when they hear the Gospel evil spoken of; neither let them wonder if it be " to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness," as in the days of old. It is so, and it must be so, as long as man shall continue unhumbled before God : and if you find it so amongst the circle in which you move, know that, as far as that circumstance goes, it is no proof whatever that what you hear is erroneous, but a strong- presumptive evidence, that the word you hear is the very truth of God, the same glorious salvation which Paul preached. Only be truly willing to have God exalted, and your own souls humbled in the dust before him, and then you will find, that the Gospel offers you precisely such a remedy as you want, and that " it is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe."]
Paul's love to his brethren.
Rom. x. 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
TO seek the salvation of our fellow-creatures is but an unthankful office. The intimations which we are obliged to give them respecting their guilt and danger, are considered by them as uncharitable cen- sures, rather than as friendly admonitions ; and thus we call forth only the resentment of those, whose eternal interests we are most anxious to promote. St. Paul, who was most abundant in labours for the salvation of his brethren, experienced, beyond all others, their hatred and contempt. Aware that this would be the effect of his exertions, he was always studious to counteract it ; and scarcelv ever men- tioned an offensive truth, without testifying, by some following observations, that it was dictated by love. Throughout the whole Epistle to the Romans, this appears in a very striking light. Having shewn, in the second chapter, that the Jews, notwithstanding their being in covenant with God by circumcision, were as much in need of salvation as the idolatrous and aban- doned Gentiles, he corrects the apparent severity of his remarks, by saying, " What advantage then hath