which God had promised by his prophets in the holy scriptures,

whom God had ordained, thro' faith, to be the propitiatory victim by his blood, for the manifestation of his goodness, by patiently passing over their past transgressions: to manifest,

for if Abraham was justified by works, he had matter of pretension, whereas he had no such claim from God.

and the father of the circumcised, that is of those who are not barely circumcised, but who imitate that faith which our father Abraham had, being yet uncircumcised.

because the effect of the law is punishment: for if there had been no law, there could have been no transgression.

by the full persuasion he had, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned by violating a positive law, as did Adam, who is

what benefit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? since they terminated all in death.

Do we then conclude, that the law is the cause of sin? by no means; but I should not have had such a notion of sin, had it not been for the law: for I should not have known concupiscence was a sin, unless the law had said, "thou shalt not covet."

who are Israelites; who had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the form of divine worship, and the promises;

for before they were born, and had done neither good or evil, that the distinction which God had purposed to make might appear to be, not in consideration of their actions, but of his own free call,

if the divine Being has patiently bore with those objects of his displeasure, that had been working out their own destruction, why may he not reveal himself to make them feel his vindictive power,

and display his infinite goodness to such objects of mercy, as he had prepared for glory?

and as Esaias said before, "except the God of heaven had left us a remnant, we had been as Sodoma, and brought to the state of Gomorrha."

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."

but now there being no further occasion for me in these parts, and having had a great desire these many years to visit you;