having laid aside all other cares. For the apostle might often have a sudden ejaculation, without remembering the Romans; but whenever with an express intention, and deep meditation, he prayed to God, his attention was directed to the Romans among others. He, therefore, particularly speaks of prayers, to which saints devote themselves with determined purpose, as we see the Lord himself seeking a place of retirement for such an object. The frequency, or rather the continuance of his habit of praying, is intimated by his saying, that he devoted himself to prayer without ceasing.

Making request, if by any means-Because it is not probable we shall, from our heart, study to promote the welfare of that person whom we are not prepared to assist by our labour, he now adds, that he is ready to testify, in the presence of God, his love by another argument, namely, by requesting to be of use to them. The full sense of the passage will appear by supplying also, and reading as follows: "Making also request, if by any means I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God;" and he thus declared, that he not only expects prosperity in his journey by the grace of God, but he makes the success of his journey to depend on the encouragement and approbation of the Lord. All our wishes ought to be ordered according to this rule.

For I long to see you-He could, although absent, confirm their faith by his doctrine; but a plan is always best formed when people are present; he was, therefore, desirous to see them. He explains, also, his design in undertaking the trouble of such a journey to have been, not his own, but their advantage. By spiritual gifts, he means the powers he possessed either of teaching, or of exhortation, or of prophecy, which he knew he had acquired from the

grace of God. He hath well marked the lawful use of these gifts by the word impart; for different gifts are, therefore, peculiarly conferred upon each, that all may kindly contribute to mutual welfare, and convey to one another the powers which each individually possesses. (Rom. xii. 3; 1 Cor. xii. 11.)

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To the end you may be established-He modifies his remarks on communication, lest he should appear to consider them as not yet properly initiated into Christ, and as characters who had not yet learned the first elements of the gospel. He says, therefore, that he was chiefly desirous to afford them his assistance on that point, where such as have made the greatest progress still require aid; for we all want to be strengthened, until we have attained the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.' (Eph. iv. 13.) And not satisfied with this proof of his modesty, he corrects his remark by showing that he does not usurp the office of teacher without a desire to receive mutual instruction from them; as if he had said, I am desirous to confirm you according to the measure of grace conferred upon myself, that I may receive from your example a new accession to the alacrity of my faith, by which we may mutually profit each other. See how great moderation appears to reside in his pious breast, since he does not refuse to seek confirmation from ignorant learners. Nor does he state this merely in a dissembling manner, for there is none, however weak, in the church of Christ, who cannot be of some use for our advance in grace, but malignity and pride prevent us from deriving such fruit by mutual and reciprocal instructions. Such is the nature of our pride, such the inebriating effect of our foolish boasting, that each of us, while he despises and bids adieu to others, considers he has a sufficient abundance in himself. I translate the Greek word,

with Bucer, exhortation, rather than consolation, since it agrees better with the context.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Now I would not have you ignorant-He now confirms the testimony he had given of his constant supplication to God to allow him on some occasion to visit them, since it might have appeared a vain profession if he had neglected to embrace the opportunities which presented themselves. For he says the power was wanting, not the endeavour, having frequently been prevented from his intended purpose of visiting the churches at Rome. We hence learn that the Lord frequently overthrows the plans of his saints with a view to humble them, and, by such a state of humiliation, to keep their minds constantly exercised in looking to his providence, on which they are thus taught to depend, although their plans, in a proper sense, are not frustrated, because they enter into no deliberations without the will of God. For it is the daring attempt of impiety to determine on future plans without consulting God, as if they could be regulated by our power, which conduct St. James (chap. iv. 13) severely reproves. Paul means, when he says he had been hitherto hindered, that the Lord imposed upon him the transaction of more urgent business, which he could not omit without injury to the church. The impediments of

believers and unbelievers differ, for the latter feel themselves hindered when they are unable to move from the violent hand of the Lord, and the former are satisfied to be prevented by some lawful reason, and allow themselves to attempt nothing either besides their duty, or contrary to edification.

That I might have some fruit-He speaks of the fruit, which the apostles were sent by the Lord to collect: "I have chosen you, that you may go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit may remain." (John xv. 10.) He calls the fruit his own, which he collected for the Lord, not himself, because nothing is more the property of the pious than any event which promotes the glory of God, with which all their happiness is united. He states also, that this had befallen him among other nations, for the purpose of inspiring the Romans with a hope of his arrival not being useless, which had been attended with advantage among so many of the Gentiles.

To the Greeks and Barbarians, the wise, &c.-The epithets wise and unwise, explain the meaning of Greek and Barbarian, and I retain the words of the apostle, without blaming Erasmus, who translates them learned and ignorant. Paul draws an argument, therefore, from his office, to show that he must not be blamed for arrogance, because he hoped to be of some use in teaching the Romans, however much they excelled both in learning and prudence and skill, since God had determined to make him debtor also to the wise. Two things are here to be considered, first, that a heavenly command has destined and offered the gospel to the wise, by which the Lord may subject all the wisdom and all the ingenuity of the world to himself, and make every kind of science, and the sublimity of all the arts, yield to the simplicity of his doctrine; especially, because the learned are reduced into disci

pline with the ignorant, and become so tame as to endure those characters to be schoolfellows under Christ their Master, whom they would not before have deigned to receive as scholars. In the second place, the ignorant ought not by any means to be debarred from this school, or the learned to avoid it with a vain fear; for if Paul was a debtor to the poor, and is to be considered in debt to the very best faith, he truly paid what he owed. They will, therefore, in this instance, find what they shall be capable of enjoying. All teachers have here a rule to follow, namely, to order themselves, in a modest and kind manner, to the ignorant and illiterate. By such a plan they will quietly endure much absurd conduct, and patiently bear with innumerable instances of pride, by which they might, without such a lesson, have been overcome. It is, however, their duty to remember that they are laid under such obligations to the foolish, as not by immoderate indulgence to cherish their folly.

So, as much as in me is-He concludes what he had hitherto said of his own desire to go to Rome; and since it seemed to be a part of his duty to spread the gospel among them, with a view to collect fruit to the Lord, he manifests his earnest wish to satisfy the call of God, as far as he was permitted-by the Lord.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

I am not ashamed-He here prevents and answers