the rightoourness of God" (ver. 3). Thus it is plain t.hat sincerity &nd morality will not sa'l'"e the human soul or procure aooept.auce with God. The essential condition of i:..1lrnti,,n is faith. Faith will lead us to accept God's plan of salvation, and to be guided by his Word in our efforts to obtain it. St. Paul's description of the J ewe hero might be appropriately applied to our Roman Catholic and ritualistic brethren, They too ha'l'"e a zeal for God. Their zeal and earnestness cannot be questioned. But their zeal is often not according to knowledge. They too are " going about to establish their o_wn right.eousness." They substitute works for faith, and by legal observances, by rites and ceremonies, by fastings and penances, they seek to work out a righteousness for themselves. Christ and his Word are too much set aside, and Church and priest and the commandments of men are set up in their place. Let us admit their strength, let us imitate their zeal, while affectionately "speaking the truth in love" we point out and avoid their weakness.-0. H. I. Vers. 5-13.-The simplicity qf the gospel,. The apostle here contrasts the simplicity of God's plan of sall'&tion with the,e.fforts which men have made to work out a righteous- ness for themselves. Salvation is gained- !. NoT BY OUR OWN GOOD WORKS. "Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law, That the man who doeth those things shall live by them" (ver, 5). If this were the condition of salvation, how hopeless would our condition be I None of us could say that we had made ourselves free from sin, or that our works were perfect and faultless, or that we had fully and faithfully kept all the commandments of God, "Not what these hands have done Could save this guilty soul; . Not what this toiling 11.esh hath bome C.Onld make my spirit whole." Il. NOR BT HIB.A.CULous INTERVENTION. " Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep?" (vers. 6, 7). The desire which is' here expressed still survives. •Not content with the Word of God and the invisible, but real, spiritual presence of Jesus with his Church, and the power of the Holy Spirit, many zealous Christians think it is necessary to have a more visible manifestation of the supernatural. Hence we have the doctrine of the real presence; alleged appe.a.rances of the blessed Virgin at Lourdes and at Knock; and, on the other hand, an undue stress laid upon the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. " If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." fil BUT BY THE PERSONAL RECEPTION AND OONFEBBION OF JESUS CHBIBT. 1. The Holy Scripture11 are the me,an, med to bring this salvation nea;r to ua. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (ver. 8). In contrast with ceremonial or legal observances, in contrast with all miraculoUB appearances, the apostle here magnifies the reading and preaching of the gospel as the Divine method for the salvation of souls. "The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and convening sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation." 2. Faith, which is the condition of salvation, is an act of the human ,r,,i;rul,. Not by bodily labours or l!Ufferings, not by appearances to our bodily senses, but by the Spirit of God and the Word of God working upon our spirits, and producing faith in 118, do we receive salvation. "With the heart man believeth unto righteous- ne88" (ver. 10). It is to the spiritual and not to the bodily nature that the appeal of religion is to be made. It is the spiritual and not the bodily nature that we must cul- tivate if we would see the kingdom of God. 3. Yet this faith will have an outward 'ff.anijetdatwn. "With tbe mouth confession is made unto salvation" (ver, 10). If ,,ur faith in Christ is real, it will show it.self. We shall not be ashamed to make publio ar,knowledgment of him. 4. Th:11,1 salvation is brought within the reach of every one. " The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (vers. 12, 18). This plan of salvation brings the gospel to the Gentile as well BB to the Jew. "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek" (ver. 12), Wherever there is a heart seeking aft.er OB, x. l-21.] 'rHE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 305
God, thmt soul need not we.it to work out e. righteoW1nes~ for itself. "Whosoever shall call upon ~he Name of the Lord shall~ _saved." What a contrast the simplicity of the gospel 1e to nil human systems of religion and all man-made methods of sal •ration ! 'l'he more we keep to the Word of God, and the Iese we mingle with it human tradition and ecclesie.stice.l shibboleths, the more shall we be blessed in bringing souls to Christ. -C.H.I.