Vere, 33-86.-God, his own last End in everything. The apostle has been throwina a very clear providential light upon God's dealings with his ancient people. He ha,; shown how their unbelief and fa.II were permitted in order to the ga.tberin,, in of the Gentiles; o.nd that tho Gentiles thus brought In are to gird themselv~ for tbe ingathering of the Jews, But he does not profess to have eounded the depths of tho Divina wisdom and knowledge by these suggestions. Before that mio'hty ocean he stands in unfeigned humility. He may have picked up one or two r~bblP,s on tbe strand, but he has not explored the caves of ocean that lie before him. Yet amid the unsearchable character of God's judgments, he can see one supreme end in every- thing, and this is God himself; "For of him, and through him, and to him a.re all things." ' J. WHILE Goo 18 KNOWABLE, BE SURPASSES ALL OUR CO'.S'CEPTIO:SS O HlS WISDOl[ AND HIS WAYS. (Ver. 33.) While believing in the radical error which underlies the agnostic philosophy, we must at the sa.me time admit that God's wisdom and know- ledge, his judgments and his ways, are past our comprehension. Jnst as a child may know, that is, be acquainted with, his parent, while a.t the same time he is utterly 1mable to follow him into the regions of pure mathematics, comprehend the differential or integral calculus, or the new department of quaternions; so a Christian may know God as he reveals himself in Christ, and yet stand in awe before his unsearcna.ble judgments. It is God's glory to conceal a. thing. If we sa.w through the whole adminis- tration of God, if there were no mystery or perplexity in his dealings, we should be living by reason and not by faith. It is more consonant with our :finiteness in its relation to the infinite God that we should be asked to trust God, even when we see no reason for his action, when clouds and darkness may be round about his throne. What we have to consider, therefore, is the proper attitude of the Chri..~an before the profun- dities of God. It surely should be one of humility, of reverence, and of thankful praise.1 Now, the partiality of Paul's revelation may be profitably contrasted with the fulness of revelation as claimed by Christ. For he claimed to have all that the Father doeth shown to him (John v. 20). Nothing was or is concealed from Jesus. God's ways were not unsearchable to him.2 II. MEN SHOULD NOT IN CONSEQUENCE DICTATE TO GoD, OB TBY TO BE BEFOREILL'ID WITH HIM. (Vere. 84-, 35.) Now, when the matter is put broadly in this 'l>ay, it seems shocking presumption for men to set themselves up as superior persons, capable of dictating to the Eternal. Yet is this not the meaning of a large amount oi the pessimistic literature of our time? If the pessimists had only been consulted, they could ha.ve planned a much better world than God has given us ! His management has been, in their view, a mistake ; and the only redeeming feature in the business is that he has somehow created the pessimists with judgments and powers superior to his own I It is time, surely, that these lamentations over a system of things so very imperfectly understood as yet should cease, and that creatures so :finite should humble themselves before the Infinite, and acknowledge his superiority in all things. III. AT THE SAME TIME, THE APOSTLE CONCLUDES TB.AT Goo IS ms OWN LAST END IN EVERYTID.NG. (Ver. 36.) It sooms a hard thing to take in, yet the more it is pondered the truer it appears. "Ttti supreme Sun of the spiritual universe, th~ ultimate Reason of everything in the world and work of grnce, is the glory of God. Whole systems of truth move in subordinate relation to this; this is subordinate to nothing." 8 "There was nothing," wrote Robert Haldane to M. Chene,iere 0f Gene.s, "brought under the consideration of the students which appeared to contribute so effectually to overthrow their false system of religion founded on philosophy and .:u.u deceit, as the sublime view of the majesty of God, which is presented iu these concluding verses of the first part of the Epistle, 'Of him, and through him, and to him, o.re all things.' Here God is described as his owu lnst Eud in everything that he does. Judging t Of, Oaspnri's sermon on "The Christian bcforo the Depths c,f Deity."in bis •,0n JeD-"l!i' dee Gmbes, hand ii. s. (H; l\)so Barrow's sermon on "The Unsearehableu.:-ss of God's Judg- ments," vol. i. p. 498. Snurin h11s also II flue sermon on ''. Profondeui:,i _Divi~~s," in ~ tomo i. p. 176; nud South has ruso II suggc~ti,o 0110 on this pl\.S&1g,,, tl,ItO Ni.tiou, Y0L ii. p. 2GO. • Cf. Gcee'e • Ohristi Solbstzougnise,' ss. 29, SO, • Of. Moule'a • Union with Ohrillt,' p. 10, M2 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS, [oH. xn.1-21.
{lf God as such a one as themselves, they were at first startled at the illel\ that he must love himself rupremely, infinitely more than the whole universe, and consequently must prefer his CIW'll glory t-0 everything besides. But when they were reminded the.t 01Jd in reality is infinit{'ly more a.miable and more valuable than the whole oreation, and that consequently, if he news things as they really are, he must regard himself as infinitely worthy of being most valued and lo'l'ed, they saw that this truth was incontrovertible. '!'heir attention was at the same time turned to numerous passnges of Soripture, which lL.'ISert that the ma.nifestation of the glory of God is the great end of oreation; that he bas himself chiefly in new in all his works and dispensations; a.nd that it is a purpose in which he requires that all his intelligent creatures should acquiesce, and seek to promot{' as their first and paramount duty. Passages to this effect, both in the Old and New Testaments, far exceed in number what any one who has not examined the subject is at all aware of." 1 Now, if our idea of God is high enough, we shall conclude that he st.a.nds in such perfect relations to his creatures that in seeking his own glory he is e.t the same time seeking their highest good. Of course, we have the power of resisting this claim of God, and setting ourselves in opposition to his glory; yet this will not defea.t his purpose, but be overruled for his praise. It is not selfishness in the most high God to seek his own glory; he is so perfect in his love as to be incapable of selfish- ness. His glory conflicts with the real good of none of his creatures. IV. WE OUGHT IN CONSEQUENCE, LIKE THE APOSTLE, TO BAISE OUR DOXOLOGY. It is when from the heart we sing our doxology to this perfect Being the.t we a.re rising up into our spiritual birthright and joy. How different Paul's doxology from the agnostic deliverances before the unknown God! It is possible to adore and praise a God whose jnd,,,aments a.re nn.searehable, because the g11iding principle of his perfect nature is love. llay we all be led to praise him 1-R. M. E.
EXPOSITION.