Saving The People

Ipse enim salvum faciet populum suum a peccatis... Nec dicit, quod salvabit populum a persecutionibus: sed 'a peccatis'. Quia ab illis nemo alius solvere poterat nisi ipse. Quis potest peccata dimittere, nisi solus Deus. Ego sum ipse, qui deleo iniquitates tuas propter me. Perditio tua Israel: tantummodo ex me auxilium tuum. Secundum suam misericordiam salvus nos fecit. Salvator eius velut lampas accendatur flammam deitatis habens in testa humanitatis. Sed quare dicit: populum suum: et non dicit: salvabit omnes gentes: cum perfectius esse videretur? Parum est mihi, ut suscites mihi tribus Iacob et faeces Israel converendas. Dedi te in lucem gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terrae. Respondeo: dicendum, quod secundum effectum salutis, de qua hic loquitur, non salvat nisi suos devotos sive sint de filiis Israel, sive de gentibus. Non erit eus populus, qui eum negaturus est. in omni enim gente, quae timet Deum et operatur iustitiam, acceptus est illi. Et hoc est, quod datus est in lucem gentium. Ecce hoc positus est in ruinam et in resurrectionem multorum Israel. Sanctus Albertus Magnus Commentarium in Mattheum, Cap I Source: Volumen 9, pdf p16

For He shall save His people from their sins... 1 It does not say that he shall save the people from persecutors, but from sins. Because from that no one else is able to deliver unless Him. 'Who is able to forgive sins unless God alone?' 2 'I am He who removes your iniquities for my own sake.' 3 'Your ruin, O Israel: only from me is your help.' 4 'According to His own mercy He saves us.' 5 The Saviour is like a lamp lit having the flame of Godhood in the earthern vessel of humanity. 6 But why is it said 'His people' and not that He will save all the nations, when this would seem to be more perfect? 'It is too little a thing for me, the raising up of the tribes of Jacob and the restoration of the remnants of Israel. I give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation reach to the ends of the earth.'7 I reply that it should be said that according to the effect of salvation this speaks, that He shall not save unless they be His devoted ones, whether they be from the sons of Israel or from the nations. They shall not be His people who shall deny Him. 8 For in every nation, whoever fears God and acts righteously, shall be acceptable to Him. 9 And this is why He has been given as a light to the nations. 'Behold, He has been given for the ruin and raising up of many in Israel.' 10 Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Matthew, Chap 1 1 Mt 1.21 2 Lk 5.20-21 3 Isaiah 43.25 4 Hosea 13.9 5 Titus 3.5 6 Isaiah 62.1 7 Isaiah 49.6 8 Dan 9.26 9 Acts 10.35 10 Lk 2.34