if it be God's will, that I might now at length have the happiness of coming to you.

for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, in order to establish you:

so, that as far as it depends upon me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also, who are at Rome.

for ever since the creation of the world, his eternal power and divinity, things in themselves invisible, are clearly seen, being perceived by the things that are made; so that they are without excuse:

wherefore God abandon'd them to the impure passions of their own hearts, so that they themselves dishonour'd their own bodies;

but it is the Jew, who is so inwardly, and it is the circumcision of the heart, according to the spiritual, not the literal sense, which have the approbation, I do not say of men, but of God.

but say you, "if our unfaithfulness displays the veracity of God, what shall we say? is it not injustice in God to inflict punishment?"

"but, say you, if the veracity of God hath appeared more illustrious thro' my unfaithfulness, why then am I condemned as a sinner?

I say, his goodness at this time: that he might appear to be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.

Is this happiness then for the circumcised only, or for the uncircumcised also? for we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

he it was who against hope believed in hope, that he should become the father of many nations, according to what was told him, "so shall thy posterity be:"

far from being weak in faith, unconcern'd at his own bodily decay, being then about an hundred years old, and at Sarah's incapacity of child-bearing,

and not only so, but we triumph in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, probation;

and not only so, but we have present joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now obtained the reconciliation.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, so death by this sin; and thereby death passed upon all men, who all by his means became mortal.

Therefore as by one offence all men fell under condemnation: even so by one act of righteousness, all men are restored to life.

for as by one man's disobedience many receiv'd the punishment of sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many receive the reward of the righteous.

the law was introduc'd, that the greatness of the fall might fully appear; but the more sin display'd its enormity, the divine favour was so much the more transcendent.

that as sin prevailed unto death, even so might the divine favour prevail by righteousness unto eternal life, thro' Jesus Christ our Lord.

therefore we are buried with him by being plunged into a sort of death: that as Christ was raised up from the dead into a state of glory with the father, even so we also should proceed to a new state of life.

for if we resembled him with regard to death, certainly we shall likewise do so with regard to his resurrection:

wherefore she will be reputed an adulteress if she become another man's during her husband's life: but if her husband dies, she is clear from that law, from the imputation of being an adulteress, though she become another man's.

was it then good that brought death upon me? no, but it was sin, that sin might show it self by being able to bring death upon me by means of that which is good; that sin, I say, by the commandment might appear to be exceedingly destructive.

the divine grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. so then, with the mind I my self am devoted to the law of God; tho' my carnal inclinations are enslaved to the law of sin.

so that the moral obligations of the law might be fulfilled by us, in living according to the spiritual, and not the carnal tenor thereof:

so that they who are in a carnal state, cannot be acceptable to the divine being. as for you,

who shall plead against God's elect? shall God who justifieth them?

I call Christ, and the holy spirit to witness with my conscience, that I speak the truth without guile, when I say,

What do we say then? is there injustice in God?

so that this is a matter not dependent on him that wills or runs, but on God, who shews mercy.

nay, but, O man, who art thou, to raise a dust against heaven? shall the pitcher say to him that formed it, "why hast thou made me thus?"

Esaias also breaks out concerning Israel, " tho' the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant only shall be saved.

but the justification which is by faith, speaks in this manner; "say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven, in order to bring Christ down from above?

what does it say "more? the word is nigh thee, let it be in thy mouth and in thy heart:" that is the word of faith which we preach.

But how, say you, shall they call on him on whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

You will say then, hath God discarded his people? by no means. for I my self am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

as it is written, "God hath given them up to a state of insensibility, so that their eyes could not see, and their ears could not hear."

let their eyes be darkned, so as not to see, and let their back be continually bowed down."

You will say then, "were they suffer'd to stumble meerly for their ruin?" no: but that thro' their fall, salvation might be offer'd to the Gentiles, in order to provoke their emulation.

now if their fall be to the advancement of the world, and the few converts among them bring in whole numbers of the Gentiles: how much more so will it be, when the Jewish body recover?

Now if the first-fruits be holy, so is the whole product: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

you will say then, "the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear,

so the Jews are at present incredulous, by reason of the mercy shown to you; so that they themselves are now to be pitied.

so we who are many, make all but one body in Christ, and every member subservient to one another.

therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head .

so that he who opposes the ruler, disobeys the orders of God: and will be punished too for resisting, by those very powers.

for one makes no difficulty of eating all sorts of food: another is so scrupulous, he lives upon herbs.

if we live, our life is appropriated to the Lord; and if we die, we die as his servants: whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

let us not judge one another any more: but rather come to this determination, not to put a stumbling-block, or any thing in a brother's way, that may make him fall.

I know, being fully assured by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: it is only so to him that thinks it is unclean.

by virtue of the miracles and prodigies wrought by the power of the divine spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and the neighbouring country, quite to Illyricum,

I have effectually preached the gospel of Christ: yet so as studiously to avoid preaching it where Christ was owned, lest I should build upon another man's foundation; for,

as it is written, "they to whom he was not mentioned, shall see: and they that have not heard, shall understand."

when I take my journey into Spain, I hope to see you in my way, and be forwarded by you to that place, after having for some time enjoy'd the pleasure of your company.

they have thought fit, I say, and they owed them as much. for if the Gentiles have participated of their spirituals, they are bound on their side to minister to them in their temporals.

I recommend to you Phebe our sister, who is a deaconess of the church at Kenchrea; receive her for Christ's sake,

to God, I say, who is only wise, be glory thro' Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.