which he had promised before by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

What advantage then shall we say that Abraham our father had as to the flesh?

For what saith the scripture? "Abraham had faith in God, and it was accounted unto him as righteousness."

And he received the outward sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all the uncircumcised who have faith, so that righteousness might be put to their account also;

and that he might be the father of the circumcised, who are not circumcised merely, but who tread in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had while yet uncircumcised.

For he had confident hope in that which was past hope, that he should become a father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, "Thus shall thy offspring be;"

and not being weak in faith, he regarded not his own body which had become dead, he being about a hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarahs womb;

through whom also we have had admission into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory which God will confer.

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the manner in which Adam transgressed; who is a type of him who was to come.

What fruit then had ye at that time from those things of which ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? God forbid! But I should not have known sin, except by the Law; for I should not have known sinful desire, unless the Law had said, "Thou shalt not covet."

And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived by one man, our father Isaac,

before the children were born, or had done any thing good or evil, to the end that Gods purpose according to election might stand, not depending on works, but on the will of him that calleth,

purposing also to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory,

And as Isaiah hath said before, "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we should have become as Sodom, and been made like Gomorrah."

But I say, Hath not Israel had knowledge? First, Moses saith, "I will move you to jealousy by that which is no nation, I will excite you to indignation by a foolish people."

but always earnestly desirous to preach it in this manner,not where Christ had been named, that I might not build on anothers foundation,

But now having no more opportunity in these regions, and having had for many years a great desire to come to you,