are directed and governed; and to him as their last end all things tend. For the display of his character, every thing exists and is directed as the highest and noblest of all possible objects. Creatures are as nothing, less than vanity and nothing in comparison with God. Human knowledge, power or virtue, are mere glimmering reflections from the brightness of the divine glory. That system of religion, therefore, is best in accordance with the character of God, the nature of man, and the end of the universe, in which all things are of, through and to. God; and which most effectually leads men to say, NOT UNTO US, BUT UNTO THY NAME BE ALL THE GLORY!

Such is the appropriate conclusion of the doctrinal portion of this wonderful epistle; in which more fully and clearly than in any other portion of the word of God, the plan of salvation is presented and defended. Here are the doctrines of grace; doctrines on which the pious in all ages and nations have rested their hopes of heaven, though they may have had comparatively obscure intimations of their nature. The leading principle of all is, that God is the source of all good, that in fallen man there is neither merit nor ability; that salvation consequently is all of grace, as well sanctification as pardon, as well election as the bestowment of eternal glory. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever.

Doctrines.

Amen.

1. There is to be a general conversion of the Jews, concerning which the apostle teaches us, 1. That it is to be in some way consequent on the conversion of the Gentiles, vs. 11, 31. 2. That it will be attended with the most important and desirable results for the rest of the world, vs. 12, 15. 3. That it is to take place after the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in; that is, after the conversion of multitudes of the Gentiles, (how many, who can tell?) v. 25. Nothing is said of this restoration being sudden, or effected by miracle, or consequent on the second advent, or as attended by a restoration of the Jews to their own land. These particulars have all been added by some commentators, either from their own imagination or from their views of other portions of the scriptures. They are not taught by the apostle. On the contrary, it is through the mercy shown to the Gentiles, according to Paul, that the Jews are to

be brought in, which clearly implies that the former are to be instrumental in the restoration of the latter. And he every where teaches, that after their restoration to the church, the distinction between Jew and Gentile ceases. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free, Col. 3: 11; all classes are merged in one, as was the case under the direction of the apostles in the first ages of the church.

2. The church of God is the same in all ages and under all dispensations. It is the society of the true people of God, together with their children. To this society the ancient patriarchs and their posterity belonged; into this society, at the time of Christ, other nations were admitted, and the great body of the Jews were cast out, and into this same community the ancient people of God are to be again received. In every stage of its progress, the church is the same. The olive tree is one, though the branches are numerous and sometimes changed, vs. 17-24.

Good

3. The web of Providence is wonderfully woven. and evil are made with equal certainty, under the government of infinite wisdom and benevolence, to result in the promotion of God's gracious and glorious designs. The wicked unbelief and consequent rejection of the Jews are made the means of facilitating the conversion of the Gentiles; the holy faith and obedience of the Gentiles are to be the means of the restoration of the Jews, vs. 11, 31.

4. All organized communities, civil and ecclesiastical, have a common responsibility, a moral personality in the sight of God, and are dealt with accordingly, rewarded or punished according to their conduct, as such. As their organized existence is confined to this world, so must the retributive dispensations of God respecting them be. Witness the rejection, dispersion and sufferings of the Jews, as a national punishment for their national rejection of the Messiah. Witness the state of all the eastern churches broken off from the olive tree for the unbelief of former generations. Their fathers sinned, and their children's children, to the third and fourth generation, suffer the penalty as they share in the guilt, vs. 11-24.

5. The security of every individual Christian is suspended on his continuing in faith and holy obedience; which is indeed

rendered certain by the purpose and promise of God. In like manner the security of every civil and ecclesiastical society, in the enjoyment of its peculiar advantages, is suspended on its fidelity as such, for which fidelity there is no special promise with regard to any country or any church, vs. 20—24.

6. God does sometimes enter into covenant with communities, as such. Thus he has covenanted to the whole human race that the world shall not be again destroyed by a deluge, and that the seasons shall continue to succeed each other, in regular order, until the end of time. Thus he covenanted with the Jews to be a God to them and to their seed for ever, and that they should be to him a people. This, it seems, is a perpetual covenant, which continues in force until the present day, and which renders certain the restoration of the Jews to the privileges of the church of God, vs. 16, 28, 29.

7. It is the radical principle of the bible, and consequently of all true religion, that God is all and in all; that of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. It is the tendency of all truth to exalt God, and to humble the creature; and it is characteristic of true piety to feel that all good comes from God, and to desire that all glory should be given to God, vs. 33-36.

18.

Remarks.

1. The mutual relation between the Christian church and the Jews should produce in the minds of all the followers of Christ, 1. An abiding sense of our obligations to the Jews as the people through whom the true religion has been preserved, and the blessings of divine truth extended to all nations, vs. 17, 2. Sincere compassion for them, because their rejection and misery have been the means of reconciling the world to God, i. e. of extending the gospel of reconciliation among men, vs. 11, 12, 15. 3. The banishment of all feelings of contempt towards them, or exultation over them, vs. 18, 20. 4. An earnest desire, prompting to prayer and effort, for their restoration, as an event fraught with blessings to them and to all the world, and which God has determined to bring to pass, vs. 12, 15, 25, &c.

2. The dealings of God with his ancient people should, moreover, teach us, 1. That we have no security for the con

tinuance of our privileges but constant fidelity, v. 20. 2. That, consequently, instead of being proud and self-confident, we should be humble and cautious, vs. 20, 21. 3. That God will probably not bear with us as long as he bore with the Jews, v. 21. 4. That if for our unbelief we are cast out of the church, our punishment will probably be more severe. There is no special covenant securing the restoration of any apostate branch of the Christian church, vs. 21, 24, with 16, 27-29.

3. It is a great blessing to be connected with those who are in covenant with God. The promise is "to thee and thy seed after thee." "The Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," Deut. 7: 9. The blessing of Abraham reaches, in some of its precious consequences, to the Jews of this and every coming age, vs. 16, 27-29.

4. The destiny of our children and our children's children is suspended, in a great measure, on our fidelity. "God is a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him." What words of woe for unborn thousands, were those, "His blood be on us and on our children!" As the Jews of the present age are suffering the consequences of the unbelief of their fathers, and the nominal Christians of the eastern churches suffer for the apostacy of previous generations, so will our children perish, if we, for our unbelief as a church and nation, are cast off from God, v. 19-24.

5. As the restoration of the Jews is not only a most desirable event, but one which God has determined to accomplish, Christians should keep it constantly in view even in their labours for the conversion of the Gentiles. This Paul did, vs. 13, 14. Every effort to hasten the accession of the fulness of the Gentiles is so much done towards the restoration of Israel, v. 25.

6. Christians should not feel as though they were isolated beings, as if each one need be concerned for himself alone, having no joint responsibility with the community to which he belongs. God will deal with our church and country as a whole, and visit our sins upon those who are to come after us. We should feel, therefore, that we are one body, members one of another, having common interests and responsibilities. We

ought to weep over the sins of the community to which we belong, as being in one sense, and in many of their consequences, our sins, vs. 11-24.

7. As the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, those to whom he has given the Holy Spirit, and has called unto holiness, may rejoice in the certainty of the continuance of these blessings, v. 29.

8. Does the contemplation of the work of redemption, and the remembrance of our own experience, lead us to sympathize with the apostle in his adoring admiration of the wisdom and goodness of God, and to feel that, as it regards our salvation, every thing is of him, through him, and to him? vs. 33-36.

9. As it is the tendency and result of all correct views of Christian doctrine to produce the feelings expressed by the apostle at the close of this chapter, those views cannot be scriptural which have a contrary tendency; or which lead us to ascribe, in any form, our salvation to our own merit or power, vs. 33-36.

CHAPTER XII.

Contents.

THIS chapter consists of two parts. The first, vs. 1-8, treats of piety towards God, and the proper estimation and use of the various gifts and offices employed or exercised in the church. The second, vs. 9-21, relates to love and its various manifestations towards different classes of men.

CHAP. 12: 1-8.

Analysis.

As the apostle had concluded the doctrinal portion of the epistle with the preceding chapter, agreeably to his almost uniform practice, he deduces from his doctrines important practical lessons. The first deduction from the exhibition which he had made of the mercy of God in the redemption of men, is that they should devote themselves to him as a living