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| The Church, Formerly Barren, is Now Fruitful.
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Chapter II.—The Church, Formerly Barren, is Now
Fruitful.
“Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break
forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for she that is desolate hath
many more children than she that hath an husband.”4337
In that He said, “Rejoice, thou
barren that bearest not,” He referred to us, for our church was
barren before that children were given to her. But when He said,
“Cry out, thou that travailest not,” He means this, that we
should sincerely offer up our prayers to God, and should not, like
women in travail, show signs of weakness.4338
| 4338 Some render,
“should not cry out, like women in travail.” The text
is doubtful. I. ἐκκακῶμεν
(faint). | And in that He said, “For she
that is desolate hath many more children than she that hath an
husband,” [He means] that our people seemed to be outcast from
God, but now, through believing, have become more numerous than those
who are reckoned to possess God.4339
| 4339 It has been remarked
that the writer here implies he was a Gentile. | And
another Scripture saith, “I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners.”4340
This means
that those who are perishing must be saved. For it is indeed a
great and admirable thing to establish not the things which are
standing, but those that are falling. Thus also did
Christ4341
desire to save the
things which were perishing,4342
and has saved many
by coming and calling us when hastening to destruction.4343
| 4343 Literally,
“already perishing.” | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
