John 8 : 15, 16, " Ye judge after the flesh ; my judgment is true." The connexion between this and the prAvious verse is thus obvious, * Ye judge one way, but God judgeth another.' The word rendered judgment often means condemnation j ch. 3: 8, " whose condemnation is just;" 1 Cor. 11 : 29, 34, and frequently elsewhere. Its more general sense of judicial decision is more suitable, however, to this verse. This is the second principle. God's judgrfient is according to the truth, impartial, and founded upon the real character and conduct of men.
(3) And thinkest thou this, Oman, thai judgest them which do such things, &;c. * If God's judgments are impartial and just, how can those escape who commit the very things which they condemn in others]' Paul's language includes the idea also, that if these things are condemned by men, how much more by a righteous God. The former, however, is the main point. It is preposterous to suppose that God will spare those who do what they are so ready to condemn others for doing.
(4, 5) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance, &c. Paul refers in this and the following verse to the common ground of se- curity of the Jews. They were God's peculiar people ; his goodness towards them proved that he would not deal with them as with others. That the Jews really entertained this opinion is evident, in the first place, from the apostle's argument here and in the next chapter, and in other parts of his writings, see ch. 9 and 11 ; from such expressions as those in Matt. 3:9," Think not to say, we have Abraham for our fa- ther," John 8 : 33 ; and from numerous declarations of the Jewish writers themselves on this subject.
The connexion is distinctly marked by the particle or,- * Or admitting the general principle, that those, who do what they condemn in others, are themselves exposed to condemnation : do you so abuse the divine good- ness, as to suppose it will afford impunity in sin, when its real design is to lead you to repentance V Those despise the goodness of God who pervert it, and derive from it a license to sin, supposing either that God will never punish, because he long delays, or that his goodness towards us is so peculiar that we shall escape, though others perish; see 2 Pet. 3 : 8, 9. The use of the several terms, goodness, forbearance, and long- suffering, serves to express more strongly the idea of the divine mercy. The word rendered riches is a favourite terra with the sacred writers, to express the idea of abundance or greatness, 2 Cor. 8 : 2. Eph. 1 : 7. 2 : 7, &c. The word for goodness is a general term, expressive of mildness and kindness ; that rendered /or&earance signifies patience under suffering, and also under provocation. It is used also for a truce or respite, 1 Mace. 12 : 25. It expresses here God's long delay of punishment. Long-suffer- ing, slowness to anger. JVot knowing, i. e. not regarding or considering * that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance,' i. e. is designed and adapted to produce this effect.
(5) But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thy^ self wrath, &c. The mercies and advantages of the Jews, and the pecu-