ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, Eph. iv. 7-12. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. ii. 3. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, 9. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow, 1 Pet. i. 11.

b Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it, Zech. iv. 7. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath, Matt. xiii. 12. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Rom. v. 2. For if by one man's of fence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ, 17. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, 20. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, Eph. i. 6, 7. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; (by grace ye are saved ;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath be

A. D. 26.

fore ordained that we should walk in them, ii. 5-10. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, iv. 7. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied, 1 Pet. i. 2.

VER. 17.

Ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωσέως ἐδόθη· ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.

b

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

a Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust, John v. 45. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is, ix. 29. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us, Acts vii. 38. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening, xxviii. 23. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin, Rom. iii. 19, 20. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord, v. 20, 21. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glori

ous? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth, 2 Cor. iii. 7-10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, Gal. iii. 10-13. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect, 17. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end, Heb. iii. 5, 6. But finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their

A. D. 26.

iniquities will I remember no more, viii. 8-12.

b Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me, John xiv. 6. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, Gen. iii. 15. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice, xxii. 18. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other, Psal. Ixxxv. 10. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face, lxxxix. 14. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God, xcviii. 3. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old, Mic. vii. 20. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy. As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever, Luke i. 54, 55. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the

:

A. D. 26.

way of peace, 68-79. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses, Acts xiii. 34-39. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God, Rom. iii. 21-26. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles with his people. And again, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust, xv. 8--12. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us, 2 Cor. i. 20. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission, Heb. ix. 22. For it is not possible

A. D. 26. that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume

the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burntofferings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, x. 4-10. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect, xi. 39, 40. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And, hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth, Rev. v. 8-10. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are