we establish moral obligation-on a new and better footing, for we hold out the most affecting motives to win men to obedience. Compare ch. xiv. 7-9. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. James ii. 12. 22. 26. 1 Pet. iii. 15-18. 2 Pet. i. 5—8. 1 John ii. 1—6. iii. 1-7. Jude 20-23. "The illustration of this assertion the Apostle does not enter upon here, because he intended to handle it at greater length in chapters vi. vii. viii.” Macknight.

CHAPTER IV.

وو

1. What, then-to revert now to the question rís n wpéλeia τñs TERITOμñs; (ch. iii. 1)—shall we say that Abraham our father (from whom we derive the rite of circumcision) gained by being circumcised?—кaтà σáρкa, quoad carnem. Compare 2 Cor. xi. 18. Gal. vi. 12, 13. Phil. iii. 3. For Abraham, I must allow (notwithstanding what was said in ch. iii. 27), if it can be shewn that he was justified by works, has whereof to glory. But, need I say, we do not find it so in his conversation with God (Gen. xv.). For what saith the Scripture? (ibid. ver. 6.) " And Abraham, on his part (d), believed God; and it (that he so believed) was allowed to count unto him for righteousness.' "Here we may observe," says Bp. Terrot, "that siç is never used for avrí; and therefore the for in our version must be understood to indicate that Abraham's faith was instrumental to his justification, not that it was accepted as a substitute for personal righteousness." Eiç dikaιoσúvηy might, indeed, have been rendered towards, or on the score of, righteousness or innocence; and ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ λογίζομαι being here a commercial, as Sikatów a forensic, term), he was credited, or credit was given him. See on ver. 21, and compare Aristoph. Plut. 380: καὶ μὴν φίλως γ ̓ ἄν μοι δοκεῖς νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς τρεῖς μνᾶς ἀναλώσας λογίσασθαι δώδεκα, having expended three minæ, to credit yourself (or debit me) twelve.

4. Now to one that worketh for it his reward is not

ALLOWED as a matter of grace (or favour), but is tantamount to a debt; whereas to one that looketh not for reward on the score of works, but reposeth his trust on Him that of His own free mercy, and on such score as to Him seemeth best, justifieth (or exculpateth) the ungodly, his faith is allowed to count for righteousness. In exact accordance with which is David's description of (even as it is that David describes,) &c. &c.

The emphatic word in ver. 4, as we have endeavoured to set forth in the above translation, is λογίζεται, to which κατὰ Xápiv, in the way of favour, is subjoined to make the Apostle's meaning more clearly understood; whereas with Karà TÒ opɛíλnua, in the form of what is to him a debt (see note on ii. 15), we must slightly vary the meaning of λoyisetaι, or, if we omit the Article (which, Bp. Middleton remarks, "is wanting in a great majority of the MSS.," at the same time confessing that "how it found its way into any, it is not easy to discover"-nor to explain, he might have added, but on the supposition of its genuineness) substitute for it in this clause aπodidorai, by what is called Zeugma. Compare Matth. Gr. Gr. § 634, 3.

6. ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην χωρὶς ἔργων. The meaning of this expression-whether we translate unto whom God imputeth, or whom God credits with, a righteousness (or innocence) that he has not really attained unto (for such is the virtual signification of xwpis epywv)—is sufficiently explained by the convertible terms employed in ver. 8, which we may translate either to whom the Lord shall not impute, or whom the Lord shall not charge with, sinfulness (or guilt). What has been termed "imputed righteousness" is seen from a comparison of these three verses (6, 7, 8) to be neither more nor less than non-imputed guilt. Compare 2 Cor. v. 19. And so Macknight argues: "As it is nowhere said in Scripture that Christ's righteousness was imputed to Abraham, so neither is it said anywhere that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers. In short, the uniform doctrine of the Scripture is, that the believer's faith is counted to him for righteousness by the mere grace or favour of God through

Jesus Christ; that is, on account of what Christ hath done to procure that favour for him. This is very different from the doctrine of those who hold that by having faith imputed, or counted for righteousness, the believer becomes perfectly righteous; whether they mean thereby that faith is itself a perfect righteousness, or that it is the instrument of conveying to the believer the perfect righteousness of another. With respect to the first, it is not true that faith is a perfect righteousness; for, if it were, justification would not be a free gift (ch. iii. 24), but a debt. And with respect to the second supposition, although the perfect righteousness of another were conveyed to a sinner by faith, it would not make him perfectly righteous; because it is beyond the power of Omnipotence itself, by any means whatever, to make a person not to have sinned, who actually hath sinned. And yet, unless this is done, no believer can be perfectly righteous. On account of the perfect righteousness of another, God may indeed treat one as if he were perfectly righteous. But that is all. Nor does the Scripture carry the matter further."

10. οὐκ ἐν περιτομή. “ Abraham was not circumcised until he was ninety-nine and Ishmael thirteen years old; Gen. xvii. 24, 25. But before Ishmael was born, Abraham had his faith counted to him for righteousness; Gen. xv. 6, compared with Gen. xvi. 16. It is evident, therefore, that Abraham was justified in uncircumcision, more than thirteen years before he and his family were made God's visible Church and people by circumcision. Heathens, therefore, who believe and obey the true God as Abraham did, will, like him, have their faith counted to them for righteousness [and so be brought within the pale of Salvation, ED.], though no members of any visible Church. Praised be God for His mercy to Heathens!" Macknight. Add that at a yet earlier period Jehovah had entered into covenant with Abram in Haran, Gen. xii. 1—3, and that the promise was frequently renewed previous to the institution of circumcision.

11. kaì onμetov čλaße περɩToμñs, literally, and he received a sign consisting of, or in the form of, circumcision; that is, and,

as an outward sign or token (compare Gen. ix. 12. Matt. xii. 38. Luke i. 18. John ii. 18. vi. 30) of the covenant which the unseen God had made with him, "for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto him and to his seed after him" (Gen. xvii. 7. 10, 11), he received the mark of circumcision (some MSS. have περiтoμnv), a seal of the righteousness (i. e., to confirm to him God's acceptance) of the faith which he had, when he was yet in his uncircumcised state. "Circumcision," Macknight observes upon this verse, "is called a seal, in allusion to the custom of affixing seals to written covenants to render them firm. God ordered Abraham to put the mark of circumcision on his own body, as God's seal whereby the counting his faith for righteousness, and the constituting him the father of all believers, were confirmed to him. Hence, Gal. iii. 14, faith counted for righteousness is called the blessing of Abraham, and is said to come on the Gentiles through Christ. For the same purpose God ordered all Abraham's male descendants to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth (Gen. xvii. 12). The Israelitish children being thus early initiated into God's covenant, their parents were thereby assured that if, when grown up, they followed Abraham in his faith and obedience, they were, like him, to have their faith counted to them for righteousness, and be entitled to all the blessings of the covenant; or, if they died in infancy, that God would raise them from the dead, to enjoy the heavenly country, of which the earthly was a type. But the covenant with Abraham being in reality the Gospel covenant, set forth in types and figures according to the manner of ancient times, may we not, from the use and efficacy of circumcision, believe that baptism, the rite of initiation into the Christian Church, is, like it, a seal of the Gospel covenant, and a declaration on the part of God that He will count the faith of the baptized person for righteousness? and that, like circumcision, it may be administered to infants, to assure the parents that their future faith shall be counted and rewarded as righteousness; or, if they die in infancy, that they shall be raised to eternal life? In this view the baptism of infants is a reasonable rite, and must afford the greatest consolation to all pious parents."

Ibid. εἰς τὸ εἶναι = ὥστε εἶναι ὡς οι ὅπως ἂν εἴη, that so he might be—as again, εἰς τὸ λογισθῆναι, and εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι, ver. 18, and siç rò ɛivaɩ, ver. 16 (equally well translated to the end that quo esset, as in vi. 12), but ch. i. 20 (eventual, rather than virtual consequence) so that they are—as iva also (according to its frequent use in the Gospels) might have been rendered in ch. iii. 19; so that every mouth is stopped, &c. "Allusion seems to be made to

– πατέρα πάντων τ. π.

the promise in Gen. xvii. 5: a father of many nations have I made thee, which St. Paul takes in a spiritual sense, as if Abraham was to be the father of all persons who resembled him in his faith.” Burton.-Compare Gal. iii. 7: oi èk tíoτεως, οὗτοί εἰσιν υἱοὶ ̓Αβραάμ.

12. And father of circumcision (truly so called ch. ii. 29)— federal head, that is, and representative of the true and spiritual Israel-to those who are not simply men of circumcision (outward in the flesh)-οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, οὗτοι 'Iopanλ, ch. ix. 6-but specially-(so kaì is often used, as in the well known phrase alλws Tε Kaí, to particularise one thing among others)-to those among them who walk, &c.: compare 1 Tim. iv. 10. The Apostle's meaning here would have been more clear, if he had written οὐχ ἅπλως τοῖς ἐκ π., ἀλλὰ κ. τ. λ.

13. διὰ νόμου. Connect these words with τὸ κληρονόμον εἶναι, interpret them by the opposite phrase διὰ δικαιοσύνης TίOTεws, and translate: For not by any legal righteousness was it promised to Abraham (Gen. xvii.8), or to his seed (Gen. xv.18), that he, and they as his seed (Gal. iii. 16), should HEIR AN UNIVERSAL DOMINION (Heb. i. 2. Gal. iv. 1. 1 Cor. iii. 22), but by a righteousness of faith. "The promise 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 God's free gift: see ver. 16." Macknight. κληρονόμον τοῦ κόσμου, heir of the

Hebrew means, the land or region.

world-or, as the "This part of the