of confidence, or the fuel of pride and arrogance, it is perverted and
destructive, vs. 18 — 20.
3. Superior knowledge enhances the guilt of sin, and increases the certainty, necessity, and severity of punishment, withoutin itself increas- ing the power of resistance. It is, therefore, a great mistake to make knowledge our sole dependence in promoting the moral improvement of men, vs. 18 — 20.
4. The sins of the professing people of God are peculiarly offensive to him, and injurious to our fellow men, vs. 22—24.
5. Here, as in the former part of the chapter, the leading idea is, that God is just. He asks not whether a man is a Jew or a Gentile, a Greek or Barbarian, bond or free, but what is his character? Does he do good or evin vs. 17 — 24.
6. According to the apostle, the true idea of a sacrament is not that it is a mystic rite, possessed of inherent efficacy, or conveying grace as a mere opus operatum ; but that it is a seal and sign, designed to confirm our faith in the validity of the covenant to which it is attached ; and, from its significant character, to present and illustrate some great spiritual truth, V. 25.
7. All hopes are vain which are founded on a participation of the sacraments of the church, even when they are of divine appointment, as circumcision, baptism, and the Lord's supper ; much more when they are of human invention, as penance and extreme unction, vs. 26, 27.
8. Religion and religious services, to be acceptable to God, must be of the heart, mere external homage is of no account, vs. 28, 29.
1. The sins and refuges of men are alike in all ages. The Jew expect- ed salvation because he was a J';W, so does the Catholic because he is a Catholic, the Greek because he is a Greek, and so of others. Were it ever so certain that the church to which we belong is the true, apostolic, universal church, it remains no less certain that without holiness no man shall see God, v. 17, &c.
2. Having superior knowledge should make us anxious, first, to go right ourselves, and then to guide others right. To preach against evils which we ourselves commit, while it aggravates our guilt, is little likely to do others much good, v. 18, &c.
3. Christians should ever remember that they are the epistles of Jesus Christ, known and read of all men; that God is honoured by their holy living, and that his name is blasphemed when they act wickedly, vs. 23, 24.
,4. Whenever true religion declines, the disposition to lay undue stress on external rites is increased. The Jews, when they lost their spiritual- ity, supposed that circumcision had power to save them. ' Great is the virtue of circumcision,' they cried, ' no circumcised person enters hell.' The Christian church, when it lost its spirituality, taught that water in