A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the root and sum of all religion. Verses 17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions.

Secret services shall be rewarded, secret sins shall be then punished, and brought to light. Nothing speaks more terror to sinners, and more comfort to saints, than that Christ shall be the Judge. As they kept or broke these natural laws and dictates, their consciences either acquitted or condemned them. Conscience is a witness, and first or last will bear witness. Even Gentiles, who had not the written law, had that within, which directed them what to do by the light of nature. The human will is in a state of enmity against God. In the description of the unrighteous, contention is held forth as the principle of all evil. It demands that the motives shall be pure, and rejects all actions from earthly ambition or ends. Their sinful doings are expressed by the strong words, 'treasuring up wrath.' In the description of the just man, notice the full demand of the law. The ruin of sinners is their walking after a hard and impenitent heart. Such is the great change wrought in repentance, it is conversion, and is needed by every human being. It shows also a sense of inward wretchedness. But in true repentance, there must be hatred of former sinfulness, from a change wrought in the state of the mind, which disposes it to choose the good and to refuse the evil.

And though the branches of man's disobedience are very various, all spring from the same root.

In every wilful sin, there is contempt of the goodness of God. The case is so plain, that we may appeal to the sinner's own thoughts. But all who act thus, of every nation, age, and description, must be reminded that the judgment of God will be according to their real character. Verses 1-16 The Jews thought themselves a holy people, entitled to their privileges by right, while they were unthankful, rebellious, and unrighteous. (1-16) The sins of the Jews confuted all their vain confidence in their outward privileges. The Jews could not be justified by the law of Moses, any more than the Gentiles by the law of nature.

Another word for things they do