Rom. ii. 6 — 11. Who will render to every man according to his deeds : to them ivho by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life : but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and an- guish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jeiv first, and also of the Gentile ; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worlceth good, to the Jeiv first, and also to the Gentile : for there is no respect of persons ivith God.
IN reading the apostolic writings we should at- tend, not only to the doctrines that are inculcated, but to the manner in which they are inculcated ; for writing, as the Apostles did, entirely under the in- fluence of love, they have given us many valuable lessons, which escape the notice of the superficial observer, but amply repay the search of those who investigate them with deeper attention, and desire to imbibe their spirit. It is of no small importance to learn how to combat prejudice with success. This is rarely done by an open and direct attack : it is far better to attempt it by a more circuitous mode, namely, by establishing such truths as shall serve to
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give juster views to the mind. In this way the fabric of error, which would have withstood any rude assault, is undermined, and falls, ere the person who defended it is aware of any opposition. The Jews were strongly possessed with the notion, that no Jew could perish, except through apostasy or idolatry; and that no Gentile could be saved, but by subjecting himself to the institutions and observances of the Mosaic ritual. To counteract this error, the Apostle shews, that the Jews, no less than the Gentiles, stood in need of a Saviour, and must embrace the Gospel in order to their final salvation. But to this conclu- sion he comes by gradual, and almost imperceptible, advances ; shewing, that God, as a righteous Judge, will deal with all according to their works, without shewing partiality to any on account of their external privileges, or leaving any to suffer on account of their externa] disadvantages, but awarding equally to all such a sentence as their respective characters shall require. This is a truth so obvious and incontro- vertible, that they could not but acquiesce in it; and, by a due consideration of it, they would be prepared to embrace all that the Apostle was about to advance on the subject which he was especially commissioned to proclaim, the admission of all, both Jews and Gen- tiles, on an equal footing, into the Church of Christ.
But, in stating the rule which God would observe in the future judgment, the Apostle designed further to convey the most important information to the whole world : for, as all must one day stand at the judgment-seat of Christ, it is of infinite importance for all to know on what grounds their eternal state will be determined.
To leave no doubt on this subject, he fully states,
I. The character and end of the godly —
Mark,
1. Their character —
[The godly man is known by the object he pursues.
Nothing less than "glory, and honour, and immortality" will
satisfy him : not the glory and honour which pertain to this
life ; not the immortality which consists in posthumous fame: