The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 129

pa~ted from tlieir usual rendering hecaase sense. or conne, it kindles answ,,rin"' Jr,ve or the 11~bet11.ntive "glory," in a different in ourselves (et. "We love God, br,ca,~ he 1onee, which follows) tn hope of the glory of first loved as"); but the idea here is tl.,it {fod. l;lpoo-11-y~ (tmnsla.tcd "access") oc- ot God's own love, the aenae of which ,,'l ollrs ~n the same sense In Eph. ii. 18 and iii. experience, flooding our hearts with itar:Jr l~ : in both cases, as here, with the article, through the gift of the Holy Spirit. It may 80 88 to denote some well-knowa access or be observer] that, though ll.881Jrance of th" l\]lf!rod.ch. It' means the accees to the holy falfilmeut or onr hope ie here made tn rest (1od, which had been barred by Bin, bat on inward feeling, yet this is le!!'itimately which has been opened to as through Christ convincing to those who do ao re:1. As in (of. Heh. x. 19). It Is a question whether ,Is many other matters, so especially in reli!!'ion 'T~J/ ;,cdpw is properly taken (as in the Autho- it is internal consciousness that carrie; th~ iied Version) in immediate connection with strongest conviction with it, and induces ..-poo-11-y~v, as denoting that into which we certitude. have our access. In Eph. ii. 18 the word is followed by the more suitable preposition The verses that come nerl set forth the 1rpbs, the phr11se being, "access to the grounds of our sense of God'ii exceeding Father;" and this may oe understood here, love to us. the sense being, "We have through Christ ohr access (!o the Father) unto (i.e. so ii.s to Vers. 6, 7.-For when we were yllt with- result in) the state of grace and acceptance out strength, in due time Christ died for the in which we now stand." As to "the glory ungodly. Fo? SO&rCely for a righteous man of God," see above on eh. iii. 23. Here our will one die: yet (literally,/or) peradventure hoped-tor future participation in the Divine for the good man aome would even dare to glory is more distinctly intimated by the me. 'l'he general purport of ver. 7 is ob- words, i,r' lll.1rl8,. . This last phrase bears vious, viz. to show how Christ's death for the .same sense as in 1 Cor. iL 10, and the ungodly transcends all human instances probably in eh. iv. 18 •above. It does not of self-sacrifice for othem. But the =ci moon that hope is that wherein we glory, import of the language used is not eqaally l,>~t that, being in II state of hope, we glory. plain. That of the ii.rat clause, indeed, and Vere. S-5.-And not o:iily so, but we glory its connection with what precedes, presents in tribulations (or, our tribulatiO'llll) also: no diffioalty. The meaning ie that Christ's ~owing: that tribul~tion wox:keth. pati~noe; dying for the ungodly is a proof of love and patience, expenenoe; and expenenoe, beyond what is common among men. The hope \ • and hope maketh not .ashamed; be- second clause seems to be added as a con- oa.use the love of God is shed a.broad in our cession of what some men may perhaps heo.rts •through the Holy Ghost whioh is sometimes be capable of. It is introduced given to us. The peace, the joy, the hope, by a second -yap (this being the reading of that come of faith might be supposed all the manuscripts), whioh may be meant unable to stand against the facts of this as nceptive, "I do not press this without present life, in which; to those first believers, exception," being understood. So Alford; only peculiar tribulations might seem to and in tbis case the- "yet" of the Autho- follriw from their faith. Not so, says the rized Version, or though., may give its mean- apostle; n11y, their very tribulations tend to ing. Or it may be connected with µ,,ll.u, confirm our hope, and so even in them we thnR, • &aroely, I say, for there IDllY pos- e.Jso glory. For we perceive how they serve sibly be ciL<es," eta. But what is the dis- for our probation now: they test our en- ' iinction between Bwczlo11 in the first do.use d'Urauce; and proved endure.nee iucreases and .-o;; ,i,y118oi, ia the second? Some inter- hnpe. And this hope does not shame us in pretel'8 68Y that there is none, the intention the end, as being baseless 11nd without fulfi.1- being simply to express tbe possibility of mout; for our inward experienoe of the humn.n self-sa-,ri.Boe for oue that is good or love of God assures us of the contrary, and righteous in some 1"8.1'l·casee. But the change koeps it ever olive. The word l/01<1µ~ (" ex- of tbe word, whfoh would, according to th~ po1·ienco," Authorized Version) means pro- vlew,·be purposeless, and still mo!'tl the in- perly "proof," and is so translatetl elsewhere. sertion of the article before .i..,.a8oii. forbids The idea is that tribul11tions test, 11nd endur- this interpretation. Oue view is th1\t Toii ance under them proves the geuuinoness of ii')'aBoii is nouter, me11uiug tb11t, though for faith; nnd approvod f11ithrulness strengthens a righteous inrlividuol one oon h,udly be hope (of. Mntt. xxlv. IS; l\lnrk xiii. IS, fount! to ba willin~ to Jie, vet for the canst' "Ho tlmt 1111duretl1 (,.,.,,.oµdvas, corresponding of~. for what a 1u1111 l't'gluds ns thtl highest to v,roµo11~v horo) to the end, the snmo elrnll l(OOd, or pro bot10 J>Hblico (it might be}. sucl1 hu 1111.votl "). Hy "I hu love of God" ls meant 11elf-1111,oriJlce m1\y b._, ~ble. 'l'hi.s Yi.iw iii  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL 'ro THE ROMANS. [ou. v. 1-21.