"And thus, while yelll'!I nre fleeting, Though our joys o.re with them gone, In thy changeless love rejoicing We shall journey co.lmly on ; Till at lDBt, e.11 sorrow over, Eaoh our ta.le of grace sbo.11 tell, In the heovenly chorus joining: 'Lord, thou hnst done all tbings well!"' (Of. Randolph's • Changed CI'Olls, and other P08lll&') 1 Of. D!ehop Ellloott's • DesUny of the Creatlll'8; • olso • Animol Futurity,' by J.-pb Hamilton. 1 Of. • Life of Frank Buckland,' by Dompl\S, p. 42S. • Of. Mozley's • University Sermons.' p. 46. • Of. Dom Groenwell's remarkable littlo voltuuo on 'Tho Patience of Rope,' pouia • Of. th11 writOl''s volume, 'Dous God Wlliwer Pmylll'?' Jl(l'~i111. THE EPlSTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [ou. vm.1-89,' ------------------------------ I \ , C'oNl"ORMITY '1'0 0BRIST18 GLOII.IOUS IlllAGE I8 IVBAT GoD BAB IN VIEW FOB. rnosE HE oALLS. (V8l"ll. 29, 80.) The gospel is God's plan for securing a multitude of children who shall all beoome Obrist-like. He sent his only Child, "the only begotten' Son," into the world to secure many brethren, and be the Firstbom among them. No narrow jealousies here I In the holiest sense it is true regarding God's family that "the more" there a.re in it, "the merrier" will all be. Now, God's purpose, foreknowledge, and preda;tination are robbed of every repulsive feature, when we bear in mind that indfriduals a.re not predestinated. to salvation without regard to their moral state.· They are predestinated. to become Christ-like. Men may reject the call of God to Christ-likeness, but bis purpose is not nullified by such wickedness. His purpose was pure in calling them, even though they reject the call. And so it is in the light of this holy purpose to make men Christ-like that we are to regard the predestination, and the call, and the justification, and the glorification. The glory when reached, the glory of Christ-likeness, sheds its heavenly halo over all. May we all reach that paradise of experience, likeness to our blessed Lord !-R. M. E.
Vers. 31-39.-Faith nsing lnto assurance. We have appreciated the paradise of pardon, of acceptance, of sanctification, into which, in spite of this life's sufferings, believers in Jesus come. And now we are to study that hymn of courageous assurance, into which the apostle rises at the close of the chapter. Nowhere does St. Paul rise into nobler eloquence than here. L THE BELIEVEB's SOLILOQUY. (Vers. 31, 32.) In this soliloquy the apostle reviews the whole previous argument. Cb. L-v. is God for us-justification by faith; eh. vL-viii is God ln us-sa.nctiftcation through the Spirit of Obrist. Wha.t can be said to these thin.,crs? If God be for us, then we ask naturally and logically: 1. Who can be against w, With God as our Ally, we may safely face the world in arms. Assurance is thus traced to its Divine Source. It is not boastfulness, but humble dependence upon the almighty strength of God. The One is more than a match for all his and our foes. 2. In sparing Mt his OUJn Bon, he has given UB the greatest pledge of his good unll. In delivering up his Son to the death for us all, God was giving to man his very greate.st Gift. It implies that the lesser gifts of the Spirit and of providence shall not be wanting. "He who his Son, most dear and loved, Gave up for us to die, Shall he not all things freely give That goodness can supply?" It was a simITar argument through which Abraham passed. He journeyed to Mount Moriah to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. He found there tha.t God had provided a substitute in the ram caught in the thicket, and that, therefore, Isaac could go free. He accordingly called the place" Jehovah-jireh "-the Lord will look after everything, and I shall not want any really good thing from his hands (Gen. xxii.). Christ crucified is thus the foundation of the believer's assurance. IL THE BELIEVER'S OHALLEBGE. (Vers. 33-36.) And here we have a challenge : L To all who '1Ml!Jdispu,tehillright to salvatwn. (Vers. 33, 34.) For: (1) Justification is from God. And he has t.aken every possible charge into account. (2) The ground of the jW1tification is the death of JesUB Christ. (3) The guarantee of it is the resurrection, reign, e.nd intercession of JesUB. With a risen Sa.viour on the throne, making intercession for UB, who will dare to dispute, and who will succeed in preventing, our pardon and acceptance? It is thus that the apostle works the great facts of our Saviour's history into the experience of the believer. 2. We lv.we a challenge to all adverse circumstance,, (Vere. 35-37.) The believer can defy his environment, as it is now called, as well as his enemies. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword,-one and all shall be found to be powerless in separating him from the love of Christ. Jesus, with his loving and almighty a.rm, can hold his people BBfe in every trial and difficulty. What have these adverse circumstances been but opportunities for the exercise of preserving power? They are golden opportunities whlch Christ embraces for exhibiting his power to save. And so here we have the true Christian evidence, that Jesus can pre&llr'Ve his people in spite of all apparently adverse things. on. a. 1-38.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 261