The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 67

IT. Drrn,7> l'M:PARTULrrY AFFORDS KOST IMPORTANT LEBBO:t;B TO ALL TO WJJOM THE W,,RD OF G,.,n rs PREACHED. 1. Here is a rebuke addressed tu the proud the solf- rigbtN,us, the self-confideut, to all who deem themselves the fuvourites of He~ven, and who indulge t.he persuasion that they are in possession of some speoial recommendation to the c,,nsiderati.on of the Lord aud Judge of all. 2. Here ill encouragement for the timid and the lowly. They have good reason to believe that, if thoy are viewed with disfavour by men, on account of some supposed disadvantage or deficienoy1 they will not on this aooount be rejected by him who raiseth up those that be bowed <1.own, Ver. 13.-Hearers a.nd doers. It is impossible to overlook the resemble.nee whioh this passage be&rs to words of the great Teacher uttered towa.rds the olose of the sermon on the mount. In this, aa in so many places, the apostle is evidently indebted for his thoughts, and almost his very words, to the Divine Fountain of all the streams of spiritual wisdom and life. L A PRINCIPLE OF C01'"DEMNATION. 1. It is possible to hear the Law, and yet not to obey it. 2. In the case of the disobedient, the continued hearing of the Law may be the occasion of continued and even increased insensibility, indifference, a.nd hostility. 3. Thus the very hearing and the familiarity resulting from it ma.y become the ground of condemnation, bee.a.use an aggravation of the offence. Thus the abuse of what is best leads t.o the worst results. The Law is holy, just, and good; but it is the severest condemnation of the rebellious and impa.tient. TI. A PRIXCIPLE OF LIFE. 1. In the case of those who perfectly fulfil the righteous Law of God, the consequence of their perfect obedience is justification by works. It is needless to say that no member of the human race has ever fulfilled this condition. There is none whom the Law thus justifies. One only among the sons of men has fulfilled all right.eousnes.s--even the Son of God himself, who came to fulfil the Law, not only by his teaching, but in his life. 2. Yet the very violation of the perfect Law of God is the means of calling men's attention to the need and the provision of sa.lvation by grace through faith in the Lord JCSUJ!. 3. And in the case of those who are saved by grace, the Law of God becomes the standard of conduct, to- attain which is the aim ol all who are led by the Spirit of God. The whole moral life of the true Christian is an endeavour to fulfil that Law which was formerly the principle of condemnation, but has now become a principle of life. Vers. 17-27.-Tu quoque! Although himself a Jew, St, Paul shows no favow to his fellow-countrymen. No sooner has he characterized and condemned the sins of the heathen, than he turns upon the Israelites to include them in the same condemnation of sin and unbelief. In this passage, where close rea.soning is combined with vigorous irony, he presses home upon those Jews who censure the fiagitious crimes of heatheniBm the sentence which justice compels them to admit u their due. L PluvILEGE IS ADHITTED. 1. Hereditary advantages are undeniable. The Jew ent.ered at birth into a heritage of favourable circumstances, belonging, as he did, to the nation distinguished by privileges at that age of the world unpara.lleled. 2. Acquired familiarity with the Law of God was a natural result of national privileges. From childhood, the Jew was trained to reverence God's Name, to recite God's Law, to listen to the teaching of God's prophets. 3. There resulted a position of influence a.nd re.ponsibility in the discharge of the obvious duty of communicating and inculcating the Divine will The Jew was the "guide of the blind," the "instructor of the foolish," the "teacher of babes." He was the witness to the truth and to the com- mandments of the Eternal. Reflection may show us that we occupy, under the Christian diBpew;atio11, a similar position of privilege and responsibility. IL Ui.-YAITHYt;L1'"ESS IS DU'UTED. 1. The crimes condemned are committed by thoee who condemn them. The list is indeed appalling. Upon the religious Jew e.ro charged offences which it can hardly be supposed were all committed by one parson, in one human life. Yet there is no limit to the poBHibility of ma.n'H hypocrisy. 'l'hoft, adultery sacrilege, blllliphemy,-such are the awful crimes and sinH which are charged upon th; Jews, whc, professed so loudly their n1oral superiority to their Gentile neigh- bours. 2. The ungodly Jew not oDly commits tho crimes he condemns; he hinder, OR, u.1-29.J THE EPIKTJ,E OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 61