The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 301

and hns bought us with his precious blood. He ie enthroned ln our henrts; hP, givea laws to our life. 2. J eeus is rich unto all. We are ae81lred of "the unspeakable riches of Christ,n and are counselled to buy of him "gold tried in the fire, that we may be rich." If" all things are oure," it is because we are Christ's, and G'hrist is Go,l's. He who redeems and rules, supplies the wants of his ransomed ones. He is not, like some of the wealthy of this world, rich for himself; he is rich /w w, rlth boundlessly and inexhaustibly, rich benevolently and for ever. If. THE CONDITIONS UPON WHICH THE LoRDBHIP AND THE WEALTH OP' CHRIST HAY BE ENJOYED, These are stated in two modes. 1. BelieiJing on him is essential to partici- pating in the blessings Christ offers to men. The apostle has previously been insistin.,. upon faith as the means of obtaining the true and Divine righteollBiless, as God's way for man to come to himself and to enjoy his favour. They who have faith shall not be put to shame, shall eurely and eternally be saved. 2. Calling upon him would seem to be a natural result of faith. They who believe in the heart will give their faith utterance by the lips. By this Hebrew expression we may understand both open con- fession and earnest prayer. By calling upon the Lord's Name, no vain and 811perstitious invocations or repetitions are to be understood, but the sincere entreaty of the soul for deliverance, guidancr,, or help. III. FoR WHOSE BENEFIT CHRIST'S LORDSHIP ABD WEALTH ARE DESimnrn. 1. The limitations of nationality are abolished. The religions of heathenism are local; the deities of heathenism are national and tutelary. Under the older dispensation, Jehovah was revealed as the one God, the God of all the earth; yet the Hebrews too oft.en regarded the Lord as their God, and theirs only. The distinction between Jew and Gentile was, to the Hebrew mind, deep and ineffaceable. To St. Panl largely belongs the honour of giving currency to the true doctrine of Christianity, that religion is one and universal ; that God is the Father of mankind; that Christ is Saviour and Lord of all men; that the middle wall of partition is broken down; that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile. 2. The offers of Christianity are made to all, and its terms and conditions are adapted to all. He is "rich unto all," and his riches are for "whomsoever believeth," for "whomsoever calleth upon his Name." What lan,,,<TDage could be used more fitted to encourage every hearer of the gospel to submit to the Lordship and to seek the true riches of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Ver. 12.-Spiritual enrichment. The experience of the aposile was sufficienily large to enable him with confidence to make this sweeping assertion. And the experience of the Church of Christ, through the many centuries which ha,c elapsed since St. Panl thus wrote, enables Christians to make the sllDle assertion with undiminished confi- dence. In fact, the actual proofs at our disposal o.nd command are overwhelming, both in number and in appropriateness; for, whilst the bestowal of Divine and spiritual wealth has been incess11ntly proceeding, the resources o.re unexhausted and inexhaustible. I. THE RICHES OF THE LORD. In Christ is wes.lth adapted to the enrichment of dependent, needy men. He has in himself: 1. Riches of revelation. 2. Riches of redemption. 3. Riches of ,·eplenishment, owing to the nature and perpetuity of the spiritual dispensation of grace. 4. Riches of resurrection, inasmuch as the true riches endure unto life eternal. I(, THE LIDERALITY WITH WHICH THESE SPIBITUAL RICHES ARE DISPE..~ED, 1. It is becnuse Christ is Lord over o.11, that he is rich unto all. 2. The riches of rroeeming lovo are conferred upon men of every nationality. In the apostolic age, the great dis- tinction which Christianity transcended was that between Jew and Gentile; but, in subsequent times, it has been proved by experience that there is no nation, no class, and no condition incnpable of this Divine enrichment. Ill. THE CONDITION UPON WHICH BPIBITUAL RICHES HAVE BEEN, AND STILL IUY BX, APPROPRIATED, As throughout this chapter, tho apostle here insists upon that spiritual condition of receptivity and application by which all that is good may enter the nature of man. C1\lluJg upon him is an not (1) of repout11nce, (2) of faith, (3) of pmyer, and (4) of nsplro.tlon. .As we exorcise this means of communion, &II things are ours. Vora. 14, 15.-Pi·eaching. Paul was himself brought to the Snviour by thrit S:\'l"iour's 1mmerli11.to interposition. Doubtless he had heard much of Jesus; yet he hriJ. ne\'t!r 800 THE EPISTLE OF PA.UL TO THE ROMANS. [olI. x. 1-21,