However, the divine promise cannot but have its effect. for they are not the whole of Israel, who are descended from Israel:

that is, the children by natural descent are not thereby the children of God: but the children of the promise are alone considered as his posterity.

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,

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

is not the potter the master of his own clay, of the same mass to make one vessel for use and ornament, and another for a meaner purpose?

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,

as he saith himself in Osee, "I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her, beloved, which was not beloved.

and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called, the children of the living God."

What shall we hence conclude? that the Gentiles who sought not after justice, have obtained justice, even to that which is by faith:

but Israel, who followed the law of justice, hath not attained to the law of justice.

why? because they sought it not by faith, but indeed by the works of the law: for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone;

as it is written, "behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence: and whosoever believeth in him, shall not be ashamed."

for I bear them witness, that they have a zeal for God, but not guided by true knowledge.

because being ignorant of the justice which is of God, and going about to establish a justification of their own, they have not submitted themselves to that which is of God.

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?

for the scripture saith, "whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed."

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?

but all do not obey the gospel. for Esaias saith, "Lord, who hath believed our report?"

I reply, have they not heard? on the contrary, "their voice spread thro' all the earth, and their words to the remotest inhabitants thereof ."

but still I ask, did not Israel know this? first, Moses saith, "I will provoke you to jealousy, by those that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you."

but Esaias is more express, and says, "I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest to them that asked not after me.

God hath not discarded his people whom he formerly approv'd. don't you know what the scripture says of Elias? how he complain'd to God against Israel,

but what said the oracle to him? "I have reserved to my self seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

and if it be by favour, it is not upon the account of merit. for then mercy would not be mercy.

"What then, hath not Israel obtained what he sought for?" no, but the chosen remnant have obtained it, and the rest are obdurate to this day,

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."

don't triumph over the branches: or if you do, remember the root is not dependent upon you, but you upon the root.

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,

lest God should not spare you, since he did not spare even the natural branches.

I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this secret, (for fear you should presume too much on your selves) that blindness has fallen upon a part of Israel, until the time when the Gentiles shall be fully come in.

as you in times past did not obey God, yet have now obtained mercy upon the occasion of their disobedience:

and be not conformed to the present age: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may perceive what God requires of you is good, and acceptable, and perfect.

Now it is by virtue of my apostolical commission, that I charge every man among you, not to entertain too high an opinion of himself; but modestly consider, that 'tis God who has dealt to every man his proportion of spiritual gifts.

for as there are many members in one and the same body, but all the members have not the same office:

in business be not slothful, but of an active mind, making the best use of every incident.

bless them, but curse not. rejoice with those that do rejoice, and weep with those that weep.

have the same respect for one another. let not your behaviour be haughty, but soften'd to the condition of those below you. be not wise in your own conceits.

Render no man evil for evil. mind such things as are approved not only by God, but by men.

dear brethren, avenge not yourselves, but leave that to the resentment of another: for it is written, "vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.

rulers are not a terror to virtue, but to vice. would you then live without any dread of the civil power? do what is right, and you shall have his commendation.

for his administration is appointed by God for your good. but if you do wrong, you have reason to be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain: he being the minister of God, to execute punishment upon malefactors.

wherefore you ought to submit not only from an apprehension of punishment, but

loves others hath fulfilled the law. for this, "thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet;" and whatever social precept there be, it is reduced to this single head,

the night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore throw off the habits of darkness, and be invested with the ornaments of light.

let us behave with decency as in open view; not with rioting and drunkenness, not with lewdness and brutality, not with strife and envy.

let not him that eateth, despise him that does not; and let not him that refrains, pass censure on him that eateth: for God hath received him.

he that observes a day, and he that obobserves it not, act both from a sense of duty. he that eats, consisiders it as the bounty of his Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that forbeareth to eat, considers his forbearance as enjoined by his Lord, and giveth God thanks for the rest.

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.

for the gospel dispensation does not consist in meats and drinks, but in piety and peace, and spiritual joy.

do not for such a thing as meat, pull down what God has been raising. all things indeed are pure; but they become evil to him who by eating giveth offence.

I add, we that are better inform'd ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not study our own pleasure.

for even Christ did not consult his own satisfaction; but as it is written, "the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me."

for I will not offer to mention any thing, but what Christ has wrought by me, to make the Gentiles christians, both in profession and practice:

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

who have for my life readily exposed their own: to whom not only I, but all the churches of the Gentiles too give thanks.

for such as these serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own selfishness; and by flourish and flattery, deceive the open-hearted simple.

for Christ did not send me to baptize: but to preach the gospel: tho' not with the preaching of the wise, lest the cross of Christ should have been hinder'd in its efficacy.

where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputant of this age? has not God prov'd the wisdom of this world to be downright folly.

for whereas the world, with all their learning, did not distinguish the characters of his divine wisdom, in his works, it pleased God to save those who believe, by preaching, which they counted folly.

for consider, brethren, that not many worldly wise, not many men of power, not many men of birth are among you that are called.

As for me, my brethren, when I appear'd among you, it was not to represent to you the divine mystery in sublime language, and with human literature.

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

my discourse, and my preaching did not consist in the persuasive reasonings of human wisdom, but in demonstrating the spiritual meaning of the scriptures:

that your faith might not be owing to human wisdom, but to the divine influence.

However, what we preach is wisdom, to those who are thoroughly instructed: yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who will soon come to nothing.

which none of the rulers of this age understood: for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

but, as it is written, "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

now the spirit which we have received, is not the spirit of this world, but that which comes from God; that we might know what he has graciously bestowed upon us.

this is what we declare, not in the words which human wisdom, but which the holy spirit dictates; explaining spiritual things in a spiritual language.

but the animal man does not receive the effusions of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

but they are all expos'd to the judgment of the spiritual, whilst he himself is not subject to the judgment of any man.

for how can he, that does not know the mind of the Lord, instruct another? but as for us, we are acquainted with the mind of the Lord.

However, I could not speak to you, my brethren, as to the spiritual, or as to the dispassionate, but as to novices in christianity.

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, nor have you yet sufficient strength.

for you are still subject to your passions. since envy, and strife, and divisions are among you, are you not actuated by the vices of the animal part?

while one cries I am Paul's disciple, and another, I am Apollo's, are ye not vicious?

as for me, it is a matter of no great concern that I should be called to account by you, or any human authority; not that I am my own judge;

(for though I am not conscious to my self of any unfaithfulness, yet am I not hereby absolved:) but he that is my supreme judge, is the Lord.

These things, my brethren, I have represented to you in my own person, and that of Apollos, out of respect to you: to show you how to moderate your esteem by the rule prescrib'd, that you may not be transported in favour of one rather than another.

for who has distinguish'd thee above another? or what have you, that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?

Some make their boast as if I would not come to you.

but if the Lord pleases, I will visit you very soon; and then I shall try, not what these boasters can say, but what they can do:

for the gospel dispensation does not consist in talk, but in power.

we have it from all quarters, that incest is practis'd among you, and such as is not among the Gentiles, that of a man's having his father's wife.

therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with unaffected sincerity and truth.

When I formerly writ to you, not to keep company with the vicious:

I did not mean the vicious Gentiles, the misers, the raparees, or with idolaters; for then you must have gone out of the world.

but my meaning was, not to keep company with any christian known to be vicious, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, no not even to eat with such a one.

for what have I to do to judge those who are without the church; but are not you to judge those that are within?

When any controversy arises among you, will any one presume to appeal to the Gentiles, and not to Christians?

don't you know that these are to judge the world? if the world is to be judg'd by you, are not you qualify'd to decide your petty causes?

what, is there not a man of experience amongst you, capable of being arbitrator between his brethren?

beside, you are absolutely in the wrong in going to law with one another at all: why don't you rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer loss?

Know you not that the unjust shall not inherit the kingdom of God? be not deceived: neither the licentious, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor the brutal,

Are all things lawful for me? however, all things are not expedient: are all things lawful for me? however, I will not be a slave to any.

"meat is design'd for the belly, and the belly for meat:" true, yet God has design'd both for destruction. now the body is not design'd for licentiousness, but for the glory of the Lord; since the Lord died for the glorification of the body:

what! know ye not that your bodies are the temple of the holy spirit, which is in you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Now as to the question you writ to me about; "whether it is best for a man not to marry?"