12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but also walk in the

steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, τρα» not to Abraham,

or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law, be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

12 Και πατερα περιτομής, τοις ουκ εκ περιτομής μονον, αλλα και τοις τοιχουσι τοις ίχνεσι της εν τη ακροβυζια πίςεως του πατρός ἡμων Αβρα αμ.

13 Ου γαρ δια νομου ท επαγγελια τῳ Αβρααμ, η τῷ σπέρματι αυτου, το κληρονο

μου αυτόν είναι του κοσμου, αλλα δια δικαιοσυνης πίςεως.

14 Ει γαρ οἱ εκ νομου, κλη ρονόμοι, κεκενωται ἡ πισις, και κατήργηται ή επαγγελία

15 Ὁ γαρ νομος οργήν κατεργάζεται· οἱ γαρ ουκ εξι νομός, ουδε παραβασις.

in the covenant which God made with him, he constituted him the father of all believers; So that, whatever promises were made to him and to his seed, were in reality made to believers of all nations.

Ver. 12. 1. Who also walk in the footsteps of the faith, &c. That is, who, like Abraham, exercise a continued faith; and who, from faith, obey God, through the whole course of their life. See ver. 3 note 1.

Ver. 13.—1. Besides, not through a righteousness of law. Here law sig. nifies, not the law of Moses, which did not exist in Abraham's time, but law in general; and the meaning is: the promise made to Abraham and to his seed, that they should be heirs of the world, was not made to them on the supposition of their attaining a righteousness, consisting in perfect obedience to any law, moral or ceremonial, but on the supposition of their attaining a righteousness of faith; so that they received the promise of the inheritance, not as a debt, but as a free gift. See ver. 16.

2. Το Abraham (n) and to his seed. The disjunctive particle hath here the sense of the copulative, and is so translated in the Syriac version.

3. Heir of the world. By this, Beza and Locke, following the Greek fathers, understand Abraham's being made the father of all believers throughout the world. But they forgot, that the inheritance of the world was promised to Abraham's seed likewise: See Gen. xv. 18. And that in the renewal of the promise, Gen. xvii. 7, 8. some circumstances are added, which shew that although, in its first and literal meaning, the country promised was the earthly Canaan, yet that first and literal meaning, being

12. And the father of THE circumcision, THAT

RIGHTEOUSNESS MIGHT BE

COUNTED (from ver. 11.) to those who ARE not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham, which HE HAD in uncircumcision.

13 (Tag, 91.) Besides, not through A RIGHTEOUSNESS (from the end of the verse), of law, the promise was to Abraham and to his seed,2 that he should be the heir of the world, 3 but through a righteousness of faith.

14 (Tag) For if they WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS bylary ARE heirs, faith is rendered vain, and the promise is made of no effect.

15 (rap, 91.) Farther the law worketh out wrath: (yap, 98.) But where law is not, "THERE no transgression. 1

12 Also the federal head of the circumcised, that is of those who are in the visible church, to assure us that righteousness shall be counted to them, who do not rest contented with being of the visible church only, but who also walk in the footsteps of that faith and obedience which our father Abraham exercised in uncircumcision; that is, while he was no member of God's visible church.

13 Besides, from the scripture, (ver. 3.) it is evident, that not on account of a perfect obedience to any law whatever, the promise was made to Abraham, and to his seed, that he should inherit the world, but on account of a righteousness of faith. How then can the Jews expect to obtain the inheritance of heaven, on account of a righteousness of law?

14 For if they who are righteous by works of law, are heirs of the world, their faith (ver. 11.) is rendered useless, and the promise, by which they become heirs as a matter of favour, is made of no effect :-it does not, in reality, convey that blessing.

15 Farther, instead of conferring a title to the inheritance, the law worketh out punishment, even to the heirs who, by receiving the inheritance as a free gift, are declared to be transgressors of the law written on their hearts; because where law is not, there no transgression is, nor treatment of persons as transgressors.

itself the sign of a higher or second meaning, a better country, even an beavenly, was promised to Abraham and to his seed by faith, under the type of the earthly country. See Rom. ix. 8. note, where the propriety of making the earthly country an emblem of the heavenly, is shewn. See also 2 Pet. iii. 13. note 1.

faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the pro

16 Therefore it is of 16 Δια τουτο εκ πίςεως, ἵνα κατα χαριν, εις το είναι βεβαίαν την επαγγελιαν παντι τῷ σπέρματι, ου τῷ εκ του νομου μόνον, αλλα και τῳ εκ πίςεως Αβρααμ, ός εςι πατηρ πάντων ἡμῶν,

mise might be sure 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 made thee a father of many nations) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those

things which be not as though they were:

17 Καθώς γεγραπται· ὅτι πατερα πολλων εθνών τέθεικα σε,) κατεναντι οὗ επίςευσε,

Θεου του ζωοποιοῦντος τους

νεκρους, και καλούντος τα μη οντα ὡς οντα·

Ver. 14.-1. For if (it ex vous, see Rom. iii 26. note 3.) they who are righte ous by law, are heirs. The propriety of supplying the words who are righteous, is evident from the foregoing verse, and from the nature of the argument, which stands thus: If Abraham and his seed were made heirs of the world through a righteousness of law, their faith is rendered useless in this transaction; and the promise by which they became heirs through favour, had no influence in procuring that blessing, they having merited the inheritance by their works.

Ver. 15.-1. Where no law is, &c. Beza says the reading here ought to be, where law is, there transgression is. But this is an alteration of the text without authority.

Ver. 16.-1. For this reason it is by faith, that it might be by grace. A righteousness of law, being unattainable by men, the inheritance is by a righteousness of faith, and not of law, that, being a free gift, it might be bestowed in the manner and on the persons God saw fit: namely on believers of all nations, whether the objects of their faith be more or less extensive, and whether their good works be more or fewer. For in the faith and works of believers, there must be great differences, according to the mental endowments and outward advantages bestowed on each. In this passage, by the most just reasoning, the apostle hath overthrown the narrow notion of bigots, who confine the mercy of God within the pale of this or that chu ch, and by a noble liberality of sentiment, he hath declared that all who imitate that faith and piety, which Abraham exercised while uncircumcised, shall, like him, obtain the inheritance, through the free favour of God by Jesus Christ.

2. Sure to all the seed; not to that only which is by the law, &c. Here the apostle teaches that Abraham had two kinds of seed; one by natural descent, called bis seed by the law, and another by faith See Gal. iii. 26. note. To the natural seed, the promise of the earthly country, called Canaan,

16 For this reason IT IS

(x, 158.) through faith, that IT MIGHT BE (xaтa by grace, in order that the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only WHICH IS (ex, 161.) by the law, but to that also WHICH IS (Ex, 161.) by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

17 (As it is written, Surely, a father of many nations I have constituted thee') in the presence of him whom he believed, 2 EVEN of God, who maketh alive the dead, 3 and calleth things which exist not as though they existed. 4

16 For this reason, the inheritance is bestowed on account of a righteousness of faith, and not of law, that it might be a free gift, in order that the promise made to Abraham concerning it, might be sure to all his seed; not to that only which is his seed by the law of circumcision, but to that also which is his sced, by possessing the faith of Abraham, who is the federal head of us all who believe, whether we be Jews, or Gentiles, that is, persons not in the visible church of God.

17 (Agreeably to what is written, Gen. xvii. 5. Surely a father of many nations I have constituted thee); which honour of being the father of all believers, Abraham obtained when he stood in the presen e of him whom he believed; even of God, who maketh alive the dead, and speaketh of things in the remotest futurity, which exist not, with as much certainty as if they existed.

was made: but to the seed by faith, the spiritual seed, the promise of an heavenly country, typified by Canaan, was given. And to each, the promise that was made to them is sure.

Ver. 17.-1. As it is written, Surely a father of many nations I have constituted thee. This promise implied, first, That Abraham should be the father of a very numerous natural progeny, who were to be the visible church and people of God, and to whom, as such, the country called Canaan was to be given, with the other blessings mentioned in the covenant, according to their first and literal meaning. Secondly, That Abraham should be the father of all who believe and obey the true God, whatever age or country they may live in; and that such, by virtue of their being counted to Abraham for seed, shall receive all the blessings promised to him and to his seed, by faith. This honour of being constituted the father of all the pious and virtuous men in the world, was far greater than if, like Adam and Noah, Abraham had been the stock from which the whole human race sprang: for it implied, That he was the greatest of believers; and that the title which believers have to the blessings of the covenant, is founded on their being promised to them in the covenant, as his seed.-This being the right interpretation of the promise, Surely a father of many nations I have constituted thee, the apostle's reasonings therefrom, to prove the title of the pious Gentiles to the inheritance, are unanswerable.

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hun

dred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's

womb.

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God:

18 Ὃς παρ' ελπίδα επ' ελπιδι επιςευσεν, εις το γενεσθαι αυτον πατερα πολλων εθνών, κατα το ειρημένον Ούτως εςαι το σπερμα σου.

19 Και μη ασθένησας τη πίζει, ου κατενόησε το ἑαυτου σωμα ηδη νενεκρωμενον, ἑκα τονταετης που υπαρχων, και την νεκρωσιν της μητρας Σαρρας.

20 Εις δε την επαγγελίαν του Θεου ου διεκρίθη τη απιςία, αλλά ενδυναμώθη τη πιςει, δους δοξαν τῷ Θεῷ.

2. In the presence of him whom he believed. Κατεναντι, literally opposite to; but the meaning is, God having constituted Abraham the father of all believers, he is, in the other promises of the covenant, considered by God as their father, and their title to these promises is founded on their relation to Abraham as his seed.

3. Even of God, who maketh alive the dead. For illustrating the greatness of Abraham's faith, and to shew with what propriety he was made the father of all believers, the apostle, in this verse, observes that the principles on which he believed the Lord, were enlarged views of the divine perfections: next, in ver. 18, 19. he takes notice of the circumstances which rendered his faith difficult. Then, in ver. 20. he affirms, that his faith was very strong, being free from all doubts.-Abraham believed that God could make alive his dead body, so as to enable him to beget a son by Sarah, even in the ninetieth year of her age; and that notwithstanding he had had no children by her in the days of their greatest youth and strength. He believed also, that God was able to bring the idolatrous Gentiles to know and worship the true God, in such numbers, as to make Abraham the father of a very numerous spiritual seed: Nay he believed, that although Isaac had been burnt on the altar, God would raise him to life again. Such exalted notions had this chief of believers acquired, of the power and faithfulness of God.-Who maketh alive the dead. This the apostle mentions, to shew that Abraham knew and believed that God would strengthen his and Sarah's dead bodies for procreation, and could speak of Isaac and of Abraham's spiritual seed with as much certainty as if they had all been already existing.

4. And calleth things which exist not, as though they existed. In this expression, perhaps, the apostle insinuated, that Abraham recollected God's having called all things into existence, by saying, Let them be: For the tra