of such Calvin says: "Their perverseness was, on two accounts, to be condemned,-first, because this impiety had gained the assent of their minds; and secondly, because in traducing the gospel, they dared to draw from it their calumny." Hodge: "There is no better evidence against the truth of any doctrine, than that its tendency is immoral." Whatever makes men lax in their views of the precepts of God's law is dangerous.

21. The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods, and angels, and men. He so exerciseth his infinite wisdom, as a wise alchemist, extracting good and glory to himself out of the sinful carriages of wicked folks, as that he neither alloweth nor approveth of them in their sins, nor looseth the reins unto them to sin the more, nor shall they be any whit the less guilty, or less liable to judgment, because of that,' v. 7.

22. Let no man regard his personal, social or ecclesiastical advantages as constituting any refuge or palladium to him, v. 9. External privileges do but enhance responsibility, if they are abused. They cannot save men from either the guilt or the power of sin, v. 9. Yet such is the perverseness and self-righteousness of wicked men, that, like the Jews, they hug the delusion that sin cannot be fatal to them, because God has given them so many privileges above many of their fellow men. But the Saviour addressed a city of such when he plainly told them they should be thrust down to hell.

23. By nature every man is a sinner, and without divine grace no man is righteous in the sight of God, vs. 10-18. Tholuck well says that Paul here employs these verses "in order to describe the universal depravity of the whole human race." It makes the heart sick to see the glosses of Macknight, and the labored efforts of Taylor of Norwich and Stuart of Andover to make the impression that these verses do not prove what the apostle declares he quoted them to prove. If universal depravity in the human race is not proved by these verses, then are there no terms, by which that doctrine could be taught. President Edwards in reply to Taylor says: "What instance is there in the Scripture, or indeed any other writing, when the meaning is only the much greater part, where this meaning is signified by repeating such expressions-They are all-they are all-they are all-together— every one—all the world; joined to multiplied negative terms, to show the universality to be without exception; saying, There is no flesh-there is none-there is none-there is none-there is none, four times over; beside the addition of no, not one-no, not one, once and again!... Here the thing which I would prove, viz.: that mankind in their first state, before they are interested in the bene

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fits of Christ's redemption, are universally wicked, is declared with the utmost possible fulness and precision. So that, if here this matter be not set forth plainly, expressly, and fully, it must be because no words can do it; and it is not in the power of language, or any manner of terms or phrases, however contrived and heaped one upon another, determinately to signify any such thing." Words precisely to the same effect are used by Richard Watson: "Whoever reads that argument, in the third chapter of the epistle to the Romans, and considers the universality of the terms used, ALL, EVERY, ALL THE WORLD, BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES, must conclude, in all fairness of interpretation, that the whole human race, of every age, is intended." Scott: "It is proved beyond contradiction, that we are all, in ourselves, 'under sin.""

23. If men are not righteous by nature, they must secure help from without, a righteousness not theirs by nature, or they must perish, v. 10. Can any thing be clearer than that they who are sick need a physician? The scope of all the apostle's reasoning hitherto has been to this very point. Hereafter he wonderfully shows how the Lord is our righteousness.

24. If men are so benighted as not to understand the plainest truths in religion, nor even to make any hearty efforts to become savingly acquainted with God (as is declared in v. 11); then surely there is the greatest necessity for the work and agency of God's Holy Spirit in the hearts of men. This necessity is imperative for there can be no genuine piety without saving knowledge, and a seeking after God.

25. It is amazing kindness in the good shepherd to go after the lost sheep. Poor things! they are all gone out of the way, v. 12. Nor would they ever find the path of safety, or the green pastures but for his sovereign mercy, that seeks them in their lost condi

tion.

26. Men are not only lost, but in that state they are unprofitable, useless, v. 12. This aspect of the character of fallen men is often presented in God's word.

27. If a man does no good, it is impossible to prove that his piety is genuine, v. 12. All other distinctions between men vanish away before this, that some do good, and some do it not. Compare 1 John 3: 7, 8.

28. The power of the tongue for evil is immense, incalculable,

vs. 13, 14. It defiles the whole nature of man. It has the power of life and death, Pr. 18: 10. Compare Pr. 30: 14. It is a fire, a world of iniquity; it sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly

evil, full of deadly poison, Jas. 3: 6, 8. No man has ever been too watchful over his tongue. The evils of a tongue not restrained by grace are legion-blasphemy, profanity, perjury, cursing, murmuring, quarreling, foolish talking and jesting, vain reasoning, railing, reviling, flattering, silence when we ought to speak, speaking when we ought to be silent, perversion of facts, lying, detraction, talebearing, backbiting, whispering, rash and harsh judging, vain jangling, swelling words, idle words, boasting, false and foolish rumors, vows and promises of a sinful kind, etc. If any offend not in word, the same is a perfect man.

29. Sin ruins and defiles everything. All the faculties and parts of soul and body are corrupted, so that by nature we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, vs. 10-18. The whole head is sick, the understanding darkened, the imagination evil, the memory polluted, the taste degraded, the heart faint, the hands full of wickedness, the feet running in forbidden paths, the lips poisoned, the eyes full of adultery, the breath murderous, the soul sunk down in irreligion, and the flesh triumphant.

30. How fearfully prevalent are bloody crimes, v. 15. How often we read or hear of murders, manslaughters, rencontres, duels, shootings, stabbings, fightings, acts of revenge, malice, envy, hatred, woundings and provocations to violent deeds, together with a manifest delight in wars and scenes of horrid strife and slaughter. Good men should everywhere testify their abhorrence of such things, and God's wrath against them.

31. It is of the very nature of sin to work ruin, to scatter abroad destruction and misery, v. 16. Like fire sin destroys everything on which it kindles. It has digged every grave. It is the parent of every sigh from earth, or groan from hell. God will surely not let sin or sinners have their way always. He will surely, for his own glory, and the good of his saints, set bounds to lawlessness and to the lawless. Blessed be his name for withholding man from compassing all the wickedness, to which his heart would incline him, and Satan seduce him.

32. Nor is it in the heart of man to make or to work peace, to impart or to enjoy it, v. 17. As manifesting the temper of the ungodly see how they have martyred fifty millions of the saints in less than two thousand years, on an average more than a million and three-quarters for each century, or more than an average of seventeen hundred every year during the Christian era.

33. The fear of God is an essential element in rightly swaying the hearts of men, v. 18. There is no piety without it. Where there is none of it, there is no safety for life, liberty, or property.

Doddridge: "Let us bless God that we have been preserved from falling into such enormities, as those described in this chapter, and from falling by them."

34. If you would induce men to be virtuous, persuade them to be pious. He, who fears not God, will not regard man. Hodge : Piety and morality cannot be separated." He, who is bold enough to break with God, cannot be relied upon to keep friendship with man.

35. Jesus Christ and his apostles freely quoted the Septuagint version of the holy Scriptures, as Paul does here, vs. 10-18. This shews the lawfulness of making and using translations of God's word, and circulating them, even if they are not inspired or perfect.

36. We, who have both the law and the gospel, are under manifold obligations to hear, love and keep the words of God. What they say they say to us who are under them, v. 19. Our responsibility is awfully solemn. To whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.

37. And now have we not fairly reached by the apostle's argument the unavoidable conclusion that for men of every race and of every age there is no justification by the law? vs. 9-19. Stuart: "Plainly the apostle's design is, to shew that there is but one method of acceptance with God now possible; and this is in the way of gratuitous pardon or justification." Chalmers: "Be assured that there is a delusion in all the complacency that you associate with your own righteousness. It is the want of a godly principle that vitiates the whole." Hodge: "The office of the law is neither to justify nor sanctify. It convinces and condemns." If salvation is not a gratuity, all men are in a state of hopeless misery; for all are sinners, and before God every mouth must be stopped and all the world stand condemned.

CHAPTER III.

VERSES 20-31.

PAUL AFFIRMS THE SUM OF HIS ARGUMENT. HE ANNOUNCES THE GOSPEL SCHEME OF JUSTI

FICATION, WHICH IS FOR JEW AND GENTILE

INDISCRIMINATELY.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

:

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference :

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith.

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? establish the law.

20.

God forbid; yea, we

THEREFORE by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Peshito: Wherefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh is justified before him; for, by the law, sin is known. The Doway