DISCOURSE: 1888
PAUL’S LOVE TO HIS BRETHREN
Romans 10:1. Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
TO seek the salvation of our fellow-creatures is but an unthankful office. The intimations which we are obliged to give them respecting their guilt and danger, are considered by them as uncharitable censures, rather than as friendly admonitions; and thus we call forth only the resentment of those, whose eternal interests we are most anxious to promote. St. Paul, who was most abundant in labours for the salvation of his brethren, experienced, beyond all others, their hatred and contempt. Aware that this would be the effect of his exertions, he was always studious to counteract it; and scarcely ever mentioned an offensive truth, without testifying, by some following observations, that it was dictated by love. Throughout the whole Epistle to the Romans, this appears in a very striking light. Having shewn, in the second chapter, that the Jews, notwithstanding their being in covenant with God by circumcision, were as much in need of salvation as the idolatrous and abandoned Gentiles, he corrects the apparent severity of his remarks, by saying, “What advantage then hath the Jew? Much every way [Note: Romans 2:28-29. with 3:1, 2.].” Proceeding afterwards to shew that the law could not justify any man, and fearing that he might on that account be thought an enemy to the law, he removes all ground for that suspicion; “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law [Note: Romans 3:28. with 31.].” Comparing afterwards his connexion with the law to the state of a woman that has lost her husband, who is therefore at liberty to be married to another; and observing, that sin took occasion from the law itself to bring forth fruit unto death; he guards them against imagining that he meant thereby to cast any reflection upon the law, as though it was itself sinful; “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid [Note: Romans 7:1ell.]!” If we view ourselves as we really are in the sight of God, we shall see that we may, on many occasions, justly, and without hyperbole, say, “So foolish am I and ignorant, I am even as a beast before thee [Note: ver. 22.].”]
2. To be satisfied with our condition—
[To Judas was consigned the custody of the stock provided for the daily support of our Lord and his disciples. What if the other disciples had envied him that honour? would they have been wise? Judas was a thief: and the pre-eminence he enjoyed, afforded him an opportunity of gratifying his covetous desires, whilst the rest were free from any such temptation. God knows that many of those things which we would fain enjoy, would only prove snares and temptations to our souls. He sees, not only the evil that does exist, but the evil also that might arise, within us: and he withholds in mercy many things, which he knows would be injurious to our spiritual welfare. How happy would it have been for the Rich Youth in the Gospel, if, instead of being possessed of wealth, he had been as poor as Lazarus! It was his wealth alone that induced him to forego all hope of an interest in Christ [Note: Mark 10:22.]: and, if he had been a poor man, he might, for ought we know, have been at this moment a blest inhabitant of heaven. Let us then remember, that if God sends us trials which we would gladly escape, or withholds comforts which we would desire to possess, he does it in wisdom, and in love: and in all probability we shall one day see reason to adore him for the things which we now deplore, as much as for any of those benefits in which we are most disposed to rejoice.]
3. To seek above all things the prosperity of our souls—
[Here is full scope for our ambition. We may “covet, as earnestly as we will, the best gifts.” We must not indeed grudge to any their higher attainments: but we may take occasion from the superior piety of others to aspire after the highest possible communications of grace and peace. Were we to possess the whole world, we must leave it all, and “go as naked out of the world as we came into it.” But, if we possess spiritual riches, we shall carry them with us into the eternal world, and have our weight of glory proportioned to them. The operation of these upon our souls needs not to be feared: they bring no snare with them; or, if they be accompanied with a temptation to pride, they will lead us to Him, who will assuredly supply an antidote, to screen us from its injurious effects [Note: 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.]. If we are “rich towards God,” we are truly rich; yea, though we possess nothing in the world besides, we may exult, as “having nothing, and yet possessing all things [Note: 2 Corinthians 6:10.].”]