sumption, and almost fear to think of it, as if the very approach to it were heretical. This is not at all as it ought to be. Let us not be afraid of a word. The "full assurance of faith," and "the full assurance of hope," are New Testament phrases. They must have their meaning; and believers ought to enjoy what corresponds to them. There is certainly nothing heretical in being "filled with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." And yet this is a state of mind, which, though expressed in other terms, amounts to much the same thing. But while we exhort believers to seek and to cherish this happy state of confidence towards God as that which the New Testament represents as their legitimate privilege; the same inspired record never allows them to forget that their joy must be a holy joy, their hope a hope that sanctifies; and the more the joy and the hope abound, the more should their influence appear in the abundance of holy practice. If we walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, let us see to it that this be invariably associated with our walking in the fear of the Lord.*

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2. Since we owe so much to the Holy Spirit; since He alone is our regenerator, and sanctifier, and guide, and strengthener, and comforter; since it is by His commissioned power that we are filled with joy and peace in believing," and are sustained by the animating energy of the good hope through grace, let us cherish the gratitude we owe to this divine agent, and not forget the solemn admonition of this Apostle :-" Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."+ Let every temper, every desire, every word, every action, be carefully shunned by us, that is contrary to his will and to his influence,—that is abhorrent to his nature, and dishonouring to his name. While you seek that He may dwell in you,-seek to cast out everything from your heart of which the presence is inconsistent with his residence there, and might provoke him to forsake the dwelling-place :- "Cleanse yourselves

*Heb. xii. 14.; 1 John iii. 2, 3, &c.

† Eph. iv. 30.

from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

3. Let us praise God together because in the Gospel he appears, not as 'the God of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles." Let us, with one heart and one soul," glorify God for his mercy;"—and let this be associated also with practical duty. Let us cultivate suitable feelings both towards Jews and Gentiles, and let these feelings not be inoperative; not slumbering in our bosoms, but lively and busily active. Let us never indulge contempt towards the Jews, the seed of Abraham, God's friend. "Jesus Christ," let us not forget, was himself "of the circumcision," and in a primary and special sense, "a minister of the circumcision." He assumed our nature amongst the seed of David; and his first commission was to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." These guilty outcasts are still regarded with purposes of mercy. They are not finally cast off. Jesus Christ will yet more abundantly and strikingly show himself the "minister of the circumcision." The designs of his mediation in regard to them are far from being completed. "The deliverer shall yet come to Zion, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." Let us seek to hasten this consummation; and let us aim at "the fulness of the Gentiles." The predictions of this passage have been fulfilled in part; they still wait their more full accomplishment. Let our prayer be—and let the sincerity of it be shown in action and in liberality—“ God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.”*

*Psa. lxvii.

LECTURE LXVII.

ROMANS XV. 14-21.

"And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation: but as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand."

THE Apostle wrote with authority. What he wrote was not properly his own, but the dictate of the Spirit of Christ. But we have many occasions for observing that divine inspiration did not interfere with human feeling in its conscious possessor. The play of all the legitimate sensibilities of the heart continues, on the very subjects the matter of which is suggested by the Holy Spirit. The admonitions which Paul had, in the preceding chapter and the beginning of this, addressed to the believers at Rome, were divinely suggested and divinely expressed. They had in them the full sanction of heaven. But in writing them, the Apostle felt a rising apprehension lest they should be regarded as severe, or as

implying a too unfavourable estimate of the character of the church. This delicacy of feeling was not in itself improper. There was nothing in it, therefore, of which it was needful that the divine Spirit should restrain the utterance. Nay, the utterance of it, by its conciliatory influence, might have the beneficial effect of recommending to a suitable regard and practical compliance, in spirit and in conduct, the reproofs and counsels that had been administered. The Holy Spirit, therefore, interferes not with the breathings of affectionate feeling,—the feeling itself being in harmony with His own gracious influence; and, in its expression, not running beyond the line of truth.-The language of the first two verses here is closely akin to that addressed to the Hebrews:-"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”* It amounts to a declaration of confidence, resting on his knowledge of their character as a church, that his admonitions would be duly weighed and practically followed. The preceding admonitions may have been addressed to them in the way of prevention, on the ground of their probable need of them, from the tendency of circumstances to produce the evils against which they are directed. Or, on the more likely supposition that, to a certain extent, the evils actually existed, the "persuasion" expressed in verse fourteenth may be interpreted generally-implying that, although individuals might have discovered deficiency in the virtues commended, yet as a collective body the character given of them was deserved.†

"Goodness" has here the sense, as in other occurrences of the same word, of a mild, kindly, benevolent disposition. Such was, in the Apostle's estimation, their general temper and state of mind, and he had the conviction that they would be ready, under the influence of this

* Heb. vi. 9, 10. † Comp. chap. i. 8; xvi. 19. Comp. Matt. xx. 15: Gal. v. 22: Rom. v. 7.

temper, to listen to and bear his admonitions; while, in compliance with them, they would cherish this temper towards one another "with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love."*

"All knowledge" signifies, according to the usage of this writer, enlarged acquaintance with the mind and will of God -with the great principles of the Gospel scheme, and with the duties arising out of them and to which they contained the motives. It is "knowledge" not merely of a speculative kind, but that which arises from "spiritual discernment." "Filled with all knowledge," seems to refer to their having received it from Him "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," and who imparts it to the mind by the illuminating influence of his Spirit. Their ability to "admonish one another" consisted in both the "goodness" and the "knowledge." The word for "admonishing" + is a general one, referring to the regulation of the mind and conduct, by instruction, direction, warning, and reproof. This is a duty which daily lies upon believers in church fellowship in all their associations and intercourse in life.§ To the right fulfilment of this duty, I have said, both "knowledge" and "goodness" are requisite. The one is needful for the matter of admonition, and the other for the manner of it. It is not sufficient that the matter be right. The sentiments we utter may be sound, the practice we inculcate correct, and our reproofs well-merited; but if they are not administered in the spirit of "goodness," they cannot prove effectual. Both the head and the heart must be right. And in Paul's own admonitions we have the union of both happily exemplified. He blends admonition with commendation. While he reproves what is wrong, he does not overlook what is right. There is a severity that hardly knows how to commend; and there is a softness that cannot bring itself to censure. Both are extremes. We should win a way for reproof to the heart by duly commending what is laudable; we should

* Eph. iv. 2.

† 1 Cor. ii. 14. ? Heb. iii. 12, 13.

† νουθετεῖν.