24 Loving you affectionately, I give you my apoftolical benediction a fecond time, (fee ver. 20.) The favour of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Amen.

25 Now to him, who is able to ftablish you in the belief that by faith and not by the law, the Gentiles fhall be faved, according to my gofpel and the preaching concerning Jefus Chrift by all the apoftles, according to the revelation of the mystery to them, which, though contained in the covenant with Abraham, was kept fecret, in the time of the Mofaic dif penfation,

myfteries, it had hitherto been kept fecret. See the next note, and Ephef. i. 9 note.

3. Which hath been kept fecret in the times of the ages, that is, during the difpenfation of the law of Mofes, which, as Locke obferves, is called alwy, the age, Luke i. 70. Acts iii. 22. and go aw», 2 Tim. i. 9. Tit. i. 2. and in this verse, xgorous aluvios, because under the law, time was measured by aves, ages or jubilees. Hence God is called the Rock of ages, in the fame fenfe that he is called the Rock of Ifrael. He was the ftrength and fupport of the people who lived under the ages, or Mofaic difpenfation. Farther, the fame author obferves, that the reception of the Gentiles into the visible church of God, could not be called a mystery or fecret, till there was a church erected, confifting of Abraham and his pofterity, into which they could be received. For till then, there were no fuch names of diftinction known among mankind as Jew and Gentile, to denote those who were in or out of the visible church. Hence the propriety of the expreffion, kept fecret in the times of the ages. It is true, in the covenant by which God feparated Abraham and his pofterity from the reft of mankind, and made them his vifible church and people, the calling of the nations to be the people of God, was promifed under the idea of bleffing them in Abraham's feed. Alfo it was predicted by the Jewish prophets, as the apoftle hath fhewn in the preceding chapters. But, as not the leaft intimation was given, either in the covenant, or by the prophets, of the condition on which the Gentiles were to be received as the people of God, it never entered into the mind of the Jews, that they could become the people of God any other way than by circumcifion and obedience to the law of Mofes. Their attaining that honour, therefore, together with juftification and eternal life, merely by faith, is the great fecret, faid in this verfe to be kept hid during the times of the ages, or Mofaical difpenfation; but which (ver. 26.)

was

26 But now is made ma- 26 Φανερωθεντα σε nifeft, and by the fcriptures δια τε γράφων προφητικών.

of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlafting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith)

27 To God only wife, be

κατ' επιταγην

£8, εις υπακοην πιςεως εις παντα τα έθνη γνωρισθεν

τος,

27 Μονῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ, δια glory through Jefus Chrift Ιησε Χρισε, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εις τες

for ever.

Amen,

αιώνας.

Αμην.

was made manifeft to the apostles by revelation, in order to be preached to all the Gentiles, according to the commandment of the everlafting God, recorded in the writings of the Jewish prophets Others tranflate χρονοις αιωνροις σεσιγημένες, Κept fecret in ancient times. But this makes no difference in the fenfe. See Tit. i. 2. note 2.

Ver. 27.1. To the wife God alone, through Jefus Chrift. This, I think, is the true tranflation of pov cop w, both here, and in the doxologies, 1 Tim. i. 17. Jude, ver. 25. For if the translation were to run in the following manner, to the only wife God, it would imply, that there are fome Gods who are not wife. On the other hand, if we render the claufe thus, To God, only wife, the reader might be apt, to think, that God hath no perfection but wisdom. The tranflation which I have given above, clearly expreffes the apoftle's meaning, which is that glory ought to be afcribed to God alone in the highest degree: or, that God alone, is entitled thereto in and of himself. Whereas all others, to whom glory is due, derive their title to it, from the perfection which he has communicated to them, or the authority which he has bestowed on them.

2. I say,

26 But is now fully published to the world, by the preaching of the gofpel; and according to the commandment of the eternal and unchageable God, contained in the prophetic writings of the Jews, is made known to all the Gentiles, in order to produce in them, the obedience of faith,

27 To the wife God alone, who poffeffes all perfection in and of himself, through the illumination of Jefus Chrift, I fay with understanding, to him be the glory of the falvation of the world afcribed for ever. And for the truth of all that I have written, I appeal to God, by faying Amen to the whole.

2. I fay, to him be the glory for ever. “Ω ή δόξη. Here the relative "W's is put for auTW, to him. See Epef. iii. 21. unlefs, with our tranflators, we think it a pleonafm, or adopt the reading of fome printed editions, in which is omitted.

THUS endeth the apostle Paul's Epiftle to the Romans; a wrifing, which, for fublimity and truth of fentiment, for brevity and strength of expreffion, for regularity in its structure, but above all for the unfpeakable importance of the discoveries which it contains, ftands unrivalled by any mere human compofition, and as far exceeds the most celebrated productions of the learned Greeks and Romans, as the fhining of the fun exceedeth the twinkling of the stars.

Strahan and Prefton, Prin ters-Street, London.

END OF VOL. I.

WORKS printed for LONGMAN, HURST, REES, and ORME, Paternofter Row.

1.

THE POWER OF RELIGION ON THE MIND, in Retirement, Affliction, and at the Approach of Death. Exemplified in the Teftimonies and Experience of Perfons, diftinguished by their Greatness, Learning, or Virtue. By LIND LEY MURRAY. The 10th Edition, corrected, and greatly enlarged. 3s. 6d. bound.

"It is a book which may be read with profit, by persons in all fituations; and, with the rifing generation, it may anfwer, the double purpose of improving them in biography and in virtue."

MONTHLY REV. Aug. 1801. "We have had frequent occafion to speak of the diligence, good fenfe, and good intentions of Mr. Murray; and we congratulate him fincerely on the fuccefs of this particular work."

BRITISH CRITIC, July 1801. "This work has been long and juftly admired; and, in its prefent enlarged state, forms, in our opinion, one of the best books that can be put into the hands of young people."

GUARDIAN OF EDUCATION, Aug. 1801. 11.

LE POUVOIR DE LA RELIGION SUR L'ESPRIT, dans la Retraite, l'Affliction, et aux Approches de la Mort; demontre par les Actions, les Sentimens, et la Conduite, des Perfonnes illuftres par leur Rang, leur Savoir, et leurs Vertus. Traduit de l'Anglaife, de la dixieme Edition de LINDLEY MUKRAY, par L. R. LAFAYE. Price 4s. bound.

III.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; comprising a fummary Chronological and Geographical View of the Events recorded refpecting the Ministry of Our Saviour; with Questions for Examination, and an accented Index, principally defigned for the Use of Young Perfons, and for the Sunday Employment of Schools. By LANT CARPENTER. In 1 vol. 12mo. illustrated with maps. Price 5s. boards.

IV.

LETTERS TO DISSENTING MINISTERS, and to STUDENTS for the MINISTRY, from the Rev. Mr. Joв ORTON, transcribed from his original Short-hand, with Notes Explanatory and Biographical. By S. PALMER. In 2 vols. 12mo. Price 8s. in boards.

"We have no hesitation in saying, that Mr. Palmer has performed an acceptable service in compiling this collection of Letters. They may be read both with pleasure and profit by perfons of all denominations, and, more particularly, both by Diffenting Minifters, and thofe alfo of the Eftablished Church.” CRITICAL REVIEW, July 1806.