use of the word II riches" to describe the mercies of God In redemption. He felt he he.d to publish a purpose of God rich !n _wi~on:i, love, and power, dwarfing all b•irmm 11ystems of reform. The Lord of Cbrist1amty 111 IIO supremely glorioU11 that it wae a. relief to tum away from human poverty in thought ancl means, to contemplate "the treasures of wisdom o.nd knowledge bidden in Christ." 2. B6 is rich, m oil that hi~ creatwes need. Circumlocution offices abound on earth. The kin"' cannot heal the leper, nor the doctor give legal information to the suitor, nor the la;,yer be expected to hee.d the subscription list. But none can seek Christ in vain for spiritual wants. He i11 rich in mercy to the penitent sinner, and to the believer forgetful of bis early vows he is rich in the assurance of forgiveness and succour. The di3appr,inted may find him an unfailing Hope, the bereaved a "God of all consolation;" to the tempted he is the" Way of escape," and to the heated with the straggle of life," the Shadow of a great rock." 3. A benevolent Lord. "Rich unto all." Many a wealthy man is not "rich unto" anybody else-not even unto himself', poor niggardly soul. God sits not as a miser gloating over his goods, or as a king ensconced in the palace, where no cry of the poor or of the anguished can reach him. He delights to give; the glory of God is revealed in blessing his creatures. Love created, BU11tains, enriches, the unive1'3e. We need not fear coming too often or asking too largely. We shall not weary his generosity, or appeal too late to hi.~ exchequer because a more fortunate applicant anticipated our request. Invited tu his banquet, he will not thank you for partaking scantily of the rich fare, lest you should trespass on his bounty. 4. The one restric- ion. Only one condition is to l,e fulfilled-that we " call upon him." This is but reasonable. We receive daily benefits unasked, bat in the concerns of the soul we are treated as intelligent beings, as children whose voice the Father loves to hear. The prayer of mingled contrition and trust purifies and exalts the suppliants, honours and gratifies the Donor or good. The character of the petition manifests the spiritual state or the petitioner. Set the desires not so much upon the promi~es of physical relief as of spiritual blessing, not so much the removal of the trial as strength to bear it, not so much the extraction of the thorn as grace to submit patiently and to see wise purposes subserved by the infliction. What simpler counsel could be given to the heavy-laden sinner than this, "call upon him"? Like Peter amid the waves, cry out, "Lord, save me!" and Divine help shall respond, and you" shall be saved." And when the hour of death draws_ nigh, though we mo.y not be surrounded by taunting foes, and no cruel blows may hasten our departure, yet, like the dying martyr, we may pa.."11 "calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."-S. R. A.
Vers. 1-11.-0011/ession of a risen Saviour. In the previous chapter we saw a Christian patriot lamenting that so many of his fellow~ountrymen, through rejecting God's mercy manifested in Christ Jesus, were becoming mere vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. At the same time, he sees in Divine sovereignty, its incidence and its justice, the real clue to the philosophy of history and the progress of the world. In the present chapter he discusses the rejection of Israel and its reasons, and the nature of that acceptance and salvation which the Gentiles received after the Jews had despised them. In the verses now claiming attention we have the apostle leading his readers up to faith in and confession of a risen Saviour. J. THE MISDIREOTED ZEAL OF THE .APOSTLE'S COUNTRYl!E~. (Vers. 1---3.) The apostle's desire and " supplication " (so Revised Version) for the Jews was that they might be saved. But, alas I their misdirected zeal was preventing their salvation. For instead of submitting to the righteousness which is of God, instee.d of making their way to Cllrist, who is the End to whom the Law when properly understood leads, they were going about with the one object of astablishing their own righteousness. This zoal P11ul knew himself experimentally. For years he also had aimed at Law-keeping, and in his self-ignorance he thought tllat "touching the righteousness which is in the Lo.w" he wns "blameless" (Phil. iii. 6). But the Law-keeping may be in the letter and not in the spirit. The spirit of the Law is love; yet Paul and tho Pharisees tithed mint and anise and cummin, whilo they lived lives of hate, and hesit~lted not to porsocuto Christ-like people even to the death. To keep self-righteousness before the soul ns the end of lifu is simply misdirected zeal. It keeps us nw:\y from Christ and all tho bliss whloh his followship ituplios. And so l\ day came when Pl\ul smv th,\~ 318 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THll ROMANS. [mr, x.1-!1.