in relation to men.

Hebrews.

His hands were not tied by Judaism. As regards human organs of Divine communications, He was not restricted to the Far less was it the case that the Hebrews, when disloyal to the aim and ideal of their messianic relationship, and its peculiar institutions, could yet be entitled to special spiritual prerogatives, and a monopoly of the very highest messianic favours.

In chapter x. the apostle shows that the greatest messianic blessings are still, though not monopolisingly, available to his countrymen. They are as really available to them as to the most favoured of the Gentiles.

In chapter xi. the apostle shows that the time. is on the wing when his recreant countrymen. will reconsider their ways, and their duty to the Saviour and to God. They will be grafted in again, and, shooting aloft, will take the lead among their fellow men. So that if their fall and dispersion have been over-ruled to the enrichment of the world, and their loss has contributed to the gain of the Gentiles, how much more shall the fulness of both Jews and Gentiles be for the elevation and enduring weal of the human race at large! There will indeed be no necessitation of will, and no dislocation of the broad foundation-stones of moral accountability and character. But the power of the most powerful of motives will be unceasingly and increas

ingly wielded on and for all men everywhere, and by God Himself, until the earth be a new earth and a clean earth, fit palace and home. for the now exalted Redeemer and all His loyal people.

To revert to chapter ix. It is a marvellous piece of reasoning; and strikes out so vigorously, yet so picturesquely, against the spiritual assumption of his countrymen, and in vindication of the sovereign liberty of God to confer His national and personal favours and privileges as He Himself pleases, that every student of theology, and every minister of the gospel, and indeed every intelligent reader of the Scriptures, must feel constrained to make, sooner or later, and perhaps repeatedly, a special and serious effort to trace the consecutive steps and stages of the great logician's argument. To that class of thinkers in particular I submit my Exposition.

As to the import and importance of the ninth chapter, a somewhat vivid idea may be formed from an occurrence that transpired in the celebrated Synod of Dort, in the year 1618.

Augustus Toplady, author of the hymn, "Rock of ages, cleft for me," and of some other productions by no means so creditable to him, says of the synod referred to, that "it formed a constellation of the best and most learned theologians that had ever met in council since the dispersion of the apostles; unless we except the

imperial convocation at Nice, in the fourth century." (Historic Proof, section xix.) "Doubt if you can," adds he exaggeratingly, "whether the sun could shine on a living collection of more exalted piety and stupendous erudition."

In this synod, Dr. Joseph Hall, Dean of Worcester-but afterwards Bishop of Exeter, and finally of Norwich-one of the five British deputies appointed by King James to take part in the synod's proceedings, preached the first sermon that was delivered before the assembled

brethren. It was, says "the memorable John Hales of Eton," "a polite and pathetical Latin sermon," in the course of which he set himself to reprove the curious disputes which that age had made concerning predestination." "For the ending of these disputes," continues Mr. Hales, "his advice to the synod was, that both parts contending should well consider of St. Paul's discourse in the ninth to the Romans, and for their final determination, both should exhibit to the synod a plain, perspicuous, and familiar paraphrase on that chapter. For if the meaning of that discourse,” said Dr. Hall, “were once perfectly opened, the question were at an end." (Letters, p. 382, ed. 1688.)

Doubtless the doctrinal weight of the epistle must, in every biblical system, be great; and it would be in vain to ignore the transcendent power and raciness of the discussion.

It is worthy of note that the triplet of chapters ix. x. xi. forms a remarkably distinct section of the epistle, and is abruptly introduced, on the one hand, and almost as abruptly terminated, on the other. So far as ostensible literary connexion is concerned, there are no interlacings between the conclusion of the eighth chapter and the commencement of the ninth. "The new section," says Meyer, "is introduced with a fervent outburst of Israelitish patriotism, but with no connexion with what goes before."

SPECIAL LITERATURE ON ROMANS IX.

(1) Jacobus Arminius: Analysis Brevis Noni Capitis Epistola Pauli ad Romanos. (Pp. 778-800 of his Opera, Lugd. Bat. ed. 1629.) A kind of epoch-making book, but not satisfactory in an exegetical point of view. When Arminius went to Geneva to finish his theological education, he found Beza lecturing on Romans ix. He was charmed with the venerable exegete, and drained to its very dregs his supralapsarian theology. When he returned to Holland and commenced his ministry in Amsterdam in the year 1588, he forthwith began to expound the Epistle to the Romans. Very soon was his attention turned specifically to Romans ix. He was urged by some of his brethren to refute the views of Koornhert, views of conditional election. By others he was urged to refute the views of those who had, as was alleged, insufficiently refuted Koornhert's views. These disputants, it seems, had dealt with Koornhert's notions from a sublapsarian point of view. Professor Martin Lydius appealed to Arminius to defend the supralapsarianism of his great Genevan teacher. Arminius complied with both requests, nothing doubting that he would be able to demolish Koornhert, on the one hand, and the sublapsarians, on the other. He was honest. He carried on his researches, although he was getting progressively conscious that his foundations were giving way underneath him. He felt constrained at length to let