will this be ! Well ! bless your God that this need not be your fate, nor shall be, if only you will throw down the wea- pons of your rebellion, and implore mercy at God's hands for Christ's sake.]
3. What a blessing the Gospel proves to all who
receive it !
[The effect of the Gospel is, to " slay this enmity," and to bring the soul into a state of peace with God. Nor does it merely put away our guilt ; but removes also our indisposition to what is good and holy, and even writes the law of God upon our hearts ; so that there is in those who receive it as great a resemblance to God, as there was before a contrariety. The mind of a true convert is brought into a conformity to God's mind, and his ways into a conformity to God's ways. Thus, " being agreed, they walk together" in mutual love; and earth is made, to man, a foretaste of heaven itself. See, then, my brethren, that ye experience this effect. See that you love all that God loves, and do all that God approves. Then will you shew that there is an efficacy in the Gospel to transform the soul into the Divine image, and to render it meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.]
Rom. ii. 3 — 5. Thinkest thou this, 0 man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God ? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
HUMAN nature is the same in every age, and every place : external circumstances may make an external difference ; but internally, every child of man is alike alienated from God, and alike needs the salvation revealed in the Gospel. To prove this, is the scope of the three first chapters of this epistle. In the foregoing chapter, it is proved in reference to the Gentiles ; and in this, in reference to the Jews. But to which of these the words which we have just read are addressed, admits of doubt. We think how-