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as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone ;

33. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.6

The Gospel was a stumblingblock to the Jews, who believed themselves righteous, and despised others. To attach themselves to Christ, implied self-condemnation. But they were self-satisfied. To attach themselves to Christ, implied that they were lost without him. But they thought themselves secure. To attach themselves to Christ, was to forfeit the homage of the multitude. But they sought honour one of another." So they stumbled at that stumblingstone, which was "set for the fall of many in Israel." They sought not righteousness by faith, which would have been a sign of humility: but as it were by the works of the law, which very law condemned them. For the law was spiritual: but they were carnal.

Meanwhile the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, depended not on righteousness of their own, attained the righteousness which is by faith. They applied themselves to Christ as sinners, and as believers in him were pardoned. They did not "resist the Holy Ghost," when it "reproved them of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." Therefore many of them believed, and attained to righteousness. They became vessels of mercy, whilst the Jews brought upon themselves swift destruction. As was seen at Antioch, where the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy appear before us in awful and instructive contrast.

Is. viii. 14, 15; xxviii. 16. 8 Luke ii. 34.

7 John v. 44.

9 Acts vii. 51.

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(Acts xiii. 44.) "On the sabbath day, came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." He that was a rock of offence to the selfrighteous Jews, became a pillar of salvation to the humble Gentiles: who obtained to themselves the promise, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

LECTURE XXIX.

THE WAY OF SALVATION REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL.

ROMANS X. 1-11.

1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Paul was accused of treachery towards his own countrymen, because he preached the Gospel to those

who were not his countrymen. He again declares, that no object was so dear to his heart, as the salvation of Israel. But they could only be saved in the way which God had appointed. They had a zeal of God. They were proud of their privilege, as possessing his word as being worshippers of the true and living God, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. They abhorred idols: they observed the rites and ceremonies of the law. But this their zeal of God was not according to knowledge of his real will. They thought that they were doing him service when they were persecuting his own peculiar people.1 Paul well understood this; remembering his own state of mind, when he " verily thought within himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." They went about to establish their own righteousness: like him who boasted, "I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. But they would not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. They had no such sense of unworthiness, as to value eternal life as "the gift of God through Jesus Christ." They "were Jews by nature, not sinners of the Gentiles:" Must they also be condemned? Were they "blind also ?"+

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Thus they understood not how the design or object of the law, man's justification, was accomplished in the Gospel: and how "they that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses."

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4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7. Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:

9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

Thus there are two ways in which man might attain unto righteousness:-be justified before God.

6 This passage is an application of the words in Deut. xxx. 11-14. "This commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." St. Paul turns this to his own purpose; Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? That impossibility has been achieved: Christ has descended from above. Say not in thine heart, Who shall descend into the deep, and show us the things of the grave? Christ is risen again from the dead. So that the word which we

That too has been done.

preach is nigh thee, and there is no place for doubting.

7 Isa. xxviii. 16.

He might be justified as being in all the requirements of the law, both moral and ceremonial, blameless. Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them. Or he might be justified, as being freely received of God for the sake of Jesus Christ :-" accepted in the Beloved." In that case, Christ would become the end of the law for righteousness: would fulfil the design of the law, and procure man's acceptance with God.

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In the first way, no man living can be justified. For who is he that liveth, and sinneth not? many things we offend all." "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." But the word of faith offers deliverance from this state of condemnation. The Lord Jesus, " to as many as receive him, gives power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name." "Whosoever believeth in him shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

No passage in Scripture declares more plainly the way of salvation. of salvation. It shows what is to be felt; and it shows what is to be done. There must be such a feeling of need in ourselves, as leads us to seek deliverance: such a conviction of sufficiency in Christ as leads us to seek deliverance from Him. For to believe in the heart that God hath raised up Jesus from the dead, is to believe that he "died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." And 9 John i. 12; v. 24.

8 Eph. i. 6.

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