The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 331

Vere. 38-86.-The wnsearchable things of God. These words may be taken as a fitting conclusion to the doctrinal or argumentative part of the Epistle. As we see how the apostle shows first of all, in the condition of both the heathen and the ,Jewish world, tho.t all have Hinned, and that all needed a Divine Saviour; and how he then unfolds the gree.t doctrine of justifice.tion by faith and its re11UltA; as we see also the great privileges for time and eternity which are be.,towed upon the children of God• may we not also exclaim, "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wiwlom and know~ ledge of God I how unsearchable are his judgments, and hie wayij past finding out!" I. HIS UNSEARCHABLE WISDOM, " Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God I" says the apostle (ver. 33); and again he asks, "Who hath been hie counsellor?" (ver. 34). Beyond all human wisdom is the wisdom of God-a wisdom self-sufficient• derived from no other source ; a wisdom of which, indeed, all human wisdom is but th; faint reflection, the outcome and the overflow. Take the very wisest of men-men like Socrates, Plato, Seneca, or Bacon: how foolish were some of their thoughts, their proposals, or their actions I Take the very wisest man whom you know, and he will be glad sometimes to take counsel of some one else. Indeed, in this the wise man shows his wisdom. It is fools who despise reproof, and who will not take advice. But GoEI. needs no advice. He makes no mistakes. This thought of the unsearchable wisdom of God teaches us a lesson of faith and trust. God's dealings are often mysterions to 1lS, but there is an infinite wisdom behind them all. He doeth all things we!L It teadies us also a lesson of obedience. God's way is always wisest, safest,"best, happiest. It might be said to us as Moses said to the children of Israel, "Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me. Keep there- fore and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." II. His UNSEARCHABLE KNOWLEDGE. We have made much progress in scientific knowledge in this nineteenth century, and yet how very limited, after all, is hmnan knowledge I How many things in chemistry, in geology, in astronomy, are still unrevealed I Even of a single science no man can say that he knows all about it, though he may have given a lifetime to the study of it. And theu few men are masters of more than one branch of knowledge. Life is too short to do more than touch the surface of things. But the knowledge of God is unsearchable. " Oh the depth of the riches of the knowledge of God! . . . Who hath known the mind of the Lord?" (vers. 33, 34). Nothing is hidden from him. Every part and path of the uni- verse is known to him. Every nation is known to him-its national hb--tory, its national sins. Every family is known to him. The joys and sorrows of every home, he knows them e.11. The secret thoughts, the secret motives, the secret phns of every life, he knows them o.11. This thought carries with it grent comfort. "Your heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." He knows all our difficulties and all our wants. And e.s we look forward to the future, to the judgment-seat, is there not a comfort in feeling that God's judgment upon us will be e. perfectly fair one, because it will be based upon a complete and accurate and perfect knowledge of our lives? Our motives may be misunderstood by men; but God knows all about them. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." It carries with it also solemn warning. If God knows all a.bout me, how careful I should be to live as in his sight I How careful I should be to live as in the presence of the judgment-seat I "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; nor hid. tho.t shall not be known." ID. Ills UNSEAROHADLE MEROY, "For O.id hath concluded them all iu unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom o.nd knowledge of God I" Here God's unsoorchable wisdom aud kuowledge are repre- sented ns co-operating in his plim of universal mercy. Hero again what depths there nre that we onnnot fathom I How very unmerciful men nro at the best! H<,w h,m;h the judgmonts even of professing Christians I l\lld how limitrd and narr<>W am S<'llle- timea thoir views 11s to the possibility of the 61\lvntion of others! But the mercy of God is widor thnn all our creeds, nnd broader thnn the judgmcnts of iudindrnu Ohristl1111e. What a depth, whnt I\ brendth of mercy is rovealed iu tlwsti W<'t\is uf Ohrist, "God so lovod t.he world, that he gave his only be,,uotteu &,u, th,\t whus~ver 1130 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [orr. n.1-36,