April 17

Romans iii. — 10. As it is written, There is none righteous; no, not one:

11. There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God.

12. They are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good; no, not one.

13. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15. Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16. Destruction and misery are in their ways;

17. And the way of peace have they not known.

18. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19. Now, we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

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? God forbid! yea, we establish the law.

That is a fearful indictment against human nature with which this section opens. That David should thus characterize the treacherous and barbarous enemies who surrounded him was natural enough; but when we consider, that, in the time of Paul, the Greeks and Romans held the foremost place in literature and art, and in whatever pertained to the civilization of the Old World, it may surprise us that the same sweeping indictment was brought against them. But look at the scenes in Paris in the year of grace 1871, so near the close of this nineteenth century of science, art, civilization. Every word of this indictment holds good against the atheistic Communists of to-day. The men who set fire to the city of Paris,

and murdered in cold blood the ministers of religion, would have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. It is human nature which is charged with these atrocious crimes: and, after all that civilization has done for the race, human nature, alike in man and in woman, is still capable of the same guilt, so long as it remains godless; and "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." It is this universality of human sinfulness that calls for a propitiation, a redemption, such as only the Son of God could make. His righteousness vindicating the holy law of God, his sacrifice upon the cross testifying at once for the justice and the mercy of God, is the one way of restoration for our sinning race.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 5, 22, 95.

O God! we are sinners, and of a sinful race; but great is thy mercy. Accept our thanks and praise.

For our creation and preservation; for our sleep last night, and our safety this morning; for the comforts of this world, and the hopes of the world to come, — we bless thee, good Lord.

For our stations and occupations in life; for our dear relations and friends; for all that reminds us of thee, and all opportunities of glorifying thee, — we bless thee, good Lord.

For thy love in our redemption; for thy free bestowal of thine only-begotten Son; for thine unspeakable gift of the Holy Spirit, — above all we bless thee, good Lord.

We give thee thanks this day for home and country; for knowledge and freedom; for the favor of thy providence upon our land; for the tokens of thy mercy in thy Church. As by obedience to

thee the heavens declare thy glory, and the earth showeth forth thy praise; even so may we obey thy holy Word in all things, and finally be glorified with Him who redeemed us.

We beseech thee, O Lord! to continue the favor which thou hast shown unto us as a family. [May these children grow up in the knowledge and love of thy truth! May they always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way! May they be kept from the evil that is in the world, and be the followers of the Lord Jesus!] Dwell by thy good Spirit in the homes of all whom we love. Bless this community, our State, our nation, with good things, temporal and spiritual. Have mercy, we beseech thee, upon an evil and ungodly world. Oh! bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end; and do good, in thy loving-kindness, unto all men, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.