some of its precious consequences, to the Jews of this and every coming age, vs. 16, 27—39.
' 4. The destiny of our children and our children's children is suspended, in a great measure, on our fidelity. " God is a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth gene- ration of them that hate him." What words of wo for unborn thousands, were those, " His blood be on us and on our children !" As the Jews of the present age are suffering the consequences of the unbelief of their fathers, and the nominal Christians of the eastern churches suffer for the apostasy of previous generations, so will our children perish, if we, for our unbelief as a church and nation, are cast off from God, vs. 19 — 24.
5. As the restoration of the Jews is not only a most desirable event, but one which God has determined to accomplish, Christians should keep it constantly in view even in their labours for the conversion of the Gen- tiles. This Paul did, vs. 13, 14. Every effort to hasten the accession of the fulness of the Gentiles is so much done towards the restoration of Israel, v. 25.
6. Christians should not feel as though they were isolated beings, as if each one need be concerned for himself alone, having no joint respon- sibility with the community to which he belongs. God will deal with our church and country as a whole, and visit our sins upon those who are to come after us. We should feel, therefore, that we are one body, mem- bers one of another, having common interests and responsibilities. We ought to weep over the sins of the community to which we belong, as being in one sense, and in many of their consequences, our sins, vs. 11— 24.
7. As the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, those to whom he has given the Holy Spirit, and has called unto holiness, may rejoice in the certainty of the continuance of these blessings, v. 29.
8. Does the contemplation of the work of redemption, and the remem- brance of oar own experience, lead us to sympathize with the apostle in his adoring admiration of the wisdom and goodness of God, and to feel that, as it regards our salvation, every thing is of him, through him, and to him 1 vs. 33—36.
9. As it is the tendency and result of all correct views of Christian doctrine to produce the feelings expressed by the apostle at the close of this chapter, those views cannot be scriptural which have a contrary tend- ency ; or which lead us to ascribe, in any form, our salvation to our own merit or power, vs. 33 — 33.