---

1. Paul prevents an objection to that which was said concerning the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, that it was of God. As if some Jew should say, No, Paul, God never sent you to preach to them, for if He had He would have sent you first to us, and have blessed your labours; but the greater part obey you not, either of Jews or Gentiles. This Paul answers by a concession, with a correction annexed, as if he should say, Indeed all do not obey the gospel, yet you Jews are not to be offended, because, as our sending was foretold, so your and their incredulity; and the small fruit and effect was foretold also.

2. All have not obeyed, i.e., believed. So called because obedience is an inseparable effect of faith. So we say of the trees in our orchards, this is a pear, that a plum, when they are the trees that bear such fruit; so faith is the tree that bears the fruit of obedience. The obedience of faith is twofold. First, of reason, when it gives place and way to the gospel, though it conceive it not. For the gospel goes beyond reason, as in the point of the Trinity, incarnation of Christ, justification of a sinner before God, resurrection, etc. Abraham believed (2 Corinthians 10:5) above or against reason, and the gospel is said to bring into subjection our reason. That of works is when we observe the law, for faith worketh by love (Galatians 5:6), and is to be shown by our works.

3. When the gospel is preached all are not converted by it and believe it (John 3:32; John 12:37; Matthew 20:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:2).

I. FAITH IS CALLED OBEDIENCE. Obey thou in life, and make thy reason obey. No man standing on his own reason ever believed; an unsanctified wit is a great hindrance of faith. The greatest philosophers (Acts 17:18) most resisted Paul, as our greatest politicians most scoff at preaching of the Word.

II. ALL ARE BOUND TO HEAR, AND NOTHING SO WORTHY TO BE HEARD AS THE GOSPEL. Let us say of hearing, as Paul speaks of knowing it, viz., that he esteemed to know nothing besides (1 Corinthians 2:2). The nurse's song doth not so quiet the babe as the preaching of the gospel the conscience. It is the hand of God offering us forgiveness of sins. He, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear. If thou wilt not now hear that which may profit thee, thou shalt hear one day that which will make thy heart to ache, even this, "Go, you cursed," etc.

III. MINISTERS MUST BE AFFECTED AND GRIEVE WHEN THEY SEE THE COMPANY OF REVERENT HEARERS SO THIN, AND THEIR LABOURS SO FRUITLESS. The prophet here complains of this; so Christ groans for the hardness of the people's hearts, and weeps over the stubbornness of Jerusalem. The shrewdest turn to be done to a minister is to deprive him of the joy of his labours, and the way to rejoice them is to embrace the gospel they preach.

IV. ISAIAH AND PAUL GAVE NOT OVER, THOUGH THEY HAD CAUSE TO COMPLAIN. As the physician omits no point of his art, though the recovery of his patient be desperate, so, though we preach to many desperate and scoffing hearers, we must not give over, but rather use the more diligence.

V. ALTHOUGH FAITH CANNOT BE WITHOUT PREACHING GOING BEFORE IT, YET PREACHING MAY BE WITHOUT FAITH FOLLOWING IT. As that which is to be known may be without the knowledge of it. There are two things required to faith: the determination of that which is to be believed, and the inclination and persuasion of the heart to believe. Preaching determines, but it is God who persuades by preaching. God can do it without preaching, but preaching cannot do it without God. Our voice can say repent, but it is God only that gives repentance. Paul preacheth to Lydia's care, but God hath the key of her heart.

(Elnathan Parr, B.D.)

---

---

KJV: But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

WEB: But they didn't all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"