Notes, Critical and Explanatory, on the Holy Scriptures

"He poured forth at once the fountain of all goods, even before we entered on the combat." St. Chrysostom.

As He lives, so will He impart life to us. This verse contains a repetition of the preceding, with some variation of language.

The multitude of men — the human race. Lit. " the many."

"Christ hath paid far more than we owed, as much as the boundless ocean exceeds a single drop of water. Doubt not then, 0 man, on seeing the riches of the Divine gifts, nor ask how the spark of death and sin is extinguished in the ocean of the gifts of God." St. Chrysostom.

i(f'(3. This is referred by St. Chrysostom and St. Augustin, as well as by some modern critics, to Adam : whilst others consider it as equivalent to a causal particle. Death has had dominion over all the descendants of Adam, because all are defiled with sin — all have sinned in him, as the parent of the human family; his act being regarded as that of all mankind. " It is evident that it was not the transgression of the law, but the sin of disobedience committed by Adam, which destroyed all things." St. Chrysostom.

G. P. " the gift of righteousness." St. Chrysostom has the Vulgate reading. These various expressions denote pardon and sanctifying grace. " We have received from grace not only what was needful for the remission of sin, but much more, for we have been freed from punishment, and we have laid aside all malice, and we have been born anew from above, and we have arisen, having consigned the old man to the tomb, and we have been redeemed and sanctified, and raised to the adoption of sons, and we have been justified, and we have been made brothers and co-heirs of the Only-begotten, and we have been incorporated with Him, and made flesh of His flesh, and united with Him, as the body to the head. Paul called all these things the abundance of grace, showing that we have re- ceived not only a remedy equal to the wound, but also health and beauty, and honour, and glory, and"dignities far surpassing our nature." St. Chrysostom.