trine, with one accord, of all the holy men who spake of old, as the Spi- rit gave them utterance. This being the case, how utterly preposterous and wicked the attempt to confine the offers of salvation to the Jewish people, or to question the necessity of the extension of the gospel through the whole world. Thus naturally and beautifully does the apostle pass from the nature of the plan of mercy, and its suitableness to all men, to the subject principally in view, the calling of the Gentiles, or the duty of preaching the gospel to all people.
(14, 15) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not be- lieved P and hoiv shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? &c. &c. Paul considered it as involved in what he had already said, and especially in the predictions of the ancient prophets, that it was the will of God that all men should call upon him. This being the case, he argues to prove that it was his will that the gospel should be preached to all. As invocation implies faith, as faith implies knowledge, know- ledge instruction, and instruction an instructor, so it is plain that if God would have all men to call upon him, he designed preachers to be sent to all, whose proclamation of mercy being heard, might be believed, and being believed might lead men to call on him and be saved. This is agreeable to the prediction of Isaiah, who foretold that the advent of the preachers of the gospel should be hailed with great and universal joy. According to this, which is the common and most natural view of the passage, it is an argument founded on the principle that, if God wills the end, he wills also the means ; if he would have the Gentiles saved, ac- cording to the predictions of his prophets, he would have the gospel preached to them.
(15) As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. The word here rendered preach the gospel, is the same as that immediately after- wards translated bring glad tidings. The word gospel, therefore, must be taken in its original meaning, good news, the good news of peace. The passage in Isa. 52 : 7, which the apostle faithfully, as to the mean- ing, follows, has reference to the Messiah's kingdom. It is one of those numerous prophetic declarations which announce in general terms the coming deliverance of the church, a deliverance which embraced, as the first stage of its accomplishment, the restoration from the Babylonish captivity. This, however, so far from being the blessing principally intended, derived all its value from being introductory to that more glo- rious deliverance to be effected by the Redeemer. How beautiful the feet of course means, how delightful the approach. The bearing of this passage on the object of the apostle is sufficiently obvious. He had proved that the gospel should be preached to all men, and refers to the declaration of the ancient prophet, which spoke of the joy with which the advent of the messengers of mercy should be hailed.
(16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah saith. Lord, tvho hath believed our report ? This is a difficult verse, as it is not easy