the Gentiles shall be fully come in.

for this is my covenant with them, that I shall take away their sins."

for the divine gifts and vocation are irrevocable.

for God hath manifested to all the disobedient, that he would have mercy upon all.

for who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor?

for of him, and through him, and in him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.