2

"teach him in the path of judgment," and "shew to him the way of understanding!" The language of scripture is, "the Lord hath decreed;" "the Lord hath spoken;" "the Lord hath brought to pass." But the grounds and reasons of his dispensations, and even the very methods of his dealings with us, are above all human comprehension. It is plainly declared to us, for instance, in this chapter, that "blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." But the apostle tells us at the same time, that he is speaking of a "mystery;" and were we to look only to this one instance of the ways of God with man, surely we must acknowledge that they are past finding out! How much more, then, when we contemplate all those other mysteries which are spoken of in the Scriptures, and with regard to which those Scriptures say to all true believers, Why God doeth these things, ye know not now, shall know hereafter."

66

but

3

ye

4

Yes, brethren, there is a day coming when those who are content now to "know in part," shall "know even as also they are known." There is a day coming when the deep wisdom, the exact justice, and the perfect goodness of God will be fully and gloriously displayed; when God's honour will be thoroughly vindicated; and when those who have despised his patience, and abused his

2 Isa. xl. 14. 3 Ver. 25. 4 See John xiii. 7. 5 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

upon the "mountains and rocks to grace, will call fall upon them, and to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." Let us "judge nothing therefore before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts."6 So much of God's ways as Christ has revealed to us, we may, nay, we ought to learn; but "we may not be learners, where God does not vouchsafe to be our teacher; nor must we have ears to hear, when God does not see fit to speak." According to the remark of Tertullian, noticed in a former section, learned ignorance' is much better and safer than proud and curious knowledge. And surely there cannot be a more awful and dangerous delusion than, instead of bestowing our pains on that which we may and ought to know, to weary ourselves in endeavouring to hunt out the things which, in our present state, are, and must be, past finding out ! *

7

Having thus considered the manner in which St. Paul here calls upon all believers to acknowledge, with humble and adoring hearts, that God's judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out, I would now observe, in conclusion, how emphatically he reminds us, in the first place, that

5 Rev. vi. 16.

7 Wilson in loc.

6 1 Cor. iv. 5.
8 Sect. xxiv.

* See Note 66.

*

God is a debtor to none, but that all are beholden to him for all that they are, and all that they have; and, secondly, that he is the beginning and the end of all things. Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 1. Who can pretend any claim of right to God's undeserved favours; and to all the gracious effects of his free bounty? Let him only make out that claim, and if he can prove that he hath first given to the Lord, it shall surely be recompensed to him again. 2. But vain above all vanity are such thoughts as these! For from his creation all things receive their being; by his providence, all things are upheld, governed, and preserved; and to his glory they all terminate ! 9

When God says to each of us, in another part of Scripture," My son, give me thine heart," he condescends to speak, indeed, as if men's hearts were their own. But does it not follow, from the passage before us, that, in strictness of speech, we cannot give God anything, but what he first gave to us? Yes, brethren, the believer feels and acknowledges that whatever is acceptable in God's sight, is his free gift; seeing that he "worketh in us both to will and to do, of his good pleasure."? The believer knows, therefore, that his best works

*See Note 67.

1 Prov. xxiii. 26.

9 T. Edwards on the Psalms.

2 Phil. ii. 13.

are no otherwise called his, than as our bread is termed ours, because it is given to us.

'God,' says Augustine, crowneth in us his own gifts, not our merits. He conferreth on us a double mercy; for he first giveth us power to do well, and then he recompenseth and crowneth that work which we did well by his grace. Look not, therefore,' says this holy father, in language such as every true believer will employ, as he draws near the throne of grace, look not upon my own works; but upon thy works, O Lord, which thou hast done in me!'

SECTION XXXVII.

CHAP. XII. ver. 1, 2.

CHRISTIANS TO BE ENTIRELY CONSECRATED TO GOD.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.'

1 Ver. 1, 2.

The mere repetition of these words serves to remind us that the exhortation which they contain forms the practical application of certain truths which have immediately preceded. I beseech you THEREFORE, brethren, by the mercies of God. Upon these mercies of God, as displayed in the great scheme of our redemption, the apostle has been dwelling in the foregoing part of the epistle. He has spoken of the universal corruption of the human race; of the doctrine of justification by faith; of reconciliation with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; of the influence of divine grace; of the believer's privileges, infirmities, and triumphs; and of the divine sovereignty, as already illustrated in the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, and as hereafter to be still more gloriously exhibited in the conversion of the Jewish people. And having thus endeavoured to elevate the hearts and minds of the Roman converts to a devout meditation on Him, "of whom, and through whom, and to whom, are all things," and "to whom," therefore, "glory" is to be ascribed "for ever," St. Paul now commences his application of the foregoing truths; solemnly adjuring the Roman converts, as his brethren in Christ, by the mercies of God shewn to them in their calling and election into the church, that they study to adorn the gospel in their personal walk and conversation. And, that they might never be without some leading notion,