nify when he spoke by Paul. 7. He found himself very much confined, during most of the year, to his duties as a teacher of theology, commonly with a few hours each day at his disposal, and remembered that he was accountable for the use or abuse of this precious time. He dared not waste it. He knew it was a price put into his hands to glorify God. He hoped best to do so in preparing this volume. 8. He remembered that the night cometh when no man can work, and that blessed is he, who soweth beside all water courses, and so does all the good he can. No well-intentioned publication of saving truth shall fail to meet a divine reward.

XX. RECENT WORKS ON ROMANS.

Since the plan of this work was formed, and a good part of it executed, several commentaries on this epistle have appeared. No notice of them appears in this volume, and that for several reasons: 1. The author wished these works to stand on their own merits before the public without any unfriendly notice from him. 2. He did not wish to impart to this work any semblance of the spirit of controversy with his cotemporaries, as he must have done, if he had quoted freely from some of them. 3. To have taken any extended notice of them would have somewhat modified the plan of this volume, and he thought it best to make no considerable change in that respect. 4. So far as he has looked into them, he thinks the main objects contemplated in this volume are as well secured without dwelling on the new forms or phases of discussion introduced by these authors, as in any other way.

THE

EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE,

TO THE

ROMANS.

FOR

OR date of time and place of this Epistle see Introduction SS V. & VI. Of the state of the world at the time when it was written see Introduction & IX.

On the day of Pentecost among Peter's hearers were strangers of Rome. Acts 2: 10. Some of these at once embraced the Gospel. Acts 2:41. It is highly probable that some of them very soon returned to the imperial city, and, being full of zeal, persuaded others to embrace Christ, and thus the nucleus of a Christian church was formed. It early became a famous church, so that its "faith was spoken of throughout the world." Rom. 1:8. There is not the slightest evidence that it was founded by Peter and Paul, or by either of them. Paul had not even visited them when he wrote this epistle, though he had long desired to do so. Rom. 15:23. It cannot be proven beyond doubt that Peter was ever in Rome, though the tradition that he was there long after the formation of the Roman church amounts to a reasonable historic probability. But it is entirely clear that he was not there and had not been there when this epistle was written.

From all we can learn of the church at Rome it was at an early day composed both of Jews and Gentiles. This is evident from many things in this epistle itself, chap. 1:13; 4: 1; 7: 1; 11: 1; 15:15, 16, as well as from other sources of information, especially from the book of Acts. How persistent and urgent the Judaizers were is proclaimed by the united voice of antiquity. Indeed not a few of them boldly said: "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Acts 15: 1. As a class they were very troublesome.

The epistle, which we are now to study, is excelled by no portion of God's word in the weight and excellence of its matter.

Macknight calls it "a writing, which, for sublimity and truth of sentiment, for brevity and strength of expression, for regularity in its structure, but above all, for the unspeakable importance of the discoveries which it contains, stands unrivalled by any mere human composition, and as far exceeds the most celebrated productions of the learned Greeks and Romans, as the shining of the sun exceedeth the twinkling of the stars." Scott: "The epistle itself is one of the longest, and most comprehensive, of all that were written by the apostle." Olshausen: "Every thing in the epistle wears strongly the impress of the greatest originality, liveliness, and freshness of experience." The Dutch Annotations: “This epistle is rightly accounted a key for the right understanding of all the Holy Scriptures; and especially for the right understanding of the fulfilling of the promise made to the people of Israel by Moses and the prophets, for salvation both of Jews and Gentiles." Hodge: "There is no book in the Bible, and there is no ancient book in the world, of which the authenticity is more certain than that of this epistle."

CHAPTER I.

VERSES 1-7.

THE INSCRIPTION AND SALUTATION.

PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy Scriptures,).

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead :

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name :

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1.

PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. Paul, on this name see Introduction § 1. Paul practised no concealment; he boldly gave his name. A servant, not the word rendered hired servant, Luke 15: 17, 19, but a word, which when referring to the civil condition of men, means the opposite of free; in Eph. 6: 8, Col. 3: 11, Rev. 13: 16 rendered bond. Conybeare and Howson: a bondsman. Macknight: The original word properly signifies a slave. Taylor: The word may be taken in its strict and primary sense, as signifying a servant who is the absolute property of the master and bound to him for life. Wetstein: But as a servant of a king is a name of dignity; so also is a servant of Messias. It is a favorite title of Christian ministers, Gal. I: 10; 4: 12; Phil. 1 : 1; 2 Tim. 2 : 24; Jas. I 1; 2 Pet. 1: 1; Jude 1; Rev. 1: I. In both Testaments it often denotes any true friend of God. Hodge: It is a general official designation. Paul is a servant of no common master, but of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the proper name of our Saviour, the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua. Heb. 4 : 8. Yet this name was not given him without reference to the salvation he should effect for