CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. The Epistle to the Romans is "a writing," says Dr. Macknight, "which, for sublimity and truth of sentiment, for brevity and strength of expression, for regularity in its structure, but above all, for the unspeakable importance of the discoveries which it contains, stands unrivalled by any mere human composition, and as far exceeds the most celebrated productions of the learned Greeks and Romans, as the shining of the sun exceeds the twinkling of the stars." "The plan of it is very extensive; and it is surprising to see what a spacious field of knowledge is comprised, and how many various designs, arguments, explications, instructions, and exhortations, are executed in so small a compass....The whole Epistle is to be taken in connection, or considered as one continued discourse; and the sense of every part must be taken from the drift of the whole. Every sentence, or verse, is not to be regarded as a distinct mathematical proposition, or theorem, or as a sentence in the book of Proverbs, whose sense is absolute, and independent of what goes before, or comes after: but we must remember, that every sentence, especially in the argumentative part, bears relation to, and is dependent upon, the whole discourse, and cannot be rightly understood unless we understand the scope and drift of the whole; and therefore, the whole Epistle, or at least the eleven first chapters of it, ought to be read over at once, without stopping. As to the use and excellency of this Epistle, I shall leave it to speak for itself, when the reader has studied and well digested its contents....This Epistle will not be difficult to understand, if our minds are unprejudiced, and at liberty to attend to the subject, and to the current scriptural sense of the words used. Great care is taken to guard and explain every part of the subject; no part of it is left unexplained or unguarded. Sometimes notes are written upon a sentence, liable to exception and wanting explanation, as ch. 2:12-16. Here the 13th and 15th verses are a comment upon the former part of it. Sometimes are found comments upon a single word; as ch. 10:11-13. The 12th and 13th verses are a comment upon [pas <\\See definition 3956\\>,] every one, in the 11th. This Epistle displays a perspicuous brevity, as ch. 5:13, 14. For until the law sin was in the world, etc. Surely never was there a greater variety of useful sentiments crowded into a smaller compass; and yet so skilfully, that one part very clearly explains another....It is by the Holy Spirit's influence, that the apostle has brought such a variety of arguments, instructions, and sentiments, all stated, proved, and sufficiently guarded, explained, and defended, within the limits of a letter; which has made it a magazine of the most real, extensive, useful, profitable, and divine knowledge. The Jews are treated with great caution and tenderness....The transitions and advances to an ungrateful subject are very interesting; as ch. 2:1-17; 8:17. Here is found complicated design, and while teaching one thing, gives us an opportunity of learning one or two more. So ch. 13:1-8, is taught the duty of subjects, and at the same time magistrates are instructed in their duty, and the grounds of their authority. The inspired writer never loses sight of his subject, and writes under a deep and lively sense of the truth and importance of the Gospel, as a man who clearly understood it, and in whose heart and affections it reigned far superior to all temporal considerations."