<>stablish his own righteousness; for years he had been taking that" roundabout way;" but he had been led by his internew with his risen Lord to see in the crucified Nazareno the Messiah of promise, and he had accepted salvation from hie holy hands. No 11rra.ngement of God prevented any Jew from entering the charmed circle of Ohriet's fello~hip and identifying himself with the Christian Church. The once-despised Messiah wss wsiting to recei'l'e all that oared to oa.ll upon him for his help. It was, of coun:e, a saln1tion all of grace. Self-righteousness WRS sacrificed in the process; but it wss in consequence the more thoroughly Divine. Consequently, it was the Jewe·who kept themselves out of the promise and the blessing, and no preventive ordinance of God. II. THE SAVED EXCEPTIO:?\"S ABE ALWAYS MORE NU'l[EROUS TIJAN' WE IN OUR DOWN• CAST OO!-.""IlITION lllAGTh'"E, (Vers. 2---5.) The apostle goes back for comfort to the case of Elijah. In his days religion was in a desperate condition. One by one had ,lezebel cut off God's prophets, so that Elijah, as he looked over the doomed land, fancied he was the only witness left. The whole nation, in hie judgment, had con- formed to the idolatry of the court, and his were the only knees which had not bowed to Baal. It ~-as this 'l'iew of things which Elijah laid before the Lord. But to his surprise he is informed that God has still seven thousand worshippers who have not bowed to Baal nor kissed the idol. Matters were better than Elijah imagined, There was a larger remnant, according to the election of grace, than he could have anticipated. The same lesson is to be learned ata later period in Hebrew history, in connection with the restoration of the exiles to Canaan. In the restored remnant God had a larger pro- portion of faithful witnesses than to the outward eye was apparent; and they beca.me a seed of blessing in the promised land. It is so, let us believe, always. We cannot l!tt all the good which has been accomplished through the gospel. We must let God "write up the people," and make out his own statistics. Our reckoning, like Elijah's, will usually be astray. God has "hidden ones," unknown to most, and his cause is not the hopeless one which pessimists suggest. III. THE REllX.L~ SAVED OWES ALL TO DIVINE GRACE. (Ver. 6.) For the gospel is a way of salvation by free, unmerited favour, as opposed to all self-righteousness. It may be h=iliatini: to be able to contribute nothing to our own salvation, but to have t.o accept it full and free from a risen Lord; yet salvation through humiliation is better, surely, than being lost. "ilra«," says Dr. R. W. Hamilton," is free favour; it can be related to no right, and contained in no law. It is extra-judicial: whenever bestowed, it ciepends upon the mere will of him who exercises it, or, upon what is the same thing, his voluntary pledge and agreement. U this latter be withdra.wn, there may he a forfeiture of integrity and fidelity, but it is only so far unjust to those deprived of it, that a claim arose out of it; but no injustice accrues to them, considered in their original, circu:nustanus. A simple test of grace is presented by the following inquiries: Ou,ght it to be exercised? Ca.n it be righteoualy withheld , U we affirm the one, if we deny the other, it may be obligation., debt, reason, it cannot be grace, for this principle never owes itseif to its object; and in not showing it, the person still is just. U there is any necessity for it, save that of demerit and its misery, it 'is no more gra.ce.'" 1 By keeping the meaning of the term _steadily in view, then, it_ w~l be seen that no injustice is done any who decline salvation by free grace and ms1et on some form of self- righteousness. For the latter is pure favouritism, and the former can alone be adopted by a Goo who is no respecter of persons. IV. 'IHE REJECTED JEWS WEllE JUDICIALLY BLINDED. (Vere, 7-10.) Now, when we consider what the Jews generally were seeking after, we can see justice in their rejection. Their idea was essentially ambitioUB; they wanted a military and worldly Messiah to put them at the head of the nations of the earth. Thie vaulting ambition over!E:aptd it.6elf and fell on the other side. They obtained not what they were seeking for. But the election, the humble-minded who were ready to be saved by grace, got their salvation and their place in Messiah's spiritua.l kingdom. A spiritual Messiah satisfied their longings, while the proud, self-righteous worldlinge were sent empty away. Now, what the apostle here noticeA is that their worldly spirit led to apirituru blh:idneas. They were so eDgrof!Sed with the tablo of self-rightoousnese aDd ambition that they could not soothe offers and education of Gocl's grnco. '!'hie blindness con:c1 1 Bee tu whole dilcoune on ver. 6 in 'Sermon1,' vol. i. pp. 280-812, • on, xr, l-88.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 339
in the very order of nofore, ~nd is judicial •.. Engrossed with purely worldly ideas, they get unable to eee the gracious opportunities or to appreciate them. And 80 they experience e. fo.te which they richly deserve. Mo.y God preserve 11B all from judicia.l blindness 1-R, M, E.