because he rose, as he has frequently testified, by his own power; "destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up!;" (John ii. 9 ;) “no one taketh away my life from me." (John x. 18.) For he obtained a victory over death, to which he had yielded according to the weakness of his flesh, not by any precarious assistance, but by the heavenly operation of his own Spirit.

By whom we have received-After finishing his description of the gospel, which he inserted as recommendatory of his office, he now returns to assert his calling, to which he observed a strong testimony had been afforded the Romans. Grace and apostleship are separated by the figure Hypallage, and mean either apostleship freely bestowed, or the grace of the apostleship; he thus intimates that his appointment to such a rank had been wholly the work of divine beneficence, not of his own dignity. For though in the presence of the world, his office is accompanied with almost nothing but dangers, labours, hatred, and infamy; yet, with God and his saints, it is considered one of no vulgar and ordinary dignity, and, therefore, justly esteemed to be of grace. The following interpretation, if the reader prefers it, conveys the same sense: “I have received grace to be an apostle." The expression, in the name, is explained by Ambrose, of his appointment to preach the gospel instead of Christ, according to the following passage :-"We are ambassadors for Christ." (2 Cor. v. 20.) The opinion of those, however, who consider name to mean knowledge, appears to be more sound, because the gospel is preached for this very purpose, (1John iii. 23,) that we may "believe in the Son of God." And Paul himself is called an elect vessel, to carry the name of Christ among the Gentiles. (Acts ix. 15.) The expression, therefore, for the name conveys the same

sense as if Paul had said "that I character of Christ."

may

manifest the

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To the obedience of faith-That is, we have received the commandment to carry the gospel to all the Gentiles, with a view to their obeying it by faith. He, in turn, admonishes the Romans of their duty from the design of his calling, as if he had said, " My part indeed is to perform the office entrusted to me, namely, the preaching of the word; it is yours to listen to the word with all obedience, unless you wish to make the calling which I have received from the Lord to be of none effect." Whence we infer, that the command of God is obstinately resisted, and his whole order perverted, by those who reject, in an irreverent and contemptuous manner, the preaching of the gospel, for its very design is to compel us to obey God. The nature of faith occasion, which is,

deserves our notice on this therefore, distinguished by the name of obedience, because the Lord calls us by the gospel, and we answer him by faith, when he calls us; as, on the contrary, unbelief is the source of all our stubbornness against God. I prefer the translation into the obedience of faith, rather than for obedience, since the last interpretation can only be applied improperly and figuratively, although it is once used, (Acts vi. 7;) for faith is, properly, that by which the gospel is obeyed.

Among all nations; among whom, &c.-It was not sufficient for him to receive the appointment of an apostle, unless his ministry had respect to the disciples; and on this account he adds, that his apostleship extends to all nations. Afterwards he more plainly calls himself an apostle of the Romans, when he says, that they also were comprehended in the number of the nations, to whom a minister was given. Moreover, the apostles receive a common

command concerning the preaching of the gospel through the whole world, for they are not appointed as shepherds and bishops over certain churches. But Paul, beside the general province of the apostolic function, was appointed, by special authority, a minister for preaching the gospel among the nations. The circumstance of his being prevented to pass by Macedonia, and to speak the word in Mysia, (Acts xvi. 6,) is not opposed to this statement, as if limits were thus fixed to the extent of his boundaries, because it was necessary for him to go at that time to another place, and the harvest there was not yet fully ripe.

The called of Jesus Christ-He assigns a reason, which applies more immediately to themselves, because, indeed, the Lord had now afforded in them a proof, by which he declared that they were called to the communication of the gospel. Whence it followed, if they were desirous of the continuance of their own calling, that they ought not to reject the ministry of Paul, who had been appointed by the same election of the Lord. The sentence, " called of Jesus Christ," I therefore consider to be declaratory, as if the word namely had intervened, and it means they are partakers of Jesus Christ by his calling. For they are not only chosen in Christ by their heavenly Father among his sons, who are to be the heirs of an everlasting life, but, after their election, are committed also to his care and faithful protection as their shepherd.

To all that are at Rome-He shows, in a beautiful order, what deserves to be praised in us. First, that the Lord, in his kindness, has taken us into his favour and love; secondly, has called us; thirdly, has called us to holiness, which praise is finally enjoyed by us, if we do not neglect our calling. faithful doctrine is here suggested for our

A very

consideration, and I leave it, after making this short allusion, to the meditation of each of my readers. Certainly the praise of our salvation does not, according to St. Paul, depend upon our own power, but is derived entirely from the fountain of God's gratuitous and paternal love towards us; for Paul makes this to be the beginning of God's love to us. What other cause but his own mere goodness can moreover be assigned for his love? On this also

depends his calling, by which, in his own time, he seals the adoption in those who were first gratuitously chosen by him. From these premises the conclusion follows, that none truly associate themselves with the faithful who do not place a certain confidence in the Lord's kindness to them, although undeserving and wretched sinners; and being roused by his goodness, they aspire to holiness, "For he hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness." (1 Thess. iv. 6.) Since the Greek admits of being translated in the second person, I see no cause for changing it.

curse.

Grace and peace-There is nothing, in the first place, deserves more to be desired by us than to have God propitious, which is the meaning of grace. In the second place, the prosperity and success of all our affairs proceed and flow from him, which is the sense of the word "peace;" for, though every thing may appear to smile upon us, if God is angry, our very blessing is changed into a The only foundation, therefore, of our happiness is the kindness of God, which is the source of our enjoying true and solid prosperity, while our very adversity itself promotes our salvation. We understand, also, by our supplicating peace from the Lord, that every blessing we enjoy is the fruit of divine beneficence. Nor ought we to omit mentioning, that he at the same time prays for the attain

ment of those blessings from the Lord Jesus. For our Lord deserves to be treated with this honour, who is not only the servant and dispenser of our Father's kindness to us, but works all things in common with him.

The proper meaning, however, of the apostle is, that all the blessings of God come to us by Christ. Some consider we ought rather to understand by the word "peace," tranquillity of conscience; and, I grant, it sometimes admits this construction; but since the apostle was undoubtedly desirous to allude here to the sum of all blessings, the first interpretation, proposed by Bucer, suits the passage much better. The apostle, therefore, feeling a desire to pray that the sum of all happiness should be conferred on the pious, has immediate recourse, as on a former occasion, to the fountain itself, namely, the grace of God, which not only is the source of our eternal happiness, but the cause of all blessings in this life.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request (if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God) to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with by the mutual faith both of you and me.

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you,

First, I thank-Here he commences in a manner very suitable to the cause, since, from reasons derived