on with God here, with the hope of eternal glory hereafter.
Chaps. 6-8. Since the doctrine of the admission of the Gentiles to equal
privileges with the Jews, and the rejection of the unbelieving part of
the Jewish nation, was exceedingly offensive to his countrymen, the
apostle devotes three entire chapters to the discussion of this
momentous theme. Chaps. 9-11. He then proceeds to draw from the whole
subject, as he has unfolded it, such practical exhortations in respect
to daily life and conduct as were adapted to the particular wants of the
Roman Christians--entire consecration of soul and body to God in each
believer's particular sphere (chap. 12); obedience to magistrates (chap.
13:1-7); love and purity (chap. 13:8-14); mutual respect and forbearance
(chaps. 14:1-15:7). He then returns to the great theme with which he
began, that Christ is the common Saviour of Jews and Gentiles, in
connection with which he refers to his office and labors as "the
minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles" (chap. 15:8-21), and closes
with miscellaneous notices and salutations (chaps. 15:22-16:27).

10. From the above brief survey the special _office_ of the epistle to
the Romans is manifest. In no book of the New Testament is the great
doctrine of justification by faith so fully unfolded. The apostle sets
it in vivid contrast with the Pharisaical idea of justification by the
Mosaic law, and, by parity of reason, of justification by every other
system of legalism; showing that it is only by grace through Christ that
men can be delivered from either the guilt of sin or its reigning power
in the soul, while the effect of the law is only to excite and irritate
men's corrupt passions without the power to subdue them. The place,
therefore, which this epistle holds in the understandings and affections
of believers must be a good measure of their progress in the Christian
life.

II. EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS.

11. THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS was written _from Ephesus_, not
far from the time of Pentecost (chap. 16:8); not from Philippi,
according to the subscription appended to it. It was during Paul's
second and last visit to that city, as we learn from his directions
concerning a collection for the saints at Jerusalem, and his promise to
come to the Corinthians through Macedonia (chap. 16:1-5); for when Paul
left Ephesus after his second sojourn there he went by Macedonia and
Achaia (of which province Corinth was the capital)