The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 39

from my mother's womb." For there is e. certain Divine fatalism which is in perfect he.rmony with moral freedom; every one born into this world is prc<l,ilstincd from the fil'st for some srecial work for God. The work may be marr~., or altwether left undone, by;man e perverseness; but the work is the Divine destiny of the ~an. .And the after-life is an equipment for the fulfilling of this destiny. 'l'he circumstances of our lot, and the events that ~befall us; our joys and our sorrows; and all our natural and moral education, combine with our original constitution and temperament at once to indicn.te God's purpose and to fit us for its fulfilment. .And was not Paul "a chosen vessel" ?-marked out from the first for the conspicuous part which he afterwards played in the world's history ; "separated unto the gospel of God." Buch wa.s the m&~ • II. TnE Cmrnon. And his apostleship was to "the nations;" the Gentile "world was his parish." Therefore the little Christian band at Rome, though not gathered, directly at least, by his labours, might well receive his message. They formed a Gentile Church, and as such he writes to them. They are threefoldly designated. 1. "Bel.oved of God." " God's love is the source of all his benefits, and the sure ground of our hope. Our consciousness of his love is the basis of the Christian life. Of this love all men are objects, but only believers are conscious objects. To them it is real and living. It moulds their thoughts and life" (Beet, in Zoe.). Yes; "we have known and believed the love that God bath to us" (1 John iv. 16): that is the inspiration of the new lifo. 2. "Called to oe Jesus Christ's ... called to be saints." Or, •~Jesus Christ's ... saints, by call." For the summons had been responded to; the love of God in Christ had changed their hearts. And now they were his people (see Titus ii.14), and for his Name's sake they were living consecrated lives. For this is our only sainthood: "Whether we live," etc. (eh. xiv. 8). 3. .And this by" obedience offaith." The spring of the new life, on the human side, even as God's love is the spring of life on the Divine side. --..ve yield to Christ's claim, and live to God as saints, only in so far as we receive Christ into our hearts by faith, and believe the love God hath to us. And in all the manifold depart- ments of the Christian life, we "live by faith." We receive, or more actively we gra.i!p, the goodness of God and the life which is through Christ. And this "obedience uf faith" is the end of all apostleship and ministry (John vi. 29; 1 John iii. 23). : III. THE MESSAGE, 1. "Grace." God's favour, and all the saving help which he gives because he loves us. A continuous and increasing realization. 2. "Peace."' The abiding calmness of a conscience which has yielded to be justified by faith (eh. v. 1), accepting the grace of God's favour, rejoicing in the light; calmness of heart al.i;o, in view even of fierce conflict and trial, by reason of the voice which says, "My grace is sufficient for thee." "Grace and peace." So the old Gentile and Jewish sa.lutings were transfigured by the gospel of Christ. In conclusion, the keynote is the "call." God calls you, calls you through Christ, calls you to be Christ's, calls you in your own minor apostleship to be servants of Christ. And the true response to this call is by obedience of faith; for, from first to last of the Christian life, "by grace are ye saved, through faith" (Eph. ii. 8). Oh, be it ours to respond, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth" !-1'. F. L. Vera. 2-4.-Tlie characterization of" the gospel of God," to which Paul was separated. Tho awfulness of a commission of doom. Jonah. But to herald forth God's good tidings to a sorrowing world I This is the crown of all Christilm ministry. The angels might well siug nnd be glad whon ushering this gospel into the world (Luke ii. 9-H); and Paul is rejoiced that he can strike this note of gladness. Ther,i might well be proludes to this burst of joy: so the words, "which he promised afore," etc. F.:ir ~11 the indications of God's purposes of love, from Gen. iii. to Malachi, did but prepare thd way for the comploted announcement in "the fulness of the time." And so virtually they e.11 were Divine promises of a fuller gospel. The two main thoughts-God's gospel; its contents. I. GoD's GOSPEL, 1. A gospel carries the implication of e. wn.nt, and, it rr.ay be, of a sorrow and a loss. So do the good tidings of God to mon assume that msn blloS lost his Goel, and with God nll things good. (1) Man knew not, suroly. tho reality of his sin; WIMI decoivod by the tempter; but awoke from his dream to find that God was gc,no ! And this is the great loss of tb.o world, Tho voicos cry, " Whoro is thy God'?" ~ud 82 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [arr. L 1-82.