elves. They have the law in its practical result written in their
hearts as their conduct shows, and their natural conscience bears its
accompanying witness. For conscience, both individual and social,
reflecting on all human actions to condemn, or, more rarely, to acquit,
anticipates the final divine judgement which, as St. Paul continually
announces, it will be the office of Jesus the Christ to pass unerringly
upon things secret as well as open in the 'day of the Lord.'

The specially revealed law on which the Jew relied, which it is his
boast to have received from God, and in virtue of which he could
rightly claim to have a knowledge of divine things which other men had
not, and to be the teacher of the nations, the interpreter to other men
of the divine will--this law finds its first application to those
themselves to whom it is given. How can they preach the commandments,
whether it be the eighth or the seventh or the second that is in
question, so long as they have so bad a reputation for keeping them?
They cannot deny that as of old, so now, their moral conduct causes the
heathen to blaspheme their religion, instead of {92} being drawn
towards it. To have received circumcision in physical fact is of no
profit at all, unless it be accompanied by the obedience of which the
mark in the flesh is but the symbol. Disobedience is in God's sight
uncircumcision. And where the obedience is, God will reckon it as if
the symbol were there also. The morally obedient Gentile will sit in
judgement on the morally disobedient Jew. For that is the divine
principle. God everywhere and always looks to the spiritual reality as
it is seated in heart and will, and is satisfied never by outward
distinctions. Jew (Judah) means 'praise.' But if the Jew is to merit
his name, he must not be satisfied with the applause of men. He must
commend himself to God who sees the heart.

Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that
judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for
thou that judgest dost practise the same things. And we know that the
judgement of God is according to truth against them that practise such
things. And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise
such things, and doest the same, that thou shall escape the judgement
of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance
and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee