The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 84

porsonal clnime. He puts away the idea of merit in individuals, becauRe all are guilty before him, and bases his judgrnent upon the one consideration of state, with its resultant outcome, either good works or bacl. Now, this was what a Jew found it hard to accept. He thought, as a thorough-bred Jew, he ought to be BCCepted. It muet have been a great humiliation to hnve to take up a position beside ordinary men, and have no store set by hie person nt all. V. GoD's JUDGMENT WILL BE ACCORDING TO THE LAW, WRITTEN OB UNWRITI'EN, WBIOH EA0H MAN HAS RECEIVED. (Vers. 12-15.) The Gentiles shall not be held accountable for an outward and written revelation which has never come into their hands, but only for that law of conscience which God has written on their hearts. For this law revealed in their nature, and the use they made of it, they shall be justly held responsible. Nor shall the tracing of the law of conscience to utilitarian or animal sources in the least degree diminish human responsibility. The question is no~How has this inward law '.and monitor come into existence? but-What use has each man made of it, come as it may? And so the heathen shall be beaten, thoagh with few stripes, for their neglect of the inward law. They shall in many cases perish, even though they had not the privilege of a written law. Conscience has had a Divine source, no matter how long it has taken to develop; and God will call all men into judgment for the use of it. On the other hand, those who have had the Law written and delivered shall be judged by it. For the Scriptures come to reinforce the conscience, and to reveal the mercy.of the Lord. In such circlllill!t&nces it is surely jnst that those who receive" the oracles of God" should be held responsible for the use and profit they have made of them. If they have been a dead letter to them, then God will justly punish their neglect of them. Such men shall be beaten with many stripes, because they might have known and ought to have done their Lord's will. VI. THE GENERAL JUDGMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED BY JEStJB CHR!sT. (Ver. 16.) God the Father will commit to his only begotten Son the duty of judgment. And here we see the wondrous equity of the Divine Being. This Second Person of the Trinity has added to his Divine knowledge a human experience. He has been in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. He knows the human problem e:,;peri- mentally. He can consequently enter into our case more thoroughly than if he had never assumed our nature. And so he does not judge from above, or from outside, but from within, and can enter into the secrets of the human heart. Hence this general judgment is to be upon the most equitable principles, and by the most capable of judges. How important, then, that we cultivate the acquaintance of him who is to have us at his judgment-bar l Not that we may bribe him, but that he may prepare us for that thorough investigation which lies before us. If we make a "clean breast n of all to him, if we acknowledge our sin and shortcoming, if we ask him for a clean heart and a baptism of his Holy Ghost to enable us to live for his glory and our fello'W'S' good, then he will help us to a better life, and enable us, so far from dreading his judgment-bar, to "love his appearing." May the day of judgment break brightly on us all, for his own Name's sake l-R. M. E. ' Vere.17-29.-'.l7!e Jewiah world. In our last section we saw how the apostle takes the Jewish critic through the leading principles of the Divine judgment. In doing so, he had a practical end in view. He meant to bring home to the Jewish heart the fact of sin and danger, and thereby to lend the censorious, self-righteous Jew to humiliation and salvation through Christ alone. The present section contains the pointed applica- tion of the principles to the Jewish case. And here we have to notice-- I. THE POSITION ASSUMED BY THE JEWS AS THE DIVINELY E.,."{LIGHTENED LE.A.DEBS OF MANKIND. (Vera. 17-20.) 'l'he apostle states the Jewish assumption admirablf. 'l'hey were proud of their name: "Thou benrest the name of a Jew 11 (Revised Versiou). But this was because they hnd received the Law; and so they "rested iu" or "upon the Law; " they made their possession of the Law the be.fils of their confidence and tran- quillity. Their notion was tbnt men entrusted with suoh a litemture had nothing in the world to fear, Moreover, it wns from God, and why should they not r8<,ua.rd them- selves ns hie favourites, and "runke their boast" about him? And the book did not; remnin unread; they 8ought from it n" knowledge of his will; 11 were ,,bi~ ('l'US&l\l<:'utly, to 11xeroiee judgment " regtU'diug things that differed" (60,ci,u.d~"m .-a 61114>ipo,,.n); and  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [on. n.1-20,