Exposition He Epistle to the Romans With Remarks … · exposi ti on he epistle to the romans with...

EXPOSIT I ON

HE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

WITH

R EMAR K S

COMMENTARIES OF DR MACKNIGHT, PROFESSORTHOLUCK , AND PROFESSOR MOSES STUART.

ROBERT HALDANE, ESQ .

VOL. II.

CHAPTERS VI .

JAN. 17 1911

SECOND EDITION .

LONDON

H A M I LT O N , A D AM S, AND C O .

D I N B U RGH : W I L L I A M WH YT E A N D

BOOKBELLEBS TO THE QUEE N DOWAGERA ND W I L L I AM C A R S O N , D U B L I N .

M .DCC C .XXXVI I I .

EDINBURGH : PRINTED DY BALLANTYNE AND CD. , PAUL'S WORK .

INTROD UCT I ON .

IN atten tively studying the Epistle to the

Romans, nothing is more manifest than the di

rect opposition between the doctrine of inspira

tion with respect to the state and prospects of

mankind, and the doctrine of human science .

The Apostle Paul contemplates all men in their

natural state as ruined by sin, and utterly un

able to restore themselves to the Divine favour .

Philosophers , on the contrary, survey the aspect

of society with real or aff ected complacency .

'They perceive, indeed, that imperfection and

sufi'

efing prevail to a considerable extent : but

they find a vast preponderance of happiness and

virtue. They cannot deny that man , is of a

mixed character but this is necessary,in order

that his virtue may be his own , and that in

pressing onwards to the summit of moral excel

lence, his strength ofprinciple may be more illus

iv INTRODUCTION .

tr iously displayed. His happiness is thus pr o

moted 'by his progr ess in virtue, as well as by

his advancement in knowledge . Nor is this

remarkable difference altogether confined to phi

losophy . Even many professors and expounders

of Christianity cannot entirely accord with the

Apostle Paul in his representations of human

nature . Man , it seems to them, is not so com

pletely lost but that he may do something to

regain the Divine favour ; and if a sacrifice

were necessary for the expiation of sin,its bless

ing must be equally bestowed on all mankind.

In reference to justification in particular, how

wonderful is the contrast between the justifica

tion of which this Apostle treats, and the justi

fication which critical ingenuity has often ex

tor ted from his epistles While Paul speaks of

the believer as possessing a righteousness per

fectly commensurate to all the demands of the

law,and standing at the bar of God spotless

and blameless, human wisdom has contrived to

exhibit his doctrine as representing salvation to

be the result of a happy combination of mercy

and merit .

The doctrine Of salvation by faith without

works has ' ever appeared to the wise men of

this world not only ,to be a scheme \ that does

INTRODUCT I ON .

nOt sufiiciently secure the interests of morality,but one which tends to dispar age a the D ivine

authority. Yet its good eff ects are fully justi

fied in every age ; and while nothing but the

doctrine of salvation by grace has ever produced

good works, this doctrine, so far as it has been

received, has never failed of its designed obj ect .

In all the ways of God there is a characteristic .

wisdom which stamps them with the impress of

divinity . There is here a harmony and consist

ency in things the most diff erent in appearance ;while theintended effect is invariably produced,although in a way which to man would appear

most unlikely to secure success .By studying the Epistle to . the Romans

, an

exact and comprehensive knowledge of the dis

tinguishing doctrines of grace in their various

bearings and connexions may, by the blessingof God, be obtained . They appear here, in all

their strength and clearness, untinged with the

wisdom of man . The human mind is ever

prone to soften the strong features of Divine

truth , and to bring them more into accordance

with its own wishes and preconceived notions.

Those lowering and d ebasing modifications of

the doctrines of Scripture, by which , in some

popular works, it is endeavoured to reconcile

vi INTRODUCT ION.

er ror with orthodoxy, are imposing only in

theory, and may easily be detected by a close

and unprejudiced inspection of the language of

this epistle .

In the five first chapters, the Apostle had

established the doctrine of the j ustification of

believers by the righteousness of Christ without

any regard to their works . This doctrine ma

nifests in all their extent the guilt, depravity,and helplessness of man, in order to magnify

grace in his pardon . But as it might be thought

to set aside the necessity of obedience to God,the sixth and seventh chapters are intended to

prove, that so far from this being the case, that

doctrine stands in indissoluble connexion with

the only foundation of holiness and obedience.

This foundation is union with the Redeemer,through that faith by which the believer is jus

tified . On the contrary, the law, instead of

sanctifying, Operates by its restraints to stimu

late and call into action the corruptions of the

human heart, while at the same time it condemns

all who are under its dominion. But through

their union with Christ, believers are delivered

from the law ; and being under grace, which

produces love, they are enabled to bring forth

f r uit acceptable to God . The law, however, is,

INTRODUCTI ON . vii

in itself holy, and just, and good . As such , it is

employed by the Spir it of God to,convince his

people of sin , to teach them the value of the

remedy provided for sin in the Gospel, and to

lead them to cleave unto the Lord from a sense

of the remaining corruption of their hearts .

This corruption the Apostle, by giving a str i

king description of his own experience, shows,will continue to exert its power in believers so

long as they are in the body .

As a general conclusion from all that had

gone before, the believer’s entire freedom from

condemnation, through . union with his glorious

Head, and his consequent sanctification , are both

asserted in the eighth chapter, neither of which

eff ects coul d have been accomplished by the

law. The opposite results of death to the car

nal mind, which actuated man in his natur al

state, and of life to the spiritual mind, which he

r eceives in his . renovation, are clearly pointed

out and as the love of God had been shown in

the fifth chapter to be so peculiarly tr anscen

d ent, from the consideration that Christ died for

men , not as friends and worthy objects, but as

without str ength,” ungodly,

” sinners,”

enemies,” so here the natural state of those on

whom such unspeakable blessings are bestowed,

INTRODUCT ION .

is described as enmity against God . The

eff ects of the inhabitation of the Holy Spirit on

them who are regenerated are next declared, to

gether with the glorious privileges connected

with it . Amidst present suff erings, the highest

consolations are presented to the children of

God, and their original source and final issue

are pointed out .

The contemplation of such ineff able blessings

reminds the Apostle of the mournful state of the

generality of his own countrymen, who, though

distinguished in the highest degree by their

external privileges,still, as he himself had once

done,rej ected the Messiah. Nothing in all

this, however, had frustrated the purpose of

God his word had taken effect so far as he had

appointed . The doctrine of God’s sovereignty

is ful ly treated of in the ninth chapter, and that

very objection which is daily made, Why

doth he yet find fault is stated and silenced .

Instead of national election, the great subject is

national rejection and the personal election of

a small remnant,without which the whole na

tion would have been destroyed . So devoid of

reason is the obj ection usuallymade tothe doc

trine of election, that it is a cruel doctrine .

INTRODUCT I ON .

The Apostle is thus led to\

the consideration

of the fatal error of the great body of the Jews

who sought justification by works , and not by

faith Mistaking the intent and the end of their

law,they stumbled at this doctrine, which is the

common stumbling-stone to unregenerate men .

In the end of this chapter, and also in the tenth ,it is shown how the Jews thus excluded them

selves from salvation, not discerning the true

character of the Messiah of Israel as the fulfiller

of the law, and the author of righteousness to

every believer . And yet when they reflected

on the declaration of Moses, that to obtainlife

by the law, the perfect obedience which it de

mands must in every case be yielded, they might

have been convinced that on this ground they

could not be j ustified ; on the contrary, by the

law they were universally condemned. The

Apostle next exhibits the freeness of salvation

through the Redeemer, and the certainty that

all who accept it sh all be saved . And since

faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the

word of God, the necessity of preaching the

Gospel to the Gentiles is inferred and asserted .

The result corresponded with the prediction .

The righteousness which is by faith was r e

1 INTRODUCT ION .

ceived by the Gentiles, although they had not

been enquiring for it ; while the Jews, who

sought after righteousness, which they were

earnestly invi ted to accept, nevertheless reject

ed it.

EXPOSITION, &c.

CHAPTER VI.

HAVING in the preceding part of the Epistlefully exhibited the universal depravity and guiltof man, and the free salvation through the bloodof our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle now proceeds to show how the doctrine of the justificaption of believers is connected with their sanctification . He commences by stating an obj ectionwhich has in all ages been advanced as anunanswerable argument against salvation bygrace . He asks what is the consequence of thedoctrine he has been inculcating If justification be bestowed through faith without works,and if , where sin abounded, grace has muchmore abounded, may we not then continue insin that gr ace may still more abound, and bestill more illustriously displayed No obj ectioncould be more pla usible . It is such as will

12 ROMANS, VI .

forcibly strike every natural man, and is ascommon now as it could have been in the daysof the Apostle .Paul repels this charge by showing, that the

sanctification of believers rests on the samefoundation as their justification , and that theone is inseparable from the other . They bothdepend upon union with Jesus Christ

,by which

,

as is represented in baptism, his people aredead to sin , and risen with him to walk in newness of life Having established these important truths

,he urges on those whom he addresses

the duty of being convinced that such is theiractual state . In verses 12 and 13 , he warnsthem not to abuse this conviction, and for theirencouragement in fighting the good fight of.

faith, to \

which they are called, he gives them, inthe 14 th verse, the assurance that sin shall nothave the dominion over them , because they arenot under the law but under grace . Thus theApostle proves that by the gracious provisionof the covenant of God, ratified with the bloodof him with whom they are inseparably united ,believers cannot continue to live in sin . Butthough sin shall not rul e over them, still as theirsanctification is not yet perfect, he proceeds toaddress them as liable to temptation .

'

What hehad said, therefore, concerning their state asbeing in Christ, did not preclude the duty of

ROMANS , VI . 1. 13

watchfulness nor, since they had formerly beenthe servants of sin, of now proving that theywere the servants of God, by walking in holiness of life. Paul concludes by an animatedappeal to their own experience of the past

,and

their prospects of the future. He asks whatfruit had they in their former ways, which couldonly conduct to shame and death On the otherhand, he exhorts them to press onwards in thecourse of holiness, at the end of which theywould receive everlasting life . But along withthis assurance, he reminds them of the important fact, that while the j ust r ecompense of sin isdeath , eternal life is purely the gif t of Godthrough Jesus Christ our Lord .

V. l . Wha t shall we say then Sha ll we continue in sin, tha t

gr ace may abound

Wha t sha ll we say then -That is, what conclusion are we to draw from the doctrin e previously taught This asks the question in ageneral way . The following words ask it particular ly Sha ll we continue in sin , tha t gr ace

may abound Many expound this obj ection ascoming from a Jew, and imagin e a sort of dialoguebetween him and the Apostle . For this thereis no ground . The supposition of a dialogue indiff erent parts of this epistle has been said togive life and interest to the argument ; but in

stead of this,it only enCumber s and entangles it:

14 ROMANS, VI . 2 .

There is no necessity for the introduction of anobjector . It is quite sufficient for the writer tostate the substance of the objection in his ownwords . It was essential for the Apostle to vind icate his doctrine, not only from the misr epr esen tations of the enemies of the Cross of Christ,to whom he has an eye throughout the whole ofthe epistle, but also to Christians themselves,whom he was directly addressing . We see

,in

his reply to the obj ections thus proposed , whatan ample field it Opened to him for demonstratingthe beautiful harmony of the plan of salvation

,

and of proving how every part of it bears uponand supports the rest .

V. 2 . God j b r bid . How shall we, that a r e dead to sin, live

a ny longer ther ein

Paul, in his usual manner on such occasions,

strongly rej ects such a consequence, and asksanother question

,which implies the incongruity

of the supposition of a Christian’s being emboldened by the doctrine of justification by grace tocontinue in sin . The fact on which he groundshis denial of the consequence is, that Christiansare dead to sin . Formerly they were dead insin, but now they were dead to it, deliveredfrom it . In the same sense it is affirmed in theseventh chapter that they are dead to the law.

By union with Christ, their connexion with thelaw in the VIEW in which the Apostle is there

BOMANS, VI . 2 . 15

regarding it, is brought to an end, as the mar

xiage connexion between husband and wifeceases by the death of one of the parties. And

just so the connexion between sin and the believer is dissolved by the death of Christ, hiscovenant head and surety . In the tenth verseit is said that Christ died unto sin, and believersare with him also dead to sin .

Dr Macknight translates the phrase havedied by sin .

” This does not convey the Apostle’smeaning, but an idea entirely diff erent, and misrepresents the real import of the passage . Allmen have died by sin , but believers only ar e deadto sin , and it is of such exclusively that the Apostle here speaks . Unbeliever s will not thr ough

a ll eter nity be dead to sin . Dr Mackn ight saysthat the common translation is absurd . For,

”

says he, a person’s living in sin who is dead toit, is evidently a contradiction in terms . But

he ought to have perceived that the phraseologyto which he obj ects is not an asser tion that theywho are dead to sin al so live in it, but is a question that supposes the in compa tibility of thethings referred to .

Mr Stuart entirely misund erstands the signi

fication of the expression dead to sin ,” which ,

he says, means to renounce sin ; to become as

it were insen sibl e to its exciting power or influence (as a dead person is incapable of sensi

16 ROMANS, v1. 2 .

The clause that follows— shall we thatare dead to sin live a ny longer therein he interpr ets thus, How shall we who have r e

nounced sin, and profess to be insensible to itsinfluence, any more continue to practise it, orto be influenced by it ? ’ His explanation of

becoming insensible to the exciting power, or

influence of sin, as a dead person is incapable ofsensibility, perfectly coincides with the Popishinterpretation of the passage. The spirit, theheart, the judgment, have no more life for sinthan those of a dead man for the world .

’ But

Q uesnel, per ceIVIng that his interpretation is contr adicted by all experience, immediately addsAh

,who is it that is dead and insensible to

the praises,to the pleasures, to the advantages

of the world Mr Stuart, however, disr egard

i

ng fact, adheres to his interpretation, andannounces it the third time . T0 become

dead to sin, or to d ie to sin, plainly means,then, to become insensible to its influence, to be,unmoved by it ; in other words, to renounce itand refrain from the practice of it . ’ This isj ustly chargeable with the absurdity that D r

Macknight unjustly charges . on the commontr anslation of the passage . The assertion thenwould be, as we refrain from the practice of sin,we cannot 'con tinue to practise it. According toMr Stuart’s interpretation , when it is enjoined

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18 ROMANS, VI . 2 .

same calumny is repeated to this day against thispart of divine truth .

The obj ection proposed in the first verse follows from the doctrine of justification

,and

amounts to this, if we are justified by graceabsolved from guilt, and accounted righteous bythe judgment of God , and are thus dead to sin,and if, consequently, our own works do not inany degree contribute to bring us into this stateof justification,may we not continue in sin, thatgrace, by which we are justified, may aboundThe incompatibility of this consequence with thedoctrine of justification the Apostle exposes byshowing that the sanctifica tion of believer s r ests onthe samefiaunda tion, and sp r ings f r om the same

sour ce, as their j ustifica tion and ,'ther efor e, so far

from the'

one being contrary to the other, theyare absolutely insep a r able. In the conclusion o f

the preceding chapter, he had declared that sinhad reigned unto death . It reigned unto the deathofJesus Christ, the surety of his people, who, asis said in the tenth verse of the chapter beforeus, died unto ’sin .

” But asin his death its reignover him terminated, so its reign also terminatedover all his people

,who with him are dead to sin .

The eff ect then of,his death being the termina

tion of the reign of sin, it was at the same timeto them the commencement of the reign of grace,which took place through righteousness,

”

ROMANS,VI . 2 . 19

namely, the everlasting righteousness broughtin by his death . Instead, therefore, of beingunder the reign of sm, Christians are dead to sin .

They are not under the law, as is declared inverse 14 , which is the strength of sin, but theyare under grace, whereby they serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear . Heb . xiii . 28 .

It should be observed, that when the Apostlehere asserts that we are dead to sin , he isnot introducing something new, as would bethe case were D r Macknight

’

s explanation of

the passage, have died by sin,” correct . He

is referring to what he had already said on thedoctrine of justification, for his object in thisplace is to prove that the doctrine which he hadbeen exhibiting does not lead to sin , accordingto the obj ection he is now combating . This ,in effect, he had shown already, in the preceding chapter, in which he had exhibited the ao

companimen ts of j ustification . Being justifiedby faith, he there says, we have peace with God ,'and access into a state of grace ; we rejoice inhopeof the glory of God ; and not only so, but

We glory in tribul ations, which work patience,experience

,and hope ; and we j oy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom wehave received the reconciliation . All this isthe very Opposite of continuing in sin . But asthe objection he had now s tated is so constan tly

20 ROMANS, VI . 2 .

preferred, and so congenial to human nature, theApostle still considered it proper directly to ad

vert to it, and formally to repel such a calumnyagainst his doctrine , by r e-stating the ground of

our justification , namely, the death and r esur r ection of Jesus Christ, ch . iv . 25, and by clearlydrawing the conclusion of our having died andrisen with him, to walk in that newness of lifewhich in the fifth chapter he had been describing .

The term dead to sin ,” which signifies jus

tified from sin , V. 7 , means dead to the con

demning power of sin; in other words, to itspower to separate us from God ; as it is said ,Your iniquities have separated between you

and your God,” Is . lix . 2 , and in ch . viii . that

to them who are in Christ Jesus there is nocondemnation .

” Believers are dead to sin asbeing dead to the law by the body of Christ,ch . VII . 4 , for the strength of sin is the law ;1Cor . xv . 56 . In those who are united to Christ,sin has lost its strength . They who are deadto sin

‘

can say, It is not I that do it, but sinthat dwell eth in me, ch . vii . 17 . The emphaticforce of the expression dead to sin,

” will beknown in all its unspeakable importance in thegreat day of account, wh en not one sin will belaid to the charge of the redeemed, any morethan one good work will be acknowledged as

having been wrought by the condemned .

ROMANS , VI . 2 . 21

The ground, then, of the Apostle’s peremptory

denial that believers might continue in sin that

grace may abound, is their union with'

Jesus

Christ,through whom they are brought into a

state of reconciliation with God , and cousequently have become partakers of the blessingsof the new covenant . This is the sum and forceof what Paul here teaches on this subject ; andin the 14 th verse he accordingly asserts, in directterms, what is the result of it, namely, that sinshall not have dominion over them, for they arenot under the law but under grace . It mayfurther he remarked, that although such is theground of the Apostle’s denial that believersmight continue in sin that grace may abound,and of their absolute security that it shall not beso yet in his statements conducting to this con

elusion , motives are not wanting powerfully toinfluence believers. The consideration that theydied with Christ, and are risen with him towalk in newness of life, in the 3d and 4 th verses,

'

with the certainty that they shall live with himin future glory, expressed in the 5th and 8thverses, furnish the strongest motives to the loveof God , which is the grand spring of obedience ;for we love him when we know that he hathfirst loved us . That this View of the deathof Christ

,and of our death with him, operates

as a powerful motive to the love of God, i s

22 ROMANS,VI . 2 .

shown , 2 d Cor. v. 14 , For the love of Christconstraineth us ; because we thus judge, that ifone died for all, then were all dead (or all died).And that he died for all (all believers), thatthey which live should not henceforth live untothemselves , but unto him which died for themand rose again . Although, then, the exhibi

tion of motives is not here the principal thingintended— although the solid ground and abso

lute secur ity against believers living in sin, isshown to consist in their union with Christ— yetmotives are not excluded .

The expression , then , dead to sin , has noreference whatever to the char acter of believers

,

as seems to be so generally understood, but exelusively to their sta te bef or e God , as the groundon which their sanctification is secured . Asj ustified persons they are dead to sin, being delivered from its condemning power by the deathof Christ, their head and surety. Their sins,which separated between them and their God ,have been borne away to a land not inhabitedcast into the depths of the sea ; blotted out asa cloud, and as a thick cloud ; removed fromthem as far as the east is from the west. Thein iquity of Israel shall be sought for , and thereshall be none and the sins of Judah, and they

'

shall not be found .

” Who shall lay any thingto the charge of God’s elect ? It is God that

ROMANS, v1. 2 . 23

justifieth ; who is he that condemneth ? It isChrist that died, yea rather, that is risen again ,who is even at the right hand of God,-who also

maketh intercession for us .”

The full import and consequence of beingdead to sin, will be found, ch . iv. 7 , 8 , Blessedare they whose iniquities are forgiven, andwhose sins are covered . Blessed is the man towhom the Lord will not irnpute sin .

” Theywho are dead to sin are those from whom, in itscondemning power, it is, in Christ Jesus, entirelyremoved. But such persons, whose sins arethus covered, are pronounced blessed .

” Theyenjoy the favour and blessing of God . Thenecessary consequence of this blessing is declar ed in the new covenant, according towhich ,when God is merciful to the unrighteousness of

his people, and r emember s their sins and iniquitiesno mor e, he puts his laws into their mind andwrites them in their hearts, and promises thathe will be to them a God, and they shall be t ohim a people . In one word, they who are deadto sin are separated from the curse pronouncedupon those who, being under the law,

continuenot in all things which are written in the bookof the law to do them, and are united to himwho is the fountain of life and holiness . It isupon this ground that the Apostle rests his ahsolute denial that the doctrin e of j ustification

24 ROMANS, v1. 2 .

grace, which he had been unfolding, is compatible with continuing to live in sin .

In proof that the above is the correct View ofthe subject, let it be observed that the whole ofthe Apostle’s answer to the obj ection, from thissecond verse to the end of the tenth, with whichhe concludes it, rests not on the circumstancethat sin is mortified in himself and those whomhe is addressing, or that they are dead to anypropensity to sin , but on the fact of their beingone with Jesus Christ . They were united toChrist in his death

,and consequently in his life,

which was communicated to them by Him whois a quickening spirit”— and thus their walking in newness of life and their resurrection withhim are secured. These ideas are exhibited inthe 3d , 4 th, 5 th, and 6th verses . In the 7thverse, the reason of the whole is summed upfor he who is dead” (with Christ) is justi

fied from sin and in the eighth verse, thatwhich follows our being justified from sin isstated If we be dead with Christ, we believethat we shall also live with him.

” Finally, inthe 9th and 10th verses, the Apostle declar esthe consequence of Christ’s dying to sin to be,that he liveth unto God . The same effect inrespect to the members must follow, as to theHead with whom believers are one and, therefor e, he immediately proceeds to assure them,


26 ROMANS, VI . 3 .

Christians are dead to sin, because they diedwith Christ . The rite of Baptism exhibits Christians as dying, as buried, and as risen with Christ .Know ye not.— He refers to what he is now deelar ing as a thing well-known to those whom headdresses . Bap tized into Jesus Chr ist-Byfaith believers are made one with Christ ; theybecome members of his body. This oneness isrepresented emblematically by baptism . Bap

tized into his dea th — In Baptism, they are alsorepresented as dying with Christ . This rite,then, proceeds on the fact that they have diedwith him who bore their sins . Thus, the satisfaction rendered to the justice of God by him,

is a satisfaction from them, as they are constitu.

ent parts of his body . The believer is one withChrist as truly as he was one with Adam—hedies with Christ as truly as he died with Adam .

Christ’s righteousness is his as truly as Adam’ssin was his . By a divine constitution all Adam’sposterity are one with him, and so his first sinis really and truly theirs . By a similar divin‘econstitution, all Christ’s people are one withhim, and his work is as truly theirs as if they ~

had performed it, and his death as if they hadsuffered it . When it i s said that Christianshave died with Christ, there is no more figur ethan when it is said that they have d ied inAdam.

ROMANS , VI . 3 . 7

The figure ofbaptism was very early mistakenfor a reality, and accordingly some of the fathersSpeak of the baptized person as truly born againin the water. They supposed him to go into thewater with all his sins upon him, and to comeout of it without them . This indeed is the casewith baptism figuratively . But the carn al mindsoon turned the figure into a reality . It appearsto the impatience of man too tedious and ineffectual a way to wait on God’s method of converting sinners by his Holy Spirit through the truth,and therefore they have eff ected this much moreextensively by the performance of external rites .When , according to many, the rite is performed,it cannot be doubted that the truth denoted byit has been accomplished. The same dispositionhas been the origin of Transubstantiation . Thebread and wine in the Lord’s Supper are figur atively the body and blood of Christ ; but theyhave been turned into the real body

,blood

,soul,

and divinity of the Lord, and the external ritehas become salvation .

. Somany af us .— This does not imply thatany

of those to whom the Apostle wrote were notbaptized, for there could be no room for such apossibility . It applies to the whole of them,

as well as to himself, and not merely to a part .It amounts to the same thing as if it had beensaid, We who were baptized as in Acts, iii.

28 ROMANS,VI . 4 .

24, As many as have spoken , that is, all who

have spoken, for all the prophets spoke.

V. 4 . -Ther ef or e we a r e bur ied with him by bap tism into

death tha t like a s Chr ist was r a ised up f r om the dead by theglor y of the Fa ther , even so we a lso should wall: in newness of

The death of Christ was the means by whichsin was destroyed, and his burial the proof ofthe reality of his death . In the same way,Christians are represented as buried with himby baptism into his d eath, in token that theyreally died with him ; and if buried with him,

it is not that they should remain in the grave,but that as Christ arose from the dead theyshould also rise . Their baptism, then, is thefigure of their complete d eliverance from sin,signifying that God places to their account thedeath of Christ as their own death it is also afigure of their purification and resurrection forthe service of God .

By the glor y of theFa ther .—The exercise of

that Almighty power of God, by which, invarious passages,

'

it is asserted that Christ wasmade alive again, was most glor ious to Godwho raised him. Christ’s resurrection is alsoascribed to himself, because he was a partakerwith the Father of that power by which he wasr aised . I lay down my life that I might takeit again.

” Destroy this temple, and in three

ROMANS,VI . 4 .

days I will raise it up . To reconcile these,

and similar passages, with those that ascribe hisresurrection to the Father, it must be

'

obser ved ,

that if the principle be regarded by which our

Lord was raised up, it is to be referred to thatdivine power which belongs in common to theFather and the Son . The Son was raisedequally by his own power as by that of hisFather, because he possessed the divine as wellas the human nature . But as in the work of

redemption the Father acts as the Sov ereignruler, it is He who has received the satisfaction ,and who having received it, has given to theSon its just recompense in raising him from thedead . His resurrection, then, in this view, tookplace by the decree of the Eternal Father

, pr o~

nounced fr om his tribunal .Even so we a lso should walk in newness of

li e.—It is the purpose of our rising with Christ

,

that we also, by the glory or power of the

Father, should walk in newness of life . Theresurrection of Christ was the eff ect of the powerof God , not in the ordinary way of nature, butof a supernatural exertion of power. In thesame manner, believers are raised to walk innewness of life . It is thus, that when Paul,'Eph . i . 20, exalts the supernatural virtue of

gr ace by which we are converted, he comparesit to that power by which Christ was raised

30 ROMANS , VI . 5 .

from the dead . This shows the force of theApostle’s answer to the obj ection he is combating. Believers are dead to sin, and, if so, everyground of their separation from God beingremoved, his Almighty power is engaged andexerted to cause them to walk with their risen

"

Lord in that new life which they derive fromhim. It was, then , the purpose of Christ

’s deaththat his people should become dead to sin, andalive unto righteousness . Who his own selfbare our sins in his own body on the tree, thatwe being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness .

” He that hath suff ered in the fleshhath ceased from sin .

” -1Peter, ii . 24 ; iv . 1.

Dr Macknight is greatly mistaken, when heapplies what is said in this verse to the new life,which does not take place till after the r esur r ect ion of the body . This destroys the whole forceof the Apostle’s reasoning, who is showing thatbelievers cannot continue in sin, not only asthey are dead to sin, but as they are risen withC hrist, thus receiving a new and supernaturallife, for the purpose of walking in obedience toGod .

V. 5 .-For if we have been p lanted together in the likeness of

his dea th, we sha ll be a lso in the liheness of his r esur r ection

For ij Z—The conditional statement is hereevidently founded on what is premised. The

Apostle does not pass to a new argument to

ROMANS, VI . 5 . 31

prove that we are dead with Christ but havingshown the burial of the Christian in baptism, hegoes on to show that his resurrection is

‘

equallyimportant . If we have been buried with Christ

sowe shall rise with him . Planted together .—The

word in the original,when it refers to trees, does

not designate the operation of grafting, but ofplanting them in the same place or bed . Itsignifies the closest union of any kind, as beingincorporated

,growing together, un ited, joined

with . The meaning then is, that as in baptismwe have been exhibited as one with Christ inhis death, so in due time we shall be conformedto him in the likeness of his resurrection .

We sha ll be.— The use here of the future tense

has caused much perplexity respecting the connex ion of this verse with the preceding, andcontrary to its obvious meaning, the presenttime has been substituted. But while the pr oper force of the future time is preserved

,the

two verses stand closely connected . Both a'

spiritual and a literal resurrection are referred toin the emblem of baptism but in the precedingverse, the former only is brought into View,

asbeing that which served the Apostle’s immediatepurpose . In this verse, in employing the future tense

,

’ he refers to the literal resurrectionwhich will take place, as being inseparably connected with what he had just advanced concern

32 ROMANS, VI. 6 .

ing walking in newness of life ; and thus heunfolds the whole mystery included in dying andrising with Christ, both in this world and the

world to come . Believ ers have already beenraised spiritual ly with Christ to walk with himon earth in newness of life, and with equal certainty they shall be raised to live with Him inHeaven . This meaning is confirmed by whatis said afterwards in the 8th and 9th verses .How powerful is this consideration

,if viewed as

a motive to the believer to walk at present withhis risen Lord in newness of life . Every manthat hath this hope in him pur ifieth himself evenas he is pure .” 1John , iii . 3 .

V. 6 .—K nowing this , tha t our old man is cr ucifiedwith him,

that the bod y of sin might be destr oyed, that hencef or th we shouldnot ser ve sin .

Knowing this .—That is assuming it as a thing

with which they were already well acquainted,or a thing which they shoul d know, Tha t our

old man is cr ucified with him.' Paul draws here

the same conclusion from the believer’s crucifix ion with Christ that he had previously drawnfrom his baptism into Christ’s death . All believer s died with Christ on the Cross, as theywere all one in him, and represented by him .

Their old man , Eph . iv . 22 , C01. iii . 9, or sinful nature, is crucified together with Christ. If,then, their old man has been crucified with him,


34 ROMANS, VI . 7 .

then, may be known by their lives, as the treeis known by its fruits. The eff ect of Paul’scrucifixion with Christ was, that Christ livedin him. I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth inme,

” Gal . ii . 20.

V. 7 .—For he tha t is dead isfi eed f r om sin .

For he that is dead that is, dead with Christ,as is said in the following verse This does notmean natural death, but death in all its extent,signifying the second death,

” the penalty of

which Christ suffered, and therefore all hismembers have suffered it with him . Fr eed f rom

sin —The original word, which is here translatedfi eed , diff erent from that rendered f r ee inverses 18 , 20, 22, is literally j ustified . It occursfifteen times in this Epistle, and twenty-fivetimes in other parts of the New Testament ; andexcept in this verse

,and one other where it is

translated righteous, is uniformly rendered bythe word justified . Hence it appears, that, inthis verse, as in all the other passages, its pr oper rendering ought to be retained, and not exchanged for the term “

fi eed ,” which has evi

dently been selected to convey a diff erent sense .To retain its proper translation in this place isabsolutely necessary, in .order clearly to perceivethe great and cheering truth here announced,as well as to apprehend the full force of the

ROMANS, VI . 7 . 35

Apostle’s answer to the objection stated in thefirst verse . As to the phrase “ j ustified from sin

,

”

we find the Apostle expressing himself in thesame manner (Acts, xiii . By him all thatbelieve are justified from all things, from whichye could not be j ustified by the law of Moses .”

No objection can be made to the use of theexpression justified,

” since the Apostle isspeaking of the state of believers, to which it isstrictly applicable . In justification , which is ajudicial and irrevocable sentence pronounced byGod , there are two parts the one includes ahsolution from the guilt of the breach of thelaw ; the other, the possession of that obed ience to its precepts which the law demands .These being inseparable, they are both includedin the expression j ustified f r om sin . If a man

be dead with Christ, he possesses, as has beenobserved, all the blessings which, according tothe tenor of the new covenant

,are included in

and connected with the state of j ustification bygrace . Instead, then, of giving him encouragement to Continue in sin, this furnishes absolutesecurity against such a resul t, and ensures thecertainty that he shal l walk in newness of lifeuntil he attains the possession of eternal glory .

The Apostle, therefore, is so far from admittingthat, according to the supposed objection whichhe is combating

,gratuitous justification is op

36 ROMANS, VI . 7 .

posed to sanctification , that, af ter having shown ,in the preceding verses, that sanctification springsfrom union with Christ, he here asserts, as hehad formerly proved, that on the very sameground is the doctrine of j ustification established .

The one cannot, therefore, be hostile to the in

ter ests of the other .The bond by which sinners are kept under

the power of sin , is the curse of the law. Thiscurse, which is the penalty of disobedience , consists in man being cut off from al l communionwith God. By throwing off his allegiance tohis Creator, he has become the subj ect of thedevil, and is led captive byhim at his will. Thecurse consists in being given up to sin , whichis represented as reigning over the human race,and exercising an absolute dominion . So longas the sinner is under the guilt of sin , God canhave no friendly intercourse with him ; for whatcommunion hath light with darkness 1) ButChrist having cancelled his people’s guilt, havingredeemed them from the curse, and inv estedthem with the robe of his righteousness, thereis no longer any obstacle in the way of theircommunion with God ; there is no barrier toprevent the free ingress of sanctifying grace .As the sin of the fir st man was the cause of allhis descendants being divested of holiness, andof each individual coming into the world dead

ROMANS , VI . 7 . 3 7

in trespasses and sms, in like manner the obed ience of the second Adam is the cause of holiness being imparted to all his members ; so thatthey cannot remain under the thraldom of sin .

Were a redeemed sinner not also sanctified, i twould argue that he was still under the curse

,

and not restored to the favour of God . Besides,what is the state of the believer ? He is nowunited to him who has the inexhaustible fulnessof the Spirit, and he cannot fail to partake of theSpirit of holiness which dwells without measurein his glorious Head . It is impossible that thestreams can be dried up when the fountain con

tinues to flow, and it is equally impossible forthe members not to partake of the same holinesswhich dwells so abundantly in the Head . As thebranch when united to the living vine neces

sar ily partakes of its life and fatness , so thesinner when united to Christ must receive anabundant supply of sanctifying grace out of hisimmeasurable fulness . The moment, therefore,that he is by faith brought into union with thesecond Adam —the grand truth on which

'

theApostle had been insisting in the preceding partof this

,

chapter, by means of which believersare dead to sin— in that moment the sour ce of

sanctification is opened up, and streams of purifying grace flow into his soul . He is deliveredfr om the law whereby sin had dominion over

38 ROMANS , v1. 7 .

him. He is one with him who is the fountain"

of holiness .These are the grounds on which justification

and sanctification are inseparably connectedand the reasons why those who are dead to sincannot live any longer therein . From all this

,

we see the necessity of retaining the Apostle’sexpression in the verse before us, j ustified fromsin . That it has been exchanged for the term

f r eed in the English, as well as in most of theFrench versions, and that commentators are sogenerally undecided as to the proper rendering

,

arises from not clearly perceiving the ground on

which the Apostle rests his denial of the couse

quence charged on his doctrine of j ustification,as leading to licentiousness . But on no otherground than that, as above explained, on whichhe has vindicated it from this supposed pernicious consequence, can it be proved not to havesuch a tendency, or not to lead to such a result .On this ground, his vindication must for everstand unshaken . Had his answer to the question in the first verse ultimately rested, according to the reason given by D r Macknight, on

the force of a motive presented to believers,however strong in itself, such as their havingfelt the dreadf ul effects of sin in h aving died forit, or on the fallacious idea, accOr ding to MrS tuart, that they were insensible to its influence,

ROMANS, VI . 7 . 39

how weak, insufficient, and delusive, consideringthe state of human nature, would such reasonshave been , on which to have rested his confidentdenial that they could continue to live in sin . Butwhen the Apostle exhibits, as the cause of thebelievers’ not continuing in sin, the purpose andpower ofGod in Christ Jesus, as he does throughall the preceding verses, he rests it on a foundation as stable as the throne of God . He hadtaught, in the foregoing part of the Epistle,that Jesus Christ is made to his people righteousness ; he here teaches that he is al so madeto them sanctification . Throughout the wholeof thediscussion , it is material to keep in mind,that they to whom, al ong with himself, theApostle is referring, are those whom he hadaddressed (chap. i . 7) as Beloved of God

Called Saints .The same great truths are ful ly developed in

the 28th and 29th verses of the eighth chapter,where it is shown that the persons whO 'wer e

conformed to the image of Christ, were thosewho were j ustified, and who shall be glorified,the whole of which Paul there traces up to thesovereign appointment of God . There, in likemanner, he shows that the people of God , beingconf ormed to Christ in his death

,are also con

formed to him in their walking in newness oflife, as the prelude of their resurrection with

40 ROMANS, VI . 8 .

him to glory . To the same purpose he writesthe saints at Colosse, where he assures them

that they are complete in Christ, being buriedand risen with him, through the faith of theoperation of God, who raised him from thedead .

V. 8 .—Now if we be dead with Chr ist, we believe that wesha ll a lso live with him

Believers being one with Christ in his death,

they have the certain prospect of for ever livingwith him. That the life here mentioned is thelife after the resurrection, as in verse 5, appearsfrom the phraseology . The Apostle speaks ofit 'as a future life, which it is unnatural to inter pr et as signifying the believer

’s spiritual lifehere, or as importing the continuation of it tothe end of his course . There is no need of

such strain ing, when the obvious meaning ismost true and important. Besides, the pointis decided by the assertion, we believe . Itis a matter of faith, and not of present exper ience .

We believe.—Upon this it is useful to

remar k, that though the Apostle reasons anddeduces from principles

,yet we are to be cau

tious not to consider his doctrine as needing anyother support but his own assertion . His statement, or expression of belief, is demonstrationto a Chr istian . It was a truth believed by those


42 ROMANS, VI . 10.

the universe . In his resurrection they receivethe assurance of the eflect of his death, in satisfying divine justice while making ful l atonementfor their sins ; and in hisrising from the dead toan immortal life, as their Lord and Head, theyhave a certain pledge of their own resurrectionto life and immortality.

V. l O.—For in tha t he died,he died un to sin once : but in

tha t he liveth, he liveth unto God .

In tha t, or with respect to that, he died .

D ied unto sin .— Jesus Christ suff ered the penal

ty of sin, and ceased to bear it . Till his deathhe had sin upon him and therefore

,though it

was not committed by him personally, yet itwas his own , inasmuch as he took it on him .

When he took it on him,so as to free his people

from its guilt, it became his own debt as trulyas if it had been contracted by him . When ,therefore, he died on account of sin, he died toit, as he was now for ever justified from it. Hewas not justified from it till his death, but fromthat moment he was dead to it. When he shallappear the second time, it will be withoutsin .

”—Heb . ix . 28 .

Once.—He died to sin once, and but once,

because he fully atoned for it by his death . On

this cir cumstancey the Apostle, in the Epistle tothe Hebrews

,lays much stress, and in proving

the excellence of his sacr ifice beyond the legal

ROMANS, VI . 11. 43

sacrifices, often repeats it, Heb . ix . 12 , 2 6 , 2 8 ;

x . 10, 12 , 14 . He liveth unto God — It neednot excite any surprise, that Christ-i s saidhenceforth to live unto God . The glory of

God must be the great end of all life. Christ’seternal life in human nature wil l no doubt

,

more than al l things else, be for the glory of

God .

V. 11.—Likewise r eckon ye a lso your selves to be dead indeedunto sin , but alive unto God thr oughJesus Chr ist our Lor d.

Believers, in consequence of their relation toCh r ist, are here commanded to reckon themselves to be really and effectually dead to sin,as he died to it, and alive unto God in virtueof the mediation of Jesus Christ as their Lord .

The obligation thus enjoined follows from allthat the Apostle had been insisting on respecting their blessed state as partakers with Christ,both in his death and in his lif e . As this istheir real condition, he here commands them tomaintain a full sense and conviction of it . Theduties of the Christian lif e, that flow from theirunion with Jesus Christ, and acceptance withGod, he immediately proceeds in the sequel toenf orce . But here it is the obligation to maintain this conviction of their state that he exclusively presses upon them . To note this is ofthe greatest importance . Unless we keep in

mind that we are dead to

44 ROMANS,VI . 11.

God, we cannot serve him as we ought : weshall otherwise be serving in the oldness of theletter, and not in newness of Spirit . But whenthe believer’s state of reconciliation with God,an d his death to sin , from which he is delivered,is steadily kept in View, then he cultivates theSpirit of adoption— then he strives to walk worthy of his calling, and in the consideration ofthe mercies of God , presents his body a livingsacrifice holy and acceptable unto God, Rom .

xii . 1.

Of their high privileges and state of acceptance with God, believers are ever reminded inScripture ; and it is not till a man has the answer of a good conscience towards God by theresurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet . iii . 21, anda sense of being justified from sin, having hisconscience pur ged f r om dead wor ks by the bloodof Christ, that he can serve the living God,Heb . ix . 14 . How important

,then, is this ad

monition of the Apostle, Reckon ye a lso your

selves to be dead indeed unto sin, though oftenmuch obscured by false glosses turning it awayfrom its true and appropriate meaning. Bymany it would be accounted presumptuous inChristians to take it home to themselves:Hence they are not aware of the obligationsthey are under to labour to maintain the assur ance of their union with Christ, and of their

ROMANS, VI . 12 . 45

participation with him in his death and resurrection . But we see that the Apostle, afterhe had fully developed the blessed state of believer s, with which their continuing to live insin is in compatible, exp r essly enj oins this on thosewhom he addresses, and consequently on allChristians, and thus reminds them that what hehad said was not to be viewed in the light ofabstract truth, but ought to be practical ly andindividually brought home to their own bosoms .How seldom is this use made of the text beforeus How seldom, if ever, is the duty it enj oinsurged upon Christians"How little is it con

sider ed as binding upon them"Yet, withoutattending to it, which, in connexion with a rightunderstanding of the Gospel, is consistent withthe deepest humility, how can they bring forththose precious fruits of the Spirit, which lie atthe foundation of all the rest, love, j oy , p eaceHow can they walk with GodV. l 2 .—Let not sin ther ef or e r eign in your mor ta l body , tha t

ye should obey it in the lusts ther eof .

Having proved how unfounded is the objection that the doctrine of j ustification leads to theindulgence of sin , the Apostle now exhorts thosewhom he addr esses to live agreeably to the nat ure and design of the Gospel . With this objecthe presents, throughout the rest of the chapter,various considerations adapted to induce them

46 ROMANS,VI . 12 .

to walk in that newness of life to which theyare risen with Christ. It should here be r e

marked, that al though the Apostle had expresslytaught that they who are justified are likewisesanctified, yet as God is pleased to cause hispeople to act with him in their sanctificationso that they shall both will and do, because heworketh in them to will and to do of his goodpleasure—the earnest exhortations to obedience,and the motives held forth in the conclusion of

the chapter, are entir ely consistent with whathad been declared as to the certainty of theirsanctification resting on the power of God .

Ther efbr e.—The exhortation in this verse is

founded on the preceding . Here, then, wehave an example of the manner in which theApostle urges believers to the performance of

their duty to God . On the ground of theirconviction that they were dead to sin which hehad just before enjoined them to maintain , heex horts them in this and the following verse toabstain from sin . Unless they possessed thatconviction, the motive on which he here restshis exhortation would have no application . Thisis his manner in all his Epistles, in commonwith the other Apostles, of enforcing the obli

gation of Christians to the performance of theirduty . Be ye kind one to another

,forgiving

one another, even as God f or Chr ist’s sake hath

ROMANS, VI . 12 . 4 7

fi r given you. He proceeds on the fact of theirknowledge that their sins were forgiven .

It is not easy to see what pr ecise‘idea the

Apostle intends to communicate by the additionof the epithet mor ta l ; yet it is certain that heuses no unmeaning appendages, and that thisword must add to the sense . The propriety of

the epithet as ascribed to the body is evident ;but still why is this epithet added here Paulhad just charged believers to reckon themselvesdead to sin, but alive to God . When , therefore,he here urges them not to all ow sin to reign intheir bodies, and designates their bodies as mortal, it may be, that he means to intimate eitherthat their struggle with sin, which will only con ~

tinue while they are in the body, will be short,or to contrast the present state of the body withits future spiri tual state . As in its futur e glor ified state it is to live entirely to God, and tobe without sin

,so it follows that, even in its

present mortal state,sin should not have it

in subj ection . Calvin is undoubtedly wrong insaying that the word body here ‘is not taken

’

in

the sense of flesh, skin , and bones but means,if I may hé allowed the expression, the wholemass of the man that is, man as soul and bodyin his present earthly state . This would im

port that the soul is now mortal .Sin r eign . Sin is here personified and ‘viewed

4 8 ROMANS , VI . 13.

as a King . Such a ruler is sin over all theworld, except those who believe in the Lord JesusChrist, 1John v . 19 . This is the reason whymen will spend their substance and their labourin the works of the flesh . Sin rules in them asa sovereign and they of their own accord witheagerness pursue every ungodly course to whichtheir corrupt nature impels them ; and in theservice of sin they will often ruin their healthas well as their fortune . Tha t ye should obey it,or so as to obey it .

— Sin is still a law in themembers of believers , but it is not to be allowedto reign . It must be constantly resisted . Obey

it in the lusts ther eof — That is to obey sin in thelusts of the body . Sin is obeyed in gratifyingthe lusts or corrupt appetites of the body .

V. l 3 .—Neither yield ye you r member s a s instr uments ofun r ighteousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God , as thosetha t a r e a live f r om the dead, a nd your member s as instr umen ts ofr ighteousness unto God .

Neither yield — That is, do not present, aflor d ,or make a donation of your members . Instr u

ments— or.

weapons , or organs, to be employedin works of unrighteousness . Unto sin .

—Thissurrender, against which t he believer is cau

tioned , is to sin . They _

who employ the members of their bodies in doing the works of theflesh

,present their bodies to sin as their king.

Member s—There is no occasion, with Dr Mac


50 ROMANS , VI . 13 .

before him, no trial to which he calls him, nocross which he lays upon him. He is not tocount even his life dear if God demands it from

As those tha t ar e a livefi om the dead .-Here

again Christians are addressed as those whoknow their state. They are already in one

sense raised from the dead . They have a spiritual life, of which they were by nature entirelydestitute, and of which unbelievers are not onlyaltogether destitute, but of which they cannoteven conceive . Your member s as instr uments ofr ighteousness .

—The members of the body arenot only to be used in the direct worship of

God , and in doing those things in which theirinstrumental ity is required, but in every actionof life they ought to be employed in this manner, even in the common business of life, inwhich the glory of God should be constantlykept in View . The labourer when he toils inthe field, if he acts with an eye to the glory of

God , ought to console himself with the consideration that when he has finished his day toman, he has wrought a day to God . Thisview of the matter is a great relief under thetoils of lif e. Unto God .

—That is, yield yourmembers unto God. As the natural man presents his members to sin, so the believer is topresent his members to God .

ROMANS, v1. 14 . 5 1

V. Fl u—For sin sha ll not have domin ion over you : f or ye a r e

not under the law, but under gr a ce.

For sin shall not have dominion over you.

Some understand this as a precept, but it is evi

dently an assertion of a truth . No truth ismore certain than that sin shall not have dominion over believers . God’s veracity and gloryare pledged to prevent it. The first fi r in thisverse gives a reason why believers should exertthemselves to give their members to the service

of God . They shall not fail in their attempt,for sin shall not have dominion over them. The

next f or gives the reason why sin shall not havedominion over them .

For ye a r e not under the law— literally, underlaw . A great variety of interpretations aregiven of this declaration . But the meaningcannot be a matter of doubt to those who arewell instructed in the nature of salvation bygrace . It is quite obvious, that the law whichbelievers are here said not to be under

,is the

moral law, as a covenant of works . To affirmthat law here is the legal dispensation, is to say,that al l who lived in the time of the law of

Moses were under the dominion of sin . In thesense in which law is here understood, the OldTestament saints were not under it . They hadthe Gospel in

'

figur e. They trusted in the pr omised Saviour, and sought not to j ustify them

52 ROMANS, v i . 14 .

selves by their obedience to the law. Besides,

all unbelievers, both Jews and Gentiles, areunder the law, in the sense in which believersare here said not to be under it. Believers arenot under the law,

‘because they have endured

its curse, and obeyed its precept in the personof their great Head . But every man, till he isunited to Christ, is under the law, which condemns him . When united to him, the believeris no longer under the law either to be condemned or to be justified . When Mr Stuartsays, that it is from the law, as inadequate toeff ect the sanctification , and secure the obedience of sinners,

’ that the Apostle here declares us to be free, he proves that he entirelymisunderstands what is meant . The circumstance that the law cannot sanctify the sinner,and secure his obedience, confers no emancipation from its demands . He is free from thelaw, because another has taken his place, andfulfilled it in his stead . This implies that allwho are under the law, are also under the dominion of sin , and under the curse . Gal . iii . 10.

Those self-righteous persons who trust in theirworks, and boast of their natural ability to serveGod, are under the dominion of sin, and thevery works in which they trust are sinful, or

dead works,” as the Apostle terms them,

Heb . ix . 14 . They are such works as men per

ROMANS, v1. 14 . 53

form before their consciences are purged by theblood of Christ .But under g r am—Believers are not under the

covenant of works, but under the covenant ofgrace, by which they enjoy all the blessings of

that gracious covenant . They are in a state ofreconciliation with God . They know the Lord .

His law is written in their hearts, and his fear isput within them, so that as he has promised not

to depart from them, they shall not depart fromhim . Jer . xxxii . 40. Being made partakersof the favour of God through Jesus Christ, inwhom grace was given them before the worldbegan , 2 Tim . i . they have every spiritualsupply through him who is full of grace . Hisgrace is sufficient for them,

2 Cor . xii . 9 . Thegrace of God, which bringeth salvation, thathath appeared to all men

, teacheth them to denyungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live so

berly, righteously, and godly, Titus, ii . 11. Not

only is this grace manifested to them, but itoperates within them . God works in them whatis well pleasing in his sight, both to will and todo of his good pleasure . Those who are underthe law have nothing but their own strengthfor their obedience. But those who are undergrace are by God himself thoroughly furnished.unto al l good works . Sin

,therefore, shall not

have dominion over them .

54 ROMANS, VI . 14 .

The great principle of evangelical obedienceis taught in this passage. Holiness is not theresult of the law, but of the liberty wherewithChrist has made his people free . He sendsforth the Spirit of grace into the hearts of allwho belong to the election of grace, whom God

hath from the beginning chosen to salvationthrough sanctification of the spirit and beliefof the truth ; and the word of God worketheff ectually in all who believe, I Thes . ii . 13 .

Jesus Christ is the absolute master of the heartsof his people, of which he has taken possession,and in whom he reigns by the invincible powerof the Spirit of Grace . The new covenantmade with him, for those whom he has redeemed, and which is ratified with his blood, is immutable and irreversible .

Here, again, it should be observed, that theassurance thus given to believers that sin shallnot have dominion over them, could not be dulyappreciated, except on the ground that they knewthat they were dead to sin and alive to God . Justin proportion as Christians are convinced of this,they will feel encouragement from this promiseto persevere in their course . The assurance givento them that sin shall not have the dominion overthem is then veryfar from furnishing a pretextor inducement to a lif e of sin . On the contrary

,

they are thereby bound, by every consideration

ROMANS, v1. 15 . 5 5

of love and gratitude, to serve God, while, bythe certain prospect of final victory

,they are

encouraged to persevere, in spite of a ll difficulties and opposition, either from within or fromwithout .

V. 15 . What then ? sha ll we sin , because we a r e not underthe law, but under gr ace God f or bid.

The Apostle had been proving that his doctrine of a free justification by faith withoutworks gives no license to believers to continuein sin, but, on the contrary, that the death of

Jesus Christ for the sins of his people, and hisresurrection for their justification, secures theirwalking in holiness of life . On this ground , inverses 12 and 13 , he had urged on them theduty of obedience to God ; and having finallydeclared, in the 14 th verse, that, by the blessingof God , they should be enabled to perform it, henow proceeds to caution them against the abuseof this gracious declaration . If a man volun

tar ily sins, on the pretext that he is not underthe law, but under grace, it is a proof that thegrace of God is not in him . Whosoever isborn of God doth not commit sin , for his seedremaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, becausehe is born of God .

Wha t then —What is the inference whichshould be deduced f rom the preceding declaration Sha ll we sin, because we a r e not under the


law, but under gr ace —This question, proposedby the Apostle as an objection likely to beurged against his doctrine, plainly shows inwhat sense we are to under stand the term lawin the 14th verse . Were it ndt understood ofthe moral law, it would not be liable to the supposed objection . The fact of not being undert he ceremonial law,

or of'

a change of d ispensation from that of Moses to that of Christ, wouldnever lead to it. No one could suppose thatthe abolition of certain external rites wouldauthorize men to break moral precepts . Noview of the law could give occasion to the ob

jection but that which includes freedom from themoral law. This would at once appear to furnisha license to sin with impunity ; and it would bejustly liable to this objeetion if freedom from themoral law meant, as some have argued, a freedom from it in every point of View . The freedom from the moral law which the believerenjoys is a freedom from an obligation to fulfilit in his own person for his justification— a freedom from its condemnation on account of imperfection of obedience . But this is quite consistentwith the eternal obligation of the moral law asa rule of life to the Christian . Nothing can bemore self-evidently certain than that if the morallaw is not a rule of life to believers,

‘they are atliberty to disregard it .

‘

But this thought is abo


ROMANS, v1. 16 .

Where you have once given up yourselves toany one ’ as servants . This, however, is quite adiff erent idea from what he expresses in the text .Ser vants to obey , literally, unto obedience .

Mr Stuart’s translation is not to be approvedof here, ready to obey,

” or bound to obey.

The idea is not that they were bound by thispresentation of themselves to continue in obedience to the master . The servants unto obedience, are not servants who are bound to obey,

*

but servants who have actually obeyed—whoseservitude is proved and perfected in their works .

Mr Stuart entirely mistakes the sentiment expressed by the Apostle, when he paraphrasesthus When you have once given up yourselves to any one as 306ml ; El; br anchv, you are nolonger your own masters, or at your own disposal ; you have put yourselves within thepower, and at the disposal of another master .

’

The language of the Apostle is not designed toprove that, by presenting themselves to a master,they are bound to his service, but to state theobvious fact that they ar e the servants of himwhose work they do . If we see a number oflabourers in a field

,we know they are the ser

vants of the proprietor of the field— of the person in whose work they are employed . Theapplication of this fact to the Apostle’s purposeis obvious and important . Ifmen are doing the


work of Satan,must they not be Satan’s servants?

—If they are doing God’s work, must they not bethe servants of God ? Mr Stuart’s exposition leadsentirely away from the Apostle’s meaning .

Of Sim— Sin is here personified, and sinnersare its servants . Unto death— That is, whichends in death . This is the wages with whichsin rewards its servants . Obedience unto r ighte

ousness .— Obedience is al so personified, and the

work performed to obedience is righteousness ;that is, the works of the believer are righteousworks . Nothing can be more false as a translation, or more erroneous in sentiment than theversion of Mr Stuart . Obedience unto justification .

” In his paraphrase, he says, But ifyou are the servants of that obed ience which isuntoj ustifica tion , i. e. which is connected withjustification, which ends in it —then you mayexpect eternal life .” Ama toauvn, which he heretr anslates justification, is r ighteousness, andnever justification . In verses 18, 19 , and 20,that follow, he himself translates it righteousness . And what can be more completely sub

versive of the doctrine of j ustification, and ofthe Gospel itself, than the assertion that obedience ends in, or , as he says afterwards, will

lead to j ustif ication This is the tr anslation of

the English Socinian version , and of that adopted in their diff erent editions of the New Testa

60 ROMANS,v1. 16 .

ment by the Socinian pastors of the church of

Geneva. De l’obeissance qui conduit a la justification .

’

Of obedience which leads to justification . They have, however, printed theword conduit ” (leads to) in italics, to showthat it is a supplement.Mr Stuart says that his View seems to him

quite clear from justification being the antithesisunto death . But justification is not an exactantithesis to death . It is life that is the antithesis to death . There is no need, however,that there should be such an exact correspondence in the parts of the antitheses as is supposed. An d there is a most obvious reason whyit could not be so . Death is the wages of sin ,but life is not the wages of obedience . MrStuart asks

, How can dixa toa f/vnv here meanholiness , up r ightness, when bn axori itself necessar ily designates this very idea ? What is anobedience which leads to righteousness Orhow does it diff er from righteousness itself,inasmuch as it is the very act of obediencewhich constitutes righteousness in the sensenow contemplated ? ’ It is replied that obedience is here personified, and therefore r ighteous actions are properly represented as performed to it. Mr S tuart might as well ask whyare obedience to sin , and the lusts of sin, supposed difi

'

er ent things in verse 12 . In like man

ROMANS, v1. 17 . 61

ner we have righteousness and holiness in verse19, and fruit and holiness in verse 22 . Besides

,

obedience and righteousness are not ideas perfectly coincident . Righteousness refers to worksas to their nature ; obedience refers to the sameworks as to their principle . Mr S tuart’s remark isboth false in criticism, and heretical in doctrine .

V. l 7 .—But God be thanked, tha t yewer e the ser vants of sin ,but ye ha ve obeyedf r om the hea r t tha t f orm of doctr inewhichwasdeliver ed you.

The Apostle here expresses his thankfuln essto God , that they who had formerly been theservants of sin were now the servants of r ighteousness . To suppose, as some do, that sin itself could be a matter of thankfulness, is a mostpalpable error, than which nothing can be moreremote from the meaning of this passage . Obeyed f r om the hear t - Christian obedience is obedience from the heart, in opposition to an obedience which is by constraint. Any attempt atobedience by an unconverted man, is an obedience produced by some motive of fear

,self

interest, or constraint—and not from the heart .Nothing can be a more convincing evidence ofthe truth of the Gospel than the change which,in this respect, it produces on the mind of thebeliever . Nothing but Almighty power coul dat once transform a man from the love andpower of sin to the love of holiness .

ROMANS, v1. 18 .

Thatf orm of doctr inewhichwas deliver ed you.

There are various solutions of this expression ,all substantially agreeing in meaning, but diff ering in the manner of bringing out that meaning .

The most usual way of solving it is, by supposing that there is a reference to melted metalstransferred to a mould, which obey or exactlyconform to the mould . It might, perhaps, beas probable that the reference is to wax or clay,or any soft matter that takes the form of thestamp or seal . There is another way of explaining the phraseology that may be worthy ofconsideration—Ye have obeyed from the heartthat form or model of doctrine unto which youhave been committed . In this way, the form of

doctrine or the Gospel is considered as a teacher,and believers are committed to its instructions .The word translated delivered, will admit of

this interpretation, and it is sufficiently agreeable to the general meaning of the expression .

The substance of the phrase, however, is obvious, and , let it be translated as it may, there isno essential diff erence in the meaning.

V. 18 .—Being then made f r ee f r om sin , ye became the ser van ts

of r ighteousness.

Being then madef r eef r om sin .—There is here

a reference to the emancipation of slaves fromthe power of their masters . Formerly they wereslaves to sin , now they have been emancipated

ROMANS,v1. 19 . 63

by the Gospel . This deliverance is called theirfreedom. It does not by any means importwhat has been called sinless perfection ,

"

or anentire freedom from the influence of sin . Indeedit has no reference at all to this subj ect. Ye

became ser vants of r ighteousness-Here we seethe proper meaning of the word imam-urn. Theservants of righteousness are men devoted

'

tothe practice of such works as are r ighteous .

What would be the meaning of servants of justification The idea is that the believer oughtto be as entirely devoted to God as a servant orslave is to his master . Mr S tuart is here com

pelled to allow the true meaning of the sameword, which in the 16 th verse, in consistencywith his unscriptural system, he had mistr anslated, by rendering it j ustification .

V. l 9 .-I sp eak af ter the manner of men because of the infi r

mity of your fl esh f or a s ye have yielded your member s ser van ts

to unclea nn ess an d to in iquity unto iniquity ; even so now yield

your member s ser vdn ts to r ighteousn ess un to holiness.

I sp eak af ter the manner of men .—This refers

to the illustration of the subj ect by the customsof men as to slavery . Mr Stuart has eithermissed the idea here, or expressed it too generally. He translates, ‘in language usual tomen,

’ and expounds,I speak as men are

accustomed to Speak , viz . I use such languageas they usually employ in regard to the affairs

ROMANS, v1. 19 .

of common life .

’ This makes the referencemerely to the words used ; whereas the reference is to the illustration drawn from humancustoms . In what way could the Apostle speakbut as men are accustomed to speak ? Couldhe speak in any other language than that whichwas usual to men ? This is a thing in whichthere is no choice . If he speaks at all he mustuse human language . But to illustrate spiritualsubj ects by the customs of men is a matter ofchoice, because it might have been avoided .

This establishes the propriety of teaching divinetruth through illustrations taken from all sub

jects with which those addressed are acquainted .

This method not only facilitates the right perception or apprehension of the subject, but al soassists the memory in retaining the informationreceived . Accordingly it was much used by ourLord and his Apostles .Calvin has not caught the spirit of this pas

sage : Paul,’ says he, mean s that he speaks

after the manner of men with respect to forms,not the subj ect-matter, as Christ (John iii .12)says If I have told you earthly things,

”

when he is, however, discoursing on heavenlymysteries, but not with so much majesty asthe dign ity of the subj ect demanded, becausehe accommodated himself to the capacity of arude

,dull, and slow people .

’ Here Calvin


66 ROMANS, VI . 19.

nature, and especially the state of the heathenworld at the period of the highest refinement .

Uncleanness means all impurity, but especiallythe vice Opposed to chastity . Iniquity, as dis

tinguished from this, refers to conduct Opposedto laws human and divine . The one refers principally to the pollution, the other to the guiltof sin .

Unto iniquity — Some understand this as signifying from one iniquity to another, or from one

degree of iniquity to another, which is not itsmeaning . Neither can it signify, as sometimesit is understood, for the purpose of iniquity, formen often sin when it cannot be justly said thatthey do sofi r the purp ose of sinning . They oftensin from the love of the sin , when they wish itwas not a sin . Their object is selfish gr atifition. It is evident that the phrase is to beunderstood on a principle already mentioned,namely, that iniquity is in the first occurrencepersonified, and in the second, it is the conductthat obedience to this sovereign produces . Theygive their members as slaves to iniquity as aking, and the result 18, that iniquity was praotised . This corr esponds with the sense, andsuits the antithesis . -Righteousness unto holi

ness .—Righteousness is here personified as ini

quity was before, and obedience to this sovereign

ROMANS, VI . 20. 6 7

V. 20.—For when yewer e the ser vants of sin ye wer e f r ee f r om

Mr Tholuck misunderstands this ver se, which ,in connexion with the 2 l st, he paraphrases thusWhile engaged in the service of sin, you possessed, it is true, the advantage of standingentirely out of all subjection to righteousness ;but let us look to what is to be the final result .’

The Apostle is not Speaking of freedom fromrighteousness as an advantage either real or supposed. He is speaking of it as a fact ; and fromthat fact he argues , that, as they were free fromrighteousness when they were slaves to sin, SOnow, as they are the servants of righteousness,they ought to hold themselves free from theslavery of sin . The consequence

,indeed, is not

drawn , but is so plain that it is left to the reader .The sentiment is j ust and obvious . When theywere the subj ects of their former sovereign , theywere free from the service of their present sovereign . So now, as they are subjects to righteousness, they ought to be free from sin .

Mr Stuart al so misunderstands this verse .He explains it thus : When you served sin,

you deemed yourselves free from all obligationto righteousness .’ This the Apostle neitherays, nor could say . For it is not a fact thatnatur al men, whether Pagans, or under a profession of Christianity, regard themselves as

ROMANS,v1. 21.

bound by no obligations to righteousness . Thelaw of nature teaches them the contrary. Butwhatever is their light on this subject, that theyare free from righteousness, is a fact . This, welearn, is the state of all natural men, they arefree from righteousness.V. Wha t f r uit had ye then in those things wher eof ye ar e‘

now ashamed ? j b r the en d of those things is death.

Wha t f ruit had ye then in those things—Be

sides the exhortations to holiness which he hadalready employed , the Apostle here sets beforebelievers the nature and consequences of sin .

Unpr ofitable and shameful in its character, itsend is death . He asks what advantage had theyderived from their former conduct . Fruit heresignifies advantage

,and not pleasure . Many

interpret this Verse as if the Apostle denied thatthey had any pleasure in those sins at the timeof committing them . This the Apostle couldnot do ; for it is a fact that men have pleasurein sin . To say that sinful pleasure is no pleasure,but is imaginary

,is to abuse terms. All pleasure

is a matter of feeling,and a man is no less happy

than he feels himself to be if he imagines thathe enjoys pleasure

,he actual ly enjoys pleasure.

But what advantage is-vther e ‘in such pleasureThis is the question which the Apostle asks .Wher eof ye ar e now ashamed — It is a remark

able fact that men in a state of alienation from

ROMANS,v1. 2 2 . 69

God will commit sin, not Only without shame,but will glory in many things of which they areashamed the moment they are changed by thegospel. They now see their conduct in anotherlight . They see that it was not only sinfulbut shameful . For the end of those things is

dea th—Here is the answer to the question ,with respect to the fruit of unrighteous conduct .Whatever pleasure they might have found in it,the end of it is ruin . D eath—This cannot beconfined to natur al death , for that is equallythe , end with respect to the righteous as well as

the wicked . It includes the whole penalty of

sin— eternal punishment .

V. 22 .—But now being made fl ee fi om sin, and become ser

vants to God,'

ye have your f r uit unto holiness, and the end ever

Having concluded his triumphant reply to theobjection, that his doctrine concerning justification leads to indulgence in sin, the Apostlehere assures those to whom he wrote of theblessed eff ects Of becoming servants to God .

In the eighth chapter these are fully developed .

But now being madef r eef r om sin, that is, emancipated from a state of slavery to sin . Fr uit unto

holiness Fruit in this verse denotes conduct,and holiness its specific character or quality .

When conduct or'

works are called fruit, theirnature is not expressed . They ar e merely con

70 ROMANS, v1. 23 .

sider ed as the production of the man . Fruitunto holiness is conduct that is holy. And

the end ever lasting lif e. -Fruit unto holiness, or

holy conduct, is the present result of freedomfrom sin, and of becoming servants to God ;eternal life is the final result. Eternal life is theissue of the service of God, but it is not thereward of its merit. Hence, the Apostle hereuses the phrase eternal life, when he is speakingof the issue of the service of God . But in verse16 , he says, obedience unto righteousness, andnot obedience unto eternal life,

” because he had,

in the preceding member of the sentence, spokenof death as the punishment of sin . Had he usedthe word eternal life in connexion with obediencein this antithesis, it would have too much resembled an assertion, that eternal life is the rewar dof our obedience .

V. 2 3. —For the wages of sin is death ; but the gifi of God is

eter na l life thr ough Jesus Chr ist our Lor d.

The wages of sin is death—Here, as in theconclusion of the preceding chapter, death iscontrasted with eternal life . Sin is a serviceor slavery , and its reward is death or eternalmisery . As death is the greatest evil in thisworld, so the future punishment of the wickedis cal led death figuratively, or the second death .

In this sense death is frequently spoken of inScripture

,as when our Lord says, whosoever

ROMANS, v1. 2 3 . 71

believeth on me shall never die. This is thejust recompense of sin . The Apostle does notadd, but the wages of obedience is eternal life .This is not the doctrine of Scripture . He adds

,

but the gif t of God is eter na l life. The gift thatGod bestows is eternal life . He bestows noless upon any of his people ; and it is the greatest gift that can be bestowed.

Dr Gill on this passage remarks Thesewords, at first sight, look as if the sense of

them was, that eternal life is the gift of Godthrough Christ, which is a great and glorioustruth of the Gospel ; but their standing inopposition to the preceding words requireanother sense, namely, that God

’s gift of graceissues in eternal life, through Christ Wher efore by the gif t of God is not meant eternallife

,but either the gift of a justifying right

eousness, or the grace of God in regeneration

and sanctification , or both,‘

which issue ineternal life .’ This remark does not appear tobe well founded . The wages of sin do not issuein or lead to death, but the wages of ‘sin isdeath . Death is asserted to be the wages of

sin , and not to be another issue to which thewages of sin lead . And the

'

gift c

of God is notsaid to issue in eternal life , but to be eter nallife. Eternal life is the gift here spoken of . Itis not, as Dr Gill represents, eternal life is

72 ROMANS, VI. 23 .

the gift of God, but the gift of God is eternal life .” The meaning of these two propositions, though nearly alike, are not entirelycoincident . The common version is perfectlycorrect . Both of the propositions might withtruth be rendered convertible, but as they areexpressed by the Apostle they ar e not convertible ; and we should receive the expression asit stands . No doubt the gift of righteousnessissues in eternal life ; but it is of the gift of

‘

eternal life itself, and.

not of the gift of righteousness, that the Apostle is here speaking, andthe Apostle

’s

'

language should not be pressedinto a meaning which is foreign to his design .

Life and death are set before us in the Scriptures . On the one hand, indignation and wrath,tribulation and anguish ; on the other, glory,and honour, and peace. To one or other ofthese states every child of Adam will finally beconsigned . To both of them , in the concludingverse of this chapter, our attention is directed,and

'

the grounds on which never-ending miseryOr everlasting blessedness will be awarded, ar e

expressly declared . The wages of sin is death :but thegift of God is eternal life, through JesusChrist

'

our Lord .

”

The punishmen t'

of that dea th which was the

threatened penal ty fof ; the first transgression,will , according to Scripture, consist in the pains


74 ROMANS, v1. 23 .

which they themselves are for ever deprived,and by the company of the devil and his angels

,

to the endurance of whose slavery they arefor ever doomed . As to the future, the horrorsof their irreversible condition will be renderedmore insupportable by the overwhelming con

viction of its eternity. To the whole must beadded, that rage against God, whom they willhate as their enemy, without any abatement ordiminution .

It is not to be questioned that there will bedegrees in the punishment of the wicked . Thisis established by our Lord himself, when he declares that it shall be more tolerable for Tyreand Sidon in the Day of Judgment than for theJews . This punishment being the eff ect of Divine justice, the necessary proportion betweencrime and suff ering will be observed, and assome crimes are greater and more aggravatedthan others , there will be a diff erence in thepunishment inflicted . In one View,

indeedy all

sins are equal, because equally off ences againstGod and transgressions of his law ; but, in another view, they diff er from each other. Sin isin degr ee proportioned not only to the want oflove to God and mane which it displays, butlikewise to the manner in which it is perpetrated . Murder is more aggr avated than theft, andthe sins against the second table of the law ar e

ROMANS, v1. 2 3 . 75

less heinous than those committed against thefirst . Sins likewise vary in degr ee, inasmuchas one is carried into full execution, an

‘

d'

another

remains but in thought or purpose . The difference in the degree of punishment will not consist, however, in what belongs to privation— forin this it must be equal to all—but in thosesuff erings which will be positively inflicted byGod .

Our Lord, three times in one discourse, r e

peats that awful declaration, Their worm diethnot, and the fire is not quenched .

” The termfire presents the idea of the intensity of thewrath or vengeance of God . It denotes thatthe suff erings of the condemned Sinner are suchas the body experiences from material fire, andthat entire desolation which accompanies itsdevouring flames . Fire, however, consumes thematter on which it acts, and is thus itself ex tin

guished . But it is not so with those who shallbe delivered over to that fire which is notquenched . They will be upheld in existence byDivine justice, as the subj ects on 'which it willbe ever displaying itself. The expression,their worm dieth not,

” indicates a continuance of pain and putrefaction such as the gnawing of worms would produce . As fire is ex tin

guished when its fuel is consumed, in the sameway the worm dies when the subject on which

76 ROMANS,VI. 2 3 .

it subsists is destroyed . But here it is r epr es ented as never dying, because the persons ofthe wicked are supported for the endurance ofthis punishment . In employing these figures,the Lord probably refers ‘to the two ways inwhich the bodies of the dead were in formertimes consigned tO '

dar kness and oblivion, eitherby incremation or interment . In the first way,they were consumed by fir e— in the second devour ed by worms . The final punishment ofthe enemies of God is likewise represented bytheir being cast into the lake which burnethwith fire and brimstone . This imports themultitude of griefs with which the wicked willbe overwhelmed . What emblem can more str ikingly portray the place of torment than thetossing waves, not merely of a flood of waters,but of liquid fire And what candescribe moreawfully the intensity of the sufferings of thosewho are condemned , than the image of thatbrimstone by which the fier ceness of fire is augmented ?

These expressions,their worm dieth not, and

thefire is not quenched, to which’

it is added,For every one shall be salted with fire, pre

clude every idea either z

of annihilation or of afuture restoration to happiness . Under thelaw the victims offered in sacrifice were appoint

cd'

to be salted with salt, called the salt of

JROMANS, v1. 23. 77

the covenant, Levi xi . 13 . Salt is an emblemof incorruptibility, and the use of it announcedthe perpetuity of the covenant of God with hispeople . In the same manner all the sacrificesto his justice will be salted with fir e. . Everysinn er will be preserved by the fire itself, becoming thereby incorruptible, and fitted to en

dure those torments to which he is destined .

The just vengeance of God will render incorr uptible the children of wrath, whose misery,no more than the blessedness of the righteous,will ever come to an end .

The Son of Man,” said Jesus, goeth, as

it is written of him but wo unto that man bywhom the Son of Man is betrayed"it had beengood for that man if he had not been born .

”

If the punishment of the wicked in the futurestate was to terminate in a period, however r emote, and were it to be followed with eternalhappiness, what is here affirmed of Judas wouldnot be true . A great gulf is fixed between thea bodes of blessedness and misery , and all passagefrom the one to the other is for ever barred .

The punishment, then, of the wicked will,according to the figures that are employed, aswell as to the express declarations of Scriptur e,

‘

be eternal . Sin being committed againstthe infinity of God, ‘merits an infinite punishment. In the natural order of j ustice this

78 ROMANS, VI .

punishment ought to be 1nfinitely great ; butas that is impossible, since the creature is inca

pable of suff ering pain in an infinite degree ,infinity in greatness is compensated by infinityin duration . The punishment, then, is finite initself, and on this account it is capable of beinginflicted in a greater or less degree ; but as itis eternal, it bears the same proportion to thegreatness of Him who is off ended .

The metaphors and comparisons employed inScripture to describe the intensity of the punishment of the wicked, are calcul ated deeply toimpress the sentiment of the awful nature of

that final retribution . Tophet is ordained ofold yea, for the king it is prepared ; he hathmade it deep and large : the pile thereof is fireand much wood the breath of the Lord, likea stream of brimstone, doth kindl e it .

” Isaiahxxx . 33 .

While the doctrine of eternal happiness isgenerally admitted

,the eternity of future punish

ment is doubted by many. The declarations,however, of the Holy Scriptures respecting bothare equally explicit . Concerning each of themthe very same expressions are used. Theseshall go away into everlasting (literally eternal) punishment : but the righteous untolife eter nal .” Matt . xxv . 46 . Owing to the

hardness of their hearts men are insensible to

ROMANS , VI . 23 . 79

the great evil of sin . Hence the threateningsof future punishment, according to the word of

God , shock all their prejudices, and seem tothem unjust

,and such as never can be realized .

The tempter said to the woman, Ye sha ll not

sur ely die,” although God had declared it .

In the same way he now suggests that the doctrine of eternal punishment, though written aswith a sunbeam in the book of God , and expressly affirmed by the Saviour in the descr iption of the last j udgment, and so often repeatedby him during his abode on earth, is contraryto every idea that men ought to entertain of thegoodness and mercy of God . He conceals fromhis votaries the fact that if God is merciful heis also just ; and that while forgiving iniquity,and transgression, and sin , he will by no meansclear the guilty . Some who act as his servantsin promoting this delusion , have admitted thatthe Scriptures do indeed threaten everlastingpunishment to transgressors but they say thatGod employs such threatenings as a veil to deter men from sin while he by no means intendsto execute them . The veil

,then

,which God

has provided is, according to them, too tr ansparent to answer the purpose he in tends, and theyin their superior wisdom have been able to penetr ate it . And this is one of their apologies forthe Bible, with the design of making its doc

H UM A N S, V] . 2 3 .

trines more palatable to the world .

~On theirown principles, then, they are chargeable withdoing all in their power to frustrate what theyaflirm to be a provision of mercy . Shall men

,

however eminent they may be esteemed,be for

a moment listened to, who stand confessedlyguilty of conduct so impiousInfinitely great are the obligations of believers

to that grace by which they have been made todiffer from others, to flee to the refuge set beforethem in the Gospel, and to wait for the Son of

God from Heaven , whom he raised from thedead, even Jesus, which delivered us from wrathto come .Of the nature of that glory of which the people

of God shall be put in possession in the day of

their redemption, we cannot form a clear anddistinct idea . It doth not yet appear whatwe shall be ; but we know that, when he shallappear, we shall be like him , for we shall seehim as he is .” In the present state, believers,beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,ar e changed into the same image from glory toglory, as by the Spirit of the Lord . This transformation,

‘while they see only through a glassdarkly, is gradually proceeding but when theysee face to face, and shall know even as they areknown, this image shall be perfected . Theirblessedness will consist in a knowledge of God


ROMANS, v1. 23 .

be eternal . But why eternal Because Godwill bestow it upon a supernatural principle,and, consequently, upon a principle free fromchanges to which nature is exposed, in opposition to the happiness of Adam, which was natur al . Because GOd will give it not as to hirelings,but as to his children in title of inheritance .The servant, or the hireling, says Jesus

Chr ist, abideth not in the house for ever , butthe son abideth ever .” Because God will conferit as a donation, that is to say, irrevocably. On

this account,Paul declares

,that eternal life

is the gift of God . None of the causes whichproduce changes will have place in heavennot the inequality of nature, for it shall beswallowed up in glory, —not sin, for it will beentirely abolished,—

'

not the temptations of Sagtan,

’

for Satan will have no entrance there,not the mutability of the creature, for God willpossess his people fully and perfectly.

Thr ough Jesus Chr ist.—Eternal life comes to

the people of God as a free gift, yet it is throughJesus Christ .‘ By his mediation alone r econciliation between : God and man is effected, peaceestablished, communion restored, and everyblessing conferred . The smallest as well as the

gr eatest’

gift is bestowed through him ; and theyare not the less free gifts from God , becauseChr ist

’

our Lord has paid the price of r edemp


tion . He himself is given for this end by theFather, and he and the Father are one He

,

then, who pays the ransom is one and the—

samewho justifies, so that the fi eeness of the gift isnot in the smallest degree diminished .

*

This gift of eternal life is bestowed throughJesus Christ, and by him it is dispensed .

Glorify thy Son , that thy Son may also glorifythee : as thou hast given him power over all

flesh, to give eternal life to as many as thouhast given him .

” My sheep hear my voice,and I know them, and they follow me, and Igive unto them eternal life .” Our Lor d .

— Hispeople are constantly to keep in mind that JesusChr ist is their Lord, whose authority they are

ever to regard, and whom, as their Lord andMaster

,they are implicitly to obey . He is the

Lord both of the dead and the living, to whomevery knee Shall bow, and before whose judgment-seat we shall all stand .

The manner'

in which the Apostle winds uphis discussion on the free justification of sinners ,in the close of the preceding chapter, and thatin which he now draws to a conclusion the doctr ine of their sanctification , are strikingly similar.Grace,

” he there says, reigns through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our

See 2d Ed . vol. i. 321.

84 ROMANS, v1. 23.

Lord and through Him, it is here said, the

gift of God is eternal life .” All is of gr ace, al lis a free gift, all is vouchsafed through, and inHim, who was delivered for our off ences, andraised again for our justification, from whomneither death nor life Shall separate us. Thanksbe unto God for his unspeakable gift .

The doctrine of free justification by faithwithout works, on which the Apostle had been1nsisting in the preceding part of the epistle, isvindicated in this chapter from the charge of pro

ducing those consequences which are ascr ibed toit by the wisdom of the world, fand by all whoare opposed to the Gospel . Far from conducting to licentiousness, as many venture to affirm,

it stands indissolubly connected with the sanctification of the children of God .

In the conclusion of the preceding chapter,Paul had asserted that, as the reign of sin hadbeen terminated by the death of the Redeemer

,

so the reign of grace, through righteousness,unto eternal life by Jesus Christ

, our Lord, hassucceeded . He had shown in the thir d andfourth chapters, that this righteousness is uponall them that believe; who are thus justifiedfreely by grace . In the fifth chapter, he hadexhibited the effects and accompaniments of

their justification . The objection which he had,

ROMANS,VI . 23 . 85

notwithstanding, seen it proper to introduce inthe beginning of this sixth chapter, had led to afurther developement of the way in whic

‘

h'

these

blessed eff ects are produced . I n order to this ,he says nothing

,as has been observed, of the

character or attainments of believers , but proceeds to describe their state before God, in consequence of their union with Christ . The sanctification of believers

,he thus shows, proceeds

from the sovereign determination, the etern alpurpose, and the irresistible power of God ,

which are exerted according to his everlas tingcovenant, through the mediation of his belovedSon , and in consistency with every part of theplan of salvation . While this, however, is thetruth— truth so consolatory to every Christianit is an incumbent duty to consider, and to seekto give eff ect to those motives to holiness, presented by the Spir it of God in his own word, asthe means which he employs to carry on thisgreat work in the soul—presented

, too, in thoseVery doctrines, which the wisdom of the worldhas always supposed will lead to licentiousness .

Ever y View of the character of God, and everypart of the plan of salvation, tends to promoteholiness in his people, and on every doctrinecontained in the Scriptures

,holiness is inscribed .

The doctrine of j ustification without works, sofar from leading to licentiousness, fur nishes the

86 ROMANS, v r . 23 .

most powerful motives to obedience to God.

They who receive the doctrine of justificationby the righteousness of God, have the fullestand most awful sense of the obligation which theholy law of God enforces on his creatures, and ofthe extent and purity of that law connected withthe most profound sentiment of the evil of sin .

Every new view that believers take of the GOSpel of their salvation

,is calculated to impress on

their minds a hatred of sin , and a desire to fleef rom it. In the doctrine of Christ crucified, theyperceive that God , who is holy and just, pardonsnothing without an atonement, and manifests hishatred of sin by the plan he adopts for the salvation of Sinners . The extent of the

'

evil of sinis exhibited in the dignity and glory of himbywhom it has been expiated, the depth of , hishumiliation, and the greatness of his sufl

'

er ings ;

together with the obligation of the law of God ,derived from its purity and sanction .

,

If the principal obj ect, or one of the essentialcharacteristics of the doctrine of justification byfaith, was to represent God as easily pacifiedtowards the guilty, as taking a superficial cognizance of the breach of his holy law, andpunishing it lightly, it might with , reason beconcluded that it relaxes the bonds of moralobligation . But so far is

’

this from being thecase, that this doctrine maintains in the highest

ROMANS, V1. 23 . 87

degree the holiness of God, and discovers thedanger of continuing in sin . It teaches thateven when the Almighty is determined to showcompassion to the sinner, he cannot

'

exercise ituntil his justice is satisfied. That Jesus Christshould have purchased, at the price of his ownblood, a license to sin against God, would becontradictory in itself, and incompatible withthe wisdom and uniformity of the Divine gover nment . God cannot h ate Sin b efore itsexpiation by his Son , and love it after the suffer ings inflicted on account of it . If it behovedhim to punish Sin so severely in the divine suretyof , his people, it can never be pleasing to himin those for whom the Sur ety has made satisfaction . His holiness is farther displayed by thisdoctrine, which teaches that it is only . througha righteous advocate and intercessor that theywho are just ified havea ccess to God.

‘

The Gospel method'

of justification by the

blood of Christ discovers sin and its fatal con

sequences in the'

most hideous aspect, while atthe

'

same time it displays the mercy of God in amanner the most attractive. Believers are punished with death in the person of their DivineSur ety, accbr ding to the original and irrevocablesentence

'

pr onounced against man on accoun t‘of"his transgression .

'

'

But as JesusrChr ist has'

beenr aised from the

’

dea'

d"

by'

the vpower of the Fa

88 ROMANS, VI . 23.

ther, they also have been raised with him to

walk in newness of life . They are,therefore

,

bound, by every consideration of love and fear,

of gratitude and j oyful hope, to regulate theactions of that life which has thus been grantedto them in a new and holy way . Being baptized into the death of Christ, in whom theyare complete,

” they ought to be conformedto him, and to separate themselves from sin byits entire destruction . Their baptism, which isthe instituted Sign of their regeneration , of theirforfeiture by sin of Adam’s life, and their fellowship with Christ in his death and r esur r ec

tion,exhibits to them in the clearest manner

the necessity of purity and holiness; the wayby which these are attained conformably to theGospel, and their obligation to renounce everything incompatible with the service of God .

I am crucified, says the Apostle Paul, withChr ist ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christliveth in me ; and the life which I now live

'

inthe flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave himself for me .

” Andaddressing the believers to whom he wrote, hesays

,As many of you as have been baptized

into Christ, have put s on Christ .” Ye are

buried with him in baptism, wherein also yeare risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dea


90 ROMANS , v1. 23 .

mises of pardon flowing from the love of God,when he knows the just foundation on whichthis pardon is established, he cleaves with r e

cipr ocal lov e to God . He rests his confidencesolely on the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ,and ascribes to his heavenly Father all the gloryof his salvation . Being justified by faith, hehas peace with God, which he no longer laboursto acquire by his own works . His obedience isa constant expression of love and thankfulnessfor the free gift of that righteousness which theSon of God was sent to accomplish, which hefinished on the cross, and which confers a titleto divine favour sufficient for the most guilty of

mankind . If any man professes to believe inJesus Christ, to love his name, and to enjoycommunion with God, yet obeys not his commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is notin 'him” But whoso keepeth his word , in him,

verily, is the love of God perfected .

” Thatwhich does not produce obedience is not love ,and what does not proceed from love is unworthyof the name of obedience . The pretence of lovewithout obedience is hypocrisy, and obediencewithout love is a real slavery.

The sanctification of the people of God'

d epends on the death of Christ in the way of its

meritorious cause for through the death of JesusChrist they receive the Holy Spirit, who same

ROMANS, v1. 2 3 . 91

tifies them . He has also sanctified himself, thathe might sanctify them—He had, indeed, no corruption from which he needed sanctification ; but

when he took on him the'

sins of his people, theywere his sins as truly as if he had been personally guilty. This is in accordance with what isdeclared, 2 Cori V. 21 He hath made himto be

'

sin for us, who knew no sin : that wemight be made the righteousness of God inhim .

” In this light, then , he must be sanctifiedfrom sin, and this was eff ected by his suff eringdeath . He was sanctified from the sin he hadtaken upon him by his own blood shed upon thecross, and in him they are sanctified .

The sanctification of believers depends, too,on the death of Jesus Christ in the way of ob

ligation ; for , having redeemed his people tohimself, he has laid them under an inviolableobligation to be holy. Ye were not redeemedwith corruptible things, as silver or gold, fromyour vain conversation received by tradition f rOmyour fathers, but with the precious blood of

Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and withoutspot.” Ye are bought with a price, thereforeglorify God in your ' body and in your spir it,which are God’s .” Their sanctification arisesalso from the example of Jesus Christ ; for, inhis death as well as in his lif e, all Christian Virtues were exhibited and exercised in a manner

92 ROMANS, VI . 23.

the most admirable, and set before us for our

imitation . Christ also suffered for us, leavingus an example, that we should follow his steps .The sanctification ofbelievers likewise depends

on the death of Christ in the way of motive ; for itfurnishes an almost infinite number of motives toholiness of life . In his death, believers discoverthe profound misery in which they were plungedin the slavery of sin and Satan—children of r e

bellion and wrath separated from the communionof God . To procure their deliverance it wasnecessary, not only that the Son of God shoul dcome into the world, but that he Should sufl

'

er

on the cross ; whence they ought to regard theirformer condition with holy terror and abhorrence . In his death they perceive how hateful

sin is in the sight of God, since it was necessarythat the blood of an infinite and Divine personshould be shed in order to its expiation . Inthat death they discover the ineflable love of

God, which has even led to the delivering upof his only begotten Son for their salvation .

They discover the love and compassion of theSon himself, which induced him to come downfrom heaven to save them, which should begetr eciprocal love, and an ardent zeal for his service . They perceive the hope of their calling

,

and real ize the blessings of the eternal inkeritance of God, which have been acquired by

ROMANS, v1. 2 3 . 93

that death . They see the honour and dignityof their adoption, for Jesus Christ has died thatthey might become the children of God .

‘ Theyhave been born of his blood, which binds themnever to lose sight of this heavenly dignity, butto conduct themselves in a manner suitable totheir high vocation .

In the death of Jesus Christ the eyes of believer s are d irected to the Spirit of sanctification,whom God hath sent forth ; for in dying JesusChrist has obtained for his people the inexhaustible graces of the Holy Spirit . This leadsthem to renounce the spirit of the wor ld, andsubmit to the direction and guidance of theSpirit from on high . They discover the honourof their communion with Jesus Christ, beinghis brethren and joint heirs, the members of hisbody

,those for whom he shed his blood, and

whom he ha th redeemed at so astonishing aprice . They see the peace which he hath madebetween God and them, which imposes on themthe duty of never disturbing that blessed reconciliation, but on the contrary of rendering themost prof ound obedience to the divine law.

They see the most powerful motives to humility, for the death of Jesus Christ is a mirror inwhich they behold the vileness and indign ity of

their natural corruption, and perceive tha t they

have nothing in themselves wherewith to satisfy


divine justice for their sins . His death placingbefore their eyes their original condition, leadsthem to cry out before God, O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee ; but unto us confusionof face .” Our justification is a blessing whichproceeds from thy grace, thou hast conferredon us the righteousness of thy Son , but to ours elves belongeth nothing but misery and ruin .

”

The death of Jesus Christ presents the strongestmotives to repentance, for if, after the redemptionhe has wrought, they should still continue intheir sins, it would be making him, as theApostle says, the minister of sin .

” And,finally, the death of Jesus Christ teaches themnot to dread their own death, for he hath sanctihed the tomb, and rendered death itselfinnoxiousto his people, since he has condescended to suffer it for them . Their death is the last part oftheir fellowship on earth with their suff ering Redeemer ; and as his death was the gate throughwhich he entered in to his glory, so the earthlyhouse of their tabernacle must be dissolved, thatthey may be also glorified together with him . Odeath"where is thy sting ? O grave"where isthy Victory Thanks be to God which givethus the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ .The resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as

his death, presents the strongest motives for theencouragement and sanctification of believers.

ROMANS , v1. 23 . 95

His resurrection establishes their faith , as beingthe heavenly seal with which God has beenpleased to confirm the truth of the Christianreligion . Having been declared to be the Sonof God with power by his resurrection from thedead, they are led to regard him as the Creatorof the world, and the eternal Son of the Father .I t assures them of the effect of his death inexpiating their sins, and obliges them to embrace the blood of his cross as the price of theirr edemption . His resurrection being the victorywhich he obtained over the enemies of his

church, they are bound to place all their confidence in him, and to resign themselves for everto his guidance . It presents the most powerfulmotive to have constant recourse to the mercyof the Father, for having himself raised up the.Head and Surety of his people ; it is an evidentpledge of his eternal purpose to love them, and

of their freedom of access to God by his Son.

-In the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus:Chr ist believers are taught the cer tair

'

fty of theirimmortality and future b lessedness . Lazarusand others who were raised up, received theirlife in the same state as they possessed it before ;and after they arose they died a second time ;

'

but Jesus ’ Christ, in his resurrection, received alife entirely different . In his birth a life

’

was

communicated to him which was soon to termi

ROMANS , VI . 23.

nate on the cross . His resurrection communicated a life imperishable and immortal . JesusChrist being raised from the dead, death hathno more dominion over him . Of this new lifethe Apostle speaks as being already enj oyed byhis people . He hath raised us up together,and made us sit together in heavenly places inChrist Jesus .” Elsewhere he calls that heavenly life which Jesus Christ now possesses,their life . Your life is hid with Christ inGod. When Christ who is our

'

life shal l appear, ye also shall appear with him in glory .

”

Whosoever liveth and believeth in me,” he

himself hath said, shall never die .” All thisshould inspire his people with courage to finishtheir course here

,in order to go to take pos

session of the heavenly inheritance which hehas gone before to prepare for them, and fromwhence he will come to receive them to himself.It should inspire them with fortitude, that theymay not sink under the afflictions and trialswhich they experience on earth . The Apostlecounted all things but loss and dung, that hemight win Christ—that he might know him andthe power of his resurrection . On the resurrection of Jesus Christ h e rests the whole valueand evidence of the truth of the Gospel . IfChrist be not risen, then is our preaching vain,and your faith is vain .

” But now is Christ


98 ROMANS, v1. 2 3 .

all his enemies,'

in order to cause his people totriumph .

Upon the whole, as in the preceding part ofthe Epistle the Apostle had rested the justification of believers on their union with JesusChrist, so upon this union he rests in this chapter their sanctification . It is in virtue of thisunion between Him as the head, and the Churchas his body, that the elect of God are the sub

jects of his regenerating grace, enjoy the indwelling of his Spirit, and bring forth fruit untoGod . As the branch cannot bear fruit ofitself, except it abide in the Vine no more canye, except ye abide in me . I am the Vine, yeare the branches . He that abideth in me andI in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ;for without me ye can do nothing.

”

This union of believers with Jesus Christ isrepresented in Scripture in various expressionsand by different images . The Scriptures declarethat we ar e one with him, that he dwells in our

hear ts, that he lives in us and we in him,that

we ar e changed into his image, and that he isformed in us . This un ion is spoken of as r esembling the union of the head with the other partsof the body, and the foundation with the superstructure . This union does not resul t solelyfr om Jesus Christ having taken upon him, byhis incarnation, the human nature. For if in

ROMANS, v1. 2 3 . 99

this alone all communion with him consisted,unbelievers would be as much united with himas believers . The union of believers with JesusChrist is a spiritual and mystical union ; and asone with him they are represented by him. Herepresents them in the act of making satisfactionto the Father

,tak ing their sins upon him , and

enduring the punishment they deserved ; for itwas in their place

,as their head and mediator,

that he presented to God that great and solemnsacrifice which has acquired for them heavenlyglory . He represents them in the act of his

resurrection , for as the head he has received forthem from his Father life and immortality. Herepresents them in his intercession in their name ;and also in his exaltation on his throne. Thespiritual lif e which they derive from him consistsin present grace and future glory . In gracethere are three degrees . The first 1s peace withGod ; the second is holin ess, comprehending allthat constitutes their duty and the third is hope,which is as an anchor of the soul , and enters intothat within the veil . In glory there are alsothree degrees the resurrection of the bodies of

believers ; their elevation to heaven ; and theeternal enjoyment of the kingdom prepared for

them from the foun dation of the world .

Paul enjoins on Titus constantly to affirm thegreat doctrines of grace

,in order that they who

ROMANS,VI . 2 3 .

have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works . These doctrines alone

,which

in the opinion of many make void the law,and

give a license to sin— agamst which, since thedays of the Apostle, the same obj ections havebeen repeated which in this chapter Paul combats— these doctrines are the means which theHoly Spirit employs for the conversion of sinners, and for producing eff ects entirely the opposite in their hearts . The Bible teaches us thatthe plan of salvation which delivers man fromsin and from death by the death of the Son of

God , which had its origin in eternity in thecounsels of God, in the choice of its objects, inthe manner in which they are both justified andsanctified

,and in its consummation in glory, is

founded wholly in grace. By the grace of

God,

” says Paul,I am what I am.

” Now,

unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according tothe power that worketh in us , unto him be gloryin the Church by Jesus .Chr ist, throughout allages, world without end. Amen.


ROMANS , vu .

Paul next proceeds plainly to show whatmight be inferred from the preceding chapter.Although he had there described believers tobe dead to sin

,he had, notwithstanding, by his

earnest exhortations to watchfulness and holiness, clearly intimated that, in another View,

they were still liable to its seductions . He nowexhibits this fact by relating his own experiencesince he became dead to the law and was unitedto Christ . By thus describing his inward conflict with sin, and showing how far short hecame of fulfilling the demands of the law, heproves the necessity of being dead to the law asa covenant, since, in the highest attainments ofgrace to which any one is advanced in thislif e, the old nature, which he calls flesh, stillremains in believers . At the same time he r epr esents himself as delighting in the law of God ,hating sin, and confidently looking forward tofut ure deliverance from its power. In this manner he illustrates not only the believer’s realcharacter, but the important fact that the obedience of the most eminent Christian, which isalways imperfect, cannot have the smal lest eff ectin procuring his justification . He had shownthat men cannot be j ustified by their works intheir na tural state. He now shows, by a reference to himself, that as little can they be justified by their wor ks in their regenerated state

ROMANS , VII . 1. 103

And thus he confirms his assertion in the thirdchapter, that by the deeds of the law there shallno flesh be justified. He might hav

’

e'

given ageneral description of the incessant combat between the old and new natures which subsist inthe believer ; but he does it more practically, aswell as more efficiently, by relating it in his ownperson .

V. l .—K nowye not, br ethr en , ( f or I sp eak to them tha t know

the law,) how tha t the law hath dominion over a man as long as

Br ethr en- Some have supposed that, by employing the term brethren, the Apostle was nowaddressing himself exclusively to the Jews whobelonged to the church at Rome ; but this iserroneous . He is here, as in other parts of theepistle, addressing the whole church ; all belonging to it, both Jews and Gentiles, beingequally concerned in what he was teaching . Itis evident, besides, that he continues in the following chapters to address the same persons towhom he had been writing from the commencement of the epistle. They are the same of

whom he had aflirmed , in the preceding chapter, verse 14th, that they were not under thelaw, which is the proposition he is here illusetr ating. Brethren is an appellation wherebyPaul designates all Christians , Gentiles as wellas Jews, and by which, in the tenth chapter,

he distinguishes them'

from the unbelievingJews .Know ye not — This expression is usual with

Paul, when he is affirmingw hat is sufliciently

clear in itself, as in Ch . vi . 16 .— 1Cor . iii . 16 .

—vi . 19 . He here appeals to the personal knowledge of those to whom he e te. For I sp eak

to them tha t know the law.-This parenthesis

appears to imply, that, as they were acquaintedwith the nature of the law, they .must in thesequel be convinced of the truth of the explanations he was about to bring undér their notice ;and in this manner he bespeaks their particularattention to what follows .The law hath dominion over a mam—Man

here is not the man as distinguished f r om thewoman, but man including both men and women , denoting the species . : .This ,fir st assertionis-not confined to the law of marriage, by whichthe ‘Apostle afterwards illustrates his subject

,

but extends to the whole law, namely, the lawof God in all its parts . As long

'

as'he liveth.

The words in the original, as far as respects thephraseology, are capable of being rendered

,

either as long as he liveth, or as long as it liveth .

It . appears, however, that the meaning is, aslong as the man liveth ; for to say that the law,

hath dominion as long as it liveth,'would be

saying it IS l n force as long as it is in force .


ROMANS, vn . 4 .

V. 4 . Wher ef or e, my br ethr en, ye a lso a r e become dead to thelaw by the body of Chr ist ; that ye should be ma r r ied to a nother

,

even to himwho is r a ised f r om the dead, tha t we should br ingf or th

Tn the illustration it was the husband thatdied, and the wife remained alive to be marriedto another . Here it is the wif e who dies ; butthis does not make the smallest diff erence in theargument ; for whether it is the husband or wifethat dies, the union is equally dissolved.

D ead to the lawf —By the term law, in thisplace, is intended the whole law that is obligatory, both on Jews and Gentil es . It is the law,

the work of which is written in the hearts of allmen ; and that law which was given to the Jewsin which they rested, ch . ii . 7 . It is the law,

taken in the largest extent of the word, including the whole will of God in any way manifested to all mankind, whether Jew or Gentile .All those whom the Apostle was addressing, hadbeen under this law in their unconverted state .

Under the ceremonial law those among themwhowere Gentil es had never been placed . It was ,therefore, to the moral law only, that they hadbeen married. Those who were Jews had beenunder the law in ever y

“

form in which it was delivered to them, of the whole of which the morallaw was the grand basis and sum . To themoral

ROMANS, VI ] . 4 . 107

law exclusively, here and throughout the rest ofthe chapter, the Apostle refers .Mr S tuart understands the term “Head to

the law,” as importing to renounce it, “ as an

adequate means of sanctification .

” But r e

nouncing it in this sense is no freedom from thelaw . A man does not become free from thelaw of his creditor, when he becomes sensible ofhis insolvency . The most perfect conviction of

our inability to keep the law, and of its want ofpower to do us effectual s ervice, would not havethe smallest tendency to dissolve our marriagewith the law. Mr Stuart entirely misapprehends this matter. Dead to the law means being freed from the power of the law, as havingendured its curse. It has ceased to have a claimon the obedience of believers, in order to life,though it still remains their rule of duty. All

men are by nature placed under the law as thecovenant of works made with the first man , who,as the Apostle had been teaching in the fifthchapter, was the federal or covenant head of al lhis posterity .

What is simply a law implies no more than adirection and obligation enforcing obedience byauthority . A covenant implies promises madeon certain conditions, and threatenings added, ifsuch conditions be not fulfilled . The language,accordingly, of the law, as the covenant of works,

ROMANS,vu . 4 .

is , Do and live ; or, If thou wilt.

enter intolife, keep the commandments and cursed isevery one that continueth not in all things thatare written in the book of the law to do them .

”

It thus requires perfect obedience as the condition of life, and pronounces a curse on thesmallest failure . This law is here representedas being man’s original or first husband . Butit is now a broken law, and therefore all menare by nature under its curse. Its curse must beexecuted on every one of the human race, eitherpersonally on all who remain under it, or inChrist who was made under the law, and who,according also to the fifth chapter of this epistle,is the covenant head or representative of all believer s who are united to him and born of God.

For them he has borne its curse under which hedied, and fulfilled all its demands, and theyare consequently dead to it, that is, no longerunder it .By the body of Chr ist- That is, by the of

fer ing of the body of Jesus Christ.” Heb . x . 10.

Although the body is only mentioned in thisplace,as it is said on his coming into the world,a body hast thou prepared me,

” yet his wholehuman nature, composed of soul and body, is intended . Elsewhere his soul, without mentioninghis body, is spoken of as being off ered . Whenthou shalt make his soul an offering for

'


ROMANS, VI I . 4 .

as completely and as blamelessly free from thecovenant of the law as if they had never beenunder it. Thus the Apostle fully explains herewhat he had briefly announced in the 14 th verseof the preceding chapter, ye are not under thelaw, but under grace .

” From the covenant ofAdam or of works, believers have been transferred to the covenant of Christ or of grace . I willgive thee for a covenant '

of the people -allthe redeemed people of God .

Before the coming of Chr ist, those who reliedon the promise concern ing him, likewise partookof all the blessings of the marriage union withhim, and were, therefore, admitted to heavenlyglory, though as to their title to it, not madeperfect (Heb . xii . 23) till he died under thelaw

,and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Till that period there was in the Jewish cer emo

nial law a perpetual r ecognition of sin , and of afuture expiation which had not been made whilethat economy subsisted. It was, so to Speak, thebond of acknowledgment for the debt yet unpaid-the handwriting of ordinances which JesusChrist, in paying the debt, cancelled and toreasunder, nailing it to his cross.” Col . ii . 14 .

Christ, then, is the h usband of the church ;and under this figure his marriage relation to hispeople is very frequently referred to in Scripture . Thus it was exhibited in the marriage of

ROMANS, vu . 4 .

our first parents . In the same way it is r epr esented in the book of Psalms, and the Song of

Solomon, and in the New Testament""

Whatignorance, then, does it argue in some to denythe inspiration and authenticity of the Song of

Solomon, because of the use of this figur e.

*

But though believers, in virtue of their marr iage with Christ, are no longer under the law inrespect to its power to give them life or death,they are, as the Apostle Says, 1 Cor . ix . 2 1,

Not without law to God , but under law toChrist . They receive it from his hand as therule of their duty, and are taught by his graceto love it and delight in it ; and being deliveredfr om its curse, they are engaged by the strongestadditional motives to yield to it obedience . He

hath made it the inviolable law of his kingdom .

When Luther discovered the distinction betweenthe law as a covenant and as a rule, it gave suchrelief to his mind, that he considered himself asat the gate of heaven .

Tha t we should br ing f or th fi uit unto

God —One of the great ends of marriage wasto people the world, and the end of the marriage

On the genuineness and authenticity of the Song of Solomon,

see the author’

s wor k on The Books of the Old and New Testa

ment pr oved to be canonical, and their Verbal Inspir ation maintained and established ; with an Account of the intr oduction and

char acter of the Apocrypha . Four th edition, enlarged , 38. 6d.

ROMANS,v11. 5 .

of believers to Christ is that they may bringforth fruit to God . From this it is evident thatno work is recognised as fruit unto God beforeunion with Christ . All works that appear to begood previous to this union are dead works,

”

proceeding from self-love , pride , self-righteousness, or such other motives. They that arein the flesh cannot please God . The carnalmind is enmity against God for it is not sub

ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be .

”

We can never look upon the law with a friendlyeye till we see the sting of death taken out of it ;and never can bear fruit unto God, nor delightin the law as a rule, t ill we are freed from it asa covenant, and are thus dead unto sin. Howimportant

,then, is the injunction Likewise

reckon ye also your selves'

to be dead indeed untosin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christour Lord .

” Ch . vi.

V. 5 .—For when we wer e in the flesh, the motions of sins ,

which wer e by the law, d id wor k in our member s to br ing f or th

f r uit unto dea th.

Wh en we wer e in theflesh,that is, in our na

tural state— The flesh here means the corruptstate of nature, not the subjects of God’s temporal kingdom,

” as paraphrased by Dr Macknight, to which many of thosewhom the Apostlewas addressing never belonged. Flesh is oftenopposed to

’

spir it, indicating that new and holy


ROMANS, vn . 6 .

have their origin in the law .

'

The Apostle doesnot mean what, in English, is under stood

i

bythe passions, but the working of the passions .Which wer e by the law.

—Dr Macknight translates the original thus, which we had under thelaw.

” But the meaning is not which we hadunder the law, but that are through the law.

They are called into action through the law .

D id wor k in our member s.—The sinful principle

of the mind employs the various members of thebody in a manner adapted to diff erent occasionsand constitutions . Members appear to be usedhere rather than body, to denote that sin, ac

cording to the various desires of the evil principle, employs as its slaves all the diff erentmembers of the body. To br ing fi r th f ruit

unto dea th.

‘

—This per sonifies death, and makesit the

'

father of those actions which also issuein death . The result of the various sinfulactions committed through the different mem

bers of the body is death, as they are the off

spring of death .

V. 6 . -But now we a r e deliver ed f r om the'

law, tha t being

dead wher ein we wer e held that we should ser ve in newness of

sp ir it, and not in the oldness of the letter .

But now'

we a r e deliver ed f r om the law— Thisdoes‘not import merely that the Jews were, according . to

‘

Dr Macknight, delivered from thelaw of Moses, but that believers were delivered

ROMANS , VI I . 6 . 115

from the moral law, in that sense in which theywere bound by it when in unbelief. Christ hathfulfilled the law, and suff ered its penalty forthem

,and they in consequence are free from it

as a law of life by their own personal obedience .

Mr Stuart paraphrases thus,No longer placing

our reliance on it as a means of subduing andsanctifying our sinful natures .’ But to ceaseto rely on the law for such a purpose was not, inany sense, to be delivered from the law. Thelaw never proposed such a thing, and thereforeto cease to look for such an effect is not a deliverance from the law .

Tha t being dead wher ein we wer e held — By

death, whether it be considered of the law tobelievers, or of believers to the law, the connex ion in which they stood to it, and in whichthey were held in bondage under its curse, isdissolved . All men, Jews and Gentiles, are bynature held down in bondage to the moral law,

under its condemning power and curse, from'

which nothing can to eternity deliver them butChrist . D r Macknight translates the passage,having died in that by which we were tied,

”

and paraphrases thus,But now we Jews are

loosed from the law of Moses, having died withChrist by its curse

,in that fleshly nature by

which,as descendants of Abraham , we were

tied to But this most erroneously

ROMANS,vn . 6 .

confines the declaration of the Apostle to theJews and the legal dispensation .

Tha t we should ser ve in newness of sp ir it, and

not in the oldness of the letter .— This is the eff ect

of being delivered from the law. The Apostlehere refers to the diff erence in practice betweenthose who were married to Christ, and thosewho wer e still under the law. A believer servesGod from such principles, dispositions, andviews, as the Spirit of God implants in heartsrenewed by him . Serving in the spirit is a service of filial obedience to him who gave himselffor us, as constrained by his love, and in theenjoyment of all the privileges of the grace of

the new covenant . Believers have thus becomecapable of serving God according to the Spiritualmeaning of the law, as his children, with cordialaff ection and gratitude, under the influence ofthe Holy Spirit, with that new and divine natureof which they partake . It is serving not withthe view of being saved by the keeping of thelaw, but of rendering obedience to their GreatDeliverer .Serving in the oldness of the letter respects

such service as the law, by its light, authority,and terror, can pr ocur e

>fr om one who is under it,

and seeking life by it, without the Spirit of God,and his sanctifying grace and influence . _Muchoutward conformity to the law may in this way


ROMANS,v11. 7 .

shows that, by the strictness of its precepts exciting the corruptions of his heart, it was themeans of convincing him that he was a sinnerand under its condemnation .

Mr Stuart says this is the language of an oh

jector against the Apostle. For this there is nofoundation whatever . It is an objection statedby the Apostle in his own name. That thereis here a kind of discussion between the Apostleand a Jewish objector is a mere figment . Thisobjection , that will occur to the carnal mind inevery age and country, is therefore properlyintroduced by the Apostle . If

“

the law occasions more sin is it not itself sinful ? God f or

bid —Literal ly, let it not be— by no means . Itis the expression

,as formerly noticed , by which

the Apostle usually intimates his abhorrence ofwhatever is peculiarly unworthy of God. Paulnow begins to describe his own experience r e

specting the operation of the law.

Nay -Mr Stuart says that this expressionintimates, that the Apostle had some exceptionto the universal

'

sense of the words translatedGod forbid . But this is not the effect hereof the word rendered Nay .

” There could beno exception to the db

’

nial of the consequencein the sense in which the thing is denied . Is itpossible that there can be any exception to thedenial that the law. is sinful ? It is-not possible.

ROMANS, v11. 7 . 119

That the law is the occasion of sin , or, as MrStuart expresses it, though "not the sinful oreflicient cause of sin ,

’ is no ex ceptidfi’

to theuniversal denial in any point of view . An oc

casion of sin and a cause of sin are two thingsessentially different . It is no exception to theassertion that the law is not the cause of sin , tosay that it is the occasion of sin . The wordhere translated

"

nay , intimates opposition . . Sofar from the law being sinful

,I had not known

sin, says the Apostle, but by the law .

Known sin .-This, ‘Dr Macknight and Mr

Stuart understand in a comparative sense, onthe ground that the-heathens are guilty whohave not the law. But Paul does not say thathe would not have been a sinner without the law,

but that he would not have known sin as now,he

knew it, or have seen himself to be , a sinner.Now, though no man is without sin, yet a pr oudPharisee might think himself free from sin byhis keeping the law, when he did not look to itas extending to the thoughts of the heart . Paul ,referring to his state before his conversion, : saysthat, as to the righteousness of the law, he wasblameless, and it was only when he understoodthe law in its full extent that he was self-cond emned .

I had not known lust.*—That is, I had not

The,or iginal wor d fo r zlust, the same which in the next

ROMANS, v11. 8 .

known that the desire of what is forbidden is sinful that the very thought of sin is sin, is knownonly by the word of God . Indeed, many whohear that word will not receive this doctrine .

The Roman Catholics hold that such desiresare not criminal, if the mind do not acquiesce inthem . Thou sha lt not covet-This implies lusting against the will of God, and extends to thefirst rise and lowest degree of every evil thought.It is not to be confined to what are called inordinate desires, or desires carried to excess, butcomprehend s every’ desire contrary to the commandment.

V. 8 .

-.But sin , takingoccas ion by the commandment, wr ought

in me a ll manner qf concup iscence. For without the law sin was

In the preceding verse , Paul had shown thatthe law does not cause sin, but discovers it,stripping it of its disguise, and bringing it tolight . Here he asserts that the commandmentdiscovered to him the sinful nature of evil desires .

It laid on him the most solemn obligations tor esist them ; and the natural corruption of hisheart took occasion from the restraints of thelaw to struggle against it, and break out withmore violence. Sin, hé

‘ says, wrought in himall manner of concupiscence . It excited and

ver se is tr anslated concupiscence, signifies str ong desir e, whe

ther good or bad . Her e it is used in a bad sense.


ROMANS, v11. 9 .

cerned in himself the fearful working of thatcorruption in his heart, which , not being perceived before, had given him no uneasiness . Heknows that this corruption was even increasedin violence by the discovery of the strictness ofthe law, which makes not the smallest al lowance for sin, but condemns it in its root, and inits every motion . The wicked n ature,

’ saysLuther, cannot bear either the good

,or the

demands of the law ; as a sick man is indignant when he is desired to do all that a man in

,

health can do .

’ Such is the eff ect of . the-law:when the eyes of the understanding are firstopened by the Spirit of God. A power, formerly latent and inefficacious, then .appear s ona sudden to have gathered strength, and to

'

stand up in order to Oppose iand defeat the purposes of the man , who h itherto was '

altogether

unconscious of the existence of such malignityin himself as that which he now feels."

V. 9 .—For I wa s a live without the law once : but when the

comma ndmen t came, sin r evived, and I died.

I was a live.— That is, in my own opinion .

Mr Stuart finds fault with this sense as givenby Augustine, Calvin ,

‘and many others . But

his reasons are without weight. After exhibiting the meaning of the whole connexion in thisview, he asks, Is this then the way in which

ROMANS , v11. 9 . 123

the law of God proves f a ta l to the sinner, viz .

by convincing him of the true and deadlynature of sin Not fatal to the siifner , butfatal to his view of salvation by the law . Nothing can be clearer than this passage ; andnothing more consistent than this mean ing withthe whole context. Without the law once-WasPaul ever without the law He was in ignorance of it till his conversion ; and this he herecalls being without the law. He was ignorantof its spirituality

,and consequently had no true

discernment of his innate corruption . Mr Stuartasks, But when did the commandment comeand answers, We may suppose it to be in childhood, or in . r iper years .

’ It cannot have beenin childhood or in riper years,

' at any time previons to his seeing Christ . For if he had hadsuch a view of the law previously, he would not,in his own Opinion, have been blameless con

cerning its righteousness.’

It is obvious thatPaul had his proper view of the law only in thecross of Christ.When the commandment came- That is, when

he understood the true import of the commandment as forbidding the desires of every thingprohibited by the law. He had heard and studied it before in its letter ; but never till thendid it come 1n its full extent and power to hisconscience .

ROMANS, v11. 9 .

Sin r evived — It was in a manner dead before,

dormant, and unobserved. Now that the lawwas understood, it was raised to new life, andcame to be perceived as living and moving.

The contrast is with sin as dead, without theunderstanding of the law. It is true, as MrStuart observes, that sin gathers additionalstrength in such circumstances ; but this is notthe idea held forth in the context . I died .

That is, I sawmyself dead by the law, as far asmy own observance of the law was concerned.

All Paul’s hopes founded on what he was inhimself were destroyed, and he discovered thathe was a sinner condemned by the law ; so thatthe law, which promised life to those who oh

served it, by which he had looked for justification , he now saw subjected him to death. Theexpression by no means imports, as Mr Stuartseems to understand it

,that Paul, at the period

referred to, was really under the sentence ofdeath as a sinner who had not fled to Jesus .I fell under the sentence of death,

” is theexplanation that Mr Stuart gives, which heconfirms by “ the soul that sinneth shall die .

”

The wages of sin is death .

” At the periodwhen Paul died in the sense of this passage, hewas real ly brought to spiri tual life . It wasthen that he through the law became dead to thelaw, that he might live unto God ; Gal . ii . 19 .


126 ROMANS v11. 11.

the tenth commandment, which shows that thedesire of what is forbidden is sin . This commandment might well be put for the whole law ;for it could not be kept without the whole lawbeing kept . The law held out the promise oflife to those who obeyed it ; and on this groundPaul had sought and imagined he had attaineda title to eternal life . Unto death — As soonas it came home to his conscience

,Paul found

himself condemned by that law from which hehad expected life . It then destroyed al l thehope he had founded on it, and showed him thathe was obnoxious to the curse which it pr onounces on al l transgressors . The law, however, which was ordained to life, will at last beproved to have

'

attained this object in all inwhom it has been fulfilled, Rom . viii . 4 , by himwho is the end of the law for righteousness toevery one that believeth . All such shall, ac

cording to its original appointment, obtain everlasting life .

V. l l .—For sin , taking occasion by the commandment, deceivedme

,a nd by it sle

w me.

Sin, by blinding his'

mind , so as not to per

ceive the extent of the demands of the law,

had led Paul to believe? that he could fulfil it,and by it obtain justification and life, and hadthus by the law taken occasion to deceive him.

Till the commandment came home to him in its

ROMANS,v11. 12 .

Spiritual application, sin was never brought tosuch a test as to make a discovery to Paul of itsreal power. But when he was enlightened toperceive this, sin by the law slew him. Itshowed him that he was a transgressor of thelaw, and therefore condemned by that very lawfrom which he had before expected life. Thussin, as he had said, revived and he died. Allhis high thoughts of himself and confidence

,

from supposing that he had kept the law,were

destroyed.

V. l 2 . Wher ef or e the law is holy, an d the commandmen t holy,a nd j ust, and good.

Having now shown that the law is not thecause, but only the occasion of sin , Paul heredraws the conclusion as ' to its character andexcellence. The two words law and commandment appear to be used to give the more forceto his declaration ; thus meaning the law andevery precept it enjoins . It is holy , in opposition to whatever is sinful, being the perfect ruleof what is right and conformable to the character of God . It

'

is j ust. Can any thing be morejust than that we should not desire the thingsthat God prohibits ? It is highly just that weshould not '

only abstain from doing what Godforbids, but

“

that we should not even desire whatis

,forbidden . It demands all that is equitable,

and all that is due to God,and nothing more .

128 ROMANS,v11. 13 .

And good . It is not only just, it is also good.

It is good in itself, and its whole tendency isadapted to maintain perfect order, and to establish in the highest degree the happiness of allwho are under its authority . Every commandment of the decalogue tends to promote humanhappiness . Whil e this is not the ground of

obedience, it is the glory of the law . If Godhad left men free from the law

,it would be for

the happiness of society that they shoul d strictlywalk according to the law.

V. 13 . Was then that which is goodmade dea th unto me

God f or bid. But sin , tha t it might app ea r sin , wor king’dea th

in me by tha t which is good that sin by the commandmentmight

Was tha t then which is good made death unto

me —This is not, as Dr Macknight supposes,an obj ection in the person of a Jew, but a nobj ection put by the Apostle himself, whichwas likely to occur to every carnal man in everyage . It might require an answer even withrespect to Christians themselves . If the law isholy

,just, and good, how could it be found by

the Apostle to be unto death Could a goodlaw be the cause of death By no means ; thethought is execrable . s al t was not the good lawthat was the cause of death . But sin—Thatis,it is sin that causeth d eath .

Tha t it might appear sin.—Dr Mackn ight


130 ROMANS,VII . 14 .

which Paul states what needs no proof. Thisis a thing of which no Christian is ignorant .It cannot be supposed that the contrary is allowed to be possible . No man who fears Godcan ascribe any evil to his law The law is

sp ir itual.-That is, it proceeds from the HolySpirit of God, and is agreeable to his will ; anddemands not only the obedience of externalconduct, but the internal obedience of the heartto its utmost power . Paul had affirmed thatthe law is holy, just, and good ; and if he hadstill regarded it merely as a rule extending tohis outward conduct, he might have continuedto suppose himself just and good ; as he hadformerly done . But when he perceived thatit was also spiritual, extending to the thoughtsand desires of the heart, he dis covered in himself so much opposition to it, that, as he hadsaid

,sin revived and he died . Perceiving

,then

,

that it requires truth in the inward parts ,”

and pr ohibits the smallest deviation from holiness even in thought, Paul the Apostle, a manof l ike passions with ourselves, exclaims, Iam carnal, sold under sin .

” Paul here changesthe past time to the present, in which he continues . afterwards to speak to the end of the

I am car nal . -This respects what the Apostlewas in himself. 'It does not imply that he was

ROMANS, VI I. 14 . 131

not regenerated, but shows what he was evenat present

, so far as concerned any thing thatwas natural to him . Every Christian m thissense is carnal, even in his best estate . In

himself he is corrupt. The word carnal has nothere exactly the same meaning that it has in1Cor . iii . 3 . The Corinthians were comparatively carnal . Their disputes and envyingsshowed their attainments in the divine life tobe low. But, in the sense of the word in thisplace

,all Christians— the best on earth not

excepted—are always carnal . They have anevil principle in their hearts or nature . Whilein this world, Adam lives in them, called the

old man , which is corrupt according to thedeceitful lusts .

Sold under sin —Dr Macknight andMr Stuartsuppose that this expression decidedly provesthat this account of carnality belongs not to theregenerate, but only to the unregenerate . Ithas, however, no such import . All men havebeen sold under sin by the fall, and as long asany of the evil of their nature introduced by thefall remains in them, so long do they remainsold under sin, to whatever extent and in whatever respect it exists . The Chr istian, it is true,receives a new nature, and the old nature

'

ismor tified ; but it still lives, and so far as‘it lives,the individual is properly said to be sg ld under

ROMAN S, v11. 14 .

sin . The old nature is not made holy,but anew nature is communicated . As far then asthe old man manifests himself

,and acts

,so far

even the Christian is sold under sin . It is not tobe admitted, as these writers take it for granted,that the phrase imports the height ofwickedness .Let it be remarked also, that, as signifying thegreatest wickedness, the expression is not moresuitable to their own view, than it is to that ofthose whom they oppose . If the Apostle speaksof unregenerate men , it must be in a characterthat will suit all unregenerate men . But allunregenerate men are not excessively abandonedto wickedness . Many of them are moral in theirlives .Looking to the external form of the law, the

Apostle declares (Phil . iii . 6)that he was, in hisunconverted state, blameless and in respect tohis conduct afterwards, as before men he couldappeal to them (1Thess . xi . how holily

,and

justly,and unblamably he had behaved himself

among them. But in referring also, as he doeshere, to what is internal, and therefore speakingas before God, who alone searcheth the heart,and measuring himself by the Holy law in allits extent

,he confesses h imself to be carnal and

sold under sin . His nature, or old man , wasentirely opposed to the spirituality of the law.

He felt a law or power within him againstwhich


ROMANS , v11. 14 .

a certain length in his obedience, but beyondthat he cannot go . An d why is it that into theregion beyond this he does not advance Be

cause he is carnal,sold under sin . The sin that

remains in him binds him so that he cannotproceed . Sin, however, does not reign overhim ; otherwise, as it is directly Opposed to everydegree of obedience to the law

,it would not suf

fer him to do any thing, even the least, in conformity to the will of God . Yet it so far prevails, as to hinder him, as is here immediatelyadded, from doing the good that he would ; andin so far, he is sold under it. It therefore prevents him from attaining to that perfection ofobedience to the law of God which is the mostearnest desire of every Christian, and to whichthe believer shall attain when he sees his blessedLord as he is

,1John iii . 2 . That Paul had

not attained to this state of perfection he, inanother place, assures us, Phil . iii. 12 . Notas though I had al ready attained, either werealready perfect How then are these expressions, carnal, sold under sin, not applicable tothe ApostleIf Paul had said he had no sin, he would have

deceived himself, and the truth would not havebeen in him.

-1John, i . 8 . An d if he had sin ,

and was unable to free himself from its power,was he not carnal, sold under it ? There was

ROMANS,VII . 14 . 135

spirit in him, but there was also flesh, and in hisflesh he tells us dwelt no good thing : it was stillsin or corrupt nature, and nothing but

’

s'

in . Inone point of view, then , Paul the Apostle couldtruly say that he was Spiritual ; in another, withequal truth, that he was car na l, literally andtrulyboth spiritual and carnal . The flesh lustedagainst the spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh ,and these were contrary the one to the other .”

He was sold under sin as a child of Adam, andhe delighted in the law of God as a child of thesecond Adam . Accordingly, through the wholeof this passage, to the end of the chapter , Pauld escribes himself as a twofold person, and pointsto two distinct natures operating within him .

This is a universal truth respecting all believers .As Paul declares to the churches of Galatia ;and, as in the passage before us, he aflirms of

himself, they cannot do the things that theywould —Gal . iv . 17 . In the end of this chapterhe asserts the same truth . So then with the

mind —what he before called the inward man-sI myself ser ve the law of God , but with thefl esh

what remained of his corrupt nature, in whichdwelt no good thing— the law qf sin . Sin wasdisplaced from its dominion but not from its in

dwelling . There was, then, in the Apostle Paul ,as in every Christian, as it were the companyof two armies .” From this warfare, and these

ROM AN s , v11.

opposing principles within , no Christian in“

thisworld is ever exempt ; and of this every onewho knows the plague of his own heart is fullyconvinced .

V. 15 .—For tha t which I do I a llow not : f or wha t I would,

that d o I not but wha t I ha te, tha t d o I.

I on — This verse explains and confirms thepreceding . Tha t which I do, Ia llow not.— Literally

,I know not . The English word know,

aswell as the word in the original,

‘is often used asimplying recognitionor acknowledgment . Weare said not to know a person whom we do notwish to recognise . Paul committed sin, but hedid not recognise or approve it. He disclaimedall fri endly acquaintance with it . For wha t Iwould, that do I not ; but what I hate, that doI . Every man , regenerate or unregenerate,must be sensible of the truth of this, so far as itimports that he does what he knows to be

'

wr ong .

As there is no regenerate man in whom this isnot verified, it cannot

’

be confined to the unr egenerate. But as it is of

'

the regenerate theApostle is here speaking ; that is, as he is speaking of himself at the time of writing, it is necessary to apply it here peculiarly to the regenerate .

'Besides,as it is said that he did what he hated

,

it must be here applied exclusively to the r egenerate . Though an unregenerate man disapprovesof evil, he cannot be said to hate sin . This is


138 ROMANS, v11. 17 .

reason and conscience, but it is agreeable todesire. I consent unto the law tha t it is good .

When a regenerate man does what he hates,

there is the testimony of his own mind that heregards the law that forbids the thing which hehas practise d to be a good law .

V. 17 .—Now then it is no mor e I tha t do it

,but sin tha t

dwelleth in me.

By the I here, Dr Macknight and Mr Stuartunderstand reason and conscience . But reasonand conscience can in no sense be called a man’sselfi In this way a murderer might say that itwas not he who committed the crime, for nodoubt his reason and conscience disapproved ofthe action . It is quite obvious that the reasonwhy Paul says that it was not he but sin in him,

is because, as he had just stated, that which hedid he allowed not, for he did that which hewould not. This implies more than reason andconscience . It was

,therefore, sin tha t dwelt in

hint—the old man , his carnal nature, which notonly existed and wrought in him, but had itsabode in him, as it has in all those who are r egenerated

,and will have as long as they are in

the body. It is not, then , to extenuate theguilt of sin

,or to furnish an excuse for it, that

Paul says,it is no more I, but sin that dwell eth

in me ; but to show that notwithstanding hisseeing it to be evil, and hating it, the root still

ROMANS, VII. 17 . 139

subsisted in him, and was chargeable upon him.

It is not necessary to be able to point out metaphysically the way in which the truth

—"

that allsin is voluntary, harmonizes with Paul

’s declaration, the good tha t I would I do not. Thingsmay be consistent which the human mind cannot penetrate . We are to receive God’s testimony from the Apostle, and believe it on God

’sauthority ; and every Christian knows, by painful experience

,the truth of all that the Apostle

asserts .What here would strike my mind free of

bias,’ says Mr Frazer in his excellent exposi

tion of this chapter, in his work on Sanctifica

tion, ‘is, that this (I)on the side of holinessagainst sin, is the most pr evailing, and whatrepresents the tr ue character of the man and

that sin which he distinguishes from this (I)isnot the prevailing reigning ipower in the manhere represented ; as it is, however, in everyunregenerate man .

’ On this verse Calvinalso has remarked This passage clearly proves

Aman of’

God , so deeply acquainted with the human hear t,and so advanced in the divine life as this wr iter evidently was,is a much better judge of the impor t of this chapter than a

mer e cr itic, however eminent may be his talents and lear ning.

With eminent god liness Mr Fr azer possessed a r emar kable

por tion of pr ofound penetr ation and discr imination qualities in

which many cr itics who attempt to expound the Scr iptur es ar e

ROMANS , v11. 18 .

Paul 1s disputing concerning none but thepious, who are now regenerated . For man ,while he continues like himself

,whatever his

character may be, is justly considered to bevicious. ’ No one can disclaim sin

,as in this

verse it is disclaimed, except the converted man ;for who besides can conscientiously and in telli

gibly affirm, Now then it is no more I that doit, but sin that dwelleth in me

V. 18 .— For I know tha t in me (tha t is, in myflesh)dwelleth

no good thing ; f or to will is p r esen t with me ; but how to p er

f or m tha t which is good Ifi nd not.

I know— This is a thing which Paul knew asan Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thathe must have known by experience also. Whoever has a thorough knowledge of himself willbe convinced that naturally there is nothing goodin him. What Paul knewwas , that in him dweltno good thing . This goes beyond what he hadasserted in the end of the preceding verse . Therehe asserts that the evil which he did was causedby sin dwelling m him. Here he asserts notonly that sin dwelt in him

,but that no good

thing dwelt in him. But how could he say so ifhe was a regenerated man If there was something in him that he Ealls himself which hewould not allow to have any share in his sin,how can he say that there is in him no goodthing Is not this principle that hates the sin


ROMANS, v11. 19 .

sire, but he asserts the efficacy of the work doesnot correspond to the will, because the fleshhinders him from exactly performing what heis engaged in executing .

’

V. 19 .— Ear the good that I would I do not but the evil which

I would not, tha t I do.

For the good tha t I would I do not.—This does

not imply that he did not attempt, or in somesense perform what he purposed, but that inall he came short . Calvin, in continuation of

the last quotation from him, says, what follows— to do the evil which he would not, mustalso be taken in the same sense, because thefaithful are not only hindered from runningspeedily by their own flesh, but it also opposesmany obstacles against which they stumble ;and they do not, therefore, perform their duty,because they do not engage in it with becoming alacrity. The will, therefore, here mentioned , is the readiness of faith, while theHoly Spirit forces the pious to be preparedand zealous in employing their time to perform obedience to God . But Paul, becausehis power is unequal to the task, asserts, thathe does not find what he was wishing to attain—the accomplishment of his good desires . ’

But the evil which I would not, tha t I do. So farfrom being unsuitable to the real character of aregenerate man, every such man must be sen

ROMANS , v11. 20, 21. 143

sible fom his own experience that this chargeis true .

V. 20.-Now if I do tha t I would not, it is no mor e I tha t

do it,but sin tha t dwelleth in. me.

This is a confirmation of what was asserted,verse 17 , by al leging the reason on which theassertion is founded . It is not reason and conscience that Paul here asserts have no share inthe evil ; it is the will which he expressly mentions, and, whatever metaphysical difficul ties itmay involve, of the will it must be understood .

The conclusion we ought to draw, is not to cont r adict the Apostle by denying that he speaks ofthe will, but that in one sense it is true that nosin is involuntary, and that in another sense,what the Apostle here asserts is also an undoubted truth .

V. 21.—I find then a law, tha t, when I would do good, evilis p r esen t with me.

The evil propensity of our nature the Apostlecal ls a law, because of its strength and permanence. It has the force of a law in corruptnature . This affor ds proof that it is of hims elfas to his present state that the ‘Apostle speaks .None but the regenerate man is properly sensible of this law . It does not refer to conscience,which in an unregenerate man will smite himwhen he does that which he knows to be wrong .

It refers to the evil principle which counteracts

ROMANS,v11. 2 2 .

him when he would do that which is right . Thislaw is the greatest grievance to every Christian .

It disturbs his happiness and peace more thanany other cause. It constantly besets him,

andfrom its influence, his very prayers, instead ofbeing in themselves worthy of God

,need for

giveness, and can be accepted only through themediation of Christ . It is strange that anyChristian should have a doubt about the char acter in which the Apostle uses this language.It entirely suits the Christian, and in all itsparts has not the most distant appearance of

suiting any other character .

V. 2 2 .—For I delight in the law of God af ter the inwa r d

man .

In the preceding verse Paul had said, I woulddo good ; here he more fully expresses the samedesire after conformity to the holy law. For

I delight in the law of God — This is decisiveof the character in which the Apostle speaks .None but the regenerate delight in the law ofGod . Mr Stuart, after Whitby and Taylor, &c.

has referred to a number of passages, in order tolower the import of this term. But they haveno similarity to the present case . They are toonumerous to ,be introduced and discussed in thisplace ; butwhoever wishes to examine them mayconsult Mr Frazer’s work on Sanctification , in


14 6 ROMANS, VII . 2 4 .

him todelight in the law of God . But he foundan opposite bent in his corrupt nature

,which he

calls a law in his members. This he representsas warring against the others . Is not this theexperience of every Christian ? Is there not aconstant struggle of the corruptions of the heartagainst the principle of holiness implanted bythe

'

Spirit of God in the new birthAnd br inging me into cap tivity to the law of sin

and death —Mr Stuart endeavours to aggravatethis description in such a manner as to renderit unsuitable to the regenerate man . He supposes that this r epr esen ts the person as broughtentirely and completely into captivity, whichcannot be supposed of the regenerate. He refersto captives taken in war, who

’

ar e entirely in thepower of their conquerors, and are reduced tothe most abject slavery. This is feeble reasoning. How far this captivity extends cannot beknown from the figure . And as a matter of fact,if the evil principle of our‘ nature prevails inexciting one evil thought, it has taken us captive . So far i t has ’

conquer ed , and so far we aredefeated and madeprisoners . But

’

this is quiteconsistent with the supposition that on the wholewe mayhave the victory over sin .

V. 24 .—0 wr etchedman tha t I am"who shall deliver me

f r om the body of this dea th

O wr etched man that I am.—This language is

ROMANS, v11. 24 . 147

suitable only to the regenerate. An anregener ate man does not feel the wretchedness hereexpressed . He is indeed wretched, but hedoesnot feel that he is so . He may be sensible ofmisery, and he may be filled with fear and dr eadful forebodings ; 'but the person here describedis wretched only from a feeling of that evil principle which is in his members . Such a feelingno unregenerate man ever possessed . An unr egenerate man may wish to be delivered fromdanger and punishment ; but instead of wishingto be delivered from the law of his nature, hedelights in that law . He has so much pleasurein indulging that law, that he risks all couse

quences in obey1ng 1t.

The body of this dea thl— Some ' understandthis of his natural body, and-suppose the ex clamation to be a wish to die . But this would be asentiment totally at variance with the principlesof the Apostle,

‘and unsuitable to the scope of

the passage . It is evidently an expression of awish to be free from that corrupt prin ciple whichcaused him so much affliction . This he calls abody

,as before he had cal led it his members .

And he calls it a body of dea th, because its demerit is death . It causes death and everlastingruin to the world ; and had it not been for the

of the Lord Jesus’

Chr ist, it must havesame consequences with respect to, all .

ROMANS, v11. 25 .

V. 25 .-I thank God , thr ough Jesus Chr ist our Lor d. So

then with the mind I myself ser ve the law of God : but with the

fl esh the law of sin .

I thank God — Some suppose that this expresses thanks for the victory as already ob

tained . But this cannot be the meaning ; asin the same breath, the Apostle speaks of hiswretchedness because of the existence of the evil .Some , again , supposing that it refers to presentdeliverance, explain it to be the freedom fromthe law spoken of in the preceding part of thechapter. But this would make the Apostlespeak entirely away from the purpose. He isdiscour sing of that corruption which he still ex

per iences. Besides, the form of the expressionrequires that the deliverance should be supposedfuture

, who SHALL deliver me 52 I thank God

thr ough Jesus Chr ist. The natural supplementis, he will deliver me. At death Paul was to beentirely freed from the evil of his nature . Theconsolation of the Christian against the corruption of his nature is, that although he shall notget free from it in this world, he shall hereafterbe entirely delivered .

So them—This is the consequencewhich Pauldraws

,and the sum of all that he had said from

the 14th verse . In one point of view he servedthe law of God, and in another the law of sin .

Happy is the man who can thus, like Paul,


ROMANs , v11. 2 5.

strongest and most pointed language in thep resent time throughout the whole passage ;concluding it with this expression , which cannot, if language has a meaning, be applied toanother person . It is a phrase which again and

again'

fhe employs . Rom. ix . 3 ; 2 Cor . x . 1,

and xii . 13 .

On the whole, then, we here learn that theApostle Paul, notwithstanding all the gracewith which he was favoured, found a principleof evil operating so strongly in his heart that hedenominates it a law always present and activeto retard him in his course . He was not, however, under its dominion . He was in ChristJesus a new creature, born of God , renewed inthe spirit of his mind . He delighted in the holylaw of God in all its extent and spirituality,while at the same time he felt the influence of

the other hateful principle, that tendency to evilwhich characterises the old man , which wagedperpetual war against the work of grace in hissoul, impelling him to the commission of sin ,and . constantly tending to bring him under itspower. -Nothing can more clearly demonstratethe fallen state of man , and the entire corruptionof h is nature, than ther

per petual and ir r econcilable warfare which that corruption maintainsin the hearts of all believers against the divinenature of which they are made partakers.

ROMANS VI I. 2 5 .

When in the hour and power of darkness thePrince of this world came to assault the Red eemer, he found nothing in him— nothing on

which his temptations could fix or make an impression ; but how different was it when heassailed the Apostle Peter . Him he overcame,and to such an extent as to prevail on him to

deny his Lord and Master, notwithstanding allthe firmness and sincerity of his previous resolutions . Had not the Lord interposed to preventhis faith from entirely failing, Satan would havetaken full possession of him as he did of Judas .In the same way it was only by grace that theApostle Paul was what he was, 1Cor f x v . 10 ;

and by that grace he was enabled to main tainthe struggle against his old corrupt nature,until he could exclaim in the language oftriumphant victory, I have fought a goodfight, I have finished my course, I have keptthe faith .

” My grace ,” said Jesus to him,

is sufficient for thee : for my strength is madeperfect in weakness .”

See D r Mackn ight’

s extr aor d inary inter pr etation of the con

clud ing ver se of this chapter , and also that of Pr ofessor Tholuck,as poin ted out in the author

’

s pamph let , en titled , For the con

s ider a tion of the Min ister s of the Chur ch of Scotland, Rema r ks

on D r Tholuck’

s Exp osition of St Paul’

s Epistle to the Roma ns,

tr ansla ted by one of themselves . 1837 .

ROMANS, v11. 25 .

The warfare between the flesh and the spirit,

described in this chapter, has greatly exercisedthe ingenuity of men who have not been pr actically acquainted with its truth . Few are willing to believe that all mankind are so bad bynature as they are here represented, and it isfondly imagined that the best of men are muchbetter than this description would prove them tobe. Every eff ort of ingenuity has accordinglybeen resorted to, to divert the Apostle

’s statements from the obvious conclusion to which theylead, and so to mod ify his doctrine, as to makeit worthy of acceptance by human wisdom . Butthey have laboured in vain . Their theories notonly contradict the Apostle’s doctrine, but aregeneral ly self-contradictory . Every Christianhas in his own breast a commentary on theApostle’s language . If there be any thing of

which he is fully assured, it is that Paul has inthis passage described his experience ; and themore the believer . advances in knowledge andholiness, the more does he loathe himself as bynature a child of that corruption which still soclosely cleaves to him . So far is the feelingof the

’

power of indwelling sin from being inconsistent with regeneration, that it must beexperienced in proportion to the progress of

sanctification . The more sensitive we are, themore do we feel pain and the more our hearts


ROMANS,v11. 25 .

one else, or to himself at any former period . Hisprofessed Object all along is to Show that thelaw can efl

'

ect nothing for the salvation of asinner, which he had proved to be the characterof all men ; and, by Speaking 111his own name,he shows that of this every one who is a partaker of his grace is in his best state convinced .

In the end he triumphantly affirms that Christwill deliver him, while in the mean-time heexperiences this painful and unremitting warfare, and he closes the whole by saying, SO

then with the mind I myself serve the law of

God ; but with the flesh the law of sin .

” Canit be supposed that in saying, I myself, theApostle meant another man , or that in usingthe present time he r efers to a former period ?Of what value is language, if it can be so .tortur ed as to admi t of an interpretation at directvariance with its obvious meaning ? To suppose that another, and not the Apostle himself,is here designed, is contrary to e very principleof sound interpretation.

Paul , in this chapter, contrasts his formerwith his present state . Formerly, when ignorant of the true

,import of the law, he enter

tained a high Opinion of himself. I was alivewithout the law '

once.

” In the same way hespeaks

,in other parts of his writings, of his sin

cer ity, his religious zeal, and his irreproachable

ROMANS , VI I . 2 5 . 153

conduct before his conversion . Afterwards hejudged that at the time he had been a blas

phemer , a persecutor, injurious, and in unbeliefso that, when he was an Apostle , he calls himself the chief of Sinners. If he was convincedthat he had been a sinner, condemned by thelaw, it was when the Lord Jesus was revealedto him ; for till then he was righteous in hisown esteem . Before that time he was dead intrespasses and sins, having nothing but his or i

ginal corrupted nature, which he calls sin . Hehad no conviction that he was radically andpractically a

'

sinner , of which the passage beforeus proves he , was now fully conscious . Fromthis period the flesh or Sin , which he elsewherecalls “ the Old man ,

” remained in him. Thoughit harassed him much, he did not walk according to it ; but being now in the spirit, the newnature which he had received predominated .

He therefore clearly establishes in this chapterthe Opposition between the old man and theworking of the new nature . This is accordingto the uniform language of his epistles , as wellas Of the whole of Scripture, both in its doctr inal and historical parts . In consistency withthis, he exhorts the “

saints” at Ephesus to

put Off the Old man , which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts ; and calls on the“f aithf ul br ethr en

” at Colosse to mortify their

156 ROMANS,v11. 25 .

members which are upon earth . All his in “

st r uctions to them that a r e sanctified in Chr istJesus

” proceed on the same principle . Andwhy were they cautioned by him even againstthe grossest Sins, but because there was stilla principle in them disposed to every sinThere are three circumstances in this passage

which are of themselves decisive of the fact, thatPaul here recounts his present experience. Thefirst is that the Apostle hates sin . He hatesit as it is rebellion against God and the violation of his law. This no unconverted man does .He may dislike the evil effects of

'

sin, and con

sequently wish that he had not commi tted it ;but he does not, as the Apostle here declaresof himself, hate sin. Hating Sin is the counterpart of loving the law of God .

The second circumstance in proof the Apostleis here referring to the present time, is that hedelights in the law of God after the inward man .

Now it is only when sin is dethroned and gracereigns in the heart

,that

'

this can be a truth . Idelight

,

” says the Psalmist, “ to do thy will,O my God ; yea, thy law is inmy heart .

”I

will delight myself in thy commandments, whichI love . -Ps . xl . cxix, 16 , 24 , 35, 4 7 , 92 ,

97 , 174 . Delight in his law and the fear of

God cannot be separated . The Holy Spiritpronounces such persons blessed. Blessed is


ROMANS, VI I. 25 .

The third circumstance which incontestiblyproves that Paul is here relating his presentpersonal experience, is his declaration that heexpects his deliverance from Jesus Christ . IS

this the language of a man dead in trespassesand Sins— Of one who is a stranger to the truthas it is in Jesus , and to whom the things revealed by the Spirit Of God are foolishness —1Cor .xi . 14 . No man ,

” says Jesus, can come tome, except the Father which hath sent medr aw him. How then shall an unconvertedman look to him for deliv eranceIn another place already referred to

,the

Apostle describes the internal warfare ex pe

r ienced by Christians between the flesh and thespirit

, or the old and new man, in languageprecisely similar to what he here employs con

cern ing himself The flesh lusteth againstthe spirit

,and the spirit against the flesh , and

these are contrary the one to the other ; SO thatye cannot do the things that ye wouldGal . v . 17 .

In the midst of his Apostolic labours, where.

he.is endeavouring to animate those to whom

he wrote,Paul represents himself engaged as

here in the same ar duo‘il s struggle . I keep

under my body, and br ing it into subj ection ,lest that by any means, when I have preachedto others

,I myself should be a castaway .

ROMANS, v11. 25 . 159

1Cor . ix . 27 . Having there a diff erent Objectin view, he refers to his success in the strugglewhile, in the chapter before us, his design is toexhibit the power of the enemy with whom hehas to contend . But, in both cases, he speaks ofbeing engaged with an enemy within

,striving

to bring him into captivity to sin and death .

In another place, addressing those at Ephesus,whom he describes as quickened togetherwith Christ,

” and including himself,whilst

speaking in the character Of an Apostle of

Jesus Christ by the will of God,” he uses the

following unequivocal and energetic languageFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but

against principalities , against powers, against therulers of the darkness Of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places .” He thereforecalls on those to whom he wrote to take thewhole armour of God, that they may be able towithstand

'

and ‘to quench the fiery darts of thewicked one .

” -Eph . vi . 12 . Does not'

this descr ibe a conflict equally severe as that in which,in the pas sage

'befor e us, he represents himselfto be engaged Does

'

not this imply that evilexisted in himself, aswell as in those to whomhe wrote

,without which the fiery darts of the

devil could have taken no more effect ~ than on

“himin bwhom the'

prince Of this'world when he

came found nothing And what is the pur

160 ROMANS,v11. 25 .

pose of the Christian armour, but to fit us tofight with flesh and blood ; namely, our corruptions, as well as other enemies, against whichPaul says we wrestleWas the Apostle Peter chargeable with the

sin of dissimulation, and did the Apostle Paulexperience no internal struggle with the Old manwhich caused the fall of his fellow Apostle DidPaul call upon other saints to put off the old

man , and was there not in him an Old man ?Did he admonish all his brethren, without exception , to mortify their members which wereupon the earth, and had he no sins to mortifyAnd why was it necessary for the Lord to sendhim a thorn in the flesh, the messenger Of Satanto buffet him, to prevent him from being exaltedabove measure, had it not been for the remaining corruption Of his nature working powerfullyin his heart, which from this it appears all hisother severe trials and afliictions were insufficientto subdue This alone determines the question .

It was incumbent too on Paul, as on all otherbelievers, to pray daily for the forgiveness ofhissins . It was necessary for him, like David, topray that his heart might be enlar ged that hemight r un the way of God’s commandments . .

PS. cxix . 32 .

Al l that Paul says in this chapter concerninghimself and his inward corruption entirely corm


162 ROMANS, v11. 25.

for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt, because of my foolishness my loins are filledwith a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my flesh ;

” my groaning is not hidfrom thee ; I will declare mine iniquity .

Yet in the same Psalm David says, In thee,O Lord, do I hope .

” They also that renderevil for good are mine adversaries ; because Ifollow the thing that is good. Make haste to helpme, O Lord my salvation .

” Iniquities, he says,prevail against me, while he rej oices in the for

giveness of his sins . Psalm, lxv . 3 .

Woe is me,

” exclaims the Prophet Isaiah,for I am a man of un clean lips, vi . 5 . Who

can say I have made my heart clean, I am purefrom my sin Prov . xx . 9 . God promised toestablish an everlasting covenant with Israel,Ezek . xvi . 63 ; and the consequence would betheir loathing themselves and being confoundedwhen God was pacified towards them . The complaints of the servants of God all proceed fromthe same source, namely, their humiliating ex

per ience of indwelling sin, at the same timethat

,after the inward man, they delighted in the

law of God . And could it be otherwise in menwho by the Spirit of ~God were convinced of

sin John,xvi . 8 . There is not a man on earth

that delights in the law of God who does not

know that his soul cleaveth unto the dust.

ROMANS,v11. 25 . 163

Comparing himself with the law of God,Paul might well lament his remaining corruption

,as the Apostle Peter, exper iencmg the

same consciousness of his Sinfulness, exclaims ,Depart from me for I am a sinful man , 0

Lord ;”

or , as the Apostle James confesses ,In many things we all Offend ;

”or as the

Apostle John says, If we say that we haveno Sin , we deceive ourselves, and the truth isnot in us . Were Paul , when judged at thetribunal of God, to take his stand on the bestaction he ever performed in the midst Of hisapostolic labours, he would be condemned forever. Imperfection woul d be found to cleaveto the very best of his services ; and imper fection, even in the least possible degree, as it r espects the law of God , is sin . Cursed isevery one that continueth not in a ll things thatare written in the book of the law to do them .

”

And who is the mere man that, since the fall,came up for one moment to the standard of thisholy law, which says, Thou shal t love theLord with all thy heartIt was on a ground .very diff erent from that of

his own obedience, that Paul, when about tod epart fr om the world, joyfully exclaimed,Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of

righteousness, which the Lord the righteous

j udge shall give me at that day . Yes, it will

ROMANS, v11. 25 .

be a crown of r ighteousness, because Christhaving been made Of God unto him wisdom

,

”

Paul had renounced his own righteousness, thatso .being found in Him, he might possess therighteousness which is of God, by faith .

” Hewas, therefore, covered with the robe of righteousness, even the righteousness of our Lordand Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the end ofthe law for righteousness to every one that believeth . And thus, in the j udgment of str ict

j ustice, Paul and all believers, notwithstandingall his and their sins and shortcomings , shallbe pronounced righteous,

”—a character twicegiven to those who shall appear on the righthand of the throne, Mat . xxi . 37—46 ,— in thatday, when the righteous servant of JehovahShall j udge the world in righteousness . Thus,too

,when the great multitude of those who have

washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb shallstand before the throne

,the full import of the

words of Paul, with which in the fifth chapter

of this Epistle he closes the account of the en

trance of sin and death, and of righteousnessand life,will bemade gloriously manifest, Thatas sin hath reigned unto death, even so mightgrace reign through r ighteousness unto eternallife by Jesus Christ our Lord.

” That greattruth which Paul has also declared will then be

seen to be fully verified, that the gospel is the


ROMANS, v11. 25 .

possibly be applicable to the Apostle Paul , dothink of him above what is declared in everypart of the word of God to be the character of

every renewed man while he remains in thisworld .

In Mr Toplady’s works it is stated that someof Dr Dodd r idge

’

s last words were, The bestprayer I ever off ered up in my life deserv esdamnation .

’ In this sentiment Dr Doddridgedid not in the smallest degree exceed the truth .

And with equal truth Mr Toplady says of himself , Oh, that ever such a wretch as I Shouldbe tempted to think highly of himself"I thatam of myself nothing but sin and weakness .In whose flesh naturally dwells no good thing ;I who deserve damnation for the best work Iever performed .

’— Vol . iv . 171, and 1—41.

These are the matured Opinions concerningthemselves of men who ha d been taught by thesame Spirit as the Apostle Paul .Every man who knows “ the plague Of his own

heart,” whatever may be the view he has taken

of this passage, knows f or cer ta in, that even ifthe Apostle Paul has not given here an accountof his own experience at the time when he wrotethis Epistle, such was actua lly theApostle

’

s cap e

r ience day by day . He also knows that themanwho is not daily constrained to cry out to himself, O wretched man that I am,

” from a sense

ROMANS , V11. 25. 167

of his indwelling corruption and his Shortcomings, is not a C hr istian . He

’

has not beenconvinced of sin by the Spirit of God ; h e is notone of those, who, like the Apostle Paul, areforced to confess, We that are in this tabernacledo groan,

’

2 Cor . v. 4 ; or to say, We our

selves also which have the first fruits of the

Spirit, even we our selves, groan within our

selves . ’ Rom. V111. 23 . The Apostle’s exclamation in the passage before us, O wretched manthat I am,

” is no other than this gr oaning . An d

every regenerate man , the more he is convincedof sin , which in his natural state never disturbedhis thoughts, themore he advances in the courseof holiness, and the more nearly he approaches tothe image Of his Divine master, the more deeplywill he groan under the more vivid conceptionand the stronger abhorrence of the mal ignity of

his indwelling Sin .

It is easy to see how suitable it was that theauthor of this Epistle Should detail his own ex

per ience, and thus describe the in ternal workings of his heart, and not merely refer to hisexternal conduct. He speaks of himself, that itmight not be supposed that the miserable con

dition he described did not concern believers ;and to Show that the most holy ought to humblethemselves before God ; and that God wouldfind in them a body of sin and death ; that is,

ROMANS, VII . 2 5 .

guilty, as in themselves, of etern al death . No

thing then could serve more fully to illustratehis doctrine in the preceding part of it, respecting human depravity and guilt, and the universality Of the inveterate malady of sin, than toShow that it was capable, ev en in himself, withall the grace of which he was so distinguisheda subject, of opposing with such force the principles of the new life in his soul . In this View,

the passage before us perfectly accor dS'with theApostle’s design in this chapter, in which , forthe comfort of believers, he is testifying that,by their marriage with Christ, they are dead tothe law, as he had taught in the precedingchapter, that, by union with him in his deathand resurrection

,they are dead to sin, which

amounts to the same thing. As, in the concluding part Of that chapter, he had shown byhis exhortations to duty, that, by affirming thatthey were dead to sin

,he did not mean that

they were exempt from its commission ; so, inthe concluding part of this chapter, he shows,by detailing his own experience, that he did notmean that, by their being dead to the law, theywere exempt from its violation . In one word,while, by both of these expressions, dead to sin,and dead to the law, he intended to teach thattheir j ustification was complete, he proves, bywhat he : says in the concluding parts of both


170 ROMANS , v11. 2 5 .

greater or less extent in the bosom of everychild of God. The wisdom discovered in makingthe present experience of Paul the object ofcontemplation ought to awaken in our heartsfeelings of the liveliest gratitude . Had we beenpresented with a spectacle of the internal feelings Of one less eminently holy, the effect wouldhave been greatly weakened . But when thisApostle, whose life was spent in labouring forthe glory of God ; when he, whose blamelessconduct was such as to confound his enemieswho sought occasion against him ; when he,who finished his course with j oy, having foughta good fight

,and kept the faith ; when he , whose

conscience enabled him to look back with satisfaction On the past, and forward with j oy to thefuture ; when he, who stood ready to receivethe crown of righteousness which, by the eyeOf faith, he beheld laid up for him in heaven ;when one so favoured, so distinguished, as thegreat Apostle of the Gentiles, is himsel f constrained, in turning his eye inward upon therebellious strivings of his old nature, to cry out,O wretched man that I am —what a won

der ful exhibition do we behold of the malignityof that sin, which has so deeply poisoned an d

corrupted our original nature, that death itselfis needful in order to remove its pollution fromthe soul

ROMANS, v11. 25 . 171

This passage, then, is in a remarkable mannerfitted to comfort, in the midst of their Spiritualconflicts, unknown to all except to themselvesand the searcher of hearts, those who are Op

pressed with a sense of indwelling sin . Theremay be some believers who, not having examined it with suflicient care, or being misledby fdlse interpretations, mistake its natural andObvious meaning, and fear to apply the wordswhich it contains to Paul as an Apostle . Whenthese shall have Viewed this portion Of theDivin e Wor d in its true light, they will blessGod for the instruction and consolation it iscal culated to afford ; while the whole of therepresentation , under this aspect, will appearfoolishness to all who are Christians only inname , and who never experienced in themselvesthat in ternal conflict which the Apostle heredescribes . It is a conflict from which not one

of the people of God , since the fall of the firstman, was ever exempted— a conflict which Healone never experienced who is called the Sonof the Highest,

”of whom, notwithstanding, it

has of late been impiously affirmed, that he alsowas subjected to it.

CHAPTER VIII.

TH I S chapter presents a glorious display of

the power of divine grace and of the provisionwhich God has made for the consolation of hispeople . While the Apostle had pro ved, in thesixth chapter, that his‘previous doctrine gaveno license to believers to continue in sin, he hadstill kept in view his main purpose of establishing their free justification . In the seventh chapter he had prosecuted the same Object, declaringthat by their marriage with Christ they weredelivered from the law as a covenant of life,while he vindicated its character and authority .

In this chapter, he continues the subject of justification , and resumes that of the believer

’s assurance Of his salvation, of which he had spokenin the fifth, establishing it on new grounds ; andfrom the whole train of his argument from thecommencement of the Epistle, he now drawsthe general conclusion, that to them who are inChrist Jesus there is no condemnation . Whilethis could not have been accomplished by thelaw, he shows that it had been effected by the


174 ROMANS, VI I I . 1.

intercedes The Apostle concludes by defyingthe whole universe to separate believers fromthe love of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord . Inthis manner he follows out, in this chapter,what had been his grand obj ect through all thepreceding part of the Epistle .

V. l . —Ther e is , ther ef or e, n ow no condemna tion to themwhicha r e in Chr ist Jesus, who wa lk not af ter theflesh, but af ter the

Ther efi)r e.-This is an inference from the

general strain of the doctrine which the Apostlehad been teaching in the preceding part of theEpistle — especial ly, it follows from what he hadasserted, in the sixth and seventh chapters, withrespect to believers dying with Christ, and consequently being dead to Sin and to the law .

Now no condemna tion .— This implies that

there would have been condemnation to thoseto whom he wrote, had they remained under thelaw ; but now,

Since they have died with Christ,and thereby given complete satisfaction to thelaw, both in its penalty and precept, it is notpossible that by it they can be condemned .

And to mark the completeness Of this ex emption, he says there is no condemnation to them ;the rea son of which he fully explains in the 2d ,3d , and 4th verses . This is according to our

Lord’s declaration,

Verily, verily, I say untoyou, he that heareth my word, and believeth on

ROMANS, VII I. 1. 175

him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and Shallnot come into condemnation Here it is oftenremarked that the Apostle does not say thatthere is in them neither matter of accusationnor cause Of condemnation and yet this isall included in what he does say. And afterwards

,in express terms, he denies that they can

be either accused or condemned— which theymight be, were there any ground for eithe r .

All that was condemnable in them, which wasSin , has been condemned in their Surety, as isshown in the third verse .

To them—The Apostle, discoursing in thepreceding chapter of the remainder of sin inbelievers

,speaks of himself in his own person,

in order to Show that the most advanced in graceare not exempted from the internal warfare whichhe there describes . But in this verse he changesthe number, and does not say, there Is no con

demnation to me, but to them, who are in ChristJesus . Again , in the fourth verse, he speaksOf the righteousness of the law being fulfilled inus ; thus Showing that the unspeakable blessingof exemption from condemnation equally belongsto all the people of God . In the second verse,for an obvious and important reason

,as we shall

presently see, he reverts again to the singularnumber, and says, hath made me free . Thismanner of expressing himself ought to be par

ROMANS, VI I I . 1.

ticular ly noted ; for we are certain that in theword of God nothing of this kind occurs withouta purpose .Wh ich a r e in Chr ist Jesus .

—To be in ChristJesus is to be one with him as united to him byfaith. Those and those only who are thus onewith him are the persons to whom there is nocondemnation . All who are not in Christ Jesusare under the law and its curse . It is not heresaid that Christ is with his people, or at theirright hand, but that they are in him, in orderthat theymay know that being in him they havenothing to fear ; for what evil can reach thosewho are one with the Son of God This union

was represented in the person of the High Priestunder the law, who carried on his breast thetwelv e stones on which were engraven the namesof the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel ;SO that when he appeared before God, all thepeople appeared in him ; thus showing that allbelievers are before God in Jesus Christ

,their

great High Priest . They are all delivered fromcondemnation in being one body with Christ.AS the debts of a wife must be discharged byher husband, and as by her marriage all herprevious obligations ar e

"

at once transferred tohim

,so the believer being married to Christ is

no longer exposed to the curse of the law . Allits demands have been met and satisfied by his


178 ROMANS, VI II . 1.

is said we are justified by faith , not as being awork, or any thing meritorious, but as the medium through which the graces and blessingsthat are in Jesus Christ are communicated toour souls .On account of this union all believers bear

the name of Christ, being that of their Head .

For as the body is one, and hath many mem

bers,and all the members of that one body

,being

many, are one body ; so also is Christ. For byone Spirit are we all baptized into one body .

1 Cor . xii . 12 . And in the Epistle to theEphesians, the Apostle denominates the Church,not only the body of Jesus Christ, but even hisfulness . God gave him to be the head overall things to the Church , which is his body,the fulness of him that filleth all in all .”—Eph .

i . 22 . He'

thus Shows that this union with JesusChrist is such, that he who filléth all thingswould consider himself without his people to beimperfect and incomplete .Who wa lk not af ter (according to)theflesh, but

af ter (according to) the sp ir it—These words,not being found in all the manuscripts

,are con

sider ed by some as spurious . They connect,

however, perfectly wellwith the preceding clauseof the 'verse, as characterising those who a r e inChrist Jesus .The expression to walk is frequently employed

ROMANS , VI I I . 1. 179

in Scripture to denote the course Of life in whichwe are proceeding, as it is said, Eph . ii . 2 , “Ye

walked according to the course of this world .

”

In this way, comparing our lif e to a j ourney,according to the usual style Of Scripture, theApostle

‘compr ehends all our actions under the

figure of walking . To walk according to theflesh, is to act agreeably to the principles of corrupt nature . To walk according to the Spirit,means to regulate the conduct according to theinfluence and dictates of the Holy Spirit

,who

has gi ven us a new nature .

The terms flesh and spirit have various Significations in Scripture

,and are employed in

different senses in this chapter . The word fleshis used in a sense either had or indifferent.

Sometimes it means Simply human nature, andsometimes corrupt human nature, or man in hisnatural state without the Holy Spirit, and fr equently wicked works . At other times it denotes outward services in adherence to the lawfor justification . To the word Spirit, variousmeanings are likewise attached. It imports theangelic nature, or the. soul of man, and also theHoly Spirit, or the renewed image of the Sonof God in the soul . In both Of these last sensesit is employed by our Lord

, when declaring thenecessity of regeneration

,he says

,That which

is born of the spirit,is spiri t .” Sometimes when

ROMANS,VI I I . 1.

opposed to flesh or to letter , it is used as equivalent to the new covenant,— “ who also hathmade us able ministers Of the New Testament,not of the letter, but of the sp ir it.

”

The expression , walking not according to theflesh

,but according to the spirit, in the verse

before us, is generally interpreted as referring tothe practice of wicked works . It is supposedthat the Apostle is here guarding his doctrineof gratuitous justification from abuse, by excluding-all claim to union with Christ, and to exemption from condemnation where there is notpurity of conduct, under the influence of theHoly Spirit . This is undoubtedly a highlyimportant truth which is to be constantly af

firmed and insisted on . Holiness of lif e andconversation is an inseparable concomitant ofunion with Christ, for to whom he is maderighteousness, he is alsomade sanctification , andthey that are Christ’s, have crucified the flesh ,with the aff ections, and lusts . Of this the Apostle never loses Sight, not indeed in any point ofView as the cause of that union, but as its neverfailing consequence, as he has abundantly provedin the sixth chapter . There are, however, manydiff erent paths in the broad way ; that is, manyways of walking after the flesh, all of which leadto destruction . Among these, that of seekingacceptance with God by works of righteousness,


ROMANS, VI I I . 1.

i t was this way of walking according to the flesh,

which he so strongly opposes in his Epistle tothe churches of Galatia. We see, therefore,how necessary it was for the Apostle par ticular ly to direct the attention of those to whom hewas now writing to this point.In the clause before us, then, and in the fourth

verse of this chapter, when the same words againoccur, where their genuineness is not disputed,Paul appears to be prosecuting his main design

,

which is to prove that believers are justifiednot by works of righteousness which they havedone, of whatever description , but solely byfaith in Jesus Christ, in whom their reconciliation with God is complete . It is this grandtruth, which from the beginning of the Epistlehe had been exhibiting, for the conviction andestablishment in the faith , of those to whom hewr ote . It is indeed a truth in which Christiansneed to be ful ly instructed, which they all find tobe so difficult not to let slip out of their mind,and by which they are saved, if they keep it inmemory . There is nothing which so muchretards them in their course as their pronenessto walk according to the flesh

,in seeking to

establish their own righteousness and nothingmore powerfull y tends , when giving way to itin any degree, to bring them into bondage, tolead them to serve in the oldness of the letter ,

ROMANS, mu . 1. 183

and to ma r their joy and peace in b elieving . It

confirms this view of the meaning of the clausebefore us

,and in the fourth verse, that i t

'

is inthis train the Apostle proceeds in the two following verses ; and that, in the fifth verse, hedistinguishes between walking after the flesh ,and minding the things of the flesh . The expression

,who walk not after the flesh ,

” issimilar to that which occurs, Acts xxi . 21, thatthey ought not to circumcise their children,neither to walk after the customs .In further confirmation of the interpretation

here given of walking not according to the flesh,it may be observed, that in the sense thus ascr ibed to it, the word flesh is employed in the beginn ing of the fourth chapter of this Epistle .Flesh, in that place cannot, it is evident, nsig

nify immoral conduct, for that Abraham wasjustified by wicked works never could be supposed .

' It must there signify works moral orceremonial, as is proved by the rest of thatchapter .In the Epistle to the Galatians

,the terms

flesh and spirit are likewise used in this acceptation . Are ye so foolish having begun inthe spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ?

”

Gal . iii . Having begun your Christian courseby receiving the doctrine of the new covenant,” namely, justification by the righteousness

'

of

184 ROMANS, VIII . 1.

Christ, are ye seeking to be made perfect bylegal Observances, or works of any kind ? Inthis passage, the word flesh cannot be taken forwicked works, any more than in the fourthchapter of the Romans, just quoted . It mustbe un derstood in the sense of working for life,or self-justification , in opposition to the way ofsalvation according to the Gospel . The Apostle’s main object in the whole of that Epistle

,

is to reclaim the Galatian churches from theerror of mixing ceremonial Observances or anyworks of law with the faith of Christ, andthus walking according to the flesh, and notaccording to the spirit. Behold, I Paul sayunto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shallprofit you nothing . For I testify again to everyman that is circumcised

“

, that he is a debtor todo the whole law. Christ is become of no effectunto you, whosoever of you are justified by thelaw ; ye are fallen from (the doctrine of)grace .

For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hopeof righteousness by faith .

” This reasoning applies to all works of law, of whatever descr iption

,as clearly appears by the third chapter of

the Epistle .In the same manner, the terms flesh and spirit

are employed, Phil . iii . 3 , For we are the circumcision , which worship God in the spirit, andr ej oice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence


ROMANS,vm . 2 .

their justification by the righteousness of Christthrough faith, in opposition to all seltljustifyinge ff orts or obedience of their own They whowalk not according to the flesh

,but according

to the spirit, are no longer seeking justificationby works of law, but are brought to act on gospel and spiritual principles . They live in theSpirit, and they also walk in the Spirit .V. 2 .—For the law of the Spir it of s e in Chr ist Jesus ha th

made mef r eefi om the law of sin a nd dea th .

This verse, as is evident by the particle f or ,with which it commences

,stands connected with

the preceding, and assigns the reason why thereis no condemnation to them that are in ChristJesus . They are delivered from the curse of

the broken law. Many, by the phrase “ law of

the spirit of life , understand the Holy Spirit tobe intended, as the author of sanctification andby the law of sin and death ,

” the corrupt principle or prevailing power of sin in the soul, as inchap . vii . 21, 23, 25 . But these explanationsdo not suit the context. The main propositioncontained in the preceding verse is, that to themwho are in Christ Jesus there is no condemna tion .

But why is there no condemnation Is it because they are sanctified ? No ; but becausethey have been freed from the law and its curse

,

as the Apostle had fully shown in the precedingchapter. Besides

,it is not true that believer s

ROMANS,VI I I . 2 .

are yet delivered from the law of sin in theirmembers . This would contradict what had justbefore been said of the Christian’s in ter iial warfare, and of his deliverance from it being future,ch . vii . 24 , as well as his constant experience.Nor do the above explanations accord with theverse that follows

,in which the word law is

evidently taken in the same sense as in the versebefore us, of which it is explanatory, where itmeans the moral law. The law of the Spirit of

life, then , signifies the Gospel or new covenant,and the law of sin and death the moral law .

Law of the Sp ir it of lifi3.—The Gospel iscalled a law, because as a law has authority andbinds to obedience, so the Gospel bears thestamp of the divine authority

,to which it is our

duty to submit — Rom . x . 3 . Out of Zionshall go forth the law,

” meaning the Gospel,and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem .

Isa. ii. 3 . It is the law of the spirit of life, asbeing ministered by the Spirit. It is calledthe spirit, in Opposition to the letter, and is theSpirit that giveth life, opposed to the

"letter, orlaw

,that killeth.

— 2 ‘Cor . iii . 6 , 8 . It is thespirit that quickeneth the flesh pr ofiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you, theyare spirit, and they are life . —John , vi. 63 .

The Gospel is the law of the spirit of life inChr ist Jesus, den oting that it is so in and from

ROMANS, VI I I . 2 .

him as its author . The Lord is that Spirit,2 Cor . iii. 17 , who communicates life to thosewho had lost it.In the first Epistle to the Corinthians, xv . 45 ,

the Apostle speaks of two sources of life. Hesays, The first man Adam was made a livingsoul , the last Adam was a quickening spirit .By the living soul he means the principle of

natural life which we derive from Adam bynatural generation . The quickening Spirit r efers to the heavenly and supernatural life communicated from Jesus Christ . The reason of

the comparison is, that as Adam receiving aliving soul his body was made alive, in likemanner

,we receiving in our souls the Spirit of

Christ receive a new life— new in wisdom, inrighteousness and holiness . It is not meantthat the Spirit of Christ is not also the authorof our natural life but here the life referred tois that life which the Apostle calls the l ife ofGod .

” -Eph . iv. 18 . For before regenerationwe are dead in trespasses and sins .The spirit of life is in Chr ist Jesus .

-JesusChrist is set before us in two points of view,

namely,as God and Mediator . As God , the

spirit of life resides in him as its origin but asMediator, the spirit of life has been given to

him in all its plenitude to be communicated tohis people. That Jesus Christ is the source of


ROMANS,VI I I . 2 .

explanation of the verse before us is given, it issaid

,Albeit the Apostle himself, (brought in

here for example’s cause), and all other truebelievers in Christ, be by nature under thelaw of sin and death, or under the covenant ofworks (called the law of sin and death, becauseit bindeth sin and death upon us

,till Christ

set us free); yet the law of the spirit of lifein Christ Jesus, or the covenant of grace, (socalled, because it doth enable and quicken aman to a spiritual life through Christ,)dothset the Apostle, and all true believers, free fromthe covenant of works, or the law of sin anddeath so that every man may say with him,

The law of the spirit of 'life,”or the cove

nant of grace, hath made me free from thelaw of sin and death, or covenant of works . ’

The import,then, of the verse before us, is that

there is no condemnation to them that are inChrist Jesus, because, by their union withhim— being dead to the law by the body of

Christ, and being married to him who is raisedfrom the dead, ch . vii . 4— they have been freedfr om the curse of that law, which, though goodin itself, is the occasion of sin and death to allwho remain under it, and are consequently justified before God .

Ha th made me fl ea— On this it is to be r e

marked, that the Apostle , instead of speaking

ROMANS, VI I I . 3 . 191

generally of believers, as he does in the firstand fourth verses, saying, them” andchanges the mode of expression

,and refers to

himself particularly— hath made me free . AVery striking contrast is thus pointed out be

tween his declaration in the 24th verse of thepreceding chapter, and that contained in theverse before us . There he is speaking of the

p ollution of sin, which adheres to believers aslong as they are in this world . Here he isspeaking of the guilt of sin, from which theyare perfectly fr eed the moment they are united

to the Saviour . In the former case, there fore ,where he is speaking of sanctification , he refersto his deliverance, verse 2 4 , as future, and exclaims , who sha ll deliver me"In reference tothe latter, in which he is treating of justification

,he speaks of his deliverance as already

obtained , and affirms that he ha th been madefree .

V. 3.-For wha t the law could not d o, in that it wa s weak

thr ough theflesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sin

f ulfi esh, a nd f or sin , condemned sin in the f lesh

This verse confirms the interpretation thathas been given of the preceding, with which itstands connected . It is introduced to explainwhat is said in the two preceding verses . Boththis and the following verse are illustrations of

that great truth,that the believer in Christ is


not liable to condemnation . There are herethree principal considerations ; namely, the misery of our natural condition ; the mercy of Godin the incarnation of his Son ; and the effect ofsending him into the world, which is our r e

demption . Under these three heads the Apostleremoves the difficulties that might present themselves from what he had asserted in the preceding verse, by which it might be supposed that,on account of some imperfection in the law, itcould not justify . In answer to this, it is hereshown that the imperfection is not in the law,

but in us . The law could justify those whofulfilled it, as it is said, the man that doeththem shall live in them but the corruption of

human nature renders this impossible . And asit might be obj ected, that the law, which sub

jects every transgressor to death, is violated bythe freedom from it which we obtain by thedeath of Jesus Christ, the Apostle shows thatthe punishment it demands was inflicted uponhim. Hence the first proposition, that there isno condemnation to them that are

'

in ChristJesus, is established ; and in the following verseit is added, that the law, which we were required

to fulfil, has been fulfilled in us by him. In thisview the justice of God, which naturally terr ifies man, inspires us with confidence . For ifGod is just, will he exact double payment and


194 ROMANS, VI I I . 3 .

sinfulness of man, the law could justify. But,

’

he continues, To turn the disability of thelaw to justify the sinner, upon the corruptionof his nature

,as the text would do, according

to the interpretation I am considering, wouldimply something by no means consistent withthe Apostle’s clear doctrine, viz . , that after aperson had transgressed he might be justified,even ‘by the law, for returning to his duty,and for his subsequent righteousness , if theweakness and poverty Of his nature, called the‘flesh, did not disable him from doing his duty,which, how contrary to Scripture doctrine Ineed not stay to prove, the thing is so clearBut did this acute and worthy author overlookwhat our Lord says to the rich young man :

If thou wilt enter into~

life keep the commandments

'

In fact, the commandments could not‘be kept unless every commandment that hasrespect to man is obeyed . Therefore, the commandment in the Garden of Eden is included .

Because, being guilty of breaking it, no mancan be said to have obeyed God as he ought .Theweakness of the flesh includes every thingthat we received by the fall . Every . man isas accountable for that first sin

'

of Adam astruly as he is for his own per sonal sins, and,therefore, as long as he is under condemnationfor that sin, he cannot be said to keep the com

ROMAN s, VI I I . 3 . 195

mandmen ts. By the law is the knowledgeof sin .

” It is the test of men being sinners .If it were kept this would prove that

‘

Vve werenot sinners . It entered that the offence mightabound, and the Lord applied this test for theyoung man’s conviction . Yet what he said was

'

truth ; if the young man had kept the commandmen ts he would, as a holy creature, haveenjoyed life . He would not have been a sinner . But he was so ignorant as to say he hadkept them all . The Lord replied, one thingthou lackest, Follow me .

” If he had reallykept the commandments he would have had noneed of a Saviour ; but he was a sinner, andChrist informed him of the only way of salvation . The law could not give life to one bywhom it was forfeited .

The weakness of the law through the fleshMr Stuart explains thus because, throughthe strength of our carnal inclinations anddesires, it was unable to regulate our lives, sothat we should be perfect or actually free

.

fromsin .

’ But as Christ is said to do what the law

through this weakness could not do, this inter

p r etation supposes that Christ has enabled us toregulate our lives so as to be entirely free from

sin . Nothing can be more Obvious than thatthe weakness of the law through the flesh Is itsinability to justify, as it would have done, had

ROMANs,VI I I . 3 .

not sin entered . The weakness of the law forjustification is no disparagement to it . It wasnever designed to save a sinner . How could itbe supposed that a creature who had apostatized , and was a rebel against God , could r e

establish himself in the divine favour Yet suchr e-establishment, in order to the enjoyment ofthe favour of God, was necessary. A creaturein such circumstances could only be r e-established by God himself, and that by an act of

free and sovereign mercy, compatible with hisjustice and truth, and with the essential glory ofhis character. It was also impossible that mercycould be extended in any other way than thatwhich the Gospel reveals . How could the justice of God be satisfied but by an atonement ofinfinite value to meet the infinite evil of sinAnd how could such an atonement be made forman , but by one who was at the same time bothGod and man— the infinite God manifest inhuman nature ? This was the remedy whichGod provided

,therefore it was the best remedy.

It was the highest possible remedy, thereforethere could be no other. It would be inconsistent with infinite wisdom to employ means greaterthan are necessary in order to accomplish an end .

The law was strong to perform its own office ;that is, to justify all by whom it was perfectlyobeyed . Its weakness was through the flesh ;


198 ROMANS,VI II . 3 .

assert his Sonship as referring to his incarnation .

That the phrase Son of God imports the divinenature of Jesus Christ, there

'

can be no doubt,John, v . 18 (see vol . i. 39, Second andthat it relates not merely to his incarnation, butto his eternal relation to the Father, appears theobvious testimony of Scripture . NO reasoningfrom the import of the relation among men canform a valid Objection to this View.

Adam is called the Son of God because hewas created by the immediate exercise of Divine power . The Angels are called the Sons ofGod on account of their creation

,and the great

ness of their condition believers , by the right oftheir adoption and regeneration ; but none exceptthe Messiah is called the only begotten of theFather . These words, I have begotten thee, areindeed applied to Jesus Christ, Acts, xiii . 33 ;not with respect to his eternal generation, butto his resurrection and establishment in thepriesthood ; and import that he was thus madeknown to be the Son of God , as it is said, Rom.

i . 4 , that he was declared to be the Son of Godwith power by his resurrection from the dead .

The exaltation of Jesus Christ, whether in hisOffice of Mediator, or of Sovereign glory, is theauthoritative declaration of the Father, that hewas

'

his Son, his only begotten Son, and this issignified in the second Psalm . There the ele

ROMANS , VII . 3 . 199

vation of Jesus Christ to the sovereign empire

of the world is spoken of . I have set myKing upon my holy hill of Zion . Itis as tothe act of his elevation that this declaration ismade . I will declare the decree : The Lordhath said unto me, Thou art my Son this dayhave I begotten thee .” Thus, according to theusual style of Scripture, things are said to bedone when they are declared or publiclyfested . When it is said, this day have I begotten thee, the eternal dignity of the Saviour

,

which had been before concealed, was broughtto light and fully discovered .

In the likeness of sinf ul f lesh—Jesus Christwas sent, not in the likeness of flesh , but in theflesh . He was sent, however, not in sinful flesh,but in the likeness Of sinful flesh . Nothing canmore clearly prove that the Lord Jesus Christ

,

though he assumed our nature, took it withouttaint of sin or corruption . To his perfect holiness the Scriptures bear the fullest testimony .

He knew no sin The Prince of this worldcometh, and hath . nothing in me

” He was“ holy

,harmless, undefiled , separate from sin

ners . His absolute freedom from sin wasindispensable . . As God becoming manifest inthe flesh , he could not unite himself to a naturetainted with the smallest degree of impurity .

He was conceived by the power of the Holy

tU IVIAN S , VI I I . 3 .

Ghost, and did not spring from Adam by theway of ordinary generation ; and not belongingto his covenant, had no part in his sin . Hisfreedom from sin, original and actual, was necessary, in order that he should be Off ered as alamb without blemish, and without spot ,

” sothat hemight be the truth of his types, the legalsacrifices, which it was expressly provided shouldbe free from all blemish thus distinctly indicating this characteristic of him who was to bethe one great sacrifice .If the flesh of Jesus Christ was the likeness of

sinfulflesh, there must be a difference between theappearance of sinful flesh and our nature, or fleshin its original state when Adam was created .

Christ, then, was not made in the likeness of

the flesh of man before‘sin entered the world,but in the likeness of his fallen flesh . Thoughhe had no corruption in his nature, yet he hadall the sinless infirmities of our flesh . The person Of man in his present state may be greatlydiff erent from what it was when Adam camefrom the hand of his Creator. Jesus Christ wasmade in man’s present likeness . Tradition speak sof the beauty of his person when on earth .

But this is the wisdom of man . The Scriptures nowhere represent Christ in his manhood as distinguished by personal beauty. NO

observation of this kind, proceeding either from


202 ROMANS,VI I I . 3 .

only . For if this were so,his suff ering would

be finite,since his human nature

,by which he

off ered his sacrifice, is only finite and if he hadbeen mediator only as to his human naturewhich , however, could not be, as he representsboth God and man—he could not have been themediator of the Old Testament, when he had

'

not taken th e human nature . And as it isn ecessary that, in regard to his person, we shouldconsider Jesus Christ suffering, it is also necessary that we

'

consider that it was in the fleshthat he sufl

'

er ed ; that is to say, in our nature,which he took and joined personally to the Divine nature . In this we may admire the wisdom of God, who caused sin to be punished anddestroyed in the human nature in which it hadbeen committed .

Condemned sin .—Condemnation is here taken

for the punishment of sin . God punished sinin Christ’s human nature . This is the methodthat God took to justi fy sinners . It was God

who, by his determinate counsel and foreknowledge, Acts, ii . 23 , punished sin by inflictingthose sufferings on Christ of which men wereonly the instruments . Sin had corrupted theflesh of man, and in that very flesh it was condemned . The guilt and punishment of sin areeminently seen in the death of Christ . Nowhere else is sin so completely judged and con

ROMANS , VI I I . 3 . 203

demned . Not even in hell are its guilt anddemerit so fully manifested . What must be itsdemerit, if it could be atoned for by noth ing butthe death of the Son of God And what canafford clearer eviden ce of God’s determinationto punish sin to the utmost extent of its demerit, than that he thus punished it evenwhen laid on the head Of his only begottenSon ?

In all this we see the Father taking theplace of Judge against his Son , in order tobecome th e Father of those who were his enemies . The Father condemns the Son of hislove, that he may absolve the children of wrath .

If we enquire into the cause that moved Godto save us by such means, what can we say butthat it proceeded

'

from his incomprehensiblewisdom, his ineffable goodness, and the un fa

thomable depth of his mercies For what wasthere in man that could bind the Creator to actin this manner, since he saw nothing in him,

after his rebellion by sin , but what was hatefuland off ensive And what was it but his lovethat passeth knowledge which induced the onlybegotten Son of God to take the form Of a ser

vant, to humble himself even to the death of

the cross, and to submit to be despised and r e

jected of men These are the things into whichthe Angels desire to look .


But besides the love of God, we see the wonder ful display of his justice in condemning sinin his Son , rather than to allow it to go un

punished . In this assuredly the work of r edemption surpasses that of creation . In creationGod had made nothing that was not good, andnothing especially on which he could exercisethe rigour of his justice ; but here he punishesour sins to the utmost in Jesus Christ . It maybe enquired, if, when God condemned sin in hisSon, we are to understand this of God theFather, so as to exclude the Son, or if we cansay that God the Son also condemned sin inhimself. This can undoubtedly be affirmed ;for in the Father and the Son there is only one

will and one regard for justice ; so that, as it wasthe will Of the Father to require satisfaction forsin from the Son , it was also the will Of the Sonto humble himself, and to condemn sin in himself.We must, however, d istinguish between JesusChrist considered as God and as our Surety andMediator . As God, he condemns and punishes

sin ; as Mediator, he is himself condemned andpunished for sin .

When sin was condemned or punished inthe Son of God , to suppose that he felt nothingmore than bodily pain, would be to conclude

‘

that he had less confidence in God than manymartyrs who have gone to death cheerfully and


206 ROMANS , VI I I . 4 .

The first, or what may be called the properright of the law, corresponds with its properend , according to which it was ordained untolife to all who Obey it. What it demands beyond its proper or first end, is the right of itspenalty, as cursing all who disobey it . For itis not the first end of the law to curse men , butonly what it demands since the entrance of sin .

Such is the right of the law . The Gospel doesnot take away this right ; for it does not makevoid the law

, Rom. iii. 31, but establishes it .In those

,therefore, who are saved by the Gos

pel, they being all sinners, both the one and theother of the rights of the law are fulfilled inChrist

,who is the end or fulfilling of the law

for righteousness to every one that believeth,Rom. x. 4 . His people having sinned, he fulfilsits right as to them

,in suff ering the punishment

of sin ; namely, the curse Of the law, to savethem from punishment. And to introduce theminto life

,he accomplishes its proper or original

right, according to which he that doeth thosethings shall live in them . For if the Gospelestablishes the law, it must do so as to its firstend , and it must also do so as to its end sincethe entrance of sin

,otherwise the law would

,as

to those who are saved, rather be abolished thanfulfilled by the Gospel . In this way Christ hasfully satisfied t he law; having fulfilled its r ight

ROMANS, VI I I . 4. 207

eousness—all that conformity to it in every r e

spect, and under every aspect, and as to everystate of those who are under it, whiiih

'

it demands. And as his people are in him, so thelaw is thus, in all its extent, fulfilled in them,

which is the v ery circumstance in which theirjustification consists . For if they are one body,or one with him, as the Apostle had beenshowing, his righteousness is their r ighteousn ess . Such being their communion with himthat they sit with him in heavenly places, Eph .

ii . 6 ; by the same communion his righteousnessis their righteousness— 2 Cor. v . 21.

The end, then, of Christ’s mission was thatthe righteousness of the law might be fulfilledin his people . Here we see the ground on

which believers are saved . It is in a way consistent with the law, a way in which righteousn ess is fulfilled in them, even the righteousnesso f the law . The mercy, then , which saves sinners does not interfere with justice ; They whoare saved by mercy have that very righteousn ess which the law demands . In Chr ist theyh ave paid the penalty of their disobedience, andin Christ they have yielded obedience to every

p recept of the law . This fulfilling of the lawcannot mean that righteousness which believersare enabled to perform by the Holy Spirit, intheir regenerate state . For it is Obvious that


this is not the righteousness of the law . Thevery best of all their actions and thoughts comeshort of the perfection which the law demands ;besides, its penalty would in this way be unfulfilled . They are indeed sanctified, bu t theirsanctification is far from being commensuratewith the claims of the holy law, either as to itspenalty or its precept.Here there is solid consolation for the believer

in Jesus . For divested as he is of righteousness in himself, he enjoys the blessedness ofhaving the righteousness of God— the righteousness of his Lord and Saviour imputed to him,

so that the law which had been br oken is fulfilled in him in all its precepts and in its fullpenalty .

Whowa lk not accor d ing to theflesh, but accor ding to the Sp ir it-This is a repetition of thelast clause of the first verse, characterising thosein whom the righteousness of thelaw is fulfilled.

They are not walking according to the covenantof works, but according to that covenant of

which the Lord Jesus is the spirit . All menwho profess to worship God in any form walkby nature according to the flesh . As man wasoriginally placed under ' the law to live by hisObedience to it, so ever since it has been brokenbe naturally seeks justification by the works Ofthe law. This is ful ly verified by the children



there is no condemnation , and in whom therighteousness of the law is by him fulfilled .

V. 5 . -For they tha t a r e af ter theflesh d o mind the things ofthe fl esh but they tha t a r e afl er the Sp ir it the things of the

This appears to confirm the explanation thathas been given of the last clause of the firstverse and of the fourth , for the Apostle heredistinguishes between walking after the fleshand minding the things of the flesh, and betweenwalking after the Spirit and minding the thingsof the Spirit . As he had proved that unionwith Christ is necessary to justification, he hereshows that its certain consequence is also sanctification , while they who do not possess it arestill under the dominion of sin .

For they that a r e af ter theflesh do mind thethings of the fl esh—This verse connects withthe one that precedes it

,and states the different

eflects that follow from walking according tothe flesh , or according to the Spirit . If a manwalks according to the flesh, seeking, as hasbeen explained, acceptance with God by hisown works, mor al or ceremonial, however earn est Or sincere he may be in such endeavours,he will remain under the p r evalence and domin ion of sinful appetites . Such persons attendto the things

,

that gratify their corrupt nature .

They have no relish for spiritual things . What

ROMAN S, VI I I . 5 . 211

ever they may be induced to do from fear or

hOpe of reward, with respect to a future world,they have no desire but for the things

'

Of thisworld ; and whatever may be their professionof religion, they are supremely engrossed withearthly things . If they could Obtain a continuation of them through eternity, they wouldgladly accept it instead of all the glories ofheaven .

But they tha t a r e af ter the Sp ir it the things ofthe Sp ir it. —They who seek acceptance withGod by faith in him who is The Lord, theSpirit,

”2 Cor. iii . 17 , attend to spiritual things .

Jesus Christ is the source of every blessing, andthey who are in him are not only justified , on

account Of which there is no condemnation tothem, but also walk in holiness of life. Suchpersons employ their thoughts and efforts aboutthe things of God . To these they attend, andset their affections on them . None will seekthose things which are above

,but they who

serve God in newness of spiri t.On the verse before us

,Mr Adam remarks,

For they that are after the flesh (that is, ac

cording to the common interpretation, not ledand govern ed

’

by the Spirit in practice, stillunder the direction of the flesh

,and its sinful

appetites,’ says Mr Lock), do mind the things

of the flesh : (very tr ue ; but then this is only


affirming a thing of itself, or saying it twiceover . And, therefore, to clear St Paul of thisabsurdity, we suppose, that by they that areafter the flesh,

’ hemeans those who are destituteof faith, or not in Christ ; and of them he af

firms, that let them pretend to do what theywill, they are still under the prevalence of fleshand its appetites, and cannot act from a higherprinciple, or a nature which they have not . Andit must be observed that he is now advancing astep farther in the doctrine of faith , and besidesthe necessity of it in order to justification, showing its happy effects as a principle of holiness)but they that are after the Spirit ; (in the Spirit

’sdispensation of grace, through faith ; and saythat Jesus is the Lord by the Holy Ghost, bywhom only they can say it

,mind the things of

the Spirit, now possessing and rulingV. 6 .

-For to be ca r na lly minded is death but to be sp ir it

ua lly minded is life a nd p eace

In the preceding verse the Apostle speaks of

the dispositions and practices of believers andunbelievers here he contrasts their Oppositestates and conditions . These two states Of carnal and spiritual mindedness include and dividethe whole world . All men belong either to the

one or the other . They are either in the flesh orin the Spirit

,in a state Of nature, or in a state of

grace . For to be ca r na llyminded is death.—This


ROMANS, VI I I .

will . It is altogether the opposite of what isdeclared in the following verse concerning thecarnal mind as enmity against God . Whilethere is nothing so miserable for man as warwith his Creator, there is nothing so blessed aspeace and communion with God . It Is peacein the conscience , in opposition to doubt, forwhich the Church of Rome contends, as if theeff ect of being spiritually minded, instead of

peace and confidence in God, was servile fearand distrust. That Church maintains that theman who is regenerated should doubt Of hissalvation, and be uncertain of God’s love tohim . What, then, becomes of this peace thatflows from being spiritually minded— whichpasseth all understanding, keeping the heartand mind through Christ Jesus— this peace

,

which is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and acharacteristic of the kingdom of God , Rom .

xiv. 17 . The peace here spoken of is opposedto the terrors of conscience which the unr egenerate experience, and to every idea of peace theycan imagine . There is no peace, saith theLord, unto the wicked .

” But again it is said,

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whosemind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth intheef

’

V. 7 ,—Because the ca r nal mind is enmity aga inst God j b r

it is not subj ect to the law of God , neither indeed can be.

ROMANS,VI I I . 7 . 215

Because the car nal mind is enmity against

God -This is the reason why the carnal mindis pun ished with death .

'

The mind Of the flesh,

or of man in his unconverted state, walkingaccording to the flesh, in its best as well as inits worst character— whether seeking acceptancewith God by its own services , or following altogether the course of this world, is not merelyan enemy

,but enmity in the understanding ,

will, and aff ections against God . Every manwho has his heart set on this world hates God—1 John, ii . 15 ; and every one who has notbeen renewed in his mind by the Spirit of Godhas h is heart set on this world . Men of thischaracter, however, have no notion that theyhate God . Nay, many of them profess to lovehim. But God ’s testimony is, that they ar e

his enemies ; and his testimony is to be takenagainst the united testimony of all men . This,however, does not suppose that men may not

be conscious of having love to God in the char acter in which they View him . But such acharacter is not the character which God willacknowledge as his . It is a God of their own

fancy . A man may love a god who is the idolof his own vain imagination , and who he supposes will save him in his sins, a god of mercywithout jus tice . But this man abhors the justGod and the Saviour

, who is the God of the


Scriptures . He that cometh to God mustbelieve that he is . —Heb . xi. 6 . He mustbelieve that he is what he is . ’le

For it is not subj ect to the law of God — Thecarnal mind is not under subjection to the lawof God . Whatever it may do to obtain salvation or avoid wrath , it does it not from subjection to the law. It has a rooted aversion tothe spiritual law of God . Every thing it performs Springs from selfish motives, and a hopethat, on account of what it does, it will beaccepted whereas the holy law of God utterlyrejects all such service. So far from givingthe law all it demands, the carnal mind givesit nothing. Nothing which it does constitutesobedience to the law . The law does not in anydegree, or in any instance, recognise the works ofthe carnal mind as obedience to its requirements .Neither indeed can be.

—Not only is it a matter of fact, that the carnal mind is not subject tothe law of God , but such subjection is impossible . Sin cannot be in subjection to the law .

This would be a contradiction in terms . For ,

so far as it would be subject to the law Of God,it would be holy . If, then , sin is essentially,and in direct terms, contrary to holiness, the

Of this passage Mr Tholuck gives a most extr aor dinar y ander r oneous inter pr etation ; which the r eader may see in the pamphlet r efer r ed to, p. 151.


2 18 ROMANS , VI I I . 7 .

j udges wickedly ; a good man wills that whichis good . In Scripture, it is said that God cannot deny himself ; that he cannot lie. Hisnature being perfectly holy, it is impossiblethat he can do what is wrong. On the otherhand , the wicked and condemned

’ Spirits cannotchoose what is holy . When the devil speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own ; for he is aliar, and the father of it .

” Man, therefore, inhis carnal state, chooses what is evil ; but hecannot choose what is good, not indeed becauseof any external Obligation, for in that case hewould not be criminal , but by reason of theOpposition of his perverse dispositions . He isinclined to do evil, and evil he will do . Can

the Ethiopian change his skin , or the leopardhis spots then may ye also do good, that areaccustomed to do ev il .” His language is, Ihave loved strangers, and after them will I go .

As for the word that thou hast spoken to usin the name of the Lord, we will not hearkenunto thee .” My people would not hearkento my voice, and Israel would have none of me .

”

They say unto God, Depart from us .”

De

part from us ; for we desire not the kn owledgeof thy ways We will not have this man toreign over us . Let us break their bands asunder, and cast their cords from us .

”

It is thus that wickedness proceedeth


from the wicked . Neither can a corrupt treebring forth good fruit.” Except a man beborn of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot seethe kingdom of God . Except a man beborn of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enterthe kingdom of God . How can ye believe,which receive honour one of another, and seeknot the honour that cometh from God only ?No man can come to me except the Father

which hath sent me draw him .

” Thereforesaid I unto you, that no man can come unto meexcept it were given unto him of my Father.”

The natural man receiveth not the things ofthe Spirit of God for they are foolishness untohim ; neither can he know them because theyare Spiritually discerned .

” Their ear isu ncircumcised , and they cannot hearken .

”How

can ye being evil speak good things for out Ofthe abundance Of the heart the mouth speaketh .

”

The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot

receive . Why do ye not understand myspeech even because ye cannot hear my word .

No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, butby the Holy Ghost.”

According,then

,to Scripture

,the natural man

is entirely incapable of choosing what is good,although it is his duty, and fit that it should be”

enjoined upon him . He is without strength .

”

-Rom. v . 6 . Men in this state are represented

ROMANS , VI I I . 7 .

as walking according to the Prince of the powerof the air, the Spirit that now worketh in thechildren of disobedience as being under thepower of Satan,

” and “ taken captive by himat his will .” They are his lawful captives, because they are so volun tarily . From this Sla

very they cannot be freed but by means of theword of God, the sword of the Spirit, which theLord employs ; granting to those to whom itseemeth good the blessing of regeneration ;distributing his gifts, and dividing to every

man severally as he will .” It is God whohath delivered us

,says the Apostle, from the

power of dar knessf and hath translated us intothe kingdom of his dear Son .

” Who workethin you both to will and to do of his good pleasure . If the Son shall make you f r ee, yeshall befi ee indeed .

”

When God purposes to do good to men, hefulfils to them this gracious promise, I willgive them a heart to know me .

” It was thispreparation of heart that David prayed to God

to grant to his son Solomon . At the same timehe acknowledged with gratitude that his own

willingness to off er to God, of which he wasconscious

,and that of his people, were from

him. After celebrating the praises of Jehovah,David says, But who am I, and what is mypeople, that we should be able to offer so


22 2 ROMANS,VI I I . 7 .

View. Natural inability consists in a defect inthe mind or body, which deprives a man of thepower of knowing or doing any thing, howeverdesirous he may be Of knowing or doing it .Natural inability, then, can never render a mancriminal . Moral inability consists in an aversionso great to do any thing, that the mind, thoughacting freely, cannot overcome it, that is, thoughit chooses, without any extern al impulse or constraint . When this aversion exists to what isgood, it is inseparable from blame, and thegreater this aver sion is, the greater is the criminality . All men are daily accustomed to makethese distinctions, and according to this rulethey constantly form their opinion of the conduct of others .It is impossible, in the nature of things, that

the eternal rules of the justice of God can ceaseto demand of reasonable creatures perfect Obedience . To say that the moral inability of man

to obey the law of God destroys or weakens inthe smallest degree his obligation to obey thatlaw, is to add insult to rebellion . For what isthat moral inability It is no other than aversion to God, the depraved inclination Of thecarnal mind, which not

;

only entertains andcherishes enmity against God, but which is itself that enmity . And let it not be said thatthe idea the Scriptures give of the natural de

ROMANS,VII I. 7 . 223

pravity of men , and of the sovereign and efficacious grace of God, reduces them to the conditionOf machines . Between men and machin es thereis this essential diff erence, and it is enough forus to know, that man is a voluntary agent bothin the state of nature and of grace. He willsand acts according to his own dispositions, whilemachines have neither thought nor w ill . As

long as a man’s will is depraved and opposed toGod

, his conduct will be bad ; he will fulfil thedesires of the flesh and of the mind ; and on theother hand, when God gives the sinner a newdisposition

,and a new spirit, his conduct will

undergo a corresponding change .Is it obj ected, that if a man be so entirely

corrupt that he cannot do what is right, heshould not be blamed for doing what is evil ?To this it is sufficient to observe, that if therebe any force in the Objection, the more a voluntary agent is diabolically wicked , the more innocent he should be considered . A creature isnot subj ect to blame if he is not a voluntaryagent ; but if he be so , and if his dispositions andhis will were absolutely wicked , he woul d certainly be incapable of doing good, and accordingto the above argument he could not be blamedfor doing evil . On this ground the Devil mustbe excused

,nay

,held perfectly innocent in his

desperate and irreconcilable enmity against God .


A consequence so monstrous totally destroysthe force of the Objection whence it is deduced .

But if the Obj ection be still pressed,if any one

proudly demands who hath resisted his will, whyhath he made me thus the only proper answeris that Of the Apostle, Nay but, 0 man , whoart thou that repliest again st God ? ”

Some, indeed, taking a di ff erent and the mostcommon view of this matter, deny the innatedepravity of their nature, and in spite of all thatthe Scriptures declare on this subj ect, persist inmaintaining that they have not an inclination toevil, and that they are under no moral incapacity to do what is right . To such persons thesame reply should be made as that of our Lordto the ignorant voung man

'

who asked him whathe should do to Inherit eternal life . If thouwilt enter into life, keep the commandments .

”

You cannot refuse to admit that this is yourduty . You ought to love God with all yourheart and soul

,and strength, and in all things

constantly to obey him . Have you done so ?NO Then on your own principles you arejustly condemned, for you say that y ou can dowhat is right, and yet you have not done it : Ifthen you 'will not submit unconditionally, andwithout reserve, to be saved in the way whichthe Gospel points out, in which you learn at

Once your malady and the remedy of which you



reconciled, and his children .—Rom. V. 10. And

Since there are still remains Of the flesh, and eu’mity against God and his holy law in our minds

,

we ought to deny ourselves daily, and flee tohim who can and will entirely deliver us fromthe body of this death .

V. 8 .—So then they tha t a r e in theflesh cannot p lease God .

This is the resul t of what has been said. Aman must be born again before he can even begin to serve God . How unscriptural and pern icious, then , is that system which teaches mento seek to please God by commencing a religiouslife, that God may be induced to co-Operatewith them in their further exertions . If theman who is not born again cannot please God ,every act of the sinner before faith must be displeasing to God . An action may be materiallygood in itself ; but unless it proceed from a rightmotive—the love Of God, and be directed toa right end, his glory— it cannot be acknowledged by God . Before a man’s services canbe acceptable

,his person must be accepted, as

it is said, The Lord had respect unto Abel,and to his Off ering.

” Without faith it is impossible to please God . It is by faith we areunited to Christ, and so reconciled to God ; andtill this union and reconciliation take place, therecan be no communion with him . If, then, noman who is in the flesh, that is, in his natural

ROMANS , VHI . 9 . 227

or unconverted state, can please God , how dreadful is the situation of those who dO

w

not evenprofess to be renewed in the spirit Of their mind .

How many are there who discard the idea of

regeneration . However specious may be theworks of such persons in the eyes of men , theycannot please God ; and not pleasing God , theymust abide the condemnation that awaits all hisenemies .

V. 9 .—But ye a r e not in the flesh, but in the Spir it, if so be

tha t the Sp ir it of God dwell in you . Now if any man ha ve not

the Sp ir it of Chr ist, he is none of his.

In the preceding verses the Apostle had givena description of carnal and Spiritual mindedness ,Here he applies what he had said to those whomhe was addressing . Ye a r e not in theflesh, butin the Sp ir it-This was the state of all in thechurch at Rome at that time . All belonging to itwere, as far as man could judge, saints, Ch . i . 7 ,the regenerated children of God . They werenot in the corrupt state of nature, but in theSpirit

,walking in the Spirit, renewed by the

Spirit Of God . How difler en t at that periodwas

‘the church at Rome from that which nowusurps its name . Not only are natural or carnal men recognised as its members , but, likethe temples of heathenism

,it is filled with abo

minations and filthiness . If so be the Sp ir it qfGod dwell in you.-The Apostle, in order to

ROMANS, VI I I. 9 .

confirm those to whom he wrote in the assuranceof their happy condition , now calls their attentionto the evidence of being in a converted state ;namely, the indwelling Of the Holy Spirit .Hereby we know that we dwell in him,

andhe in us, because he hath given us Of his Spirit .”—1John , iv. 13 . In the indwelling of theHoly Spirit is included his gracious and con

tinuing presence and his operation in the soul .The eff ects of these are illumination, sanctification, supplication, and consolation . The indwelling Of the Spirit is a sure evidence of a r enewed state ; and believers should be careful notto grieve the Spirit, and should labour to enjoya constant sense Of his presence in their hearts .Now, or rather, But if any man have not the

Sp ir it of Chr ist, he is none of his—Here is anecessary reservation . If the Spirit of God didnot really dwell in them, they were still in theflesh , notwithstanding all their profession andall their present appearances . And no doubtsome will be found to have escaped for a timethe pollutions of the world, who may afterwardsShow that ' they were never renewed in heart .Many ridicule the pretensions of those who speakOf the Holy Spirit as dwelling in believers ; yet ifthe Spirit of God dwell not in any, they are stillin the flesh that is, they are enemies to God .

The same Spirit that is called the Spirit Of


2 30 ROMANS, VI I I . 10.

Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, entered theheavenly sanctuary, that God having acceptedhis sacrifice, he might, asMediator, be made thesource of all grace to communicate it to his church .

V. l O.—And if Chr ist be in you, the body is dead because of

sin but the Sp ir it is life because of r ighteousness.

We have here a remarkable example of theaccuracy with which the Scriptures are written .

The Apostle does not say that the body is dead ,and the Spirit alive or living or that the bodyis death, and the Spirit life. Either of thesewould have formed the natural contrast ; butneither would have conveyed the importan tsense of this passage, but, on the contrary, afalse one. He says the body is dead , and theSpirit is li e. The body is not death , that is,in a state Of everlasting death . It is only dead,and shall live again . On the other hand, theSpirit is not merely said to be alive, which itmight be

,although under sentence of death

,

afterwards to be inflicted ; but it is life, In thesense of that declaration of our Lord, Hethat hath the Son hath life ;

” and He thateateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hatheternal life . The body is dead on account ofsin ; that is, the body is not only mortal, butmay

,in some sense, be said to be already dead,

being under sentence of death, and in constant


progress towards dissolution . It remains withits infirmities unaltered . There is nog differ ence

between the body of the wicked man and thebody of the believer . Every one may perceivea difference in their minds . The believer’s bodyis dead because of sin, according to the originalsentence, Dust thou art, and unto dust shaltthou return . But the Spirit is life—possessedof life eternal, in virtue of its union with himwho is the life .”

The Apostle having aflirmed in the secondverse, that the law of the Spirit of life hadmade him free from the law of sin and death ;and having declared in the third and fourthverses, in what manner we are freed from thelaw as the law of sin, it remained for him toshow how we are freed from it as the law of

death, which accordingly he does in this andthe following verse . In the seventh and eighthverses, he had confirmed his declaration in thesixth, that to be carnally minded is death ; henow illustr ates his other declaration, tha t to bespiritually minded is life . He admits, however,that, notwithstanding the believer

’s communionwith Christ, the body is dead ; but to this heOpposes the double consolation Of the eternallife of our souls on account of the righteousnessof Christ, and, in the next verse, the resurrectiono f our bod ies by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit .

ROMANS, VI I I . 10.

There IS In this verse a triple opposition first,Of the body to the soul ; second, of a state ofdeathto

'

a state of life ; third, of sin to righteousness .It was necessary to remove the objection that isreplied to in this verse, especially as the Apostlehad said, that to those who are in Christ Jesusthere is no condemnation . Whence then, it mightbe asked, does it happen that we who are in hima r e still subject to death like other men Heanswers, If Jesus Christ be in you the body indeed is dead because of sin, but the Spirit islife because of righteousness . In what follows,he abundantly shows that the temporary suff erings of believers, among which is the death Ofthe body, are not worthy to be compared withthe glory that shal l be revealed in them ; andthat in the mean-time all things that happen tothem are working for their good . The termbody is , in this verse, to be taken, as is evidentfrom the following verse

,in its literal significa

tion ; and by the spirit, as Opposed to it, ismeant the soul, as in the 16th Verse, whereour spirits are distinguished from the Holy

And , or rather, But if Chr ist be in yaw—TheApostle had just affirmed, that if any man havenot the Spirit of Christ he is none Of his ; butif he be in us, then the consequences here statedfollow. Jesus Christ, in regard to his Divine


234 ROMANS , VI I I . 10.

Spiritual death, Luke, ix . 6 0 ; Eph . II . 1. Natural death takes place at the separation of thesoul from the body, and after this life is thesecond or eternal death, which consists in everlasting destruction from the presence of theLord . It is only of the second or natural deaththat the Apostle here speaks

, for believers aredelivered from the first and the third . He saysthe body is dead, to show that it is the lowestpart of man that for a time is aff ected by death,as it is said, Then shall the dust return to theearth as it was.

— Ecc1. xii . 7 .

Because of sin — First for the sin Of Adam,

By one man sin entered into the world anddeath by sin,

” and it was said by God, “ In theday that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surelydie. Secondly, for the remainder of sin thatis in our members . But why do believers die,since death is the punishment of sin, and Godhath remitted to them this punishmen t for theApostle shows, chap . iv. , that their sins are notimputed to them ; in chapter Vi. , that they aredead to sin ; and in the beginning of the chapterbefore us, that there is no condemnation to themwhich are in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ, too,has made complete satisfaction for the punishment Of their sins, sin having been condemnedin his flesh. The Apostle also says, Christhas redeemed us fr om the curse Of the law, being.

ROMANS, VI II . 10. 235

made a curse for us ; but death is among thecurses of the law we must then distinguishbetween death considered in itself, and in itsnature, and as having changed its nature inJesus Christ our Lord . In itself death is thepunishment of sin and a cur se of the law, andit is such to the wicked and unbelievers . Butby the work of Christ it is to his people no morethe punishment Of sin but the destruction Of sin .

It is no more a curse of the law, but is changedinto a blessing, and has become the passage toeternal life, and the entrance into the heavenlyparadise .

That believers die, does not, then, in the leastdegree, derogate from the complete satisfactionof Jesus Christ, and the perfect redemption fromthe curse of the law ; since their death is not apunishment of sin, in vindictive justice, as allthe afflictions of this life as well as death are tothe enemies of God. But by Jesus Christ inrespect to those whom the Father hath given tohim, and who are united to him, God acts inmercy, and afflictions and death are only chastisemen ts from his fatherly hand ; trials of theirfaith , and salutary discipline, as the Apostle inthis chapter declares, that al l things work to~

gether for their good ; and in the first Epistle tothe Corinthians

, iii. 22 , that all things are theirs,whether life or death . Without then making

ROMANS , VI I I . 10.

void the first sentence awarding death, God hasformed another covenant, which is that of grace,according to which those who partake in thedeath of Christ, by which that sentence was, asto them, carried into full execution, must indeeddie ; but death to them is swallowed up in Victory ; and instead of the day of their death beinga day of punishment of Sin , it is a day of triumphover death . For as to their bodies, they derivefrom the grave what is contrary to its naturalcharacter. They are sown in corruption , butit is to rise in incorruption . They are sown inweakness, but it is to rise in power . They aresown in dishonour, but it is to rise in glory .

They are sown natural bodies, but it is to r iseSpiritual bodies . And as to the soul, death indeed separates it from the body, but transmitsit to God . It is evident, then, that such a deathis not the punishmen t Of sin, or the curse Of thelaw . Its end and use to the regenerate is toextirpate and destroy the sin that remains inthem ; they must die in order to be purified .

The inherence of that Vicious quality has SO corr upted our bodies, that, like the leprous house,they must be taken down and renewed, to bepurified from sin . AS the

;

grain is not quickenedexcept it die, in the same way our bodies dieand perish in the dust to be revived and reconstructed in holiness .


238 ROMANS, vm . l o.

tion, regards death with fear, in which it seesits destruction . The eye of the flesh, which isenmity against God, regards it with still greaterdread, perceiving in it the summons to standbefore the tribunal of God . But the believer,by the eye of faith, discovers in death what dissipates the fears of nature, and repels the despairof the flesh . To nature which apprehends itsdestruction, faith opposes the weakness of death,which cannot prevent the resurrection ; and tothe condemnation which the flesh apprehends,Opposes that life which it discovers under themask of death . It sees, that though its appearance be terrific, yet in Christ it has lost its sting.

It is like the phantom walking on the sea whichapproached to the terrified disciples, but it wasJesus Christ their Lord and Saviour . If unknown evils be apprehended that may happenin death, the believer remembers that the veryhairs of his head are all numbered . Jesus whois with him he knows will not abandon him . Hewill not permit him to be tempted above whathe is able to bear, for precious in the sight ofthe Lord is the death of his saints .” ThoughI walk through the valley of the shadow of deathI will fear no evil ; for thou art with me, thyr od and thy staff they comfort me.”

But the Sp ir it is lifi3.—To the fact that thebody 1s dead, the Apostle here opposes, as a


ground of comfort, the consideration that oursoul s are lzfi’

. The life here spoken of is thelife of God in the soul it is the new and eternal life which his Spirit communicates in regener ation The souls of believers are possessedof this spiritual life, of which the Scriptures inform us when they say that God hath quickened us together with Christ . “ Whoso eatethmy flesh and drinketh my blood ha th eternallife. It is life and eternal life already possessed, and the commencement of that gloriouslife which shall be enjoyed in heav en . It is theblessing which the Lord commands, even lifefor evermore . This life, which, being born edown by so many encumbrances here, is stillfeeble and but imperfectly enjoyed, shall, in theworld to come

,flourish in full vigour and with

out any abatement . It is the life of our Lordand Saviour, subsisting in him and derived fromhim. In him his people shall rise, and live, andlive for ever. He himself hath said, I am the

resurrection and the life : he that believeth inme, though he were dead, yet shall he live : andWhosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shallnever die .”

Because of r ighteousness .—Here a great diffi

culty is removed ; for it may be said, if our

bodies are dead because of sin , how is it thatour souls are life, since they ar e stained with sin ,

2 40 ROMANS , VII I . 10.

and that it is on account of their sinfulness thatour bodies are infected with the same maladyThe Apostle, in answer, brings into View therighteousness of him who is in us , and showsthat it is on account of his righteousness that oursouls are life . And this necessarily follows forif we have such communion with our Lord andSaviour, that we are flesh of his flesh and boneof his bones, that we are his members, and if heand we are one, his righteousness must be ours ;for where there is one body, there is one righteousness. On the other hand, through the sameunion our sins have been transferred to him, asis said by the Prophet Isaiah The Lord hathlaid on him the iniquities of us all .” And theApostle Peter says, that he bore our sins inhis own body on the tree he bore their punishment . He was made sin for us who knew nosin, that we might be made the righteousness ofGod in him.

” An exchange,then , of sin and

righteousness has taken place. He has beenmade sin by imputation , and we al so by impu

tation are made righteousness . Jesus Christ,as being the Surety of the new covenant, hasappeared before God for us, and consequently

his righteousness is ours .In the verse before us we have an undeniable

proof of the imputation to us of righteousness,for otherwise it would be a manifest contr adic



being condemned” in him ; from the powerof death they are released by his resurrection .

On Jesus Christ, then, the sure foundation, isthe whole of our salvation built . In him Godis well pleased . Through him the Holy Spiritcomes . He is the Alpha and the Omega . Heis the All in All .

Q uicken your mor ta l bod ies-From this itappears that as to their substance the bodies ofbelievers will, in their r esur r ection ,

i

be the sameas those that died . Though after my skinworms

”

destroy this body, yet in my flesh shallI see God.

”— Job, xix . 2 6 . Thy dead men

shall live, together with my dead body shallthey arise . Awake and sing, ye that dwell inthe dust : for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, andthe earth shall cast out the dead .

”— Isa . xxvi . 19 .

The soul of each man will be reunited to his ownbody in which he has done good or evil . Foras the body is the organ of the soul in thisworld, so it must -participate in the felicity orpunishment that shall follow, either as the wholeman c has remained

'

under the law or has beenreceived into the covenant of grace . But as tothe qualities of the bodies of believers, thesew ill be diff erent from what they were bere,

' asthe Apostle teaches, 1Cor . xv. 50. For as inthis world they have borne the image of thefirstman , who was of the earth, ear thy ; so in the


resurrection, when this corruptible shall put onincorruption , they shal l bear the image

'

o f thesecond man,which is heavenly, the bodies of theirhumiliation being fashioned like unto the glori

ous body of the Son of God , Phil . iii. 21. What,then

,will be the condition of the soul in pro

p ortion to such a body ? Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of

their Father .”

Mr Stuart explains the quickening of ourmortal bodies, as signifying Will make themactive instruments .” But we do not see anyalteration made in this world on the bodies ofbelievers . They are, indeed, made active instruments, but this is not by any change on theirbodies, but in the mind which governs them .

Besides, any change that in this respect mightbe supposed to take place on the members of thebody, would take place at the renewing of themind . But the change here spoken of looksforward to something future, which has not yettaken pla ce. Dr Macknight paraphrases thewords thus, Will make even your dead bodies ,your animal passions,together with the mem

bers of your mor tal bod ies a live, that is, subserVient to the spiritual life .’ But animal passions, under the figure of dead bodies, mustmeanthe animal passions as they are sinful, and sin is

ROMANS, VI II . 11.

never turned into holiness . The flesh is not sub

ject to the law of God, and never will be .The indwelling of the Holy Spirit

,who com

municates life to those who are habitations of

God through him,2is here set before believers asa pledge that their bodies shall not remain underthe power of death . This indwelling

,which

renders their resurrection certain, imports hislove, his government, and his care to adornand to beautify the temple in which he resides ;and the end of it is to confer everlasting life

,

everlasting purity, and everlasting communion .

There is too much majesty and glory belongingto the blessed Spirit to allow those bodies, inwhich he dwelt as his temple, to lie for ever inruins in the dust . And God, who raised up JesusChrist from the dead, that great shepherd ofthe sheep

,through the blood of the everlasting

Covenant, will, in virtue of that blood, whichpurchased not only the redemption of the soul ,but also of the body, v. 23 , raise up the bodiesof his people . Here the power and efficacy of

the three glorious persons of the Godhead arebrought into View as securing the complete r eestablishment of the bodies of believers, which,

’

though at present mortal , shall hereafter partakein all the glories and blessedness of eternal life .

This concurrence of the power of the Godhead in the plan of redemption, is established in


246 ROMANS , VI I I . 12 .

To this inequality of office such passages asthe following ought to be referred My Father is greater than I,

” John,xiv. 28 and that

in 1Cor . xv. 28 , where it is said, Then shallthe Son also himself be subject unto him ;

thus terminating his mediatorial office in deliver ing up the kingdom by an act of humiliation ,in the same way as he had entered upon it . Forin neither of these texts is any personal inequality spoken of between the Father and the Son ;but of an inequality of office, according to whichthe Father is greater than the Son, and the Soninferior to the Father.The resurrection of Christ, in the passage

before us, is ascribed to the Father ; but inother places this is also ascribed to the Sonhimself. The Father, and the Son , then, mustbe one God . It is only those in whom theSpirit of God that raised Jesus from the deaddwells, who shall have their mortal bodies quickened by that Spirit, so as to rise again in glory .

Chris t, indeed, will also raise his enemies , buthis own people will be made alive,— which isnever said of the wicked—to live with him in

glory for ever.

V. 12 . Ther ef or e, br ethr en, we a r e debtor s, not to theflesh;to live af ter theflesh

This Is a consequence drawn from what theApostle had said with reference to the state of


enmity against God , and of death of those whoare in the flesh ; and likewise from what he hadbeen showing to be the great privilege of be

liever s, as being not in the flesh but in the Spiritas having the Spirit of God dwelling in them ;

and not only giving lif e to their soul s, but securing the future quickening and the raising of

their bodies . From all this he infers their obli

gation to live a holy life in walking according tothe Spirit in the character which he had shownbelonged to them. They were not then debtors tothe flesh, the state in which they were by nature,which is a state of corruption, guilt, and weakness, to live after the flesh, either to expect lifefrom its best efforts, or to obey it in the luststhereof. The ways of the flesh promise happiness, but misery is their reward. On the con

tr ar y, it is implied that they were debtors toGod, to whom they were under so great obligations as being redeemed from the law of sin andd eath, to serve and obey him in walking according to the Spirit in that new and d ivine naturewhich he had graciously imparted to them .

V. 13 .—For if ye live af ter the f lesh, ye sha ll d ie but if ye

thr ough the Spir it do mor tify the deeds of the body, ye sha ll live.

For if ye l ive af ter thef lesh— If ye live agreeably to your carnal nature

,without Christ and

faith in him,and according to the corrupt prin;

ciples that belong to ,

man in the state in which


he is born , ye shall die. Ye shall suffer all themisery that throughout eternity is the portionof the wicked, which is called death, as death isthe greatest evil in this world . This denouncesthe wrath of God against all who do not live toGod, and seek salvation in the way he has appointed, however harmless, and even useful theymay be in society. At the same time

,it proves

that nothing that can be done by man in a stateof nature, in his best eff orts and highest attainments, will lead to God and to life . The Apostlethus repeats what he had affirmed in the sixthverse, that to be carnally minded is death .

But if ye thr ough the sp ir it domor tify the deeds

of thebody .—The deeds of the body are theworks

which corrupt nature produces . The believerd oes not walk according to them or indulgethese, but mor tifies them or puts them to death.

Those to whom the Apostle wrote had mortifiedthe deeds of the body, yet they are here calledto a further mor tification of them,

which importsthat this is both a gradual work, and to be continued and persevered in while we are in theworld . This shows that the sanctification of thebeliever is progressive .

Some persons have objected to the doctrineof progressive sanctification , and have conceivedthat it is a very great error. They hold thatthere is no more progress in sanctification than


250 ROMANS, VII I . 13.

so, according to the degree of faith will be thedegree of sanctification . But all Christians arenot equal in faith, neither then are they equalin sanctification ; and as a Christian advances infaith, he advances in sanctification . If he maysay, Lord increase my faith, he may likewisesay, Lord increase my sanctification . In ChristJesus there are little children, young men , andfathers . 1John, ii . 12 .

Thr ough the Sp ir it — It is through the powerof the Holy Spirit, who testifies of Christ andhis salvation, and according to the new naturewhich he communicates, that the believer mortifies his sinful propensities . It is not then of

himself he is able to do this . No man overcomes the cor r uptibns of his heart but by theinfluence of the Spirit of God . Though it isthe Spirit of God who enables us to mortifythe deeds of the body, yet it is also said thatwe do it . We do this through the Spirit . TheHoly Spirit works in men according to the constitution that God has given them. The samework is, in one point of View, the work of God ,and in another the work of man .

Ye sha ll live— Here eternal life is promisedto all who

,through the Spirit, mortify the deeds

of the body. The promises of the Gospel arenot made to the work, but to the worker ; andto the worker , not for his work, a

but accor ding

ROMANS,VI I I. 14 . 251

to his work, for the sake of Christ’s work . The

promise, then, of life is not made to mthe workof mor tification , but to him that mor tifies hisflesh ; and that not for his mor tification , butbecause he is in Christ, of which this mor tifica

tion is the evidence . That they who mortifythe flesh shall live, is quite consistent with thetruth, that eternal life is the free gift of God ;and in the giving of it there is no respect to themerit of the receiver . This describes the char acter of all who shall receive etern al life ; andit is of great importance. It takes away allground of hOpe from those who profess to knowGod, and in works deny him.

V. l 4 .—For as many as a r e led by the Sp ir it of God , theya r e the sons of God .

Here is a proof of what had just been saidnamely, that if, through the Spirit, those whomthe Apostle addressed mortified the deeds of thebody, they should live ; for all who do so areled by the Spirit . The Holy Spirit leads thosein whom he dwells to the mor tification of sin .

He takes of the glory of the person of Jesus, asGod manifest in the flesh, and of his office, asthe one Mediator between God and man, anddiscovers it to his people . Convincing them of

their sinful condition , and of Christ’s righteous

ness, he leads them to renounce every thing of

their own,in the hope .of acceptance with God .


He teaches them as the Spirit of truth , shinesupon his own word, strives with them by it exter n ally, and internally by his grace conducts,guides, and brings them forward in the way ofduty, and, as the promised Comforter, fills themwith divine consolation . Thus he leads them toChrist, to prayer as the Spirit of grace and ofsupplications, to holiness, and to happiness .This shows us the cause why the children of

God, notwithstand ing their remaining ignoranceand depravity, and the many temptations withwhich they are assailed, hold on in the way of

the Lord. Lead me in thy truth, and teachme, for thou art the God of my salvation ; on

thee do I wait all the day.

” Thy Spirit isgood, lead me to the land of uprightness.

” Thisleading is enj oyed by none but Christians ; foras many as are led by the Spirit of God, theyare the sons of God .

The sons of God .— God has appointed that, in

two ways, his people should be his sons one isby adoption, the other is by birth . The Apostlehere, and in the following verses, exhibits fourproofs of our being the sons of God . The firstis our being led by the . Spirit of God ; thesecond is the Spirit of adoption which we r e

ceive, crying, Abba, Father ; the third is thewitness of the Spirit with our Spirits ; the fourthis our sufferings in the communion of Jesus


ROMANS, VI II. 15 .

on his preceding declaration, that as many asare led by the Spirit of God are the sons of

God . In confirmation of this, he reminds thosewhom he addresses, that they had not receivedthe spirit of bondage again to fear, but theSpirit of adoption, leading them to call on Godas their Father.The word spirit occurs twice in this verse .

In this chapter, as has already been remarked ,it is used in various senses . Sometimes it istaken in Scripture in a bad sense, as when it issaid, Isaiah, xix . 14 , The Lord hath mingleda perverse Spirit in the midst thereof; and again,Isaiah

,xxix . 10,

“ For the Lord hath pouredout upon you the Spirit of deep sleep .

” In theverse before us it is taken both in a bad sense,signifying a sinful aff ection of the mind, namely,the spirit of bondage, and in a good sense, siguifying by the Spirit of adoption, the Holy Spirit ;as in the pr eceding ver se, and likewise in theverse that follows

,where it is said, the Spirit

itself, and also in ' the parallel passage, Gal .iv. 3 , And because ye are sons, God hath sentforth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts ,crying, Abba, Father .

”

The sp ir it of bondage.-All who are not dead

to the law, and know of no way to escape divinewrath but by obeying ‘it,

'

must be under thespirit of bondage ; serving in the oldness of the

ROMANS, VI II . 15 . 55

letter, and not in newness of spirit. For so farfrom fulfilling the demands of the law; ~they failin satisfying themselves . A Spirit of bondagethen must belong to all who are not acquaintedwith God’s method of salvation .

The spirit of bondage is the effect of the law,

which manifesting his sinfulness to man, and thefearful anger of God

,makes him tremble under

the apprehension of its curse . The Apostle,comparing the two covenants, namely, the lawfrom Mount Sinai, and the Gospel from MountZion, says, that the one from Mount Sinaigendereth to bondage, which is Hagar, butJerusalem which is above is f r ee, .which is themother of all believers ; because , like Isaac,they are the children of the promise . Now, thispromise is the promise of grace . For as manhas sinned, the law which demands of him perfect obedience, and pronounces a curse againsthim who continues not in all things which itcommands, must condemn him, and reduce himto the condition of a slave,

'

who after he trans

gr esses expects nothing but punishment . Ont his account

, when'

God promulgated ,his law

amidst thunderings and lightnings, the mountain , trembled . This showed that man couldonly tremble under the law,

as he could not bejustified by it but that he must have recourseto another covenant, namely, the covenant of


grace, in which God manifests his mercy andhis love, in which he presents to sinners theremission of their sins, and the righteousness ofhis well-beloved son ; for in this covenant hejustifies the ungodly, Rom. iv. 5 , and imputes tothem righteousness without works . He makesthose his children who were formerly childrenof wrath, and gives the Spirit of adoption tothose who had before a Spirit of bondage andservile fear.Aga in to j ean—Paul uses the word again to

indicate a double opposition, the one of the stateof a man before and after his regeneration, theother of the New Testament and the Old . Be

fore regeneration , a man sensible that he is asinner, cannot but be apprehensive of punishment, not having embraced the way of theremission of his sins by Jesus Christ. Not thatit should be supposed that this is the case withall unregenerate men , or at all times, but onlywhen their consciences ar e awakened, summoning them before the judgment-seat of God .

For the greater part of them live in profanesecurity, having their consciences hardened without any apprehension of their ruined state . God,however

,often impresses that fear on those

whom he purposes to lead to the knowledge of

his salvation . But when they are born of theSpirit, this servile fear gives place to a filial fear


258 ROMANS , VI I I . 15 .

They were not come unto the Mount that mightbe touched, and that burned with fire, or to thelaw, the work of which is written in the heartsof “all men, which speaks nothing of mercy

,

but they were come to Mount Zion . It was thedesign of the sending of Christ that believers inhim might serve God without fear .—Luke, i . 7 4 .

Jesus Christ came that through death he mightdestroy death , and him that had the power Ofdeath, that is, the Devil , and to deliver themwho, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.—Heb . II. 14 . All themovements that the spirit of bondage excites ina man are only those of a slave ; selfish andmercenary motives of desire , hope of what willgive them happiness, and fear Of evil, but nomovement of love either for God or holiness, orof hatred Of sin.

.The passage before us, and many others , asthat Of 2 Tim. i . 7 God hath not given usthe spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, andOf a sound mind, teaches us that servile fearought to be banished from the minds of believers ;and that they receive such support as to deliverthem from the fear of the wrath of God andfuture punishment, and that in nothing shouldthey be terrified by their adversaries . For iffear of man , or of any evil from the world, deterthem from doing their duty j

to God, it arises


f rom the remains of carnal and unmor tified fear.But nothing is more unworthy of the-Gospel

,

or more contrary to its Spirit, which communicates support, j oy, peace, and consolation inevery situation in which the believer can beplaced. There is, indeed, as we learn fromother parts Of Scripture, a reverential fear of

God, impressed by a sense of his majesty, whichhis children should at all times cherish, whichis the beginning of wisdom ; but this fear isconnected with the consolations of the HolySpirit . Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, andwere edified ; and walking in the fear of the

Lord, and in the comfort Of the Holy Ghost,were multiplied .

” There is also a salutary fearwhich ought always to be maintained in ‘thehearts of Christians, from the consideration oftheir weakness, their propensity to evil, and thedanger from their spiritual enemies, with whomthey are surrounded . On this account they arecommanded to work out their salvation withfear and The Apostle Peter en

j oins ou those whom he addressed as elect untoObedience,through the foreknowledge Of God ,

as loving Jesus Christ, and as rejoicing in himwith joy unspeakable and full of glory, to passthe time of their sojourning here in fear, because they had been redeemed with the precious

ROMANS,VI I I . 15 .

blood of Christ This consideration shows howhorrible and dangerous is the nature Of sin,which works in our members. This fear implanted in the hearts of the children of God,tends to their preservation in the midst of dangers, as that instinctive fear, which exists in allmen , Operates to the preservation of natural life .But this fear is consistent with the fullest confidence in God , with love , and joyful hope of

eternal glory .

But ye have r eceived the Sp ir it of adop tion .

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of adoption,

either as the cause by which God makes us hischildren , or as the earnest and seal of our adoption . Contrary to the Spirit of bondage, theSpirit Of adoption produces in the heart a sense

of reconciliation with God , love to him, a regardto holiness, hatred of sin , and peace Of consciencethrough the knowledge Of the love of God inJesus Christ . It begets a desire to glorify Godhere on earth, and to enjoy the glory Of heavenhereafter . Formerly, in their unregenerate state,those to whom Paul wrote had the spirit Ofslaves

,now they had the spirit of sons .

Adop tion is not a work, Of grace in'

us, but anact of God’s grace without us . According tothe original word, it signifies putting ‘amongchildren . It is taking those who were by nature children of wrath fr om the family of Satan,



Father Of lights—a title permanent, and a nature divine and immortal .Our adoption reminds us of our original state

as children of wrath and rebellion,and strangers

to the covenant Of God. It presents to us thehonour to which God has called us, in becomingour Father and making us his children , including so many advantages, rights, and privileges,and at the same time imposing on us so manyduties . These may be comprised under fourhead s. The first regards the privilege andglory of having God for our Father, and beinghis childr en . The second includes the rightswhich this adoption confers, as Of free access toGod , the knowledge of his ways, and the assurance of his protection . The third implies thelove Of God for us , his j ealousy for our interest,and his care to defend us . The fourth, all theduties which the title or relation of childrenengages us to perform towards our Father andour God .

The term adoption is borrowed from the an

cient custom prevalent among the Romans, ofa man who had no children of his own adoptinginto his family the child of another . The fatherand the adopted child appeared before the Praetor, when the adopting father said to the child ,Wilt thou be my son and the child answered , I

ROMANS , VI I I . 15 . 263

will. The allusion to this custom reminds believer s that they are not the children-, Of Godotherwise than by his free and voluntary election ; and that thus they are under far morepowerful Obligations to serve him than theirown children to Obey them, since it is entirelyby his love and free good pleasure that theyhave been elevated to this dignity. We shouldalso remark the diff erence between the adoptionof man and the adoption of God . In choosinga son by adoption , the adopting party hasregard to certain real or supposed qualitieswhich appear meritorious or agreeable . ButGod , in adopting his people, himself producesthe qualities in them that are pleasing to him .

Man can impart his good s, and give his nameto those whom he adopts, but he cannot changetheir descent, nor tran sfer them into his ownimage . But God renders those whom he adoptsnot only partakers of his name and Of his blessings , but of his nature itself, changing andtransforming them in to his own blessed resemblance.Abba , Fa ther The interpretation which is

generally given of this expression is, that Paulemploys these two words, Syriacand Greek, theone taken from the language that was used bythe Jews

,the other from that Of the Gentiles,

to Show that there is no longer any distinction,


between the Jew and the Greek, and that allbelievers, in every nation, may address God astheir Father in their own language. It wouldrather appear that the Apostle alludes to thefact, that among the Jews slaves were notallowed to call a free man Abba . I cannothelp remarking” (says Claude in his essay on

the composition of a sermon) the ignoranceof Messieurs Of Port Royal, who have translated this passage, My Fa ther , instead of Abba ,Fa ther , under pretence that the Syriac wordAbba signifies Fa ther They did not knowthat S t Paul alluded to a law among the Jews,which forbade slaves to call a free man Abba ,or a free woman Imma . The Apostle meantthat we were no more slaves, but freed by JesusChrist, and consequently that we might cal l GodAbba , or we may call the Church Imma . Intranslating the passage

,then, the word Abba ,

although it be a Syriac word,and unknown in

our tongue, must always be preserved, for inthis term consists the force of the Apostle

’sreasoning.

”

Wher eby we cr y —The Spirit of adoption,which enables those who receive it to addressGod as their Father, gives filial dispositionsand filial confidence . Because ye are sons,God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son intoyour hearts, crying Abba, Father .

” —Gal . iv . 6 .



The effectual fervent prayer of a righteousman availeth much .

”

A second thing intimated by the term wecry,

” is that of the assurance and faith withwhich we ought to draw near to God . Thisexpression signifies that we addr ess God withearnestness and confidence and that, havingfull reliance in God’s promises, which he hathconfirmed, even with an oath , we should comeboldly unto the throne of grace, that we may ob

tain mercy, and find grace to help us in time of

need .

” We are also commanded to ask in faith ,nothing wavering, for we come before the throneof God by his beloved Son . We appear as hismembers, in Virtue Of his blood, by which our

sins, which would hinder our prayers from beingheard, are expiated, so that God has no more r emembr ance of them. It is on this ground thatwe pray with assurance, for as we cannot prayto God as our Father, but by his Son, so we cannot cry Abba, Father, but by him ; and on thisaccount Jesus says, I am the way, and thetruth, and the life ; no man cometh unto the Father but by me .” Thus, the consideration thatwe invoke God as our Father forms in believersa holy assurance, for as a Father pitieth his children

,so the Lord pitieth them that fear him .

Since,then, we call God our Father, as our Lord

teaches us to address him, we should do it with


the assurance of his love, and of his readiness tohear us . Thou shalt call me, My Father ; andthou shall not turn away from me,

” Jer . iii . 19 .

The word Father also indicates the substanceof our prayers, for when we can say no more toGod than O God, thou art our Father,

” wesay all, and comprehend in this all that wecan ask ; as the church said in its captivity ,Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abra

ham be ign orant of us .” Thus, in whateversituation the believer finds himself, the cryingAbba, Father, contains an appeal sufficient tomove the compassion of God . Is he in wanthe says Abba, Father, as if he said, O Lord,thou feedest the ravens , provide for thy son . Ishe in danger it is as if he said, have the samecare Of me as a father has for his child

,and let

not thy compassion and thy providence abandonme . Is he on the bed of death it is as if hesaid, since thou art my Father, into thy handsI commend my spirit . All acceptable prayermust proceed from the Spirit of adoption, andthe cry of the Spirit of adoption is no other than

The crying Abba, Father, then, denotes theearnestness and importunity in prayer to God

which is the effect Of the Spirit Of adoption inthe hearts Of the children Of God , as well asthat holy familiarity

,to the exercise of which, as


Viewing God sitting on a throne of grace, theyare encouraged . They call upon God, as theirFather, after the example of our Lord, who atall times addressed God in this manner duringhis ministry on earth, with only one exception ,when , under the pressure of the sins of his people,and the withdrawing of the light of his countenance, he addressed him not as his Father buthis God . After his resurrection, in like manner,he comforted his disciples with the consolatoryassurance that he was about to ascend to hisFather and their Father.The diff erent expressions which the Scriptures

employ to denote the filial relation of his peopleto God, are calculated to aid their conceptions,and to elevate their thoughts to that great andinefl

'

able blessing . One mode of expression

serves to supply what is wanting in another . Theorigin of the spiritual life, and the r e-establishe

ment of the image of God in the soul, are expressed by these words—bor n of God . But thatthey may

'

not forget the state of their naturalalienation from God , and in order to indicatetheir title to the heavenly inheritance, it is saidthat they are adop ted by God . And lest theyshould suppose that this adoption is to be attr ibuted to any thing meritorious in them, they areinformed that God has p r edestina ted them untothe adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, to



this testimony when we possess the consciousness Of cordially acquiescing in God’s plan ofsalvation, and of putting our trust in Christ ; andwhen we are convinced that his blood is suffi

cient to cleanse us from all sin, and know thatwe are willing to rest on it, and when in thisway

,and in this way alone, we drawnear to God

with a true heart, sprinkled from an evil conscience in the discernment of the efficacy of hisatonement, thus having the answer of a goodconscience towards God . And we have the abovetestimony confirmed to us when we experienceand Observe the effects of the renovation of oursouls in the work of sanctification begun andcarrying on in us ; and that not with fleshlywisdom

,but by the grace of God we have our

conversation in the world.

In all this the Holy Spirit enables us to ascertain our sonship, from being conscious of anddiscovering in ourselves the true marks of arenewed state . But to say that this is all thatis signified by the Holy Spirit’s testimony, wouldbe falling short of what is affirmed in this text ;

for in that case the Holy Spirit would only helpthe conscience to be a witness, but could not besaid to be a witness himself, even another witness besides the conscience, which the textasserts. What we learn therefore from it, is,that the Holy Spirit testifies to our Spirits in a


distinct and immediate testimony, and also withour Spirits in a concurrent testimony. This testimony

,although It cannot be explained, is never

theless felt by the believer ; it is felt by him too,

in its variations , as sometimes stronger andmorepalpable

,and at other times more feeble and less

discernible . As the heart knoweth its own bitter ness, in like manner a stranger does not intermeddle with the j oy communicated by this secrettestimony to our spirits . Its reality 1s indicatedin Scripture by such expressions as those of theFather and the Son coming unto us, and makingtheir abode with us— Christ manifesting himselfto us

,and his supp ing with us— his giving us the

hidden manna , and the white stone, denoting thecommunication to us of the knowledge of an acquittal from guilt, and a new name written, whichno man knoweth saving he that receiveth it .The love of God is shed abroad in our heartsby the‘Holy Ghost, which is given un to us .He that believeth on the Son Of God bath thewitness in himself.” 1John v . 10. This witnessing of the Spirit to the believer’s Spirit communicating consolation , iS

'

never his first work, but isconsequent on his other work Of renovation . Hefirst gives faith, and then seals . After that yebelieved ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit ofpromise . He also witnesseth with our spiri ts,graciously shining on his own promises—making

2 72 ROMANS, VI II . 16 .

them clear, assuring us of their truth , enablingour spirits to embrace them and to discover ourinterest in them. He witnesseth with our spiritsin all the blessedness of his gracious fruits

,dif

fusing through the soul love, and j oy, and peace.In the first method of his witnessing with our

spirits we are passive ; but in the last methodthere is a concurrence on our part with his testimony . The testimony of the Spirit

,then

,is

attended with the testimony of conscience, andis thus a co-witness with our Spirits . It mayalso be Observed that where this exists it bringswith it a disposition and promptitude for prayer .It is the testimony of the Spirit of adoptionwhereby we cry Abba, Father. It disposes thesoul to holiness .The important truth here affirmed, that the

Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirits, does notseduce believers from the written word, or exposethem to delusion s mistaken for internal revelations diff ering from the revelations of Scripture .This internal revelation must be agreeable toScripture revelation, and is no revelation of anew article of faith unknown to Scripture . Itis the revelation of a truth consonant to the wordof God , and made to a believer in that blessed book for his comfort . The Spirit testifiesto our sonship by giving an external revelationin the Scriptures that believers are the sons of



They are heirs according to the promise, Heb .

vi . 17 . Heirs of the promise, Gal . iii . 29 thatis, of all the blessings contained in the promiseof God, which he confirmed by an oath . Heirsof salvation, Heb . i . 14 . Heirs of the grace oflife, 1Pet . iii . 7 . Heirs according to the hopeOf eternal life

,Titus

,iii . 7 . Heirs of righteous

ness, Heb . xi . 7 . Heirs Of the kingdom whichGod hath promised, James, ii . 5 . All thingsare theirs, for they are Christ

’s, and Christ isGod’s, 1Cor . iii . 23 .

Heir s of God —This expression has a manifest relation to‘the title of son , which is given byadoption ; on which account the Apostle herejoins them togeth er . This teaches that believershave not only a right to the good things of God ;

but that they have this right by their adoption ,and not by merit . As the birthright Of a childgives it a title to the property Of its father, andso distinguishes such property from what itmay acquire by industry and labour

,so al so is

the case with adoption . Here we see the difference between the law and the Gospel . The

law treats men as mercenaries, and says, Do

this and live ; the Gospel treats them as children . God is the portion of his people, and inhim who is the possessor of heaven and earth ”

they inherit all things . He that overcomethshall inherit all things and I will be his God,


and he shall be my son . Rev . xxi . 7 . God is allsufficien t, and this is an all-sufficient inheritance .

God is eternal and unchangeable, and thereforeit is an eternal inheritance— an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled , and that fadeth not away .

They cannot be dispossessed of it— for the omnipotence of God secures against all opposition . Itis reserved for them in heaven, which is the throneof God , and where he manifests his glory. Itis God himself

, then, who is the inheritance of

his children . They possess God as their inher itance in two degrees

,namely, in possessing in

this life his grace,and in the life to come his

glory . Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whomhave I in heaven but thee and there is noneupon earth that I desire besides thee1” Ps . lxxiii .24 . And what is the inheritance in glory, if itbe not God who is all in all"Here we havethe life of grace The grace of the Lord JesusChrist, and the love Of God, and the communionof the Holy Ghost

,be with you all .” In the

life to come, it is the enj oyment or the Visionof God which, in the 17 th Psalm, the prophetopposes to the inheritance of the men of thisworld . Deliver me, O Lord"from men of

the world,which have their portion in this life .

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteous


ness ; I shall be satisfied when I awake withthy likeness . Into this inheritance Moses, thatis to say, the law, cannot introduce us ; He alonecan do it who is the great Joshua— Jcsus Christ,the mediator of a better covenant .Joint heir s with Chr ist - This, with the ex

pression , heirs Of God, shows the glorious natureOf the inheritance Of the children of God . Whatmust this honour be when they are heirs of God,and j oint heirs with Christ? Christ is the heir,as being the Son Of God ; all things that theFather hath are his, and as Mediator, he is appointed heir of all things . The inheritanceto be possessed by them is the same in its nature as that possessed by the man Christ Jesus ,and the glory that the Father gives to him, hegives to them ; John , xvii . 2 2 . They participate of the same Spirit with him, for they thathave not the Spir it Of Christ are none Of his .That same life that he has is conferred on them ;and because he lives, they live also . He is thefountain of their life ; Psalm,

xxxv i . 9 . Theglory of their bodies will be Of the same kind withhis ; Phil . iii . 21. The love that the Fatherhath to him, he has given to them ; John , xvii .23 . They shall be admitted to the same gloriousplace with him ; John , xiv. 3 . There must be aconformity between the head and the members,


2 78 ROMANS,VI I I . I7 .

fessing Christ’s religion , who meets with nopersecution or Opposition from the world forChrist’s sake, may well doubt the sincerity of

his profession . All that will live godly inChrist Jesus shall suff er persecution .

” All theheirs will come to the enj oyment Of their inheritance through tribulation ; most Of them throughmuch tribulation ; but so far from this being anargument against the sure prospect Of that inheritance, it tends to confirm it . The expressionif so be,

”or since, does not intimate that this

is doubtful ; but establishes its certainty . God

causes his children to suffer in different ways,and for different reasons , for their good, as forthe trial of their faith, the exercise Of patience,the mor tification of sin, and in order to weanthem from this world and prepare them for

heaven . Their suff erings are effects of his Father ly love, and the great obj ect of them is, thatthey may be conformed to Christ . Sufferingsare appointed for them in order that they shouldnot be condemned with the world, and to workout for them a far more exceeding and eternalweight of glory.

Tha t we may be a lso glor ified together .—This

ought to support Christians under their sufferings . What a consolation in the midst Of afflictions for Christ’s sake, that they shall also beglorified together with him . In his sufferings

ROMANS,VI II . 18 . 279

he is set forth as their pattern, and the issue ofthem is their encouragement. They have thehonour of suffering with him, and th ey shallhave the honour of being glorified with him .

They not only accompany him in his suff erings,

but he also accompanies them in theirs ; notonly to sympathize with them, but to be theirSurety and defender .This community in suff ering with Jesus Christ

is sufficient to impart to his people the greatestconsolation . What an honour is it to bear, herebelow, his cross, on the way to having one daya place upon his throne ? Having the sameenemies with him

,they must have the same

combats, the same victories, and the same triumphs . Since the Lord has been pleased tosuff er for them b efore reigning over them in

heaven, it is proper that they should suff er alsofor his sake and in the prospect Of reigning withhim . For suffering with him they shall overcome with him, and overcoming with him, theyshall Obtain the crown of life and eternal glory .

V. 18 .—For I r eckon tha t the sufl

’

er ings of this p r esent time

a r e not wor thy to be comp a r ed with the glor y which shall be

r evea led in us .

The Apostle had been reminding those towhom he wrote

,that their suff erings with Christ

is the way appointed by God to bring them to

g lory . Here he encourages them to endure

280 ROMAN S, VI I I . 18 .

affliction , because there is no comparison between their present sufferings and future glory .

In order to encourage the Israelites to sustainthe difficulties that presented themselves to theirentry into Canaan, God sent them of the fruitsof the land while they were still in the desert .Our blessed Lord, too, permitted some of his

disciples to witness his tr ansfigur ation , when hisface did shine as the

'

sun, and his raiment waswhite as light . This was c alculated to inspirethem with an ardent desire to behold that heavenly glory of which, on that occasion, theyhad a transient glimpse, and to render themmore patient in sustaining the troubles theywere about to encounter . , In the same mannerGod acts towards his people when they suff erin this world . He sends them of the fruits of

the heavenly Canaan; and giving them to enj oya measure of that peace which passeth all un

der standing, he favour s them with some foretastes Of the glory to be reveal ed .

The first testimony to the truth that theApostle is here declaring is his own . I r eckon .

Paul was better qualified to judge in this matter than any other man , both as having enduredthe greatest suff erings, and as having been favour ed with a sight 2 of the glory of heaven .

His suff erings, 1st Cor . iv. 9, 2d Cor . xi . 23,appear not to have been inferior to those which



Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’sdaughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction withthe people Of God, than to enjoy the pleasures Of sin for a season . David, envying for amoment the prosperity Of the wicked, havingentered the sanctuary and considered their end,Views it in a diff erent light . “ Nevertheless Iam continually with thee ; thou hast holden meby thy right hand ; thou shalt guide me withthy council, and afterward receive me to glory .

In thy presence is fulness of joy ; at thy righthand there are pleasures for evermore .” Thouhast put gladness in my heart more than in thetime that their corn and their wine increased .

I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, forthou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.

”

Christians Often reckon upon their own suff erings, while they overlook the suff erings Of theirLord, to whom they must be conformed . Theyforget their sins

, on account of which theyreceive chastisement that they may not be condemned with the world, and for which they mustalso partake of their bitter fruits . But as thereis no proportion between what is finite, howevergreat it may be, and what is infinite, so theirafflictions here, even were their lives prolongedto any period, and al though they had no respite,would h ear no proportion to their future glor yeither in intensity or duration . The felicity of


that glory is sovereign, but their afflictions hereare not extreme . They are always accompaniedwith the compassion and the consolations of

God . As the suff erings of Christ abound inus, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ .

”

The patriarch Jacob,a fugitive from his father’s

house, constrained to pass the night without acovering, with stones only for his pillow, enjoysa Vision excelling all with which he had beenbefore favoured This is recorded to show thatthe believer, in his tribulation, often experiencesmore j oy and peace, than in his prosperity .

Thus saith the Lord God , although I havecast them far Off among the Heathen, and al

though I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuaryin the countries Where they shall come .” God

never permits the sufferings Of his Church tobe extreme .The glor y that sha ll be r evea led —While the

suff erings of believers here are only temporar y,the glory which is to 'be revealed is eternal .Though yet concealed, it is already in existence,its discover y on ly is future . Now it is veiledfrom us in Heaven, but erelong it Shall be r e

vealed . God is a source of ineffable light, j oy,knowledge

,power

,and goodness . He is the

sovereign good , and will communicate himself

ROMANS , VI I I . IS.

to them that behold him,in a way that is in

comprehensible.In us .

— The glory here spoken of is that towhich the Apostle John refers, when he says,that we shall see the Lord as he is, and that weshal l be made like him . If the rays Of the sunilluminate the darkness on which they shine,what will be that light which the sun Of righteousness will produce in the children of him who

is the Father of lights"If the face of Mosesshone, when amidst the terrors Of the law hetalked with God , what shall their condition be,who shall behold him not on the mountain thatmight be touched, and that burned with fire, butin the heaven of heavens ; not amidst thunderings and lightnings

,but amidst the express tes

timonies of his favour and blessing"They shallappear in the sanctuary Of the Lord, and seeplainly the mysteries of the wisdom Of God .

They shall behold not the ark and the pr opitiator y, but the things in the heavens whichthese were made to represent . They shall see asthey are seen, and be known as they are known .

To the enjoyment of this glory after the perseoutions and troubles of this life, the bridegroomis represented as calling his church. LO, thew inter is past, the rain is over and gone, theflowers appear on the earth, and the time of


286 ROMANS, VI I I. 19 , 20, 21, 22 .

the children of God to endure with patiencetheir present trials .In the verses before us, Paul, by an example

of personification common in the Scriptures,"6

which consists in attributing human affectionsto things inanimate or unintelligent, calls theattention of believers to the fact, that the wholecreation is in a state of suffering and degradation ; and that, wearied with the vanity to whichit has been reduced , it is earnestly looking ford eliverance .

That interpretation which, according to DrMacknight and Mr S tuart, applies this expec

tation to mankind in general, is contrary to fact .Men in general are not looking for a gloriousdeliverance, nor is it a fact that they will obtainthis, but it is a fact that there will be newheavens and a new earth wherein dwellethrighteousness . All that Mr Stuart allegesagainst this is easily obviated. Most Of it applies to passages that have been injudiciouslyappealed to on the subj ect, which do not bearthe conclusion . But if the earth, after beingburnt up

,Shall be restored in glory, there is a

just foundation for the figurative expectation .

In order to understand these verses, it is neces

PS. xcvi. 11, l 2—cviii. 8—cxlviii. 3 10 ; Is . Iv. 12 ;

Heb. iii. 16 .

ROMANS, VI I I . 19 , 2 0, 2 1, 2 2 . 287

sary to ascertain the import, l st, Of the termcr eation, or creature ; 2d , of that Of the vanity

to which it is subjected ; 3d , of that deliver ancewhich it shall experience.Cr eatur e.

— The word in the original, whichis translated in the l gth, 20th, and 21st verses ,creature

,and in the 22d

,creation , can have no r e

ference to the fallen angels, for they do not desirethe manifestation of the children of God ; thisthey dread

,and looking forward to it, tremble .

Neither can it refer to the elect angels, of whomit cannot be said that they shall be deliveredfrom the bondage of corruption , for to this theywere never subj ected . It does not apply tomen, all Ofwhom are either the children of Godor Of the wicked one . It cannot refer to thechildren Of God , for they are here expressly distinguished from the creation of which the Apostlespeaks ; nor can it apply to wicked men , for theyr

have no desire for the manifestation of the sonsof God , whom they hate, nor will they ever bedelivered from the bondage of corruption , butcast into the lake Of fire . It remains, then, thatthe creatures destitute Of intelligence

,animate

and inanimate, the heavens and the earth , theelements, the plants and animals, are here referredto . The Apostlemeans to say

,that the creation ,

which , on account of sin, has, by the sentehce

of God, been subjected to vanity , shall be res

V I I I . a .

cued from the present degradation under whichit groans, and that, according to the hope heldout to it, is longing to participate with the sonsOf God in that freedom from vanity into whichit shall at length be introduced

,partaking with

them in their future and glorious deliverancefrom all evil . This indeed cannot mean thatthe plants and animals, as they at present exist,shall be restored ; but that the condition of thosethings which Shall belong to the new heavensand the new earth, prepared for the sons of God,shall be delivered from the curse, and restoredto a perfect state, as when all things that Godhad created were pronounced by him Ver y good ,and when as at the beginning, befo r e sin entered,they shall be fully adapted to the use Of man .

As men earnestly desire to Obtain what isgood, and, on the contrary, groan and sigh intheir sufferings, the like movements of j oy or

sorrow are here ascribed to the inanimate andunintelligent creation . In this way the prophetsintroduce the earth as groaning, and the animalsas crying to God, in sympathy with the condition of man . The land mourn eth, for thecorn is wasted the new .wine is dried up theOil languisheth, because joy is withered awayfrom the sons of men How do the beastsgroan"the beasts of the field cry also untoThee"Joel, i . 10 20. How long shall


ROMANS,VI I I . 19 , 20, 21, 2 2 .

brought into existence, God bestowed on it hisblessing, and pronounced every thing that hehad made v ery good . Viewing that admirablepalace which he had provided, he appointedman to reign in it, commanding all things tobe subj ect to him whom he had created in hisown image . But when sin entered , then in acertain sense it may be said that all things hadbecome evil, and were diverted from their proper end . The creatures by their nature wereappointed for the service Of the friends of theirCreator, but since the entrance of sin they havebecome subservient to his enemies . Instead Ofthe sun and the heavens being honoured to givelight to those who obey God, and the earth tosupport the righteous, they now minister torebels . The sun shines upon the wicked, theearth nourishes those who blaspheme theirMaker, while its different productions, insteadof being employed for the glory of God, areused as instruments Of ambition , of avarice, Ofcr uelty, Of idolatry, and are Often employed forthe destruction of his children . All these aresubj ected to vanity when applied by men forvain purposes . This degradation is a grievanceto the works Of God, which in themselves haveremained in allegiance . They groan under it,but keeping within their proper limits, hold ontheir course. Had it been the will of the Crea

ROMANS,VI I I . 19 , 2 0, 2 1, 2 2 . 291

tor , after the entrance of sin, the creature mighthave refused to serve the Vices or even thenecessities of man . This is sometimesthr eatened . In reproving the idolatry of the childrenOf Israel, God speaks as if he intended to withdraw his creatures from their service, in takingthem entirely away . Therefore will I return

and take away my corn in the time thereof, andmy wine in the season thereof, and will recovermy wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness .” Hosea, ii. 9 . And sometimes the creatureis represented as reclaiming against the ‘covetOusness and wickedness of men . The stoneshall cry out Of the wall, and the beam out of

the timber shall answer it .” Hab . Ii. 11.

The whole creation is under the bondage of

the sin of man, and has suff ered by it immensely .

As to the in animate creation, in many ways itshows its figurative groaning, and the vanity towhich it has been reduced . The ground bringsforth thistles, and all noxious weeds ; in certainsituations it corrupts and becomes off ensive. Itis subj ect to earthquakes, floods, and stormsdestructive to human life, and in various r e

spects labours unde'r the curse pronounced upon

it . The lower animals have largely shared inthe sufferings of man . They are made to betaken and destroyed

,

”2 Peter

,11, 12 , by man ,

and devour one another . They have become

292 ROMANS, VI I I . 19 , 20, 21, 2 2 .

subservient to his criminal pleasures,and are

the victims Of his oppressive cruelty . Somepartake in the labours to which he was sub

jected , and all of them terminate their shortexistence by death , the

f

effect Of sin . All thatbelongs to the cr eatr on 1s fading and transitory .

The heavens and the earth shall wax Old likea garmen t. The earth once perished by water

,

and now it is reserved unto fire . The heavensshall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; the earthalso and the works that are therein shall beburnt up . The heavens being on fire shallbe dissolved The cause of this subj ection tovanity is not from their original tendencies

, Or

from any faul t in the creatures . They havebeen so subj ected by reason of the sin of

'

man,

and in order to his greater punishment . Thehouses Of those who were guilty of rebellionwere destroyed, Ezra, vi . 11, Dan . II . 5 , notthat there was guilt in thestones or the wood,but in order to inflict the severer punishmenton their criminal possessor, and also . to testifythe greater abhorrence of his crime in thus visiting him in the things that belong to him . Inthe same manner, man having been constitutedthe lord Of the creatures, his punishment hasbeen extended to them . This in a very strikingmanner demonstrates the hatred of God against


ROMANS,VI I I . 19 , 20, 21, 2 2 .

in the same condition in which they were at firstformed, or that they will always continue as atpresent . In the mean-time, all the cr eatur es

’

ar e

groaning under their degradation, until the moment when God shall remove those obstacleswhich prevent them from answering their proper ends, and render them incapable of suitablyglorifying him . But the righteous judge whosubj ected them to van ity in consequence of thedisobedience of man , has made provision fortheir final restoration .

The creation, then, is not in that state in whichit was originally constituted . A fearful changeand disorganization even in the frame of thenatural world has taken place. The in tr oduction of sin has brought along with it this sub

jection to vanity and the bondage of corruption,and all that ruin under which nature groan s .How miserable, then , is the condition of thosewho have their portion in this world . Of themit may be truly said, Surely they have inher ited lies, vanity, and things wherein thereis no profit.” Of those who mind earthlythings,

” it is written , their end is destruction .

The heavens and the earth, which are now

by the same word, are kept in store reserveduntO

‘fir e against the day of judgment and perdition Of ungodly men .

”

D eliver ed — Some suppose that the word de

ROMANS,VI I I . 19 , 20, 2 1, 22 . 5

livered signifies an entire annihilation; and in support Of this opinion allege such passages as 2 Pet .iii . 10, Rev. xx . 11. But as the tendency of allthings in nature is to their own preservation ,how could the creation be represented as earnestly expecting the manifestation Of the sonsof God , if that

'manifestation were to be accom

plished with its final ruin and destruction ? Besides, the Apostle promises not merely a futuredeliverance, but also a glorious future existence .The Scriptures, too, in various places, predictthe continued subsistence of the heavens andthe earth , as 2 Pet. iii . 13 , Rev. xxi . 1. Re

specting those passages, quoted above, as importing their annihilation , it ought to be ob

served, that the destruction of the substance of

things diff ers from a change in their qualities.When metal of a certain shape is subjected tofire, it is destroyed as to its figure, but not asto its substance . Thus the heavens and theearth will pass through the fire, but only thatthey may be purified and come forth anew,

more excellent t han before. In Ps . cii . 26 , itis said, They shall perish

,

'but thou shaltendure ; yea,all of them shall wax Old like a garment ; as a vesture shalt thou change them, andthey shall be changed .

” That the Apostle Peter,when he says that the heavens shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent

ROMANS , VI I I . 0 1, 22 .

heat, does not refer to the destruction of theirsubstance, but to their purification , is evidentfrom what he immediately adds . Never the

less , we, accord ing to his promise, look for newheavens and a new earth, wherein dwellethrighteousness .” A little before he had said,The world that then was, being over flowed

with water, perished,” although its substance

remains as at the beginning . If, then, thepunishment of sin has extended to the creatures,in bringing them under the bondage of corruption, so, according to the passage before us, thatgrace which reigns above sin , will also be extended to their deliverance . And as the punishment of the sin of man is so much the greater asits eff ects extend to the creatures, in like manner,so much the greaterwill be the glory that shall berevealed in them, that the creatures which wereformed for their use shall be made to participatewith them in the day of the restitution Of all

things . Through the goodness of God they shallfollow the deliverance and final destination of thechildren Of God , and not that of his enemies .When God created the world, he saw every

thing that he had made, and , behold, it wasvery good . When man transgressed, GodViewed it a second time, and said, cursed isthe ground for thy sake . When the promisethat the Deliverer should come into the world


298 ROMANS,vm . 23.

as their spirits, have been purchased by Christ,and they are become his members . Theirbodies have, however, no marks of this divinerelation, but, like those of other men , are sub

ject to disease , to death and corruption . Andalthough they have been regenerated by theSpirit of God, there is still a law in their members warring against the law of their mind . Butthe period approaches when their souls shall befreed from every remainder of corruption , andtheir bodies shall be made like unto the gloriousbod y of the Son of God . Then this corruptibleshall put on incorruption , and then shall theyshine forth as the sun in the kingdom of theirFather . It is then that they shal l be manifestedin their true character

,illustrious as the sons of

God, seated upon thrones, and conspicuous inrobes of light and glory.

V. 2 3 .—And n ot on ly they , but our selves a lso, which have thefi r st f r uils of the Sp ir it, even we our selves gr oan withinour selves,

wa iting f or the ad ap tion , to wit, the r edemp tion of our body .

In the four preceding verses the Apostle hadappeal ed to the state of nature, which, by a

striking and beautiful figure, is personified andrepresented as groaning under the oppressionof suffering, through the entrance of sin, andlooking forward with ardent expectation, as

with outstretched neck, to a future and betterdispensation . He now proceeds to call the at

ROMANS,v111. 2 3 . 299

tention of believers to their own feelings andexperience, meaning to say that if the unintelligent creation is longing for the manifestation ofthe glory of the sons of God, how much moreearnestly must they themselves long for it.Christians who have received the foretastes of

everlasting felicity,sympathize with the groans

of nature . True,they enj oy even at present a

blessed freedom . They are delivered from theguilt and dominion of sin , the curse of the law,and a servile spirit in their obedience to God.

S till, however, they have much to suffer whilein the world , but they wait for the redemptionof their bodies, and the full manifestation of

their character as the children of God . Theirbodies, as well as their Spirits , have been givento Christ. They are equally the fruit of hispurchase, and are become his members . Butit is not till his people shall have arisen fromthe grave, that they will enj oy all the privilegesconsequent on his redemption .

Thefi r stf r uits of the Sp ir it. These are loveand j oy in the Holy Ghost

,peace of conscience

and communion with God . They are the gracesof the Spirit conferred on believers, called firstfruits, because, as the first fruits of the field wereoffered to God under

‘the law,

so these gracesredound to God ’s glory. And

,as the first ears

of corn were a pledge of an abundant harvest,

ROMANS, WM . 2 3 .

so these graces are a pledge to believers of theircomplete felicity, because God gives them forthe confirmation of their hope They are apledge, because the same love and grace thatmoved their Heavenly Father to impart thesebeginnings of their salvation, will move him toperfect the good work . These first fruits

,then

,

are the foretastes of heaven, or the earnest ofthe inheritance . This is the most invaluableprivilege of the children of God in the presen tworld. It is a j oy that man cannot give or takeaway . The error which would represent theseprivileges as peculiar to the Apostles and thefirst Christian s, and restrict the fruits of theSpirit to miracul ous gifts, is not for a momentto be tolerated . The Apostle is speaking of allthe children of God to the end of the world,without exception even of the weakest.As the first fruits of the harvest,were con

secr ated to God,so we should be careful not to

abuse the gifts of the Spirit of God in us . Asthe first fruits were to be

'

car r ied to the houseof God, so , as God has communicated to us hisgrace, we should also go to his house making apublic profession of his name . The children of

Israel,in offer ing the first fruits, were com

manded to confess their miserable original state,and to recount the goodness of \God to them,

Deut. xxvi. 5 . In the same way we should


ROMANS , vm . 23.

crites, which are only outward ; they are fromwithin . They do not always meet the '

ear of

man , but they reach the throne of God . Allmy desire,

” says David , “ is before thee, andmy groaning is not hid from thee . Psalmxxxviii . 9 . These groanings are sighs andprayer s to God, which are spoken of in the2 6th verse, where we learn their efficient cause,which is not flesh and blood . They are fruitsof the Spirit, so that by them believers observ ein themselves the spirit of regeneration .

Wa iting f or the adap tion .—Believers have

alr eady been adopted into the family of God,and are his children ; but they have not yetbeen openly declared to be so,* nor made in allrespects suitable to this character. If theythe sons of God, they must be made glorious,both in soul and body ; but till they arrive inheaven

,their adoption will not be fully mani

fested . Adoption may be viewed at three pe

r iods. It may be considered in the election of

his people,when God decrees their adoption

before they are called or united to Jesus Christ ;yet they are even then denominated the children of God. In the eleventh chapter of John,where Caiaphas

,prophesying of the death of

Jesus,says that he should die not for that nation

Among the Romans ther e was a twofold adoption , the one

pr ivate, the other public.

ROMANS, v111. 23 . 303

only,but for all the children of God that were

scattered abroad, under the term children ofGod were comprehended those who had

—not yet

been called—Acts, xviii . 10. In their callingand regeneration they are adopted into God’sfamily, being then united to Christ : but astheir bodies do not partake in that regeneration ,and are not yet con formed to the glorious bodyof Jesus Christ, they still wait for the entireaccomplishment of their adoption , when at theresurrection they shall enter on the full possession of the inheritance . Accordingly, Jesusdenominates that blessed resurrection the r e

generation ; because then not only the soulsof believers, but also their bodies shall bear theheavenly image of the second Adam. Thenthey shall enter fully into the possession of theirinheritance ; for in that day Jesus Christ will sayto his elect, Come, ye blessed of my Father,inherit the kingdom prepared for you from thefoundation of the world. Heaven, into whichthey will then

‘en ter , is an inheritance suitable

to the dignity of the sons of God, and for thisthey are waiting .

The children of God wait for the accomplishment of all that their adoption imports . Theywait for it as Jacob did : I have waited for thysalvation, O Lord -Gen . xlix . 18 . Theywait as the believers at Corinth were waiting

304 ROMANS, vm . 23 .

for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Cor.i . 7— and as all believers who through the Spiritwait for the hope of righteousness by faith .

Gal . v . 5 . Looking for the blessed hope, andthe glorious appearing of the great God, evenour Saviour Jesus Christ . —Titus

,ii . 13 . And

as the Thessalonians, who, having been turnedfrom idols to serve the living and true God ,

waited for his Son from heaven, I Thess . i . 10also as is recorded in Heb . ix . 28 , James v . 7 , 8 ,

2 Pet. iii . 12 . In this manner Paul waited forhis crown, 2 Tim. iv. 8 . It was this waitingfor, or expectation of deliverance from the Lord,that encouraged Noah to build the ark ; andAbraham to leave his country ; and Moses to

esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches thanthe treasures in Egypt ;

‘and the elders who obtained a good report through faith , to seek abetter, that is, a heavenly country . It was theexpectation of eternal lif e that sustained thosewho shed their blood for the testimony of Jesus .The r edemp tion of our bodg .

—That theremightbe no mistake respecting the meaning of theadoption in this unusual application, the Apostle

“

himself subjoins an explanation— even the r e

demption of our body, because the body'will

then be delivered from the grave, as a prisonerwhen redeemed is delivered from his prison .

But why, it «may be asked, does the Apostle


306 ROMANS, VI I I . 2 3.

mulation of terms, to the exceeding greatnessof the power of God to us-ward, who believe,according to the working of his mighty power

,

which he wrought in Christ when he raised himfrom the dead . Eph . ii . 10.

This last deliverance will be so perfect, thatnothing can be conceived to be more complete,since “ the children of the resurrection” shallnot be restored to their first life, but to a statewhich will be one of surpassing glory and neverending immortality. Death will be swallowedup in victory . Earthly warriors may obtain twosorts of victories over their enemies . One maybe called a temporary or partial victory, whichcauses the enemy to fly ; which deprives him of

part of his force, but does not prevent him fromr e-establishing himself, returning to the field ofbattle, and placing the conqueror in the hazardof losing what he has gained . The other may

be termed a complete and decisive victory, whichso eff ectually subdues the hostile power, that itcan never regain what it has lost . There arealso two sorts of resurrections ; one, like that ofLazarus

,in which death was overcome but not

destroyed, since Lazarus died a second timethe other is, that of believers at the last day,when death will not only be overcome, but cas tout and for ever exterminated . Both of thesemay be . properly called a resurrection ; -but to

ROMANS, VI I I . 2 3 . 307

speak with greater force , the secbnd is herecalled a r ecta np tion . Besides, the Ap ostle, inemploying this term, has a reference to the r edemption which Jesus Christ has eff ected at theinfinite price of his blood ; for though this pricewas fully paid on the day of his death, yet twothings are certain ; the one is, that our r esur r ection will

'

only take place in virtue of the valueand imperishable efficacy of his blood, which hasacquired for us life and happiness ; the other,that the redemption accomplished on the

'

cr oss

and the resurrection are not two diff erent works .They are but one work, viewed under differentaspects, and at diff erent periods ; the redemptionon the cross being our redemption by right, andthe resurrection our redemption by fact— a singlesalvation begun and terminated .

The day, then , of the redemption of our

bodies will be the day of the entire accomplishment of our adoption, as then only we shallenter on the complete possession of the childrenof God . In Jesus Christ our redemption wasfully accomplished when he said on the

‘cross ,

It is finished.

” In us it is accomplished bydifferent degrees . The first degree is in this life ;the second, at death the third, at the r esur r ection . In this life

,the degree of redemption

which we obtain is the remission of our sins,our sanctification ,

‘

and freedom from the law

ROMANS, VIII . 23.

and the slavery of sin . At death , our‘souls ar e

delivered from all sin, and their sanctification iscomplete for the soul at its departure from the

body is received into the heavenly sanctuar y,into which nothing can enter that defileth ; andas to the body, death prepares i t for incor r uption and immortality, for that which we sow isnot quickened except it die . It must, therefore,return to dust to leave there its corruption, itsweakness, its dishonour. Hence it follows thatbelievers should not fear death, since deathobtains for them the second degree of theirredemption . But as our bodies remain in thedust till the day of our blessed resurrection, thatday is called the day of the redemption of our

body, as being the last and highest degree of

our redemption . Then the body being reunitedto the soul

,death will be swallowed up in vic

tory for the last enemy that shall be destroyedis death

,for till then death will reign over our

bodies . But then the children of God shal lsing that triumphant song, 0 death, where isthy sting ; O grave, where is thy victory ?

”

I will ransom them from the power of thegrave

,I will redeem them fr om death 0 death ,

I will be thy plag‘ues ; O grave, I will be thy

destruction.

The elevation of his people to glory on theday of their redemption, will be the last act in


310 ROMANS, V111. 23 .

are calculated to throw light on each other, itmay be proper, in this place, to consider itsmeaning.

The sealing of believer s implies, that Godhas marked them by his Spirit to distinguishthem from the rest of mankind . Marking hispeople in this manner as his peculiar property,imports that he loves them as his own ; thatthey are his j ewels, or peculiar treasure,Mal . iii . 17 . But the Apostle does not saythat believers have been merely marked , butthat they have been sealed, which implies muchmore for although every seal is a mark, ev erymark is not a seal . Seals are marks which bearthe arms of those to whom they belong, andoften their image or resemblance, as the sealsof princes . Thus the principal eff ect of theHoly Spirit is to impress on the hearts of hispeople the image of the Son of God . As thematter to which the seal is applied contributesnothing to the formation of the character itreceives, and only yields to the impression madeon it, so the heart is not active, but passive,under the application of this divine seal

,by

which we receive the image of God, the char acter s of which are traced by the Holy Spirit,and depend for their formation entirely on hisefficiency. As seals confirm the covenants orpromises to which they are affixed, in the same

ROMANS,v11. 2 3 . 311

‘

manner this heavenly signet firmly establishesthe declaration of the Divine mercy, and makesit irreversible . It confirms to our faith themysteries of the Gospel, and renders certain toour hOpe the promises of the covenant . Theseal of man makes no alteration on the matterto which it is applied, and possesses no Virtueto render it proper for receiving the impression .

But the seal of God changes the matter thatreceives it, and from being hard, as it naturallyis, renders it impressible, converting a heart ofstone into a heart of flesh . The seal of man isspeedily withdrawn from the matter it impresses,and the impression gradually becomes faint, andis at length eflaced . But the seal of the HolySpirit remains in the heart, so that the image itforms can never be obliterated .

But the Apostle not only affirms that we aresealed by the Holy Spirit of God, but says thatwe are sealed unto the day of r edemp tion thatis , this seal is given us in respect to our blessedresurrection, as the pledge of our completetransformation into the likeness of Christ . 'Thisdivine seal is that by which the Lord our greatJudge will distinguish the righteous from thewicked, raising the one to the resurrection oflife, and the other to the resurrection of damnation . It is also the Holy Spirit which formsin us the hOpe of that future redemption, our

312 ROMANS, VIII . 23 .

souls having no good desire whatever of whichhe is not the author. These things are certain ;but it does not appear to be the principal designof the Apostle to enforce them here. It seemsrather to be to teach that the Holy Spirit is tous a seal or assured pledge of the reality of our

resurrection, or, as is said, the earnest of ourinheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession . Besides this, the HolySpirit confirms in our souls every thing on

which the hOpe of our resurrection depends .It depends on the belief that Jesus Christ hasdied for our sins, of which the Holy Spirit bearsrecord in our hearts by giving us the answer ofa good conscience . It depends on knowingthat Jesus Christ has in dying overcome death,and has gloriously risen again 'to restore to uslife which we had forfeited . This is a truthwhich the Holy Spirit certifies to us, since heis the Spirit of Christ given in virtue of his

resurrection . It depends on knowing that JesusChrist is in heaven, reigning at the right handof the Father, and that all power is given untohim, that he may give eternal life to all hispeople . The Holy Spirit testifies to us thisglory, since his coming is its fruit and effect.The Holy Spirit was not yet g iven , because

that Jesus was not yet glorified and theSaviour himself says, that he will send the


ROMANS, VI I I. 23 .

consists of their alternate successions . But itwill not be so in the second creation

,for there

shall be no night there .” It will be one per

petual day of life without death,of holiness

without sin , and of joy without grief.The day here referred to may be viewed in

contrast with two other solemn days, both ofwhich are celebrated in the Scriptures . One isthe day of Sinai, the other of Pentecost, this isthe day of Redemption . The first was the daywhen God descended with awful maj esty amidstblackness , and darkness, and tempest . Thesecond was the day in which the Holy Ghost

came as a sound from heaven , as of a rushingmighty wind

,and under the symbol of cloven

tongues of fire . The third will be ' the day whenJesus Chr ist will come seated on the throne of

his glory,with his mighty angels, to judge the

quick and the dead . Then calling his elect fromthe four winds

,with the voice of the Archangel,

he wil l raise them from the dust, and elevatethem to the glory of his kingdom . The first ofthese days was the day of the publication of thelaw. The second was the day of the publication

of gr ace ; and the third will . be the day of thepublication of glory . This will be the day ofthe complete redemption of the children of God ;

unto which they have been sealed, and of theirmanifestation in their proper character. It will

ROMANS , VI I I . 2 4 . 315

be the day when their bodies shall come forthfrom the grave, made like unto the glorious bodyof the Son of God by the sovereign efficacy of

the application of his blood,and by his infinite

power . Then shall the righteous shine forth asthe sun in the kingdom of their Father. Thenthey shall inherit the new heavens and the newearth , wherein dwelleth righteousness, whichthey now expect according to the promise, forGod will make all things new. Then they shallbe with Jesus

,where he is, and shall behold his

glory which God hath given him. As for me,

I will behold thy face in righteousness ; I shallbe satisfied when I awake with thy likeness .Let those r ej ome who are waiting for the

divine Redeemer. Their bodies indeed must bedissolved, and it doth not yet appear what theyshall be . But at that great day they shall beraised up incorruptible, they shall be renderedimmortal, and shall dwell in heavenly mansions .And that they may not doubt this,

‘God has

already marked them with his divine seal . Theyhave been scaled by the Holy Spirit of God untothe day of the Redemption.

V. 2 4 .—For we a r e saved by hope but hop e tha t is seen is not

hOp e f or wha t a man seeth,why doth he yet hop e f b r

For we a r e saved by hop e.—According to the

original, this phrase may either be translated by

ROMANS, VI I I . 2 4 .

hope, or in hope ; but from the connexion itappears that it ought to be translated, as in theFrench versions

, in hop e. The word salvation,

or saved , signifies all the benefits of our r edemption—namely, remission of sins, sanctification ,and glorification . The Son of man is come tosave that which was lost .” In this sense JesusChrist is called the Saviour, because it is by himthat we are justified, sanctified, and glorified .

This word has in Scripture sometimes a morelimited, and sometimes a more extended meaning .

In particular places salvation is spoken of as

already possessed, as where it is said, God hassaved us by the washing of r egeneration, andrenewing of the Holy Ghost .” General ly itsignifies all the benefits of our redemption, whenthey shall be possessed by our final admission toglory, as when it is said, he that endureth tothe end shall be saved.

” In this verse it is r egarded as enj oyed only in hope that is to say, inexpectancy , since we have notyetbeen put in possession of the glory of the kingdom of heaven .

In order to distinguish what believers possess ofsa lvation at present, and what they have of it inhope, we must consider its gradations . The firstof these is their eternal election , of which theApostle speaks, Eph . i . 3 , 4 , according to whichtheir names were written in heaven before thecr eation of the world. The second gradation is



other . By faith we believe the promises madeto us by God ; by hope we expect to receivethe good things which God has promised, so thatfaith hath properly for its object the promise,and hope for its obj ect the thing promised, andthe execution of the promise . Faith has itsobject as present to it, but hope regards it asfuture . Faith precedes hope and is its foundation . We hope for life eternal because we believethe promises which God has made respecting itand if we believe these promises we must expecttheir effect . Hope looks to eternal life as thatwhich is future in regard to its remoteness butfaith looks to it as a thing that is present inregard to its certainty. Faith and hope areVirtues of this life which will have no place inthe . life which is to come . When our salvationshall be completed, there will be no more hope,since we shall have full possession and enj oyment of the good things we at present hope for .Now abideth faith, hope, and love . Faith

and hope will cease ; and in this respect love isgreater, as love will abide for ever . Let believers renounce their vain hopes of happiness inthis world . Here they ar e strangers and pilgrims , absent from the Lord . Let them hopefor his presence and communion with him inglory .

Christian hOpe is a Virtue produced by the

ROMANS, VIII . 2 4 . 19

Holy Spirit,in which, through his power, we

should abound, and by which , r esting fl

on thepromises of God in Jesus Christ, we expect ourcomplete salvation . This hope is a part of our

Spiritual armour against principalities andpower s,and spiritual wickedness , with which we have towrestle . We are commanded to put on foran helmet the hope of salvation .

”l Thes . v. 8 .

In the preceding verse the Apostle had saidwe wait for the adoption , to wit, the r edemption of our body. Here he gives it as a reasonof our waiting, that as yet we are saved only inhope . As far as the price of redemption is concerned we are already saved, but in respect tothe power by which we shall be put in possession of that for which the price has been

,paid

,

n amely, our deliverance from the remainder ofsin under which w e groan, the resurrection of

our bodies, and the enjoyment of the eternal inheritance, we are saved only in hope . The hopeof all this is present with us, but the enjoymentis future . Hop e that is seen is not hop e. That is ,hope cannot respect any thingwhich we alreadyenjoy . For 'it is impossible, as the Apostle subjoins, for a man to hope for that which he possesses . Hope and possession are ideas altogether i ncongr uous and contradictory .

_

Believers, then , ar e as yet saved only in hope .

They haVe received but the earnest and fore

320 ROMANS, VII I . 24 .

taste of their salvation . They groan under theweight which is borne by them, and their bodiesare subj ect to the sentence of temporal death .

If they were in the full possession of their salvation , faith would no longer be the convictionof things hoped for, as things hoped for are notthings enjoyed . This corresponds with whatthe Apostle says elsewhere, when he exhortsbelievers to work out their salvation , and whenhe remarks that our salvation is nearer thanwhen we first believed . When it is said we aresaved in hOpe, as it supposes that our felicity isat a distance, so it implies that all the good wecan for the

'

pr esen t enjoy of that distant felicityis obtained by hOping for it, and, therefore, ifwe could not hope for it we shoul d lose al l theencouragement we have in the prospect. Thegood hope through grace tranquillizes the soul .Why art thou cast down , 0 my soul and whyart thou disquieted within me ? hOpe in God ;for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of

my countenance, andmy God .

”Ps . xlii . 5 . Hope

produces j oy, and believers ar e commanded toabound in hope through the power of the HolyGhost

,Rom . xv . 13 . This hOpe softens the

bitterness of affliction, supports the soul in ad

versity,and in prosperity raises the aff ections

above the world . It promotes our sanctification ,for he who hath this hope in him pur ifieth him



This verse and the preceding teach the importance of hope to believers, and of their obeyingthe exhortation to give all diligence to the fullassurance of hope . The hope of beholdingJesus as he is, and of obtaining a better

calculated to enable them pa

tien tly to sustain the sufferings of the presenttime . This hOpe is represented as encouragingthe Lord himself, Who for the joy that wasset before him endured the cross, despising the

'

shame .

” Heb . xii . 2.

V. 2 6 .—Likewise the Sp ir it a lso help eth our infi rmities : f or

we know not wha t we should p r ay f or a s we ought but the Sp ir it

itself maketh inter cession f or us with gr oanings which cannot be

. Believers have need of patience, that afterthey have done the will

'

of God, they may r e

ceive'

the promise but their patience is not peri cot as it ought to be, and they are often readyto cast away their confidence, although it hathgreat recompense of reward . For their support

,

then,in their warfare, which is attended with

so much difficulty, the Apostle presentsa variety'of con sideiations.

’

He had ‘reminded them in

the 17 th verse of their communion with JesusChrist

,and ‘that if they suff er with him

”

theyshall with '

him also be glorified . In the 18 thverse

,he had told them that their suff erings

-

bearno pr opor tion

‘

to that glory of which they shall


be made partakers . He had next drawn an argument from the present state of creation, suffering ,but waiting for, and expecting its deliverance,and the manifestation of the sons of God ; and,reminding them of the pledges they had alreadyreceived of that glorious manifestation, he hadspoken of its certainty, although stil l future ,and therefore as yet enjoyed only in hope . Butas they might still obj ect, how is it possible, evenadmitting the force of these encouragements,that we, who are so weak in ourselves , and so

inferior in power to the enemies we have to en

counter, can bear up under so many trials theApostle, in the verse before us, points out anadditional and internal source of encouragementof the highest consideration, namely, that theHoly Spirit helps their infirmities, and alsoprays for them, which is sufficient to allay everydesponding fear, and to communicate the strongest consolation .

At the close of the sacred canon, the churchis represented as saying, Come, Lord Jesus.

”

Being a stranger on earth, and her felicity consisting in communion with her glorious Lord ,she groans on account of his absence, and ardently desires his holy and blessed

' presence .In the mean-time,however, he vouchsafes hispeople great consolation to compensate for hisabsence . He assures them that he has

'

ascended


to his Father and their Father, to his God andtheir God ; that in his Father

’s house are manymansions ; that he is gone to prepare a place forthem ; and that when he has prepared a place,he will return and receive them to himself, thatwhere he is they may be also . They also knowthe way, he himself being the way and theirguide . How encouraging is this doctrine, andhow

,well calculated for the support of hope and

patience in expecting the return of the bridegroom . If he is gone to their common Father,communion in his glory will not be long delayed .

If there are many mansions in the house of theirheavenly Father, they are prepared to receivenot only the elder brother, but all his brethren,for were there only one abode it would be forhim alone . If he is gone to prepare a place ,and if he is soon to come again to receive themto himself, is it not cal culated to fill them withjoy in the midst of troubles and afflictionsBut all these consolations would be insufficientunless Jesus had added, that he would not leavethem orphans , but would give them anotherComforter to abide with them for ever, eventhe Spirit of Truth . Without such support theywould be overwhelmed by the weight of theirafflictions, and overcome by theirmanifold temptations . But sin ce they have not only an Almighty Surety, but also an Almighty Comforter,


326 ROMANS,VI I I . 2 6 .

cing our pride and presumption,and imploring

his support . He also says, our infirmities, thus

recognising them as also his own , and reminding the strongest of their weakness . The burdens of believers are of two kinds ; the one issin , the other is suffering . Under both of thesethey are supported . As to sin, Jesus has chargedhimself with it, He bore our sins in his ownbody on the tree and as to sufferings

,they are

helped by the Holy Spirit,but only in part, byimparting strength to hear them ; for all Christians must bear their cross in following Jesus .But in the kingdom of heaven , where everytear shall be wiped from their eyes, they shall becompletely freed from all suff ering .

Christians have at present many infirmitiesthey are in themselves altogether weakness, butthe Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts, and istheir strong consolation . Without him theycould not hear their trials, or perform whatthey are called to endure . But as he dwellsin them, he gives them that aid of which theystand in need . Are we weak and our troublesgreat ? here the Almighty God comes to support us. Are we bowed down under the weight

of our afflictions behold he who is all-powerful bears them with us . The care of shepherdsover their flocks

,and the care of mothers who

carry their infants in their bosoms, are but feeble

ROMANS,VI I I . 2 6 . 327

images of the love of God, and the care he ex ercises over his people . A mother may. f orsakeher sucking child, but the Lord will not forsakehis children . When my father and my motherforsake me, then the Lord will take me up .

For we know not what we should p r ay f br a s

we ought ; but the Sp ir it itself maketh inter cession

j b r us with gr oanings tha t cannot be utter ed .

So great is the infirmity and ignor ance'

of thebeliever, that he does not even know what heought to ask. He is not thoroughly acquaintedeither with his own

'

dangers or his own wants .He needs not only to be supplied from on high,but he needs Divine guidance in showing himwhat he wants . Wh en he knows not what . toask, the office of the Holy Spirit in the heart isto assist him in praying . Though,in a peculiarsense, Jesus is the believer

’s intercessor, yetthe Holy Spirit intercedes for him,

teaching himwhat to ask, and exciting in him ' those groanings that express hiswants, though they cannotbe uttered ; that is, they cannot be expressed inwords . Yet these wants are uttered in groans,and in this manner express what is meant mostemphatically, while t hey indicate the ener gy o

of

the operation of the Spirit. Here the Apostlegoes farther than in the former clause of

'

theverse, .-and‘shows that the Spirit helpeth our

infirmities, by‘r efer r in

'

g to a'

par ticular ex av

mple

328 ROMANS , VII I . 2 6 .

of this aid . In order to prove the extent of ourweakness, and the importance of the help of theHoly Spirit

,and the greatness of the assistance

he gives , Paul declares that we know not whatwe should pray for as we ought . Our blindnessand natural ignorance are such that we know nothow to make a proper choice of the things forwhich we ought to pray . Sometimes we areready to ask such things as are not expedient,as when Moses prayed to be allowed to enterCanaan , and Paul to be delivered from the thornin his flesh, not understanding that it was properthat he should be thus afflicted, that he mightnot be exalted above measure . Sometimes, too,we ask even for things that would be hurtfulwere we to receive them ; of which there aremany examples in Scripture, as Matt . xx . 21,

James, iv. 3.

There are two things in prayer ; namely, thematter of prayer, that is, the things we ask for ;and the act of prayer by which we address Godr especting our desires and necessities . Thepeople of God ar e often so much oppressed, andexperience such anguish of mind, that theiragitated spirits, borne down by affl iction, cann either per fectly conceive nor properly expresstheir complaints and requests to God . Shallthey then remain . without prayer No the-Holy Spirit acts in their hearts

,exciting in



us, he shows that it is we who cry, Abba,

“

Father,” in order that we may observe that it is

not the Spirit who cries, who prays, who groans,but that he causes us to cry

,and pray

,and

groan . Such, then , is the work of the HolySpirit here spoken of in the heart of believers

,

from which we learn that if there be any forcein us to resist evil, and to overcome temptation,it is not of ourselves, but of our God . Andhence it follows, that if we have borne up underany affliction or temptation , we ought to renderthanks to God, seeing that by his power he hassupported us, and to pray, as David did, Uphold me with thy free Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit often, in a peculiar manner,helpeth the infirmities of the children of Godin the article of death, enabling them to sustainthe pains and weaknesses of their bodies, andsupporting their soul s by his consolations in thattrying hour. The body is then borne down withtrouble, but the mind is sustained by the consolations of God . The eye of the body is dim,

but the eye of faith is'

often at that season mostunclouded . The outward man perisheth, butthe inward man is renewed . Then, when Satanmakes his last and greates t

’

effort to subvert thesoul

,and comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the

Lord lifts up a standard against him, excitingin the believer a more ardent faith, and con


soling him, though unable to express it, with astronger conviction of the Divine love and faithfuln ess . It is by this means that so many martyrs have triumphantly died, surmounting, bythe power of the Spirit within them, the appr ehen sion of the greatest bodily torture, and r e

joicing in the midst of their sufferings .

V. 2 7 —An d he tha t sea r cheth the hea r ts knoweth wha t is the

mind of the Spir it, because he maketh inter cession f or the sa ints

accor ding to the will of God .

To that which had been said in the precedingverse, it might be objected, to what purpose arethose groanings which we cannot understandTo this obj ection the Apostle very fully repliesin this verse : 1. God knows what these prayersmean , for he searcheth the hearts ” of men .

The believer sighs and groans, while, owing tohis perplexity and distress, he cannot utter aword before God ; nevertheless, these sighs andgroanings are full of meaning . 2 . God knowethwhat is the mind of the Spirit,

”or what he

is dictating in the heart, and therefore he mustapprove of it ; for the Father and the Spirit areone . 3 . Because, or rather, “ that he makethintercession We are not to understand hisintercession as the reason why God knows themind of the Spirit, but as the reason why hewill hear and answer the groans which the HolySpirit excites . _

A fur ther . r eason is, that this


intercession is made for the saints ; that is, forthe children of God— those of whom he hathsaid, Gather my saints together unto me, thosethat have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

—Ps . l. 5 . Finally, it is added, that it is“ according to God,

”or to the

‘will of God .

These prayers, then , will be heard, because theSpirit intercedes for those who are the childrenof God, and because he excites no desires butwhat are agreeable to the will of God. Fromal l this we see how certain it is that these groanings which cannot be uttered must be heard, andconsequently answered . For this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will

,he heareth us .” The

best prayers are not those of human eloquence,but which spring from earnest desires of theheart .This Verse is replete with instruction as well

as consolation . We are here reminded that theLord is the searcher of hearts . Hell and destruction are before the Lord ; how much morethen the hearts of the children of men .

” Thereasons of the perfect knowledge that God hasof our hearts, are declared in the 139th Psalm1. The infinity, the omnipresence, and omniscience of God . 2 . He forms the heart andknows his own work . 3 . He preserves andmaintains the heart in all its operations. 4 . He


ROMANS, VI II. 2 7.

those in whom the Spirit is a Spirit of intercession, in them he is a Spirit of regeneration .

These are therefore j oined together, in Z echa

riah, xii. 10, The Spirit of grace and of supplications None but saints have an interestin the blood of Christ, as applied unto them,

and his intercession working for them . Noneare able to pray for themselves, for whom Christdoes not likewise pray. We can only approachGod by the Spirit . We have access by oneSpirit to the Father . — Eph . ii. 18 . We canonly pray under the influence of the Spirit withgroanings that cannot be u ttered ; while thewicked may groan without prayer . They havenot cried unto me with their heart, when theyhowled upon their beds . -Hosea, vii . 14 .

The other reason which renders acceptable toGod the prayers and sighs excited in the saintsby the Holy Spirit, is, that they are accordingto the will of God. The Spirit himself beingGod

,these requests must be agreeable to God .

The carnal mind, it is said, in verse 7 , is enmityagainst God ; but the mind (the same word hereemployed) of the Spirit is agreeable to God .

The intercession made by the Holy Spirit isaccording to the command and the revealed will

of God, and In the name and In dependence onChrist the Mediator. The Holy Spirit, then,teaches the saints how to pray, and

”

what to


pray for. What he teaches them to ask on earth,

is in exact correspondence with what Jcsus, theirgreat High Priest, is interceding for them inheaven . The prayer taught by God the HolySpirit in their hearts

,is an echo to the inter ces

sion of Jesus before the throne . It is, therefore,not only in perfect unison with the intercessionof Christ, and the inditing of the Holy Spirit,but it is in exact conformity to the will of God .

Such , then , is the security to the saints thattheir prayer, although only expressed in groans ,shall be heard by their Father in heaven . Theprayer of the upright is his delight .”—Prov .

xv . 8 . He will fulfil the desire of them thatfear him.

—Ps . cxlv . 19.

V. 2 8 .—And we know tha t a ll things wor k together f or goodto them tha t love God , to them who a r e the ca lled accor ding to

his purp ose.

Nothing Is more necessary for Christians thanto be well persuaded of the happiness of theircondition, and of the privileges belonging tothem ; that theymay be able to serve God withgr eater

‘cheer fulness and

'

f r eedom of spirit, andto pass through the troubles and difficul tieswhich they meet with in the world. Here, then,is fur ther '

con solation Christians are every day‘in sorrows

,suff erings, and trials . This is not

' in itself j oyous but grievous ; but in another

point aof View it is a matter of j oy. Though


afflictions in themselves are evil ; yet, in theireffects, as overruled and directed by God, theyare useful . Yea, all things, of every kind, thathappen to the Christian are overruled by Godto work for his good"Having previously spoken of the various

sources of consolation, and, in the two preceding verses, of the Spirit helping our infirmities,

and dictating those prayers which are heard ofGod , the Apostle now obviates another objection. If God hears our sighs and groanings

,

why are we not delivered from our afflictions andtroubles ‘In answer, it is here shown that afflictions are salutary and profitable ; so that, althoughthey are not removed, God changes their naturaltendency, and mak es them work for our good .

But in order that none should hereby be ledinto carnal security, the Apostle adds, that thosefor whom all things work together for good, aresuch as love God , and are the ca lled according tohis purpose . This is not only true in itself, but itis here asserted to be a truth known to believers .The Apostle had proposed various consider

ations, to which he now says we know this is tobe added . This does not mean that believersknow it merely in a speculative manner ; butthat it is a knowledge which enters into theirheart and affections, producing in them confi

dence in its truth . It is a know ledge of faithwhich implies certainty and self-application, by


338 ROMANS,V111. 28.

ledge of which the Apostle Speaks when he says,we know that all things work together for goodto them that love God ? Carnal affections, thelove of the world, and indulgence of the flesh ,prevent this consideration from being deeplyimpressed on their minds ; they also darken theirunderstandings, so as not to allow the light ofthe consolations of God to enter their hearts.But in proportion as their hearts are purifiedfrom these affections, in the same degree it isconfirmed in their minds . The obj ection, whysuff erings are not removed, should be answeredby reminding believers that all things work together for their good .

All things wor k together j b r good — All things,whatever they be ; all things indefinitely, arehere intended . The extent of this expressionis by many limited to afflictions . Paul , itmust be remembered,

’ says Calvin on this

text, ‘is speaking , onl y of-ad versity ;’ and he

adds, Paul is here Speaking of the Cross, and,on this account, the observation of Augustine,though true, does not bear on this passage,that even the Sins of believers are so orderedby the providence of God, as to serve ratherto the advancement of their salvation than totheir injury .

’ It is true that the Apostle'had

been referring to the present suff erings of be

liever s, and enumerating various special topics

ROMANS, VI I I . 2 8 . 339

of consolation but, approaching to the conclusion of his enumeration , it might be expectedthat the last of them would be no longer of aspecial, but of a most comprehensive description .

That it is so, the terms he employs warrant usto conclude All things, he says . If the context necessarily limited this expression , its univer sality ought not to be contended for but itdoes not . If it be, as Calvin admits, that whatis here said is true even of the Sins of believers

(and if applicable to sins, what else can be excepted ?) why Should the sense be limited tosuff erings It is much more consolatory, andconsequently more to the Apostle’s purpose

,if

literally all things be comprehended and in thisView it would form the most complete summingup of his object . He had been pointing out to

believers their high privileges as heirs of God,and partakers of glory with Christ . He had saidthat their suff erings in the present time are notworthy to be compared with that glory. Hehad suggested topics to induce them to wait forit with patience ; and had given them the highest encouragement, from the fact of the workingof the Spirit of all grace within them, and of theacceptance of that work by God . Is it, then,more than was to be expected

,that he should

conclude the whole by saying that all things,without exception

,were concurring for their


good Is it too much to suppose that it mustbe so to them whom he had addressed as heirsof God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ whoare therefore under the guidance of the goodShepherd, and honoured by the in-dwelling of

the Holy Ghost It is more than the Apostlesays on another occasion , when he uses the verysame expression , a ll things ; and so far from intimating any exception , adds a most compr ehensive catalogue . All things are yours whetherPaul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, orlif e, or death, or things present, or things tocome ; all are yours, for ye are Christ

’s, andChrist is God’s"” 1Cor. iii . 21. And again,2 Cor . iv. 15 , All things are for your sakes .

”

Finally,ought the expression here to be r e

str icted , when it is impossible to believe thatthe same expression, occurring a few sentencesafterwards, V . 32 , can be restrictedThat a ll things are working together for the

good of them that love God, is a truth aff ording the highest consolation . These words teachbelievers

,that whatever may be the number and

overwhelming characterof adverse circumstances,they are all contributing to their obtaining possession of the inheritance provided for them inheaven . That they are thus working for thegood of the children of God , is manifest from

the consideration that God governs the world.


342 ROMANS , VI I I . 28 .

good . They work together in their efficacy, Intheir unity, and in their connexion . They do notwork thus of themselves ; it is God that

[

turnsall things to the good of his children . Theafliictions of believers, in a peculiar manner,contribute to this end . Before I was afflictedI went astray, but now have I kept thy word .

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, thatImight learn thy statutes .” Tribulation worketh patience .

” No chastening for the present.

seemeth to be j oyous,but grievous ; never the

less afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit ofrighteousness unto them which are exercisedthereby .

” The Apostle himself was an exampleof this , when a thorn in his flesh was sent to himto prevent his being exal ted above measur e . Wesee how much the suff erings of those spoken ofin the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews werecalculated to detach

,their aff ections from this

present world,and lead them to seek a better,

even a heavenly country . There is often a needbe for their being in heaviness through manifoldtemptations .

Even the sins of believers work for their good,

not from the nature of sin , but by the goodnessand power of him who brings light out of darkness . ‘Every where in Scripture we read of thegreat evil of sin . Every where we receive themost solemn warning against its commission,

ROMANS, VI I I . 2 8. 43

and every where we hear also of the chastisements it brings, even upon those who are rescuedfrom its finally condemning power . It is notsin , then, that works the good, but God whooverrules its effects to his children , shows themby means of it what is in their hearts, as wellas their entire dependence on himself, and thenecessity of walking with him more closely.

Their falls lead them to humiliation, to the aoknowledgmen t of their weakness and depravity,to prayer for the guidance and overpoweringinfluence of the Holy Spirit, to vigilance and

caution against al l carnal security, and to reliance on that righteousness provided for theirappearance before God . It is evident that thesin of Adam, which is the source of all their sins,has wrought for their good in raising them to ahigher degree of glor y. Believers fall into sin,and on account of this , God hides his face fromthem

,and they are troubled ; and like Hezekiah,

they go softly . God left Hezekiah to himself ,but it was to do him good at his latter end.

But if our Sin s work together for our good,shal l we sin that grace may abound ? Far bethe thought . This would be entirely to mis

understand the grace of God,and to turn it into

an occasion of off ending him . Against such an

abuse of the doctrine of grace, the Apostle contends, in the sixth chapter of this Epistle : Sin

344 ROMANS, VII I . 2 8 .

should be considered in its nature, not as to whatit is adventitiously, or in respect towhat is foreignto it. Sin as committed by HS ' lS only Sin , andrebellion against God and the holiness of hisnature . It ought therefore to be-‘regarded withabhorrence, andmerits eternal punishment . Thatit is turned to good, is the work of ,God, and notours . We ought no more to conclude that, onthis account, we may Sin , than that wicked mendo what is right, when they persecute the peopleof God, because per secutions . ar e overruled byhim for good . That all things work t ogetherfor good to them who love God, establishes thedoctrine of the perseverance of the saints ; for ifall things work together for their good, what orwhere is that which God will permit to leadthem into condemnation ?That al l things happen for the best is a com

mon saying among people of the .wor ld . Thisis a fact, as to the final issue of ' the Divineadministration , by which all things Shall bemadeto contribute-to the glory of God . But as tosinners individually -the reverse is true . Allthings are indeed working together in one complex plan in the providence of God for the goodof those who love him ;

‘but"so far f r om ‘wor king

for good, or for the best to his aenemies, everything is working

,t0‘th

l

eir final ruin . Both of

these eff ects are ’ remarkably exemplified in the



by him, but as he overrules whatever is mostdisordered, and turns to good things that inthemselves are most pernicious. We admire hisprovidence in the regularity of the seasons, ofthe course of the sun and stars ; but this is notso wonderful as his bringing good out of evil inall the complicated acts and occurrences in thelives of men , and making even the power andmalice of Satan , and the naturally destructivetendency of his works, to minister to the good ofhis children.

That love God — This is given as a peculiar characteristic of a Christian . It importsthat all believers lov e God, and that none butbelievers love him . Those calling themselvesphilosophers, and men of various descriptions,may boast of loving God , but the decision of

God himself is, that to love him is the peculiarcharacteristic of the Christian . No man canlove God till he hath shined into his heart togive him the light of the knowledge of his gloryin the face of Jesus Christ . It is, therefore,only through faith in the blood of Christ thatwe can love God . Until our faith gives ussome assurance of reconciliation with God , wecannot have the confidence which is essential toloving God . Till then we dread God as our

enemy, and fear that he will punish us on ao

count of our Sins.

ROMANS,VI I I . 2 8 . 34 7

To those who ar e the ca lled accor ding to his

purpose.—This is a further description or cha

r acter istic of God’s people . They “

ar e callednot merely outwardly by the preaching of theGospel, for this is common to them with unbeliever s, but called also by the Spirit, with aninternal and eff ectual calling, and made willingin the day of God’s power. They are calledaccording to God’s eternal purpose, accordingto which he knew them

,and prepared their call

ing before they were in existence, for all God’s

purposes are eternal . It imports that their calling is solely the eff ect of grace ; for when it issaid to be a calling according to God’s purpose,it is distinguished from a calling according toworks . Who hath saved us

,and called us

with an holy calling, not according to our works ,but according to his own purpose and grace,which was given us in Christ Jesus before

'theworld began .

”2 Tim . i . 9. It imports that it

is an eff ectual and permanent calling, for God’s

purposes cannot be defeated . The counsel ofthe Lord, that Shall stand.

” Their calling isaccording to the purpose of Him who workethal l things according to the counsel of his ownwill.” Eph . i . 11. Here the Apostle connectsour calling, which is a thing we know, withGod’s decree

,

'

which is concealed, to teach usthat we must judge of our eternal election by

ROMANS,VI I I . 2 9.

our calling . 2 Pet . i . 10. For as the Apostlesays, they whom God hath predestinated, hehath called and justified, so we may say, thosewhom he hath called and justified, he hath electedand predestinated . If God hath called us

,then

,

he hath elected us .V. 2 9 .

—For whom he d id f or eknow, he a lso d id p r edestina te tobe conf ormed to the image of his Son , tha t he might be the fi r st

bor n among many br eth r en .

The Apostle having exhibited to believersmany grounds of consolation, to induce thempatiently to endure the suff erings of this present time

,now assures them of the certainty of

their being glorified, by pointing out the sourcefrom which their future glory proceeds . Theeasy and natural transition to this branch of hissubj ect Should be particularly noticed . He haddeclared in the foregoing verse that a ll things

work together for good to them that love God ;but

i

as it is always necessary to keep in mindthat our love to God is not the cause of his loveto us , nor consequently of the privileges with

which we are favoured, but the eff ects of hisloving us ; the Apostle adds, Who are thecalled according to his purpose . This declaration leads at once to a full and most encou

raging View of the progress of the Divine pr ocedur e originatingwithGod, and carried, throughall its connecting links, forward to the full pos


350 ROMANS , VI I I . 2 9 .

foreknowledge and decrees cannot be separated ;for the one implies the other. Whatever he decrees that it sha ll be, he foresees that it will be .

There is nothing known as a thing that it willbe, which is not certainly to be ; and there isnothing certainly to be, but it is ordained that itShal l be. Al l the foreknowledge of future events,then , is founded on the decree of God ; conse

quently be determined with himself from eternityevery thing he executes in time ; Acts, xv . 18 .

Nothing is contingent in the mind of God , whoforesees and orders all events, according to hisown eternal and unchangeable will. Jesus Christwas not delivered by God foreknowing it, butby his fixed counsel and ordination, or his providence . Thus believers are called elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father1Pet . i. 2 ; and in the same chapter, V. 19, 20,

the Apostle Peter says, that Jesus Christ wasforeknown before the foundation of the world .

Here foreknown signifies,as it is rendered, fore

ordained .

The third signification of this word is takenfor a knowledge of love and approbation, and inthis sense it signifies to choose and recognise asour own ; as it is said, Rom. xi. 2 , God hathnot cast away his people whom he forekn ew,

that is,whom he had before loved and chosen ;

for the Apostle alleges this foreknowledge as


the reason why God had not rej ected his people .

In this manner the word know” is often takenin Scripture in the sense of knowing with affec

tion,loving

,approving ; as in the first Psalm,

The Lord knoweth the way of the righteousbut the way of the ungodly shall perish .

”

Toknow the way of the just, is to love, to approve,as appears by the antithesis . Paul says to theCorinthians

,If any man love God , the same

is known of him,

”1Cor . viii . 3 ; and to the

Galatians, but now after ye have known God,or rather are known of him.

” In the same wayGod said by his prophet to Israel, You onlyhave I known of all the families of the earth .

Amos , iii . 2 . At the day of j udgment JesusChrist will say to hypocrites, I never knew

you .

” Matt . Vii. 23 . That is to say, he neverloved or acknowledged them, although he perfectly knew their characters and actions . Inthis last sense the word foreknow is employedin the passage before us . Those whom Godforeknew, those whom he before loved, chose,acknowledged as his, he predestinated to beconformed to the image of his Son . It is nota general anticipated knowledge that is hereintended . The Apostle does not speak of all,but of some, whom in verse 33 he calls God’select, and not of any thing in their persons, orbelonging to‘them Abl l t of the persons them

352 ROMANS, VI I I . 2 9.

selves, whom it is said God foreknew. And headds , that those whom he foreknew, he also didpredestinate to be conformed to the image ofhis Son , and whom he predestinated, he called,and justified

,and glorified.

By foreknowledge, then , Is not here meant aforeknowledge of faith or good works, or ofconcurrence with the external call . Faith cannot be the cause of foreknowledge, because foreknowledge is before predestination , and faith isthe eff ect of predestination . As many as wereordained to eternal life believed .

” Acts,xiii . 48 .

Neither can it he meant of the foreknowledgeof good works, because these are the effects ofpredestination. We are his workmanship

,

created in Christ Jesus unto good works , whichGod hath before ordained (or before prepared),that we should walk in them .

” Eph . ii . 10.

Neither can it be meant of foreknowledge of

our concurrence with the external call,because

our eff ectual calling depends not upon that concurrence, but upon God

’s purpose and grace,given us In Christ Jesus before the world began .

2 Tim . i . 9 . By this foreknowledge, then, ismeant

,as has been observed,

’

the love of Godtowards those whom he predestinates to be savedthrough Jesus Christ. All ' the called of Godare foreknown by him, that is,

'

they are the , oh

jects of his eter nal love, and their calling comes


ROMANS, VIII. 29 .

to the image of his Son . As the term is hereused, it respects not all

'

men, but only those on

whom God has placed his love from eternity,and on whom he pur poses to bestow life throughJesus Christ. AS, then, it is absolute and com

plete, so it is definite, and the number who arethus predestinated can neither be increased nor

In the passage above quoted, Eph . i . 5, thecause of predestination as being solely in Godis declared . After saying that God had pr edestinated us unto the adoption of children by JesusChrist, it is added to himself, to show thatGod has no cause out of himself moving him tothis grace . In order to enforce this, it is further added, according to the good pleasure ofhis will and in the third place it is subjoined ,to the praise of the glory ofh is grace from

which it follows that it must necessarily be bygrace, that is, free, unmerited favour . Love toGod , or conformity to the image of Christ,cannot in any respect have its origin in fallenman. Herein is love, not that we loved God,but that he loved us .” We love him, becausehe fir st loved us .The fimndation of predestination is Jesus

Christ, by whom we receive the adoption of

children . Its obj ect is man, not invested withy quality which moves God to predestinate

ROMANS,VI I I. 29 . 355

him ; but as corrupted and guilty in Adam, anddead in trespasses and sins until quickened byGod. The blessing to which God hath pr edes

tinated those whom he foreknew is salvation , asit is said , God hath not appointed us to wrath,but to obtain salvation by our Lord JesusChrist or , as it is expressed in the verse beforeus, to be conformed to the image of his Son .

”

The means to all this, are our calling and justification : the fina l end of predestination is theglory of God to the glory of his graceand, that he might make known the riches ofhis glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hadafore prepared unto glory .

” On the consideration of their election, the Apostles urge believer s to walk in holiness . Put on , therefore,as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowelsof mercies , kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suff ering.

” Col . iii . 12 . Ye are achosen (elected) generation, a royal priesthood,an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye shoul dShow forth the praises of Him who hath called

you out of darkness into his marvellous light .”

1Peter,ii . 9 .

In the election of some and the passing by of

others, the wisdom of God is manifest ; for bythis means he displays both his justice andmercy, otherwise one of these virtues wouldnot have appear ed . If all had been withdrawn


from their state of corruption , the justice of

God would not have manifested itself in theirpunishment . If none had been chosen, hismercy would not have been seen . In the salvation of these, God has displayed his grace ;and in the punishment of sin in the others,he has discovered his justice and hatred of

iniquity .

To be confi rmed to the image of his Son .

This implies that the children of God must allbe made in some measure to resemble Christ,their head and elder brother . This likenessrespects character and sufferings , as well as allthings in which such similarity is found to

exist . The Lord Jesus Christ, the first electof God

,is the model after which all the elect

of God must be formed . Man was created inthe image of God , but when sin entered helost his image and Adam begat a son in hisown likeness after his image ,

” Gen . V. 3 ;

thus communicating to his posterity his corr upted nature . But as God had determined tosave a part of the fallen race, it was according to his good pleasure ” to renew his image inthose whom he had chosen to this salvation .

This was to be accomplished by the incarnationof his Son

,who is the brightness of his glory,

and the express image of his person to whose

image they were predestinated to be conformed .


ROMANS, VIII . 29 .

in a glass the glory of the Lord, they arechanged into the same image . They put onthe new man, which is renewed in knowledgeafter the image of him that created him . Insuff e r ing they are conformed to him who wasa man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

They must endure tribulation, and fill up whatis behind of his afflictions . As the Captain of

their Salvation was made perfect through sufferings

,and through suff erings entered into his

glory ; so the suff erings of his people, whilethey promote their conformity to him in holiness, are also the way in which they followhim to that glory . Ye are they who havecontinued with me in my temptations, and Iappoint unto you a kingdom .

” What theApostle hath said in the seventeenth verse,that if believers suffer , with Christ they shallalso be glorified together, is here confirmed byhis declaration that they are predestinated tobe conformed to his image . This image, of

which the outlines are in this world traced inthem, is only perfected in heaven .

That he might be thefi r st-bor n among manybr ethr en .

—Here is a reason for those whom Godforeknew being conformed to the image of hisSon and a limitation of that conformity whichthey Shall have with him. The reason is, thathe might have many brethren . Next to the

ROMANS, VIII . 2 9 . 359

glory of God, the obj ect of his incarnation wasthe salvation of a multitude that no man cannumber of those whose nature he took, and thiswas the eff ect of his death . Referring to thishe himself say s, Except a corn of wheat fallinto the ground and die, it abideth alone ; butif it die it bringeth forth much fruit. Accordingly, in the everlasting covenant between the

Father and the Son , when grace was given tohis people in him before the world began, 2 Tim .

i . 9— and when God promised to him for themeternal life, Titus, i . 2—it was determined thatwhen he Should make his soul an off ering forsin, he should see of the travail of his soul andbe satisfied, and that by the knowledge of himmany should be justified . He was to bear thesins of many . Glorify thy Son that thy Sonalso may glorify thee ; as thou hast given himpower over all flesh, that he might give eternallife to as many as thou hast given him .

” Byhis obedience many were to be made righteous.As the Captain of their Salvation, he was tobring many sons unto glory . To him many

Shall come from the east and west, and shall sitd own with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in'the kingd om of heaven . And as he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one,he is not ashamed to call them br ethr en . Butas in all things he must have the pre-eminence,


so this limitation is introduced, that among themall he must be the fir st-born that is to say,the first, the principal, the most excellent, thegover nor, the Lord .

Under the law the fir st-born had authorityover their brethren , and to them belonged adouble portion , as well as the honour of actingas priests ; the fir st-born in Israel being holy ;that is to say, consecrated to the Lord . Reuben losing his right of primogeniture by his sin

,

the dominion belonging to it was transferred toJudah ; and the double portion to Joseph, whomade two tribes, and had two portions in Canaanby Ephraim and Manasseh ; while the right ofsacrifice was transferred to Levi . The wordfir st-born also signifies what surpasses any thingelse of the same kind, as the fir st-born of thepoor,

” Isaiah,xiv. 30 that is to

'

say, the mostmiserable of all ; and the fir st-born of death,Job, xviii . 13— Signifying a very terrible death,surpassing in grief and Violence . The termfir st-born is also used for those who were mostbeloved, as Ephraim is called the fir st-born of

the Lord,Jer. xxxi . 9— that is, his dear son .

”

In al l these respects, the , appellation of fir st

born belongs to Jesus Christ, both as to thesuperiority of his nature, of his office, and of hisglory.

Regarding his natur e, he was, as to his Divi



fir st-born from the dead, as being raised thefirst, and being made the first fruits of themthat slept, and by his power they Shall be raisedto a life glorious and eternal .

V. 30.—Mor eover,whom he d id p r edestina te, them he a lso

called : a nd whom he called, them he also j ustified : and whom

hej ustified, them he a lso glor ified.

Mor eover , whom he d id p r edestina te, them he

a lso ca lled — Paul had spoken of God’s pr edestinating his people to be conformed to the imageof his Son . Here he shows us how this iseffected. They are to be brought to this likeness to their elder brother by being called bothby the word and Spirit of God . God callsthem by his grace, Gal. i . 15— that is, as hasbeen observed, without regard to any thing inthemselves . Eff ectual calling is the first internal operation of grace on those who are elected .

They are not merely called externally, as manywho are not elected . The Scriptures Speakof the universal call of the Gospel addressed toall men ; but this is not inseparably connectedwith salvation ,

' for , in this sense, the Lord hassaid, that many are called but few arechosen . At three periods all mankind werecalled . They were called through Adam, theywere called by Noah, and finally by the

Apostles, Col . i . 23 . Yet how soon in eachperiod was the external call forgotten by the


great body of the human race. They did notlike to retain God in their knowledge.”In the passage before us , and in various other

places, it is effectual calling that is spoken of .Whom he did predestinate them he also call

ed . This calling, then , signifies more thanthe external calling of the word. It is aecom

panied with more than the partial and temporaryeff ects which the word produces on some, andis always ascribed to the operation of God bythe influence of the Holy Spirit . Even whenthe external means are employed to most advantage, i t is God only who gives the increase .1Cor . iii . 6 . It is he who Opens the heart toreceive the word, Acts, xvi . 14 .—who gives anew heart

,Ezek . xxxvi . 2 6— who writes his

law in -it, and who saves his people, not byworks of righteousness which they have done,but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit . iii .5 .

That which is meant, then, by the word ca lled in this passage, and in many others, is theoutward calling by the word, accompan ied withthe operation of God by his Spirit in the regener ation and conversion of Sinners . When JesusChrist thus calls, men instantly believe ; Matt .iv. 19 . Grace is communicated

,and the sinn er

becomes a new creature . Regeneration is nota work which is accomplished gradually ; it is


effected instantaneously. A t first, indeed, faith’

is often weak ; but as the new-born infan t is asmuch in possession of life as the full grownman , so the Spiritual life is as completely posSessed in the moment of regeneration as ever itis afterwards, and previous to that moment ithad no existence . There is no medium betweenlife and death ; a man is either dead in Sin , or

quickened by receiving the Holy Spirit. Heis either in Christ or out of Christ . EitherGod has begun a good work in him, or he is ina state of spir itual death and corruption . Bymeans of the word, accompanied by his Spirit,God enlightens the understanding with a heavenly light, moves the will and the aff ectionsto receive and embrace Christ, and forms in theheart his image and the newman, of which theApostle says, that it is created in righteousnessand true holiness . God says, Awake, thouthat Sleepest, and arise from the dead, and ChristShall give thee light .” He prophesies uponthe dry bones, and the Spirit enters into them.

Thus the same grace that is in Operation in theelection of the saints, is exercised in

’

their calling and regeneration, without which they wouldremain dead in trespasses and sins . No man ,

says Jesus, can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.

”

All who are elected are in due time effectually


/366 ROMANS , VI I I . 30.

They whom the Holy Spirit eff ectually calls .by'

the Gospel to the knowledge of God are alsojustified . They are ungodly ” (Rom. iv. 5) tillthe moment when they are called ; but beingthen united to Christ, they are in that momentj ustified . They are instantly absolved fromguilt, and pronounced righteous, as having perfectly answered all the demands of the law, for

by Him it has been fulfilled in them . To justify signifies to pronounce or account righteoussuch as have transgressed, and forfeited the favour of God , as well as incurred a penalty, conveying to them deliverance from the penal ty,and restoration to that favour . And they who '

are thus pronounced and accounted righteous byGod , must be righteous, for God looks uponthings as they really are ; as being one withChrist, they are perfectly righteous . Justifi

cation ,” says Luther, “ takes place when , in the

just judgment of God, our sins, and the eternalpunishment due to them, are remitted, and whenclothed with the righteousness of Christ, whichis freely imputed to us, and reconciled to God,we are made his beloved children , and heirs ofeternal The connexion between callingand justification is manifest, for we must beunited to Christ to enjoy the good derived from

On the Doctr ine of Justification, see vol . i. of this Expositiou, ch . iii. iv . and v.

ROMANS , VI I I . so; 367

him. We must be members of Christ that hisobedience may be ours, that in him we mayhave righteousness. Now, it is by our callingthat we are brought into his communion, andby communion with him to the partaking of hisgrace and blessing, which cannot fail to belongto them who are with him one body, one flesh,and one Spirit . Those who are called must,therefore, be justified . Those who are the members of Jesus Christ must be partakers in hisrighteousness, and of the Spirit of life that is inhim . Whom he calls he justifies . This provesthat there are none justified till they are called,which refutes the error of those who affirm thatthe ‘elect are justified from eternity. We arejustified then by faith, which we receive whenwe are eff ectually called .

Whom he j ustified , them he a lso glor ified —A

man is justified the moment he believes in Christ,and here glorification is connected with justification . No believer, then, finally comes short of

salvation . If he is justified, he must in due timebe glorified . Glor ification is complete conformity to the glorious image of Jesus Christ ; whenwe shall see him as he is, and be made like untohim, enjoying that felicity which the Psalmistanticipated ; Thou wilt Show me the path oflife ; in thy presence is fulness of j oy, at thyright hand there are pleasures for evermore .

368 ROMANS , VI I I . 30.

The glorification of the Saints will have itsconsummation in the day of the blessed r esur r ection , when their bodies shall be made like to theglorious body of Jesus Christ ; when that natural body which was sown in corruption, in dishonour, in weakness, shall be raised a spiritualbody in incorruption, in glory, in power. Thendeath will be swallowed up in Victory, all tearsShall be wiped away, the Lamb will lead andfeed them, and God Shall be all in all .In this verse glorification is spoken of as having

already taken place, because what God has determined to do may be said to be already done .He calls those things that be not as though

they were .

” The Apostle does not say that thosewhom God predestinates he calls, and that thosewhom he justifies he glor ifies ; but speaking inthe past time, he says, that them whom God hathpredestinated he hath called , hath justified, andhath glorified . By this he expresses the certainty of the counsel of God . In the same way,in the Old Testament, things futurewere spokenof as already accomplished on account of the

infallibility of the promises of God ; so that before Jesus Christ came into the world it wassaid, Unto us a child is born, unto us a sonis given .

" And he himself Speaks of what isfuture as already accomplished . I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do .

”



God may have foreknown and predestinated tolife some whom he does not call, that he effec

tually calls some whom he does not justify, andthat he justifies others whom he does not glo r ify .

This contradicts the express language of thispassage, which declares that those whom heforeknew he predestinated , that those whom hepredestinated them he also called, that thosewhom he called, them he also justified, and

'

that

those whom be j ustified, them he also glorified .

It is impossible to find words which could moreforcibly and pr ecisely e x pr ess the indissolubleconnexion that subsists between all the parts

'

of

this series, or Show that they are the same indi-lViduals that are spoken of throughoutThe same doctrine is in other

'

places explicitlytaught : Of him

”

(by God ,‘

accor ding to his S0Ver eign election) a r e ye in Chr istJesus, who ofGod

”

(by the appointment of God) is madeunto us wisdom”

(in our calling), righteousness” (by the imputation of his righteousness),

sanctifica tion”

(in making us'

conformed to hisimage)

'

-and r edemp tion”

(in giving us eternal glory). These truths are also declared inThess . ii ; 13 . God hath from the beginning

chosen you to'Salvation,

'

through sanctification

of. the’ Spirit, a nd-belief of ,

the truth,whereunto

he ca lled you by 'our Gospel to the obtaining ofthe glor y‘of c our Lor d

’

Je'

SuS Christ .”


It is indeed often objected to the doctrine of

grace, that, according to it, men may live as theylist ; if they are certainly to be saved, they mayindulge in sin with impunity . But according toPaul’s statements in this chapter, all the doctrines respecting the salvation of the elect areundeniably connected, and a single link in thechain is never wanting . He who has ordainedthe end, has ordained the means . He who haschosen them in Christ, from before the foundation of the world, has chosen them through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth . Ifthey are predestinated to be conformed to theimage of his Son, they are in due time called bythe word and Spirit of God . If they are called

,

they are justified, so that there is no unrighteousness to stand in the way of their acceptance . Ifthey are justified, they will also be glorified inthe appointed season . How fatally erroneous,then, is the Opinion of those who say that, if weare predestinated, we shall obtain eternal gloryin whatever way we live . Such a conclusionbreaks this heavenly chain . It is vain for human ingenuity to attempt to find an imper fection in the plans of Divine wisdom in arrangingthe things concerning the salvation of his people .

In the passage before us,then, we see that

all the'

links of that chain by whichman is drawnup to heaven

, ar e inseparable . In the"whole of


it, there is nothing but grace, whether we contemplate its beginning, its mIddle, or its end .

Each of its parts furn ishes the most importantinstruction . If we are elected, let us feel andexperience in ourselves the effects of our election . If we are called, let us walk worthy of

our vocation . If we are justified, let us, likeAbraham, Show our fai th and our justificationby our works . If we shall be glorified, let uslive as fellow-citizens of the saints, and of thehousehold of God . Let our conversation be inheaven, and let us confess that we are pilgrimsand strangers on the earth .

In looking back on this passage, we shouldobserve, that, in all that is stated, man acts nopart, but is passive, and al l is done by God . Heis elected, predestinated, called, justified, andglorified by God . The Apostle was here concluding all that he had said before in enume

rating topics of consolation to believers, and isgoing on to Show that God is for us,

”or on

the part of his people . Could any thing, then ,be more consolatory to those who love God,than to be in this manner assured that the greatconcern of their eternal salvation is not left intheir own keeping God , even their covenant

God , hath taken the whole upon himself. Hehath undertaken for them. He will perfect thatwhich concerneth them .



he had said, since we see by all these thingsthat God is for us, who shall be against us ?For is it not evident that God is for us

,Since

he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into ourhearts, crying, Abba, Father ; since the Spirithelps our infirmities ; since all things work together for our good since we are predestinatedto be conformed to the image of his Son Whenwe were alienated from him he called us whenwe were sinners he justified us and finally translating us from a scene of troubles and afflictions,he will confer on us a crown of immortal glory.

Since, then , God thus favours us, who Shall beagainst usMany, however, in all ages, Speak of these

things very blasphemously . They are far frombeing pleasing to man’s wisdom . But they excite a diff erent feeling in the breast of everyChristian . Thev give a security to God’speople which supports them under a sense of

their own weakness . If they had no strengthbut their own , if there

‘were no security for theirperseverance but their own resolutions, theymight indeed despond they never would arriveat heaven . But as this passage shows that allthings ar e secured by God, and that all the

links of the chainin the hand of God that unitesthem with heaven , are indissolubly united together, they have .no l anguage in which they


can adequately express their wonder, gratitude ,and j oy . No truth can be more evident thanthis— that if God be for us , although we haveinnumerable enemies, and are ourselves utterweakness, nothing can be so against us as final lyto injure us . As the Angel said to Gideon, theLord is with thee,

” so the same is said in thispassage to every Christian . No weapon thatis formed against thee shall prosper.” Allmen forsook me, said Paul

,but the Lord

stood by me.

” As God had said to Israel, andMoses, and Joshua, so he said, Fear not, Paul,for I am with thee .” When Christians, surrounded with difliculties and enemies, are disposed to say, with the servant of Elisha , Al as,what Shall we do the passage before us Speaksthe same language as did the Prophet

,Fear

not, for they that be with us, are more than theythat be with them and likewise that of Hezekiah, There he more with us than with them .

With them is an arm of flesh ; but with us isthe Lord our God to help us, and to fight ourbattles .” It is added, And the people restedthemselves upon the words of Hezekiah, Kingof Judah .

”

In the verse before us we have two propositions . One is, that God is for us ; the other, thatnothing can be— that is, can prevail—againstus . From thiswe may consider who are against ,

ROMANS, VII I . 32 .

and who is for believers . There is arrayed againstthem a formidable host composed of many enemies . There are Satan and all wicked spirits ;the world, and in-dwelling sin ; all sufler ings ;and death itself. How could they themselveswithstand the power of such antagonists But

,

on the other hand, the Apostle shows in one

word who is for them . God , says he, is for usGod is the Shield of his people : He holds themin his hand, and none can pluck them out of it .The eternal God is thy refuge

,and under

neath are the everlasting arms"”V. 32 .

—He tha t sp a r ed not his own Son , but deliver ed him up

f or us all, how shall he n ot with him also f r eely give us a ll things 9

In the preceding verse, the Apostle had comforted believers from the consideration that, ifGod, with all his glorious attributes, were en

gaged for their defence, they might look withoutdismay upon an opposing universe . Here, inorder to confirm their confidence in God, hepresents an argument to prove that God is withthem of a truth, and also to assure them thatthey Shall receive from him every blessing .

There are two circumstances calculated to ia

Spire distrust in the mind of the believer. The

one is the afl‘lictions which press upon him inthis world ; and these of two kinds, namely,such as are common to all men, and such as ar epeculiar to the followers of Christ. The other



God, he brings into View all his perfections asinfinitely good, powerful , wise, and able to renderthem supremely blessed in holiness and eternalglory . Another eff ect is to draw their attentionto the greatness of the love of God ; for one towhom we are in some respects equal may conferon us his favours, but here we are reminded thatHe who bestows them is infinitely above us, towhom we are indebted even for our existence .

His goodness , then , is so much the more wonder ful, that though he is the infinite Jehovah,dwelling in light that is inaccessible, of whom itis said that he humbleth himself to behold thethings that are in Heaven — PS. cxiii . 6— stillhe draws near to us, and condescends to raise usup, who are as nothing before him, and who ,being the Creator of all things, has set his loveon those who are Sinful

,and poor, and miserable .

What God hath given is his own Son —Thisimports that he is his Son in the sense of thatrelation among men . It is sonship in this senseonly that shows the immensity of the love ofGod in this gift . This proves that it was greaterthan if he had given the whole creation . If hisSon were related to him in merely a figurativesonship, it could not be a proof of his ineffablelove . ~God d id not spa r e him. Not sparing himmay either mean that he spared him not in a wayof j ustice— 2 Peter, ii. 4— that is, exacted the

ROMANS , VI I I . 32 . 379

utmost farthing of the debt he had taken uponhim

, or that he spared him not in a way of

bounty— that is, withheld him not . God sparedAbraham’s son , but be spared not his own Son .

This passage shows that Christ was given overby the Father to the suff erings which he bore

,

and that these sufferings were all necessary forthe salvation of his people . Had they not beennecessary, he would not have exposed his Sonto them. It became him, for whom are allthings, and by whom are all things, in bringingmany sons unto glory, to make the Captain of

their salvation perfect through suff erings .”

D eliver ed him up j b r us a ll.—When the Jewsseized and crucified our Lord Jesus Christ, hewas delivered up by the Father

’s decree, andby the direction of his Providence, though itwas through the guilty criminality of the Jewsthat he was put to death . It took place whenhis appointed hour arrived, for till then theycould not accomplish their purpose . Him,

being delivered by the determinate counsel andforeknowledge of God , ye have taken, and bywicked hands have crucified and Slain .

” As theFather delivered him up

,the great end of his

suffering was satisfaction to the justice of God ;

and as h e bore the whole curse of the brokenlaw, his people are never, on that account, tobear any portion of vindictive wrath. It

380 ROMANS, V111. 32 .

was exacted and he answered .-Isa . liii . 7 .

Then,” says the Son himself, I restored

that which I took not away.—Ps . lxix . 4 .

Thus the Father delivered up his Son to humiliation , involving an assumption of our natureand our transgressions . He delivered him up tosorrows unparalleled, and to death , implying notmerely the dissolution of the soul and body

,but

the weight of the sins of men , and the wrath of

God against Sin . God thus delivered up hisSon, that he might rescue us from that miserywhich he might have justly inflicted upon us,

and might take us,who were children of wrath,

in to his heavenly presence, and there rejoiceover us for ever, as the trophies of his redeeming love .For us a ll . That is, for all to whom theApostle is e tmg, whom he had addressed asbeloved of God , called, saints, Rom . i . 7 , amongwhom he ranks himself. But as these epistlesto the Churches equally apply to all believersto the end of time, so this expression includesall the elect of God— all who have been givento Jesus— all in whose behalf he addressed theFather in his intercessory prayer . I pray forthem . I pray not for the world, but for themwhich thou hast given me .”—John, xvii. 9, 20.

How sha ll he not a lso with him f r eely give us

all things —This is the most conclusive reason



against the last . It is impossible that he canpossess true patience and confidence in God inhis affl ictions

,while his conscience labours under

the apprehension of the wrath of God . On thisaccount the Apostle, in the fifth chapter of thisEpistle, in setting forth the accompaniments ofjustification by faith, first speaks of peace withGod, and afterwards of glorying in tribulations .In the chapter before us he observes the sameorder ; for, in this last part of it, in which hespeaks of the triumph of the believer, he firstfor tifies the conscience against its fears fromguilt, and next secures against external temptat ions from affl ictions . As to the first he says,Who shall lay any thing to the charge of

God’s elect ? it is God that justifieth, it isChrist that died, who is even at the right handof God, who also maketh intercession for us .And as to the last, Who shall separate usfrom the love of Christ P shall tribulation, ordistress, or persecution

,or famine

,or sword ?

Nay , in all these things we are more thanconquerors . He does not mean to say thatnothing shall occur to trouble believers, but thatn othing shall prevail against them . In assuringthem of this, he ascends to their election as tothe source of all their blessings .W710 shall lay any thing to the cha r ge of God

’

s

elect —The Apostle speaks here of God’s elect.


This reminds believers that their election is notto be ascribed to any thing in themselves, butis to be traced solely to the grace and mercy of

God,by which they were chosen in Christ be

fore the foundation of the world —Eph . i . 4 .

Their election demonstrates the vanity of allaccusations that can be brought against them ,

either by their own conscience, by the world, orby Satan . Thus, while the Apostle removesevery ground of boasting and vain glory, andall presumptuous thoughts of themselves, of theirfree-will and self-righteousness

,he lays the sure

foundation’

of solid peace and of joy in believing .

He leads us to the election of God as the sourceof all the good we enj oy or hope for, in order toset aside every ground for vain glory, and allpresumption as to any worthiness in ourselvesof our own will or righteousness , so that we mayf ully recognise the grace and mercy of God tous, who, even when we did not exist, chose usin himself, according to his own good pleasure .Eph . i . 4 , 5 . He likewise does so that we mayhave a sure foundation to r

'

est'

on,even God’s

eternal and unchangeable purpose,instead of

any fallacious hope from reliance on any thingin ourselves . When it is said here

,Who shall

lay any thing to the'

char ge of God’s elect ?” it

does'

not refer to men generally,but to believers

a'

s‘the

'

elect of God . The'

w'

or d elect must be

384 ROMANS, VI II . 33 .

taken, in this place, in its connexion with called ,as in the preceding verses , since it is here foundin connexion with justification . For a manmight be elected, and yet not be for the present justified, as Paul, when he persecuted thechurch , who was not justified till he actuallybelieved, though even then elected, and, according to God’s purpose and counsel, ordained tosalvation .

It is God tha t j ustz'

fieth.—There is none that

justifies besides God. None can absolve andacquit a sinner from guilt, and constitute andpronounce him righteous, but God alone. I

,

even I, am he that blotteth out thy tr ansgr essions for mine own sake,

” Is . xliii . 25 for it isGod al one against whom sin is committed, inreference to future condemnation . Againstthee, thee only have I sinned .

”—Ps. 1i. 5 . Itis God alone that condemns, and therefore it isGod alone that justifies . If, then , God hasmade believers just or righteous, who is he thatwill bring them in guilty There are here twogrounds upon which the Apostle founds the jus

tification of believers . One is taken from itsauthor— it is God that justifies ; the other istaken from the subjects of this privil ege— theyare the elect . And thus the freedom of justification, and

-its permanency, are both certified .

It is here established that the elect are saved


386 ROMANS , VII I .

law, and to bring them into condemnation, fromwhich they have been delivered by what God

himself hath done for them . It is here supposedthat their condemnation is impossible, becauseit would be unjust. In similar language, theLord Jesus, the first elect of God, speaking bythe Prophet Isaiah , 1. 8 , says, He is near that

justifieth me ; whowill contendwith me Thesewords relate to his confidence in his heavenlyFather, who would uphold him as his righteousservant, and it is on his righteousness and workthat 'the acquittal of all those whom the Fatherhath given him, and who are elected in him, isrested . Four grounds of their freedom fromcondemnation are . here stated

,—Christ’ s death

,

his resurrection,his sitting at the right hand of

God, and his intercession .

I t is Chr ist tha t d ieth- By his death , thepenalty of the Holy law, on account of its violation by his people, was executed, and satisfaction made to D ivine justice . In answer to thequestion , who is he that condemneth, the Apostlesays

'that Christ died . By this he intimates theimpossibility of our being absolved from sin,without a satisfaction being made for the injurydone to the rights of God’s justice, and the sacredmajesty of his eternal laws which had been Violated . He shows that it

'

was impossible thatwe could be justified, without satisfaction being

ROMANS , VI I I . 3 4 . 38 7

made to the justice of God . For God could notset aside his justice by his mercy, and justifysinners without an atonement . It is on thisaccount that God had instituted the sacrificesunder the law, to hold forth the necessity of asatisfaction

,and that without shedding of blood

there could be no remission of sin . There is,then, a manifest necessity of repairing the outrage against the perfectionsof God, which arethe original and fundamental rule of the dutyof the creature . This reparation could only bemade by a satisfaction that should correspondwith the august maj esty of the holiness of God ;

and consequently it must be of infinite value,which could only be found in a person of infinitedignity .

To the d eath of Jesus Christ as the atonementfor sin , our eyes are constantly directed throughout the Scriptures

,whether by types, by pr o

phecies, or by historical descriptions of the event .Death was the punishment threatened in theCovenant of works against sin

,and as Jesus

Christ had neither 'transgressed that covenant,nor could have the sin of Adam imputed to him,

because he Sprang not from him by the wayof natural generation , he being without sin ,the penalty of death could not be incurred;Death, then, which is the wages of sin, musthave been suff ered by him

.

for sinners . Their


iniquities were laid upon him, and by his stripesthey are healed . His death, therefore , utterlyforbids condemnation to the elect of God

, who

had been given to him, and were one with him,

of whom only the context Speaks . It must bea just compensation for their sins . It is eviden tly implied that none for whom he died can

be condemned . For if condemn ation be forbidden by his death, then that condemnation mustbe prohibited with respect to all for whom hedied . His death made satisfaction to justice forthem

,and

,therefore, in their case both accusa

tion and condemnation are rendered impossible .

Yea r a ther , tha t is r isen again .— This is the

second ground affirmed by the Apostle againstthe possibility of the condemnation of God’select . What pur pose would the death of Christhave served if he had been overcome and swallowed up by it If Christ be not raised, yourfaith is vain ; ye are yet in your sins .

” If hebe not risen

,it must be because he had not ex

piated those sins for which he died, and wastherefore retained a prisoner by death . Butsince the Surety has been released from thegrave

,complete satisfaction must have been

made . His resurrection, then, is the proof ofhis victory

,and of the entire expiation of his

people’s sins . It is, therefore, opposed to theircondemnation

,as being their absolution and ac


390 ROMANS , VI I I . 34 .

Ving finished the work of redemption, this wasthe result of his labours, and the testimony of

its consummation . His thus sitting down indicates an essential difference between our LordJesus Christ and the Levitical priests . Everypriest standeth daily

’

minister ing, and offeringoften times the same sacrifices , which can nevertake away sins . But this man , after he hadoff ered one sacrifice for sin for ever sat down on

the right hand of God .

” The Levitical priestshad never finished their work ; it was still imperfect. They stood , therefore,

’

ministeringdaily in token of continued service . But Christhaving offered one sacrifice for sins, by whichhe hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified , for ever

'

sa t down on the right hand of

God .— Heb .

'

x . 12 .

Jesus Christ, then , is not only raised from thedead, but has also ascended into heaven , and ispossessed '

of all'

power and glory, and is thereto defend his people . His seat at the righthand of God signifies his permanent exaltationasMediator, and his communion with God insovereign power and authority, reigning as theHead and King of his Church . The amount

,

then, of the .Apostle’s reasoning is, that suchbeing thec ondition of him who was dead and isrisen ' again, possessed of the keys of hell andof

'

death,‘who shall dare to appear before him

ROMANS, VI I I : 34 .

'

391

to bring an accusation against his members, orto condemn the elect of God ?

Who a lso maketh inter cession f or as .—This

is the fourth and last ground of the security of

God’s elect . The intercession of Jesus Ch r istis the second act of his '

pr iesthood , and is anecessary consequence of his sacrifice, which isthe first act, and precedes the third , namely, hiscoming forth from the heavenly sanctuary to

bless those whom he has redeemed to God byhis blood . His intercession consists in thatperpetual application which he makes to hisFather in the name of his Church, of the bloodwhich be shed on the cross for the salvation ofhis people, in order to obtain for them the fruitsof that oblation . It was necessary that his sacr ifice should be off ered upon earth, because itwas-an act of his humiliation but his in ter cession, which supposes the establishment of righteousness and peace, is made in heaven , beingan act of his exaltation . This in tercession wasfigur atiVely represented by the high

' priest inIsrael, when, after . having offered in fhis linengarments the sacrifice outside of the holy place ,he took the blood

,of the Victim, and clothed '

fin

his'

sacer dotal golden robes; entered alone intothe_most holy place ; and sprinkled‘the blood onand xbefor e the mercy-seat. Jesus Christ, then,in accomplishing the

“

tr uthmf this figure, fi r st


off ered upon earth his sacrifice, and afterwardsentered in his glory into heaven, to present tohis Father the infinite price of his oblation bythe mystical sprinkling of his blood . This isnot to be understood as being any bodily humiliation , as bowing the knee before God, but it isthe presenting of his blood of perpetual efficacy.

It is the voice of that blood which speakethbetter things than the blood of Abel. Theblood of Jesus Christ being the blood of theeverlasting covenant—that blood which was toreunite men with God, and God with men—itwas necessary, after its being shed on the cross,that it should be thus sprinkled in heaven . I

go,” says he to his d isciples, “ to prepare a place

for you .

” It was necessary that this bloodshould be sprinkled there, and also upon thembefore they could be a dmitted . But by itsmeans they were prepared to enter into heaven,and heaven itself was prepared for their reception, which, without that sprinkling, would havebeen defiled by their presence . Neither bythe blood of goats and calves, but by his ownblood, he entered in once into the holy place,having obtained eternal redemption .

” JesusChrist is not only seated at the right hand of

God , but he is there for the Very purpose of

interceding for his people . By the perpetualefficacy of his blood their sins are removed

,and


RO M AN 5 , VI I I . 6 0

served, has overcome the former, by having theanswer of a good conscience towards God , he isn ot prepared to withstand the latter. Althoughthe people of God are exposed to all the evilsh ere enumerated, these shall not prevail toseparate him from the love of Christ .The term the love of Chr ist in itself may sig

nify either our love to Christ, or Christ’s love

to us . But that it is Christ’s love to us in thisplace there can be no question . A person couldnot be said to be separated from his own feelings .Besides, the obj ect of the Apostle is to a ssur eus not so immediately of our love to God, as ofhis love to us, by directing our attention to hispredestinating, calling, j ustifying, and glorifyingus, and not sparing his own Son, but deliveringhim up for us . In addition to this, it contributes more to our consolation to have our mindsfixed upon God’s love to us

,

’ than upon our loveto him. For as our love is subject to many failings and infirmities and as we are liable tochange, to endeavour to impart consolation fromthe firmness of our love , would be less efficaci

ous than holding forth to us the love of God, inwhom there is no var iablefness, neither shadowof change . The language, too, employed favour s this sense, for the Apostle does not saywho shall separate Christ from our love, butwho shal l separ ate us from the love of Christ ;

ROMANS , VI I I . 35 . 395

and in the 37th verse, the meaning is determinedby the expression, we aremore than

"

conquerorsthr ough him tha t loved us .

” God , however, inloving his children, makes them love him, andbelievers are enabled to love Christ

,because he

loves them. It is he who loved us first, and inloving us, has changed our hearts, and producedin them love to him .

To have a just idea of the love of Christ, wemust look to its duration . It was from beforethe foundation of the world— from all eternity .

We must consider that it is he who has lovedus who dwells in light inaccessible, before whomthe inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers,and the nations as a drop of a bucket . We mustremember, too, who we are, who are the obj ectsof his love, not only creatures who are but dustand ashes , dwelling in houses of clay, but whowere his enemies, and by nature children of wrath .

We must also reflect on the greatness of his love,that it is his will that we should be , one withhim, an d that he guards us as the apple of hiseye .The love which is here spoken of as the secu

rity of believers being the love of Christ , Christmust be God . Were Christ not

l

God , we mightcome short of Heaven without being separatedfrom his love . He might love, and not be ableto save us .


It is also to be remarked that the confidenceof believers, that they shall not be separatedfrom the love of Christ, is not founded on theirhigh opinion of themselves, or on their ownability to remain firm against all temptations

,

but is grounded on Christ’s love to them,and

his ability to preserve and uphold them. Asnothing can be laid to their charge, as none cancondemn them, as all things that happen tothem, instead of proving injurious, work together for their good, it is impossible that theycan be finally lost. If Christ have such love tothem, what shall separate them from that loveIn specifying those evils which it might be

apprehended were calculated to separate the believer from the love of Christ, the Apostle pointsout the suff erings of the people of God ; thetime of these— all the day long ; the manneras sheep for the slaughter ; the cause— for thysake

sHe distinguishes the seven evils that

follow, 1st, Tr ibula tion .—This is placed first,

as being a general term which comprehends allparticulars which he afterwards enumerates . Itmeans

,

affliction in general . It refers not onlyto the general state of sufl

'

er ing which, whenman had sinned , itwas pronounced should be hislot, In sorrow shalt thou eat of it (of the pr oduce of the ground) all the days of thy life,

”

but also more particularly to the tribulation


398° ROMANS, VI I I . 35 .

But so far is persecution from separating be

liever s from the love of Christ, that Blessedare they which are persecuted for righteousness

’

sake .

”

4 th, Famine.—To this the persecuted are

often subjected, though they may have beenrich and powerful .

5 th, Nakedness .— The disciples have often

been stripped by their enemies, and obliged towander naked in deserts, and to hide themselveslike wild beasts, in caves of the earth . Heb . xi .38 .

'

Paul himself was frequently exercised withhunger, and thirst, and fastings, and cold, andnakedness .6 th, Per il .—This refers to the dangers to

which the Lord’s people ar e exposed . These,

at some times, and in some countries, are exceedingly many and great, and at all times, andin all c ountries, are more or less numerous andtrying; If God were not their protector

,even in

this land of freedom, the followers of the Lambwould be cut off or injured . It is the Lord’sprovidence that averts persecution

, or overrulesevents, for 'the protection of his people . Thisis too little considered, even by themselves, andwould be thought a most unfounded calumny orfanatical idea by the world . But let the Christian habitually consider his safety and protectionas secured by the Lord, rather than by the libe

ROMANS , VI I I . 399

r ality of the times . That time never yetwas whenthe Lord’s people could be safe, if circumstancesremoved restraint from the wicked . Those whoboast of their unbounded liberality would

,if ' in

situations calculated to deveIOpe their naturalhatred of the truth, prove, after all, bitter persecutor s .

7 th, Swor d — This means violence carried tothe utmost extremity ; It is persecution whichstops‘not with smaller inj uries, but inflicts evendeath .

V. 36 .—As it is wr itten , For thy sahe we a r e killed all the day

long we a r e a ccoun ted a s sheep f or the slaughter .

As it is wr itten . The Lord and his Apostlesfrequently appeal to the Old Testament Scriptures , by which they testify to them as the Wordof God, and also show the agreement betweenthe Old Testament and the New . The reference then is not intended to state a similar factin similar language, by way of what is calledaccommodation , according to the interpretationof Mr Stuart, Mr o Tholuck, "and others .

” Agreater indignity to the Scriptures, and theSpirit of God , by whom they were dictated ,cannot be off ered, than to assert that passagesof the Old Testament, which are quoted by theApos tles as predictions

,are only a silly aecom

On’

this subject, see vol. i. 104-9 , 2d Ed it.

400 ROMANS, VIII . 36 .

modation of words . They would not merely besilly, but heinously criminal . It is not only irreverent to suppose that the Apostles

,in order

to enforce the truth of what they were teaching,

would quote the language of the Spirit in ameaning which the Holy Spirit did not intend toconv ey, but there is a charge of palpable falsehood and dishonesty against the writers of theNew Testament, as calling that a fulfilmentwhich is not a fulfilment, and appealing to theOld Testament declarations as confirmatory of

their own doctrine, when they were aware thatit was merely a fanciful accommodation of

words, and that they were deluding their readers . Are practices to be admitted in ex pla

nation of the Word of God which are nevertolerated on other subj ects, and which, if theywere detected, would cover their authors withdisgrace if

Mr Tholuck , in vind icating the p r actice of quoting the

Scr iptur es in the way of accommodation , says, The pious

Jew loved to use Bible ph r ases, in speaking of the things of

common life .

”Such a pr actice is unwor thy of piety, and of

r ever ence for the Scr iptur es. If the Scr iptur es might lawfully beused in this manner , their tr ue meaning would soon be over

whelmed with a chaos of absur dities. Mr Tholuck continues

as this seemed to connect in a manner his per sonal obser va

tions and the events of his own histor y, with those of Holy'

wr it.” What a bond of connexion is this" Thus, the

Talmud,

”he subjoins, contains numer ous quotations, intr o



this hide the glory of the perfection of the OldTestament, as it exhibits Christ and his Churchin figureFor thy sakes —It was for God’s sake that the

Jews were hated and persecuted by the othernations, because, according to the commandment of God , they separated themselves fromthem in all their worship . They could haveno religious fellowship with them , and on thataccount they were looked upon to be enemies tothe rest of mankind . In like manner, whenChristianity appeared, bringing a solemn chargeof falsehood against all other religions in theworld

,Christians were accused of hating all

mankind . This was the great charge againstthem in primitive times by the heathens, andeven by such historians as the so-called philosophic Tacitus . Christians, in the same way, arestill hated by the world, because they professthat salvation is only through the blood of

Christ . As this implies that all who do not

hold that doctrine are in error and ignorance,and under condemnation, it excites in thestrongest manner the enmity of the world . Butthe reason of this hatred must be traced to aprinciple still de eper, even the enmity of thecarnal mind agaInst God, and against his imagein man wherever it is seen . It is the working

ROMANS , VI I I . 36 . 403

of that enmity which God put at the beginningbetween the seed of the serpent and

’

the seed of

the woman .

The afl ictions and trials of the people of

God are here re ferred to , to induce believers toexercise patience, and to teach them not topromise themselves an exemption from thattreatment which those who formerly lived underthe covenant of God experienced, and to r e

member, that if they are sometimes spared , itis owing to the forbearance and mercy of God .

They are quoted to lead them to consider thegoodness of God in former times, in the issuesof the afflictions with which he Visited his

people, which was not to separate them fromhis love, but to do them good in the latter end .

Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and

have seen the end of the Lord ; that the Lordis very pitiful , and of tender mercy . How

much consolation an d joy should Christiansexperience in suff ering affliction of any descr iption whatever, when they can appeal to theirLord and Saviour, and say it is for thy sake.Matt . V. 11. So far from being separatedfrom the love of Chr ist by such suff erings,they ar e by them made more conformable tohis image . In suffering for evil , men ar e con

image of the first Adam .

long .—In speaking

ROMANS, VI I I. 3 7 .

of those sufl’

er ings, which shall not separatebelievers from God, the Apostle here refers todeath, the highest point to which they can becarried. As to the time, he speaks of it as allthe day that is, they are constantly exposedto the greatest measure of suffering in this life,and are frequently exercised with it . We a r eaccounted as sheep f or the slaughter .

—The enemies of the people of God have often giventhem up to death with as little reluctance assheep are driven to the slaughter There ispity even for the murderer on the scaffold

,but

for Christ and h is people there is none . Thecry still is against the servants, as it was againstthe Master, crucify, crucify . Even in deaththey find no sympathy. This is attested byhistory in every age and country. When thereis a respite from persecution, it is through thekind providence of God , when he restrains themalice of him who was a murderer from thebeginning, and the evil passions of men whoare the willing instr uments of Satan .

V.-Nay , in a ll these things we a r e mor e than conquer or s

thr ough him tha t loved us .

The sufler ings of believers above enumerated,which, as the Apostle had just shown, verify thetruth of the-ancient predictions of the word of

God , shall , not separate them'

f r om the love ofChrist ; but, on the contrary, are to them the;



for me . Who loved us, and washed us fromour sins in his own blood .

” Christ also lovedthe church, and gave himself for it .

” This expression shows that the confidence spoken of inthis place, is a confidence that is wholly grounded on Christ’s love and power, and not on our

own firmness . It is not by our own loyalty andresolution , but through him that loved us, thatwe are more than conquerors . In the ApostlePeter we see the weakness of all human affec

tion and resolutions .

V. 38 .—For I amp er suaded, tha t neither dea th, nor life, nora ngels, nor pr incip a lities, nor power s , nor things p r esent, nor

things to come.

In the preceding verses,Paul had proclaimed

the triumph of believers over every thing within and without them, that seemed to endangertheir security . He had spoken of tribulation ,and distress, and persecutions, and famine, andnakedness, and peril, and sword, over all ofwhich he had pronounced them to be morethan conquerors . He now proceeds, in the

same triumphant language, to defy enemiesstill more formidable ; asserting that all theconceivable powers of the universe shall notbe able to separate them f r om the love of Godwhich is in Jesus Christ.For I am per suaded —Here Paul introduces

his own persuasion of the.

love of God to his

ROMANS , VII I . 3 8 . 407

people,that others may imitate him in this

,as

appears in the next verse, by his—

mak ing theconstancy of God’s love a privilege not peculiarto himself, but common to all his people . Hesets before believers this persuasion to confirmthem in the conviction, that they need not fearthe want of God’s support to enable them to

overcome al l trials, and surmount all dangers .For this persuasion is not conj ectural, but anassured confidence, such as he expresses whenhe says, I know whom I have believed, andam persuaded that he is able to keep that whichI have committed unto him against that day .

2 Tim . i . 12 . It is the love of God in Christ,and therefore must be constant .Tha t neither dea th—Death itself shall not

separate believers from the love of God, norshould they question his love because he hasappointed that once they shoul d die Death,with all its accompaniments, which are alwayssolemn , and sometimes terrible, may wear thesemblance of God’s displeasure . But notwithstanding the pains and suff erings by which itis usually preceded, especially when inflictedby persecution, to which there may be here apar ticul ar allusion

,notwithstanding the humi

liating dissolution of the body into dust, yetGod is with his children when they walk throughthis dark valley, and precious in the sight of

408 ROMANS,VI I I . as.

the Lord is the death of his saints . In theirdeath they have fellowship with him who hasdisarmed it of its sting, and destroyed him thathad the power of death . So far from separating them from God, it is his messenger tobring them home to himself. If its aspect beterrible

,it is still like the brazen serpent in the

wilderness,which has but the form of a serpent,

without its deadly poison . It dissolves theearthly house of their tabernacle, but introduces them into their house not made withhands

,eternal in the heavens . It discharges

the soul from the burden of sin, that it maybe clothed with perfect holiness ; for death ,although the eff ect of sin, is the occasion of

slaying and destroying it in the believer.Nor lifi3.— This is the next thing that the

Apostle enumerates as threatening to separatebelievers from the love of God . It includes

all the . danger s and difliculties they have toencounter while passing through this world,and carrying about with them a body of sinand death amidst the various temptations fromprosperity or adversity towhich they are exposed .

Yet God is their shepherd,and the Holy Spirittheir leader. So far from separating them fromthe love of God , life as well as death is includedamong the privileges which belong to the children of God .

-1.Cor . iii. 2 2 .


410 ROMANS, VI I I . 3s.

son that it shoul d not extend to the words intheir widest meaning . It is true of civil powers ;it is equally true of all angelic powers . It isas true wth respect to principalities in heaven,as it is with respect to those in hell . Were allthe principalities through all creation to useall their power against Christians, it would notsucceed . They have Christ on their side

,who

,

then,can prevail against them This justifies

strong expressions in the exhibition of Divinetruth . We are warranted by this to illustrateScripture doctrine from the supposition of tln

’

ngs

impossible, in order the more deeply to impressthe human mind with the truth incul cated .

This fact is of great importance as to the explanation of Scripture .Nor things p r esent, nor things to coma—Nei

ther the trials nor afflictions in which the children of God are at any time involved, nor withwhich they may at any future period be ex er

cised , will avail to separate them from Christ .There is nothing that can happen against whichthe Providence of God does not secure them.

What dangers should they dread when he says,Fear not

,thou worm Jacob, and ye men of

Israel ; I will help thee, saith the Lord, andthy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel .When thou passest through the waters, I

will be with thee ; a nd through the rivers, they


I

shall not overflow thee When thou walkestthrough the fire , thou shalt not be

'

bu‘

r n t ; neither shall the flame kin dle upon thee . For Iam the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,thy Saviour .” Nothing does happen, nothingcan happen, which from eternity he hath notappointed and foreseen, and over which he hathnot complete control .

V. 39 .—Nor height, nor dep th, nor any other cr eatur e, shall

be able to sepa r a te us f r om the love of God , which is in Chr ist

Jesus our Lor d.

Nor height, nor dep th—These expressions

appear to comprise all that had been said ofAngels, principalities, and powers, includingthem all together to give greater force to thedeclaration concerning them . Wherever theywere, or whatever other power might inhabitheaven above, or hell beneath, if either a partof them, or the whole in combination, were toassail those whom Jesus loves, it would be ofno avail. A reference may also be made to the

highest state of prosperity to which a man maybe elevated, or the lowest degree of adversityto which he may be depressed . Neither thesituation of Solomon the King, nor that ofLazarus the beggar, although both dangerousin the extreme, shall separate the believer fromth

Apostle here,

ROMANS,VI I I . 39.

in the conclusion of his discourse, after his longenumeration , intending to accumulate into one

word all possible created existence in the wholeuniverse, adds this expression, which completesthe climax . Any other creature

,that is, any

cr eatur e'

which is already, or hereafter shouldbe made, all being created by, and for JesusChrist, and subordinate to his power,— no suchcreature shall be able to separate us from thelove of God which is in him .

The L ove of God — Here what was beforecalled the love of Christ, is called the love ofGod . Could such a var iety of expressions beused if Christ were not God as well as theFather Among all the uncertainties of thislife, that which is certain and can never fail, isthe love of God to his child ren . On thisground, Job, when depriv ed of all his earthlypossessions, exclaims, Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him.— Job, xiii . 15 . My

flesh and my heart faileth, but God is thestrength of my heart and my portion for ever .”

—Ps . lxxiii . 26In Chr ist Jesus our Lor d — The love of God

is here declared to be in Christ Jesus, to showthat it is not God’s love in general that is herereferred to , but that covenant love with whichGod loves us as his children, his heirs, and jointheirs

, with his only begotten and well beloved


ROMANS, VI II . 3 9.

in the blood of his Son. Whoever is not inChrist, is not loved by the Father. As theApostle John testifies that God hath given us

life, and this life is in his Son, so the ApostlePaul here declares that God hath given us hislove, but that this love is in Jesus Christ . Consequently, we should not look for its cause inour works, or in any thing in ourselves, butin Jesus Christ alone . Its incomprehensibleextent and eternal duration are seen in his ownwords when, addressing his Father, he says,and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me

and again, Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

” John , xvii . 23 .

The love of God, then, to his people flowsentirely through Jesus Christ. Men in generalare fond of contemplating God as a God of be

nevolence. They attempt to flatter him bypraising his beneficence. But God’s love toman is exercised only through the atonementmade to his justice by the sacrifice of his Son .

Those, therefore, who rej ect Christ and hopeto partake of God’s love through any othermeans than Christ’s all-powerful mediation

,must

fail of success . There is no other name underheaven given among men whereby a sinner canbe saved. As there was no protection in Egyptfrom death by the hand of the destroying angelexcep t in those houses that were sprinkled with


the blood of the Paschal Lamb, so none will besaved in the day of wrath and revelation of therighteous judgment of God, except those whoare sprinkled with the blood of atonement .The order followed by the Apostle in al l this

discourse is very remarkable . First, he challenges our enemies in general, and defies themall, saying,“ if God be for us, who can be againstus Next

,he shows in detail that neither

the want of any thing good, nor the occurrenceof any evil, ought to trouble us . Not the wantof any good, for God hath not spared his ownSon , but delivered him up for us all how thenshall he not with him also freely give us allthings ?” Not the occurrence of any evil, forthat would be either within us or without us .Not within us, for the evil that is within us issin . Not as to sin, It is God that justifieth,who is he that condemneth It is Christ thatdied, yea rather, that is risen again, who isever at the right hand of God , who also makethintercession for us Not any thing withoutus, for it would be either in the creatures, or inGod. Not in the creatures, for that would be

tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or

famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword .

” ButIn all these things we are more than con

quero loved us . Not inGod, be variableness and

ROMANS, VII I . 39 .

change in his love . Now,says the Apostle

,

I am persuaded that neither death,nor life

,

nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, northings present, nor things to come, nor height,nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be ableto separate us from the love of God which is inChrist Jesus our Lord . On this he rests thebeliever’s peace and assurance, and with thesewords he concludes his rapturous song of theVictory and triumph of faith .

Well, indeed, may the Gospel be called thewisdom of God . It harmonizes things in themselves the most opposite . Is it not astonishingto find the man , who before had declared thatthere was no good thing in him, here challengingthe whole universe to bring a charge againstany of the elect of God ? With respect to everyChristian, in one point of view, it may be asser ted that there is nothing good in him ; and inanother, it may be as confidently asserted thatthere is in him nothing evil . How could Paulsay of himself, that after he was a partaker ofthe holiness of the Spirit of the truth there wasnothing good in him It was as concerned hisown corrupt human nature . On what principlecoul d he say, who shall lay any thing to , the,

charge of God’s elect ? It is as they are in ChristJesus . This is beautifully exhibited , I Cor . i.30. God hath united us to Christ Jesus in such


418 ROMANS, VII I . 39 .

nected with this doctrine of perseverance, is thebeliever’s knowledge of his acceptance with God ,without which that of his final perseverance, ormore properly speaking, the certainty of his preservation by God, could impart to him no comfort. When one of the se doctrines is mentionedin Scripture, the other is general ly referred to .

Both of them a r e intimately connected with theChristian’s love to God, his j oy and peace, andwith his being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ to the praise andglory of God .

It was one great object of the Apostles tohold out strong consolation to al l who had fledfor refuge, to lay hold of the hope set beforethem, and to urge them to give all diligence tothe full assurance of hope . In exhorting to theduties of the Christian life , they proceeded on

the ground that those to whom they wrote hadthe knowledge of their interest in the mediationof Christ, of the forgiveness of their sins throughhis love, and of the enjoyment of the love of

God , to whom, by that Spirit of adoption, whichthey had received, they cried Abba, Father .Paul accordingly exhorts the believers at Ephe

sus not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, where

i

and immediately after enjoins on them the dutyof forgiving one another, even as God,fi r Cln'is t

’s


sake, had f orgiven them. Yew er e sometimesdarkness

,but now are ye light in the Lord ; walk

as childr en of light.” The Apostle Peter exhortsthose to whom he wrote to love one another fervently, seeing they had pur ified their souls in obeying the tr uth thr ough the Sp ir it. And the ApostleJohn enjoins on the little children, the youngmen,and the fathers, not to love the world, becausetheir sins were forgiven , because they had knownhim that is from the beginning, and becausethey had known theFather . The exhortations ofthe Apostles are in this manner grounded on theknowledge that those towhom theywere addressed were supposed to have of their interest in theSaviour . Without this the motives on whichthey ar e pressed to obedience would be unavailing .

The whole strain of the Apostolic Epistles iscal culated to confirm this knowledge which isreferred to as the spring of that joy unspeakableand full of glory with which those who wereaddressed rejoiced . 1Pet . i . 8 . Their faith

,

then , must have been an appropriating faith,taking home to themselves individually, according to its measure, the promises of mercy, andenabling them to say each for himself, with theApostle, I am crucified with Christ, never theless I live ; yet not I , but Christ liveth in me ;and the lif e which I now live in the flesh I live


by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me,and gave himself for me .” No believer, withoutthis persuasion that Christ gave himself for him,

and that he is dead unto sin,” and alive unto

God, should rest satisfied . If, in opposition tothis

,it ~be said that assurance of our interest in

Christ is a gift of God, which he bestows as hesees good, it should be recollected that so alsoare all spiritual blessings ; and if of these it isour duty diligently to seek for a continual supply and increase, it is our duty to seek for thispersonal assurance among the rest . It is glorifying to Christ, our Saviour, and highly important to ourselves . This assurance is what weare commanded to aim at, and to give all diligence to attain, and‘full provision is made for itin the Gospel . Heb . vi . 11, 20; 2 Pet . i . 11.

We enjoy this assurance of our salvation, whenwe are walking with God, and in proportion aswe walkwith him .

The full assurance of faith, in which believersare commanded to draw near to God, stands inse

par ably connected with having their hearts spr inkled from an evil conscience . An evil conscienceaccuses a man as guilty, as deserving and liableto punishment, and keeps him at a distance fromGod . It causes him to regard the Almighty asan enemy and avenger, so that the natural enmityof the mind against God is excited and strength


422 ROMANS,VI I I . 39.

combat in which they are engaged, which theyare therefore commanded to put on , and to wearas an helmet, 1Thess. v . 8 . In writing to theThessalonians, the Apostle ascribes to God andthe Lord Jesus Christ the everlasting consolation , and good hope through grace, which hadbeen given to them. And he prays for the believer s at Rome that the God of hope may fillthem with all joy and peace in believing, thatthey might abound in hope through the powerof the Holy Ghost .This good hope through grace, then, as well

as a conscience purged from dead works,— theduty of possessing which no Christian will deny—stand inseparably connected with the personalassurance of an interest in the Saviour, and allof them lie at the foundation of love to God,and consequently of acceptable obedience to him .

We love him when we see that he hath lov ed us,and that his Son is the propitiation for our sins .Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes, and

I have walked in thy truth .

”Ps. xxvii . 3 .

Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and donethy commandments . Ps . cxix . 166 . In thismanner was David led to serve God . When

,

accor ding to the precious'

promise of our blessedLord, the Spirit takes of the things that are his— the glory of his person, and the perfection of

his wor k—and discovers them to us, we then


know whom we have believed, the conscience isdischarged from guilt, and thus hopingin God,and having our hearts enlarged, we run the way

of his commandments, Ps. cxix . 32 ,—and bringfor th the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, andpeace . But how can there be love without . a

sense of reconciliation with God ; and how canthe fruits of joy and peace be brought forth tillthe conscience is discharged from guilt?

The end of the commandment is charity,out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience ,and of faith unfeigned.

”1Tim . i . 5 . Love

flows from a pur e heart, a pure heart from agood conscience, and a good conscience fromtrue faith . The necessity of a goodflconsci-y'ence, in order to acceptable obedience to God,is forcibly pointed out, Heb . ix . 14 . HOW

much more shall the blood of Christ, whothrough the etern al Spirit off ered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience fromdead works to serve the living God.

” Till thistakes place, all a man

’s doings are dead wor ks , or ,as the Apostle expresses it in . the seventh chapter of this Epistle, “ f ruit unto death .

” An evilor guilty conscience leads a man to keep at adistance fr om God, like Adam, who, consciousof his guil t, hid himself among the trees of ~thegarden . But when the conscience is made goodthe heart is purified

,and love is produced. Then

,

ROMANS,VI I I . 3 9 .

and not till then , when ascribing praise to theLamb who has washed us from our sins in hisown blood, and having a sense of reconciliationwith God, and of the enjoyment of his favour,we serve him in newness of spirit, and not in theoldness of the letter— not from servile fear, butwith gratitude and filial affection . Thus havingboldness to enter into the holiest by the bloodof Jesus, by a new and living way, which hehath consecrated for us through the vail,

'

that isto say, his flesh ; and having an High Priestover the House of God, we draw near with atrue heart

,in the full assurance of faith, having

our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, andour bodies washed with pure water. We enjoythe persuasion that, by his mercy, we are savedby the washing of regeneration and renewing ofthe Holy Ghost.The Spirit of God being holy, will not pr o

duce Christian assurance without, at the sametime, producing sanctification , an d by this sanctification the persuasion is confirmed of our communion with God ; for although our sanctifica

tion be imperfect, it is a certain mark of ou r

election . When we feel a holy sadness for havingoff ended God, we enjoy the blessedness of thosewho mourn , and are assured that we shal l

'

be

comforted . When we hunger and thirst afterrighteousness, we have the promise that we shall



in whom I will trust ; my buckler, and the hornof my salvation, and myhigh tower.

”Ps . xviii . 1.

I know,

” says Paul, whom I have believed .

John says, We have known and believedthe love that God hath to us .” Peter, classinghimself with those to whom he wrote, blessesGod that they were begotten again to a livelyhope of an inheritance reserved in Heaven ; andreferring to their final perseverance he adds, thatthey were kept by the power of God, throughfaith, unto salvation . In the hope of that salvation , those who received the doctrine of theApostles rej oiced as soon as it was announced tothem. Acts, ii . 41, viii . 39, xvi. 34 . Theirj oy, then, had not its source in reflection on, or

consciousness of their faith, although afterwardsso confirmed, but arose In the first instance fromthe view they had of the glory and all-sufficiencyof the Saviour

,and his perfect righteousness

made theirs by faith,resting on the divine war

rant and promise . In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of

him.

” Eph . iii. 12 .

Although the assurance of sense be confirmatory of the assurance of faith, it is not so strongas the latter. Sanctification ,

” says Rutherford, does not evidence justification as faithdoth evidence it, with such a sort of clearness,as light evidences colours, though it be no sign

ROMANS , VIII . 39. 427

or evident mark of them ; but as smoke evidencesfire

,and as the morning star In the-east evi

denceth the sun will shortly rise ; or as thestreams prove there is a head spring whencethey issue ; though none of these make whatthey evidence Visible to the eye ; so doth sanc

tification give evidence of justification , only asmarks, signs, effects, give evidence of the cause.But the light of faith, the testimony of the Spiritby the operation of free grace, will cause us, asit were with our eyes , see justification and faith,not by report, but as we see the sun

’s light .”

If it be obj ected that a man cannot know thathe has faith without seeing its eff ects, it is r eplied that this is contrary to fact . When a thingis testified, or a promise is made to us, we knowwhether or not we believe it, or trust in it . Aocording to this objection, when Philip said, Ifthou believest with all thine heart thoumayest,the Eunuch should have replied, you ask me totell you a thing I cannot know ; but instead of

this he answers, I believe .” When the Lordasked the blind man Believest thou in the Sonof God ?

” he did not ask a question which itwas impossible to answer. Does the Spirit of

God cry in the hearts of believers, Abba,Father, and witness with their spirits thatthey are the children of God , without theirbeing able to know it If, however, the flesh


raises doubts in the believer from the weaknessof his faith , he should consider that the weaknessof his faith does not prevent it from being truefaith ; that God accepts not the perfection butthe reality of faith ; that Jesus recognised thefaith of him who said, Lord , I believe, helpthou my unbelief,

” and that these doubts are notin his faith , but opposed to it . They are in theflesh which the believer resists

,and says with

Paul, Now, if I do what I would not, it is nomore I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me .

”

In the first act of believing,” says Mr Bell

,

on ‘the Covenants, sinners have no evidenceof grace in themselves ; they feel nothing withinbut sin, they see a word without them as thesole foundation of faith, and on that alone theybuild for eternity ; this is a point of no smallimportance to saints and sinners . Many of themodern builders are at great pains to keep theirhearers from all confidence, till they first discernthe evidences of grace in their hearts, and having got evidence

,then

,and not till then , can

they have any just, lawful, or well-groundedconfidence, nay, they seem pretty plainly totimate that a sinner’s right to Christ turns on

something wrought in him, or done by him, and

till he have evidence of this he can claim no i nter est in Christ, nor assure himself of salvationby him ; according to this, Christ, the tree

’

of



wherein you suspect it not . Why doubtest thouthat he belongs to thee Dost thou fly to him,

as lost and undone in thyself ? Dost thou r e

nounce all that can be called thine, and seekthy life in him Then he is thine. He came

to seek and to save tha t which was lost. Oh l butI find so much, not only former, but still dailyrenewed and increasing guiltiness. Why Ishe a sufficient Saviour ? Or

, is he not ? Ifthou dost say, he is not, then it is manifest, thathere lies the defect and mistake . If thou say’sthe is, then hast thou answered all thy obj ectionsof that kind ; much guiltiness, much or little,old or new, neither helps nor hinders, as to thyinterest in him, and salvation by him . And for

dispelling of these mists, nothing can be moreeff ectual than the letting in of those Gospelbeams, the clear expressions of his riches andfulness in the Scriptures, and eminently this,made of God , wisdom, and r ighteousness .

The religion of the Church of Rome leavesa man nothing but doubts respecting his salvation . It teaches that a Christian should believein general the promises of God, while the personal application of these promises

,and the

assurance of God’s love, it calls presumption .

This subject was one of the grand points of

discussion between that Church and the Reformers . But how many Protestants have for

ROMANS , VI I I . as 431

saken the ground which their predecessors hereoccupied, and have gone over to that of theiropponents . The doctrine of the duty of our

personal assurance of salvation , and the per suasion of our interest in Christ, is denied by many,and even doubts concerning this are convertedinto evidences of faith, although they ar e directlyopposed to it . Doubts of a personal interest inChrist afe evidences either of little faith or of

no faith . O thou of little faith , whereforedidst thou doubt If this assuran ce werebuilt on any thing except on the foundationthat God himself hath laid, it would indeed beeminently presumptuous . But in opposition tosuch opinions, the Apostle John has written awhole Epistle to lead Christians to this assurance . He that believeth on the Son of Godhath a witness in himself ; he that believeth notGod hath made him a liar ; because he believethnot the record tha tGod gave of his Son . And thisis the record, that God hath given to us eternallife ; and this life is in his Son . He that haththe Son hath life ; and he that hath not the Sonof God hath not life . These things have Iwritten unto you that believe on the name ofthe Son of God , that

’

ye may know that ye haveeternal lif e, and that ye may believe on the nameof the Son of God .

”

In oppositiomto the believer’s personal assu

432 ROMANS , VI I I . 39 .

rance of salvation , Satan will represent to himthe number and enormity of his sins, and thestrictness of God’s justice which has often fallenon those whom he hardens . But believerswill answer, we know that to God belongethrighteousness, and unto us confusion of faces ,but mercy and pardon belong to the Lord our

God . If our sins ascend to heaven, his mercyis above the heavens . It is t r ue

\

that sinabounds in us, but where sin abounded graceand mercy have more abounded, and the greaterour misery, the greater is the glory of themercy of God towards us . In entering intoParad ise, our Lord Jesus Christ has not takenwith him angels, but the Spirit of a malefactor,that we might know that the greatest sinnersare obj ects of his compassion . He came into

the world to save Sinners, and he calls to himself those who are heavy laden with sin . Hecame to proclaim liberty to the captives, andthe Opening of the prison to them that arebound . The more, then, that we feel thepower of Sin , the closer we cleave to him. IfPeter, aff righted, exclaimed, Depar t f r omme ;for I am a sinful man , 0 L ord,

” let us, on thecontrary, say, Lord JeSIis, we come to thee, andthe more so because we ar e sinners, for thou hastbeen made sin for us who knew no sin, that wemight be made the righteousness of God in



forget uS for whom he descended to earth, andfor whom, as the forerunner, he hath again en

ter ed heaven to intercede for us, to prepare aplace and to receive us to himself ?Believers rest their assurance of salvation on

the merit of their Redeemer’s obedience ; forwhen their sins are red as crimson, they shallbe made white as snow. Our robes have beenwashed in the blood of the Lamb , whose bloodcleanseth us from all sin . It is impossible thatsin can be more powerful to destroy us thanthe grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christto save us . We are condemned by the law

,but

in answer to the law, we plead the blood of'Jesus Christ, who hath borne the curse of thelaw, and who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth . We have beencondemned by the justice of God, but to thisjustice we present the righteousness of Christ,who is Jehovah our righteousness.” Godhath been angry with us

,but in -Jesus Christ

he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neitherhath he seen perverseness in Israel .

. To the temptations of Satan , believers alsooppose their communion with Jesus Christ ; for

Jesus Christ and they'

are one . We are hismembers, bone of his bones, and flesh of hisflesh ; his obedience is our obedience ; for aswe are one body with him, we appear before


our God in him. We are found in him, not

having our own righteousness which i s of thelaw

,but that which is through the faith of

Christ,the righteousness which is of God by

faith . By communion with him we are alreadyseated together in heavenly places in Christ .From the 28th verse to the conclusion of the

chapter, the greatest encouragement is held out

to repose all our confidence on the love of Godin Christ Jesus, with the assured conv iction thatreceiving him, we Shall be enabled to

‘persevereunto the end . The impossibility of plucking hispeople out of the Saviour’s hand, is here established in the most triumphant manner. Whatever objection is raised against it, is contrary tothe power of Jesus Christ, contrary to his love,to the Virtue of his sacrifice

,and to the pr eva

lence of his intercession contrary to the Operation of the whole Godhead

,Father

,Son, and

Holy Ghost, in every part of the plan of salvation . If we look upwards or downwards, toheaven above

,or the earth

, or hell beneath, toall places, to all creatures, neither any nor all ofthem

'

together Shall prevail against us . Wereheaven and earth to combine, and all the powersof hell to rise up

,they would avail nothing

against the outstretched arm of him who makesus

’

mor e than conquerors . The power of Jcs'

uswho is our head, ascends abovethe heavens, and


descends beneath the depths ; and in his lovethere is a breadth, and length, and depth, andheight,which passeth knowledge Thy mercy

,

O Lord, is in the heavens ; and thy faithfulnessreacheth unto the clouds . Thy righteousnessis like the great mountains, thy judgments area great depth .

”—PS. xxxv. 5 . Can any thingprevail to pluck out of the hands of Jesus Christthose who have fled to him as their Surety

,those

who are members of his body, of his flesh, and ofhis bones ; those whom he hath pur chased withhis precious bloodThe feelings of the believer described in the

close of this chapter as Viewed in Christ, forma striking contrast with what is said in the endof the former chapter, where he is Viewed in himself. In the contemplation of himself as a sinnerhe mournful ly exclaims, O wr etched man thatI am .

” In the contemplation of himself as justified in Christ

,he boldly demands, who shall lay

any thing to my charge Who is he that condemneth Well may the man who loves Goddefy universal nature to separate him from thelove of God which is in Christ Jesus his Lord .

Although at present the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together, althougheven he himself groaneth within himself, yet inthe mean time

,all things are working together

for his good. The Holy Spirit is interceding


[ 438 ]

CHAPTER IX.

IN the preceding chapter,the Apostle had

declared the absolute security of the people ofGod . This leads him to consider the presentsituation of the great body of the Jewish nation,who, having rej ected the Messiah, were now r e

jected of God . AS they were the types of thetrue Israel, their rej ection might seem not tocorrespond with what he had just been aflirmingof the security of God’s people . It was therefore necessary to enter fully upon this subject.It was, however, one which was sure to be highlyoff ensive to the Jews, and therefore he introducesit in a manner calculated to allay, as far as possible, their prejudices against him ; while at thesame time, he does not in this matter shun todeclare the whole counsel of God, for the ihstruction of those to whom he was writing .

After expressing his grief on account of thestate of his countrymen , without specifying itscause

,he enumerates the distinguished privileges

of their nation . And then , adverting to theirbeing rejected of God , though still not directly

ROMANS , 1x . 439

mentioning it, he begins with observing, thatit could not be said that the word of God hadtaken none eflect among them. God had promised to be a God to Abraham

,and to his seed

,

an d although the greater part of Israel was nowcast off , that promise had not failed . WhenGod said to Abraham, in Isaac shall thy seedbe called, he intimated that the promise did notrefer to all his children , but to a select number.God gave Isaac to Abraham by a special promise ; and far ther , .in the case of Rebecca

,one

o f her children was a child of promise, the otherwas not, and this was intimated before theywere born . In order to silence all objectionsthat might here arise, as if this proceeding of

the Almighty could be charged with injustice,Paul at once appeal s to the sovereignty of God,who disposeth of his creatures as to him seemethgood. Especial ly he refers to what

'

God'

had

said to Moses,as recorded in the

’

Scriptures,when he made all his goodness pass before him

,

“

that he would have mercy on whom he wouldhave mercy ; thus intimating that his favourswere his own , and that, in bestowing, or withholding them, there was no room for injustice .

This View ‘of -God’s sovereignty being so im

portant, against which the pride of man, untilsubdued

"

by grace,

. rises with such rebelliousviolence, Paul dwells upon it in both its aspects,

ROMANS, 1x .

as exhibited in the exercise of mercy on whomhe will, and hardening whom he

‘will . In actingboth in the one way and the other, he declares thatGod contemplates his own glory . This leads theApostle immediately to the subject of the election by God of those whom he had prepared tobe v essels of mercy, both from among the Jewsand the Gentiles . These in reality were theonly children of promise of whom Isaac was atype .

—Gal . iv . 28 . On the other hand, the r e

jection of the great body of Israel was so farfrom being contrary to the purpose of God, thatit had been distinctly predicted by their ownprophets. He closes the chapter by Showing,that while this rej ection had taken place according to the counsel of God, its immediate occasion was the culpable ignorance and pr ejudice ofthe Jews themselves in seeking acceptance withGod by their own righteousness, and not submitting to the righteousness of God brought inby the Messiah, but on the contrary, Opposinghim when he appeared.

The manner in which Paul has treated thesubject of this chapter furnishes him an oppor

tunity of illustrating the doctrine of election toeternal life, to which, in the one preceding, hehad tr aced up,' as to their origin, all the pumleges of believers in Christ. It likewise givesoccasion to exhibit the sovereignty of God , as


442 ROMANS, 1x . 1.

ration, and implies, that what he was aflirmingwas as true as if Christ himself had spoken it .In thus referring to Christ, it appears that it wasrather his obj ect to impress the truth of What hewas declaring on the minds of those whom headdressed, and to prove that what he was aboutto say respecting the rejection of the Jewish nation did not arise, as might be supposed, fromprejudice, or dislike to them, than to place . it

d irectly before the Jews themselves,with whom

such a reference would have no weight . I lie

not. —This is a repetition, but not properly tautology . In certain situations an assertion maybe frequently in substance repeated, as indicating the earnestness of the Speaker . The Apostledwells on the statement, and is not willing toleave it without producing the eff ect. My con

sciencea lsobear ingmewitness -For the sincerityof his love for the Jewish nation , ,

the,Apostle

appeals to his conscience . His countrymen andothers might deem him their enemy ; they mightconsider all his conduct towards them as influ

enced by hatred ; but he had the testimony of

his conscience to the contrary . In the Holy

Ghost.—He‘not only had the testimony of

his conscience, but what precluded the possi

bility of his deceiving, he spoke in the HolyGhost—he spoke by inspiration .

ROMANS, Ix . 2 , 3 . 443

V. 2 . Tha t I have gr ea t heaviness an d con tinual sor r ow in

my hea r t.

V. 3 .—For I could wish tha tmyself wer e accur sedf r om Chr ist

f or my br ethr en ,my kinsmen accor ding to theflesh.

Many interpretations have been given of thispassage . Calvin supposes that Paul, actually ina state of ecstasy,

” wished himself condemnedin the place of his countrymen . The addi

tional sentence,’ he says, proves the Apostle

to be speaking, not of temporal, but eternaldeath ; and when he saysfi om Chr ist, an al lusion is made to the Gr eekwor d ana thema ,whichmeans a separ a tion f r om any thing . Does notseparation from Christ mean, being excluded

from all hopes of salvation Such a thing isimpossible, and would be highly improper. Thiswould do more than fulfil the demands of thelaw, it would utterly go beyond the law, andwould therefore be Sinful for all our aff ectionsought to be regulated by the law of God . Someunderstand it of excommunication But theApostle could not be excommunicated by Christ,except for a cause which would exclude him fromHeaven , as well as fr bm the Church on earth .

He could not be excommunicated without beingguilty of some Sin that manifested him to be anunbeliever. It is not possible that he could .wishto be in such a state . Paul’s aflection for hiscountrymen is here indeed expressed in very

444 ROMANS, 1x . 2 , 3 .

strong terms, but the meaning often ascribed toit is not for a moment to be admitted . That anyone should desire to be eternally separated fromChrist, and consequently punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,is impossible . The law commands us to loveour neighbour as ourselves, but not mor e thanourselves, which would be the case, if to promote his temporal or spiritual benefit we desiredto be eternally miserable . It should also be r ecollected, that it is not only everlasting misery,but desperate and final enmity against GOda thatis comprised in Paul’s wish as it is generally uhder stood . It represents him as loving the creature more than the Creator. But who couldever imagine that the desire of being eternallywicked, and of indulging everlasting hatred toGod, could proceed from love to him, and be aproper manner of expressing zeal for his gloryIt would be strange indeed if Paul, who hadjust been affirming

, in a tone so triumphant, theimpossibility that the united efforts of creationcould separate him from the love of Christ,should the moment after solemnly desire thatthis separation should take place, for the sake ofany creature, however beloved .

To understand the meaning of this passage,there are three observations to-which it i s of

importance to attend . In the first place, it is


446 ROMANS, 1x. 2 , 3.

gr ea t heaviness and continua l sor r ow in my hea r t.

Paul had himself formerly made it his boast tobe separated from Christ, rej ecting him as theMessiah ; and to prove how much he sympathized with the situation of his countrymen , heappeals

,in the bosom of his lamentation for

them,to his former experience, when, before his

conversion , he had been in the same situation inwhich they now were, so that he personallyknew how deplorable it was . He also intimateshis sorrow in such a manner, as to show thathe is far from glorying over them, having beenhimself as deeply guilty as they were ; while,according to the doctrine he was inculcating, itwas in no respect to be ascribed to himself, thathe was happily delivered from that awful condition' in which

,with grief, he beheld them as

now standing .

Paul ’s sorrow was for those whom he calls hisbr ethr en . This does not respect a spiritual r elationship, as the term brethren so generallydenotes in the New Testament, but naturalrelationship, as Paul here explains it, when headds, my kinsmen accor d ing to the flesh. Hissorrow for them is the subj ect of his testimony

,

which, in a manner so solemn , he had confirmedin the preceding verse . Instead of being gratified with their calamities and rejection

,their

unbelief occasioned him inexpressible affliction .

ROMANS, IX. 4 . 447

In this we may see a characteristic of 5. Christian . He who has no sorrow for the' "

per ishingstate of sinners, and especially of his kindred

,

is not a Christian . No man can be a Christian who is unconcerned “ for the salvation of

others .

V. Who a r e Isr aelites ; towhomp er ta ineth the adop tion ,

and the glor y , and the covena nts , and the giving of the law,and

the ser vice of God , and the p r omises.

Paul here recognises and enumerates the greatexternal privileges belonging to the Jews whichaggravated his profound sorrow

, on account oftheir rej ection of the Messiah, and their consequent deplorable condition . Who a r e Isr ael

ites—That is, the most honourable people onearth the descendants of him who as aPrince had power with God . They had thename, because that of Israel was given to Jacobtheir father by God, when vouchsafing so str iking a pre-intimation of his future manifestationin the flesh . Adap tion— That is, the nation of

Israel was a nation adopted by God as a typeof the adoption of his children in Christ Jesus .Glor y-This most probably refers to the manifestation of the glory of God over the mercyseat in the Sanctuary . God too set his tabernacleamong the Israelites

,and walked among them ;

which was their peculiar glory, by which theywere distinguished from all other nations . The

448 ROMANS, 1x . 5 .

glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud thatwent before them in the wilderness. It oftenfilled the Tabernacle and the Temple . Hishouse was the place of his glory . Covenants .

The covenant with Abraham, and the covenantat Sinai ; in both of which they were interested .

Giving of the law.— To them the law was given

at Mount Sinai ; and they were the only peopleon earth that

'

were so distinguished by God .

The ser vice of God .— This refers to the Taber

naele and Temple service, or Mosaic institutionsof worship . All other nations were left to theirown superstitious inventions the Jews alonehad ordinances of worship from God . Pr o

mises—The Jews had the promises with respectto the Messiah .

V. 5 .—Whose a r e the f ather s, and of whom as concer ning the

f lesh Chr ist came, who is over a ll, God blessed f or ever . Amen.

Whose a r e thef ather s—The Jews numberedamong their progenitor s those illustrious men,Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and others towhom God had been pleased to manifest himself in a manner so remarkable . Of whom,

concer ning theflesh, Chr ist came.—This was the

completion of all the privileges which the Apostle here enumerates . It was a signal honour tothe Jewish nation, that the Messiah was descended from them . Concer ning thefl esh—Thisdeclares that he was r eally a man having

'

truly the


ROM A N 5 , 1x . 3 .

shown, they substitute God be blessed, for Godblessed for ever ; or God, who is over all, beblessed, instead of who is over all, God blessedfor ever. Such tortuous explanations are notonly rej ected by a sound interpretation of theoriginal, but manifest themselves to be unnatural, even to the most illiterate who exercisean unprejudiced judgment . The Scriptureshave many real difficulties which are cal culatedto try or to increase the faith and patience ofthe Christian , and are evidently designed toenlarge his acquaintance with the word of God ,by obliging him more diligently to Search themand to place his dependence on the Spirit of alltruth . But when language so clear as in thepresent passage is perverted to avoid recognising the obvious truth contained in the Divinetestimony, it manifests the depravity of humannature , and the rooted enmity of the carnalmind against God, more clearly than the grossestworks of the flesh .

After speaking of the Messiah’s coming bythe nation of Israel, in respect to his humannature, the Apostle, in order to enhance thegreatness of this extraordinary distinction conferred upon it, here refers to his Divine nature,to union with which in one person his humannature was exalted . The declaration of hiscoming in the flesh clearly imports, as has been

ROMANS , 1x . 5 . 451

observed, that Christ had another n ature . Wheni t is said, 1John , iv . 3 , that Jesus Christ iscome in the flesh-“ which could not be said of amere man, who could come in no other wayit shows that he might have come in anotherway, and therefore implies his pre-existence,which is asserted in a variety of passages of

Scripture . Of such passages there are fourorders . The first order consists of those wherehis incarnation is ascribed to himself. BeholdI will send my messenger, and he shall preparethe way before me : and the Lord whom ye seekshall suddenly come to his temple.”—Mal . iii . 1.

These words manifestly prove that his incarnation , and the preparation for it, such as themission of John the Baptist, was a work of theMessiah himself, and consequently that he existed before his incarnation . The same truth isdeclared, when it is said, For as much thenas the children are partakers of flesh iand blood ,he also himself took part of the same —forverily he took not on him the nature of Angels ;but he took on him the seed of Abraham .

”

Heb . ii . 14,16 . Here his taking upon him flesh

and blood is represented to be by an act of hisown will . The same truth is taught where heis introduced as addressing the Father in theseterms , Sacrifice and off ering thou wouldst not,but a body hast thou prepared me : In burnt

ROMANS, lx . 5 .

off erings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had nopleasure then said I, 10, I come (in the volumeof the book it is written of me) to do thy will,0 God ,

”— Heb . x . 5 , 7 ; and again , JesusChrist, who, being in the form of God, thoughtit not robbery to be equal with God ; but madehimself of no reputation, and took upon himthe form of a servant .” —Phil . ii . 6 . Here weare taught that Jesus Christ himself took thisform, and consequently that he existed beforehe took it .The second order of passages, asserting the

pre-existence of our Lord, are those which expressly declare that Jesus Christ was in heavenbefore he came into the world . No man hathascended up to heaven , but he that came downfrom heaven , even the Son of man , which is inheaven .

” And a little after, He that comethfrom above is above all he that is of the earthis earthly, and speaketh of the earth : he thatcometh from heaven is above all .”— John , iii .13, 31. The bread of God is He whichcometh down from heaven .

— John, vi . 33 , 4 1,50, 51, 58 . For 'I came down from heaven ,not to do mine own will, but the will of himthat sent me.” —John, vi . 38 . What and ifye shall see the Son of man ascend up wherehe was before.”—John , vi . 6 2 . And now, 0

Father,glorify thou me with thine own self,


ROMANS, 1x . 5 .

for by him were all things created that are inheaven, and that are in earth , visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions ,or principalities, or powers ; all things werecreated by him, an d for him ; and he is beforeall things, and by him all things consist .

”— Col.

i . 15 , 16 . Here Jesus Chri st is declared to bethe creator of all things . This is also affirmedconcerning him before his incarnation — John ,i . 3 . Being put to death in the flesh, butquickened by the Spirit ; by which also he wentand preached unto the spirits in prison .

” —l

Peter,iii . 19 . The Son of God preached by his

Spirit to the inhabitants of the earth before theflood, who are now in the prison of Hell, whichsupposes his existence before he was born .

A fourth order of passages clearly proves thepre-existence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thisis he of whom I said, After me cometh a man ,which is preferred before me ; for he was beforeme .”—John

,i . 15 , 30. He coul d not be before

John unless he had existed prior to his birth ,since John was born before him. Verily,verily

,I say unto you, before Abraham was, I

am.

”—John,viii . 58 . But thou, Bethlehem

Ephratah,though thou be little among the

thousands of Judah , yet out of thee shall hecome forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israelwhose goings forth have been from of old , from

ROMANS, 1x . 5 . 455

everlasting.—Micah, v . 2 . I am Alpha and

Omega,the beginning and the ending, saith the

Lord,which is, and which was, and;which is

to come, the Almighty .

” I am Alpha andOmega, the first and the last . I am Alphaand Omega, the beginning and the end, the firstand the last . Rev . i . 8 , 11 x x u . 13.

To all these passages must be added that ofProverbs, viii. (compared with 1 Cor . i .where wisdom is declared to have existed whenGod formed the universe ; and also John, i. l ,

‘

In the beginning was the Word,and the Word

was with God , and the Word was God Thanthis last passage, nothing could more explicitlydeclare the pre-existence and Godhead of ourLord Jesus Christ.There are few of the predictions concern ing

the Messiah in which his two natures are notmarked . In the first of them,

The seed of thewoman, denotes his humanity ; while the words,He shall bruise thy head

,

” declare his divinity.

In the promise to Abraham,his humanity is

marked by the wor ds In thy seed while inwhat follows, shall all the nations of the

earth be blessed,” we read his divinity. I

know that my Redeemer liveth, and that heshall stand at the latter day upon the earththis is his divinity . Whom I shall see formyself , and mine eyes shall behold

” -this is his

ROMANS, 1x . 5 .

humanity. Behold, a virgin shall conceive,and bear a son ” -this is his humanity ; andshall call his name Immanuel — this is his divinity . Unto us a child is born , unto us a sonis given . This marks his humanity . Thegovernment shal l be upon his shoulder ; and hisname shall be called Wonder ful, Counsellor,The Mighty God , The everlasting Father .

”

These words denote his Godhead. There aremul titudes of other passages in the Prophets tothe same purpose .In the same way, the two natures of Jesus

Christ are spoken of in numerous passages inthe New Testament . The Word was God,

”

and the Wor d was made flesh, and dwelt amongus . Made of the seed of David accordingto the flesh, and declared to be the Son of Godwith power, according to the spirit of holiness .God was manifest in the flesh . The same

distinction appeared in his actions, and almostall his miracles . Finally

,this truth discovers

itself in all the most remarkable parts of his

economy . In his birth he is laid in a manger asa man, but an Angel announ ces his birth , andthe “

.wise men” come to adore him as God .

He is baptized in water, but the Heavens opento him, and the Father proclaims from Heaven ,This is my beloved Son, in whom I am

'

well

pleased.

” In his temptation in the deser t he


458 ROMANS,1x . 6 .

mation . In this sense it appears to be employedat the end of the four evangelists . In the Gospel of John only have we any record of the Lordusing this word more than once in the same sentence, Amen , Amen , or verily, verily . The .

Lord employs it again and again , in his sermonon the Mount, the purpose of which, it wouldseem

,was to impress on the minds of his hearers

both the truth of what he said , and its importance . Luke

,who records this term less f r e

quently than the other evangelists , sometimessubstitutes

,in place of it, a simple affirmation,

‘

Luke, ix . 2 7 , Matth . xvi . 28 . Jesus calls himselfAmen , Rev. iii . 14 , and God is called the

God Amen, Is . lx v . 16 . The Apostle John ,in his ascription of praise to the Redeemer, addsAmen , as he does in

'

the contemplation of hissecond coming in glory to judge the world,Rev . i . 6 , 7 ; and also in closing the canon ofScripture, when he repeats the declaration of

Jesus, that he will come quickly, and after hisprayer that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christmay be with all the churches to which he writes,Rev.xxii . 20, 21. The Lord himself makes useof this term when he declares that he liveth,‘and was dead, and is alivep for evermore . Rev

.

i . 18 .

V. 6 .—Not a s though the wor d of God ha th taken none

For they a r e not all Isr ael which a r e of Isr ael

ROMANS , 1x . 7 . 459

Not as though -That is, my grief for the stateof the Jewish nation , and their rej ection by God ,does not imply that any thing said -ia the wordof God has failed with regard to them . For they

a r e not a ll Isr ael, which a r e of Isr ael. Here isthe explanation of the mystery that the Jews , asa nation , had rej ected the Messiah they are notall true Israelites in the Spiritual sense of thepromise who are Israelites after the flesh, bybeing descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob . Through the remaining part of this chapter the Apostle shows that the rej ection of theMessiah by the great body of the Jewish nationwas neither contrary to the promises nor thepurpose of God ; but had been predetermined,and also typified in his dealings towards individuals among their progenitors as recorded in theScriptures , and also there predicted . This givesan Opportunity of more fully illustrating thedoctrine of God’s sovereignty in choosing someto everlasting life, which had been spoken of inthe 29th and 30th verses of the preceding chapter, and of his rejection of others .

V. 7 . -Neither, becaase they a r e the seed of Abr aham,

a r e

they‘d ”childr en but, in I saac shall thy seed be ca lled.

Neither , because they a r e the seed of Abr aham.

This was the error of the Jews . They thoughtthat they were the children of God by beingthe children of Abraham . But this the Apostle

ROMANS, 1x . 7 .

declares was not the case . As the children of

Abraham, they were indeed in one sense thechildren of God . He says to Pharaoh, withrespect to them, Let my son go .

” But thenatural sonship was only a figure of the spiritualsonship of all believers of every nation . Nonebut such were the spiritual seed of Abraham ,

whether among Jews or Gentiles .But in Isaac sha ll , thy seed be ca lled .

— Reckoned, or chosen, or called into existence, as it issaid respecting the birth of Isaac, in the fourthchapter, God, who quickeneth the dead, andcalleth those things which be not as though theywere .

” The Messiah, who was emphaticallythe seed of Abraham, says, The Lord hathcalled me from the womb .

”— Isaiah, xlix . 1. Hewas called into existence in his human natur e,and to his oflice of Mediator in the line of Isaac .And Israel was called or chosen as God’s people,Isaiah, xlviii. 12 . In this sense the expressionis used in the end of the eleventh verse . The

meaning of the declaration here is, that as allAbraham’s posterity were not to be the peculiarpeople whom God was nationally to adopt as hischildren, but only such as should descend fromIsaac

,so not all the Jews are the true sons of

God,but only such of them as are, like Isaac,

children of the promise .


ROMANS,1x . 11.

two sons by the same husband, yet God chosethe one and rej ected the other . An originaldiff erence between Isaac and Ishmael might bealleged, since the one was born of the lawfulwife of Abraham, the free woman, and theother was the son of the bond woman ; but inthe case now brought forward, there existedno original diff erence . Both were the sons ofthe same man and woman, born at the sametime . The great distinction, then , made between the two brothers could only be the effectof the sovereign will of God , who by thismeans indicated, long before it took place, thedifl

'

er ence he was to make among the people of

Israel .

V. 11.—(For the childr en being not yet bor n, neither having

done any good or evil,tha t the p urp ose of God accor ding to elec

tion might stand, not of wor ks, but of him tha t ca lleth

Here, in a par en thesis, the Apostle shows thatthe preference was given to Jacob independentlyof all gr ound of merit, because it was made before the children were capable of doing eithergood or evil . This was done for the very purpose of taking away all pretence for merit as aground of the preference . Had the preferencebeen given to Jacob when he had grown up tomaturity

,there would have been no more real

ground for ascribing it to his merit ; but theperverse ingenuity of man would have made that

ROMANS , 1x . 11. 463

use of it . But God made the preference beforethe children were born .

Tha t thepurp ose of God accor d ing to election

might stand — This was the very end and in tention of the early indication of the will of God

to Rebecca, the mother of the two children . Itwas hereby clearly established that in choosingJacob and rejecting Esau, God had respect tonothing but his own purpose . Nothing canmore strongly declare that his own eternal purpose is the ground of all his favour to man .

Not of wor ks, but of Him tha t ca lleth.—Ex

pressions indicating God’s sovereignty in thismatter are heaped upon one another, because itis a thing so offensive to the human mind . Yetafter all the Apostle’s precaution, the perverseness of men still finds ground of boasting onaccount of works . Though the children haddone neither good or evil, yet God , it is sup

posed, might foresee that Jacob would be agodly man , and Esau wicked . But had not Godmade a difference between Jacob and Esau,Jacob would have been no better than his br other Were not men blinded by opposition tothis part of the will of God, would they not seethat a preference on account of foreseen goodworks is a p r efer ence on account of wor ks , andtherefore expressly contr ary to the assertion of

the Apostle—Not of wor ks , but of him that

464 ROMANS, 1x . 12 , 13 .

ca lleth 9 The whole ground of preference is inhim that calleth, or chooseth , not in him that iscalled .

V.12 .—It was sa id unto her , the elder sha ll ser ve the younger .

This was a figure of the spiritual election,

for in no other point of View is it here to theApostle’s purpose. Not only did God chooseone of these sons , who were equal as to theirparentage, but chose that one who was inferiorin priority of birth, the only point in which therewas a diff erence . He chose the younger son

,

contrary to what is usual among men, and cont r ar y to what God himself generally establishedrespecting inheritances in the family of Jacob .

How much instruction do these words , theelder shall serve the younger, contain, as standing in the connexion in which they are hereplaced, as well as in that part of Scripture fromwhich they are quoted . They practically teachthe great fundamental doctrines of the prescience, the providence, the sovereignty of God ;of his predestination , election, and reprobation .

V. 13 .—As it is wr itten , Jacob ha ve I loved, but E sau ha ve

I ha ted.

The words here quoted from Malachi, expressly relate to Jacob and Esau . The prophetlikewise declares the dealing of God towardstheir posterity, but the part here referred to applies to the progenitors themselves ; and in God

’s


466 ROMANS, 1x . 13 .

was equally wicked, and by nature like Esaua child of wrath and a fit object Of hatred .

It is not unusual to take part with Esau whowas rej ected, against Jacob who was the obj ectof Divine favour . Every thing that can bemade to appear either amiable or virtuous inthe character of Esau is eagerly grasped at

,and

exhibited in the most advantageous light. Weare told of his disinterestedness, frankness, andgenerosity ; while we are reminded that Jacobwas a cool, selfish, designing man, who wasalways watching to take advantage of his b r other

’

s simplicity, and who ungenerously andunjustly robbed his elder brother of the blessingand the birthright .This way of reasoning, however, shows more

zeal for the interes t of a cause than discretionin its support . Instead of invalidating the truthit Opposes, it only serves to confirm it . Whileit is evident that Jacob possessed the fear ofGod, which was not the case with respect toEsau, and, therefore, that the one was born of

God, and' the other was a child of nature yet

there is so much palpable imperfection and evilin Jacob, as to make it manifest that God didnot choose him for the sake Of

'

the excellence ofhis foreseen works . In maintaining, then, thedoctrine of the sovereignty of God, it is by no

ROMANS, 1x . 13 . 4 67

nieans necessary to vindicate the conduct of

Jacob towards his brother. Both he and hismother were undoubtedly to blame,-much toblame

, as to the way in which he Obtained, tothe prejudice of Esau, his father

’s blessing ;while the revealed purpose of God formed no apology for their conduct . That sin is an evil thing

and a bitter, Jacob fully experienced . His conduct in that transaction led him into troublesfrom which through life he was never disentangled. While Jacob was a man of God, andEsau a man of the world, there is enough toshow us that the inheritance was bestowed on

the former,not of works but of grace .

Nothing can more clearly manifest the strongopposition of the human mind to the doctrineof the Divine sovereignty, than the violencewhich human ingenuity has employed to wrestthe expression , Jacob have I loved , but Esauhave I hated . By many this has been explained,Esau have I loved less . But Esau was not theobject of any degree of the Divine love, andthe word hate never signifies to love less . Theoccurrence of the word m that expression

,hate

father and mother,” Luke, xiv . 26 , has been

alleged l n vindication Of this explanation ; butthe word in the lastphrase is used figuratively,and in a manner that cannot be mistaken . Al

though hatred is not meant to be asserted,yet

ROMANS, 1x . 13 .

hatred is the thing that is literally expressed .

By a strong figure of speech , tha t is called hatred .

which resembles it in its eff ects. We will not

obey those whom we hate, if we can avoid it .Just so if our parents command us to disobeyJesus Christ, we will not Obey them ; and thisis cal led hatred, figuratively, from the resemblance of its eff ects . But in this passage

,in

which the expression Esau have I hated ”

occurs, every thing is literal . The Apostle isreasoning from premises to a conclusion . Be

sides, the contrast of loving Jacob with hatingEsau, shows that the last phrase is literal andproper hatred. If God’s love to Jacob was realliteral love, God

’s hatred to Esau must be realliteral hatred . It might as well be said, thatthe phrase, Jacob have I loved,

” does notsignify that God really loved Jacob , but thatto love here signifies only to hate less, and thatall that is meant by the expression , is that Godhated Jacob less than he hated Esau . If everyman’s own mind is a sufficient security against .

concluding the meaning to be, Jacob have Ihated less , his j udgment ought to be a securityagainst the equally unwarrantable meaning,Esau have I loved lessOthers translate the word in the original by

the term slighted . But if God had no justground to hate Esau, he could have as little


ROMANS, 1x. 13 .

by the distinguishing grace Of God . Nothing,

then , is said of Esau here, that might not be saidof every man who shall finally perish .

The passage in Malachi, from which thesewords, Esau have I hated,

” are quoted by theApostle, proves what is meant by the expressionbefore us I have loved you, saith the Lord ;yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us 9 Wasnot Esau Jacob’s brother saith the Lord : yetI loved Jacob , and I hated Esau, and laid hismountains and his heritage waste for the d ragonsof the wilderness . Whereas Edom saith, weare impoverished, but we will return and buildthe desolate places : thus saith the Lord of hosts

,

They shall build, but I will throw down ; and

they shall call them, The border of wickedness ,and, The people against whom the Lord hathindignation for ever .” Here the prophet firstspeaks of Esau personally, as Jacob

’s brother,

which clearly indicates the meaning that theApostle attaches to its quotation . It implies

,

too, that Jacob had no claim to be pr eferred tohis brother . Afterwards in the denunciation

,

Esau’s descendants are spoken of under thename of Edom, when the singular is changedfor the plural, and the past time for the futureand the present. The denunciation of indigna

tion f or ever upon the Edomites, and the call ofGod to Israel to Observe the difference of his

ROMANS, 1x . 10. 471

dealings towards them, shows what is meant byGod’s love of Jacob , and his hatred Of Esau .

The declarations Of God by the p r Ophet inthe above quoted passage are fii lly substantiatedthroughout the Scriptures, both in regard to hisloving Jacob and hating Esau personally and

likewise in regard to the indignation which hemanifested against Esau’s descendants. Jacobis every where spoken Of as the servan t of God,highly honoured by many divine commun ica

tions . Jacob wrestled with God , had powerover him, and prevailed, Hosea, xii . 4 , 5 . Withhis dying breath , when he declared that he hadwaited for the salvation of the Lord, he washonoured to announce as a prophet the futuredestinies of his sons, and above all, to utter amost remarkable prediction concerning the advent of the Messiah . Jacob during his life wasthe Object of many special blessings . He diedin faith—Heb . xi . 13, 21 and of him the Re

deemer himself has testified that, with Abrahamand Isaac, he is now in the kingdom of heaven .

Matt. viii . 11. Such is the decisive testimony,concerning Jacob , of the Scriptur es which cannot be broken .

In the life of Esau, nothing is recor ded indicating that he had the fear of God before hiseyes ; but eve ry thing to prove the reverse.The most important transaction recorded con

472 ROMANS, l x . 13.

cerning Esau, is his'

profane contempt for God’sblessing in selling his birth-right, manifestinghis unbelief and indifference respecting the promise to Abraham. We see him also taking womenOf Canaan as his wives

,although he had the

example before him of Abraham’s concern thatIsaac should not marry any of the daughters ofthat country . In this, we Observe, that he heldas lightly the curse denounced against Canaan ,as he did the blessing promised to Abraham.

We next see him deliberately resolving to murder his brother . The days of mourning formy father are at hand, then will I slay my brotherJacob . And long after he goes out to meethim ‘with a large force, although restrained frominjuring him . At last he departs for ev er fromthe land of promise .

Towards the conclusion Of the Epistle to theHebrews, where Jacob is referred to among thenumber Of those who both lived and died in faith,Esau is characterised as a pr ofaneperson,

”Heb .

xii . 16 . The same word,translated profane, is

employed by Paul in his enumeration to Timothyof the most horrible vices, when speaking of theungodly, of sinners, and of unholy persons .

1 Tim . i . 9 . The selling of his birth-rightproved Esau to be an ungodly man , and theApostle warns believers not to act according tohis example . The birth-right conferred a double


4 74 ROMANS, 1x . 13 .

tion of Edom, and the victories of the house of

Jacob, are contrasted . But upon Mount Zionshall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness ;and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions . And the house of Jacob shall be a fire,and the house of Joseph a flame, and the houseof Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle inthem, and devour them and there shall not beany remaining of the house of Esau : for theLord hath spoken it .” Do these awful denunciations respecting Esau personally, who was aprofane person , and respecting his descendantsthe people against whom the Lord hath indig

nation for ever,” and the declarations respecting

Jacob throughout the scriptures , import thatGod loved Esau only in a less degree than heloved Jacob ? When men by such methods as

are resorted to on this subj ect, pervert the Obvious meaning of the word of God to maintaintheir preconceived systems, it manifests deplorable disafl

'

ection to the truth of God, and mostculpable inattention to his plainest declarations .Several commentators deny that the declara

tion, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,has any reference to their spiritual and eternalstate . But the whole of “the context throughout this ninth chapter, as well as the concludingpart of the eighth, proves the contrar y . At the29th verse of the preced ing chapter, the Apostle,

ROMANS, 1x . 13 . 475

after exhibiting to believers various topics of therichest consolation , had tr aced up all their highprivileges to the eternal purpose Of God, andhad dwelt in the sequel on their perfect securityas his elect. He had now turned his eye, withdeep lamentation , to the very diff erent state of

his countrymen, who, notwithstanding all theirdistinguished advantages, had rej ected the Messiah . This gives occasion for enlarging on thesovereignty of God in the Opposite aspect fromthat in which he had treated it in respect tobelievers . In reference to believers, he hadspoken of God’s sovereign ty as displaying itselfin their election , and now, in reference to theJews, as manifested in the ir rej ection . By thisarrangement, an opportunity was aff orded toexhibit that doctrine in the most striking manner, by personal application in both cases .From the whole of this chapter it is evident

that Paul refers not to the extern al condition of

the Jews, which was indeed involved in theirrej ection of Christ

,but to their spiritual state,

as rej ecting the righteousness which is of faith,and stumbling at that stumbling-stone, verse 32 .

He observes, that hot only at that time, but in

former ages,accor ding to the testimony of their

own prophets,a r emnant only should be saved .

And besides its being Obvious,from the whole

tenor of his discourse, that he is treating of their

4 76 ROMANS, 1x . 13 .

spiritual and eternal condition , this is conclusively evident from what he says in the 22d and23d verses, where he speaks, on the one hand,of the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction , and,on the other, of the vessels of mercy preparedunto glory . These two verses

,were there no

other proof, evince, beyond all doubt, what ishis Object . His lamentation for his countrymen was not called forth on account of the lossof their external privileges, with the impendingdestruction of Jerusalem

,and their expulsion

from their own land . Had it been so, he musthave included himself, and also those Jewswhom, in the 24 th verse, he says God hadcalled . But so far is he from representing theseto be in a lamentable state, that he describest hem, along with himself, as vessels on whomthe riches of the glory of God was made known ;while, by the contrast, it is evident, that by thewrath and destruction Of which the others werevessels, he means something very diff erent fr omtemporal calamities The vessels of the one

description were the remnant” which should besaved

,the “ seed” which the Lord of Sabaoth

had left, verses 27 , 29 . The vessels of the otherdescription were those who

'

wer e as Sodoma,

and had been made like unto Gomorrha,”

which suff ered the vengeance of eter nal fire .What trifling, then, what wresting of this im


ROMANS,1x . 13 .

in the place to which he refers, is both historicaland typical . It relates , in the first view, tothemselves, the elder being made subserv ient tothe younger by the selling Of his birth-right .In consequence of that act, the declaration, theelder shall serve the younger, was verified fromthe time when it took place . All the rights ofthe fir st-born were thus transferred to Jacob

,

and the inheritance of Canaan devolved onhim .

At length , Esau was compelled to leave thatland, and to yield to his brother . When theriches of both of them were “ more than thattheymight dwell together,

” Esauwent out fromthe face of his brother Jacob .

-Gen . x x x vi. 6-7 .

Whatever, therefore,might have previously beenthe Opposition of their interests, in this the mostimportant act of his life relating to Jacob, Esauwas finally made subservient to his youngerbrother . And this subserviency in yielding up

the inheritance which naturally belonged to himcontinued during the r emainder of their lives ;so that the declaration, the elder

‘shall serve

the younger,” was, after various struggles be

tween them,personally and literally fulfilled .

In the second view, as being typical, what issaid of them relates on the one hand to thestate of Israel after the flesh— trampling on andforfeiting their high privileges, hated of God,

ROMANS , 1x . 13 . 4 79

and vessels fitted to destruction ; and on the

other hand,to the vessels of mercy which God

had afore prepared unto glory .

In loving Jacob , God showed him’

u‘nme r ited

favour,and acted towards him in mercy ; and

in hating Esau, he showed him no favour whowas entitled to none, and acted according to

j ustice . Had God acted al so in justice with

out mercy towards Jacob , he would have hatedboth ; for both in their origin were wickedand deserved hatred . The Apostle unveils thereason why this was not the case, when he saysthat God has mercy on whom he will havemercy . The justice of God in hating Esauwas made fully manifest in the sequel by hisabuse of the high privileges in the course of providence bestowed upon him . Notwithstandingall the advantages of instruction and examplewith which, beyond all others of the human race

(with the exception Of the rest Of his family), hewas distinguished, Esau despised his birth-rightfraught with so many blessings, the naturalright to which had been conf erred on himin preferenceto his brother Jacob, and lived anungodly lif e . If Jacob, who was placed in thesame situation , proved himself to be a godlyman, it was entirely owing to the operation of

the grace of God in his heart . If it be obj ected,whywas not this grace also vouchsafed to Esau

ROMANS, 1x . 13 .

it may as well be asked , why are not the wholeof mankind saved That this will not be thecase, even those who Oppose the sovereignty of

God in the election of grace cannot deny . Be

sides, will they, who affirm that God choosesmen to eternal life because he foresees that theywill do good works, deny that, at least, Godforesaw the wickedness Of Esau’s life Even on

their own principles, then, it was just to hateEsau before he was born ; and, on the sameground of foreseeing his good works , it wouldhave been j ust to lov e Jacob . Or will they saythat this hatred should not have taken placetill after Esau had acted such a part ? Thiswould prove that there is a variableness withGod , and that he does not hate to-day what hewill hate to-morrow . Where, then , is the n ecessity for any one, whatever may be his sentiments, to resort to the vain attempt to showthat, when it is said God loved Jacob and hatedEsau, it only means that he loved Esau lessthan Jacob As well may it be affirmed thatwhen, in the prophecy Of Amos, v . 15 , it is said,Hate the evil, and love the good, the mean

ing is, that we ought to love evil only in a lessdegree than good . But the truth is, that allopposition to the plain and Obvious meaning of

this passage proceeds from ignorance of the stateof death and ruin in which all men by n ature


ROMANS, 1x. 15 .

Of the supposition that God’s treatment of Jacoband Esau implied injustice . By asking the question if ther e be unrighteousness with God , hestrongly denies that in God there is here anyinjustice ; and this denial is sufficient . Accor d :

ing to the doctrine which he every where inculcates, consistently with that of the whole Scriptures, God is represented to be infinitely just, aswell as wise, holy, good , and faithful . In theexercise of his sovereignty, therefore, all thatGod wills to do must be in strict conformitywith the perfection of his character. He cannotdeny himself ; He cannot act in a manner inconsistent with any of his divine attributes.

V. 15 .—For he sa ith toMoses, I will have mer cy on whom I

will have mer cy, and I will have comp assion on whom I will ha ve

compassion .

What is the ground on which the Apostlehere rests his denial that there is unrighteousness with God He enters into no defence ofGod, attempts no metaphysical distinctions, butrests solely on the authority .of Scripture . Hepr oduces the tes timony of God to Mose s, declaring the same truth that he himself affirms . Thisis quite enough for Christians . It is not wisein them, as is often the case, to adopt a mode ofvindicating God’s procedure, so very differ entfrom what he himself employs . How many goabout to justify God , and thereby bring God to

ROMANS , l x . 15 . 483

the bar of man . From the defences of Scripture doctrine, Often r esorted to, i t might be supposed that God was on his trial before men

,

rather than that all shall stand before him, andthat the will of God is supreme justice . I will

have mer cy on whom I will have mer cy , and I

will have comp assion on whom I will have compassion . That is, I will have mercy on whom Iplease— I will bestow my favours, or withhold

them, as seemeth to me good. The answer,

then, of the Apostle amounts to this, that whatis recorded concerning God’s loving Jacob and

hating Esau, is in nothing different from hisusual mode of procedure towards men , being entir ely consistent with the whole plan of hisgovernment . All men are lost and guilty inAdam ; i t is of mercy that any are saved ; andGod declares that he will have mercy or notupon men according to his own good pleasure .

It is only of this attribute that such language,as is contained in this passage, can be employed .

I will have mercy on whom I will havemercy .

” The exercise of every other attributeis at all times essential, and never can be sus

pendedfl‘

Of themer cy of God , the late Dr Thomson , in his valuable

Sermons , p . 11, obser ves It cannot be that his mer cy shouldbe exer ted at the expense or to the dispar agement, in any the

least degr ee, of one excellence which beautifies his natur e, or

ROMANS,1x . 16 .

V. 16 .—So then a is not of him tha t willeth, nor of a n that

r unneth, but of God tha t showeth mer cy.

This is the conclusion'

f r om the whole . Salv ation is not from the will of man , nor from hiseff orts in striving for it ; but is entirely of God

’s

upholds his gover nment, or speaks his p r aise . His mer cy issover eign and gr atuitous ; and ther efor e it can only be displayed, when ever y other quality that belongs to him is ful lymaintained , an d ther e is no sacr ifice o f the honour that is d ue

to each , an d of the consistency which per vades the whole .

Whenever his mer cy cann ot be exer cised wi thout r efusing thed emands o f his justice , or without b r inging into question the

immutability of his faithfulness, or without denying the ir r e

sistible ener gy of his power , or without impeaching the infalli~b ility of his wisdom, or without thr owing suspicion on the

absolute pur ity O f his natur e—ln these cases his mer cy cannotbe exer cised at all, for the exer cise of it would involve some

shor tcoming in his per fection , which is necessar ily unqualifiedand unlimited. It is only of this attr ibute that it can be sa id,He will have mer cy on whom he will have mer cy. ’ Of ever y

other attr ibute , it is r equisite tha t we p r edica te positive an d

per emptor y Oper ation . He must be holy ; he must be wise ;he must be power ful ; he must be just ; he must be tr ue ; hemust be each an d all Of these whatever betid e his univer se ;

and if we , his apostate cr eatur es, cannot be the objects of hismer cy except by some sur r ender Of the homage d ue to them,

o r some violation of the harmony that r eigns among them, his

mer cy cannot save , and cannot r each us .

”

On the love of God Dr Thomson r ema r ks (p . I can

not help r ever ting to what I former ly obser ved r especting the

necessity of attr ibuting love to God no far ther than his own

wor d has war r anted, an d no far ther than is consistent with thatr evelation of his char acter which he himself has given us . A


486 ROMANS, 1x . 16 .

ing of the birthright, and his running to providethe venison by which he deceived his father ;but his obtaining the blessing was solely theconsequence of God’s good pleasure ; for themeans he employed for the purpose meritedpunishment rather than success . In like manner, the salvation of any man is not to beascribed to his own good-will and diligent endeavour s to arrive at it, but solely to the purpose of God according to election, which isnot of works, but of him that calleth .

” It istrue, indeed, that believers do both will and run ,but this is the efiéct, not the cause of the graceof God being vouchsafed to them . Work out

your own salvation with fear and trembling.

”

To whom is this addressed ? To “ the saintsin Christ Jesus,

” in whom God had begun agood work, which he will p erf orm until the dayof Jesus Christ —to them who had always obeyed, Phil . i . 1, 6 , 29 ; ii . 12 . But besides this,what is the motive or encouragement to workout their salvation ? For it is God whichworketh in you both to will and to do of hisgood pleasure .” Here all the willing and doingof men in the service of God is ascribed to hisoperation in causing them to will and to do .

The whole of the new covenant is a promise of

God that he himself will act efficaciously for

the salvation of those whom he will save . I

ROMANS, 1x . 16 . 487

will put my law in their inward parts, and writeit in their hearts . I will give them one

heart, and one way, that they may féa’

r'

me forever.” I will put my fear in their hearts,that they shall not depart from me . A new

heart also will I give you, and a new spirit willI put within you, and I will take away the stonyheart out of your flesh, and I will give you aheart of flesh . And I will put my Spirit withinyou, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and

ye shall keep my judgments and do them .

”

Jer. xxxi . xxxiii . ; Ezek. xxxvi . In this way,the means by which God ’s elect are brought tohim, their calling, their j ustification, their sanctification , their perseverance, and their glor ification , are all of God , and not of themselves,as was shown in the preceding chapter .If any shall oppose the declaration of the

Apostle, that it is not of him that willeth nor ofhim that r unneth,but of God that showeth mercy,and assert that the salvation of man depends on

conditions which he is obliged to fulfil, then itmay be asked ,what is the condition Is it faith ?Faith is the gif t of God . Is it repen tanceChrist is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give

repentance . Is it love God promises to circumcise the heart in order to love him . Ar e

they good wor ks His people are the workmanship of God cr eated un to good works . Is

488 ROMANS,1x . 17 .

it perseverance to the end ? They are kept bythe power of God through faith unto salvation .

It , is true that all these things are commandedand enforced by the most powerful . motives, ~

consequently they are duties which require the ‘

exercise of our faculties . But they are assuredby the decree of election , and are granted tothe elect of God . in the proper season ; so that,in this View, they are the obj ects of promise,and the effects of supernatural and Divine influence . Thy people,

” saith Jehovah to theMessiah, shall be willing in the day of , thypower.” Thus the believer, in running his race,and working out his salvation, is actuated by «

God, and animated by the consideration of theall-powerful operation of God in the beginningof his course ; of the continuation of his supportin the middle of it ; and by. the assurance thatit shall be eff ectual in enabling him to overcome all obstacles, and to arrive in safety at itstermination .

7.17 .—For the scr ip tur e saith untoPha r a oh

,Even f or this

same purp ose have I r aised thee up ; tha t I might show'

my power

in thee, and tha t my name might be decla r ed thr oughout a lLthe

ea r th.

This verse stands connected , .notwith the 15 thand l 6 th, which immediately precede it, but withthe 13th and 14th . I n the 13 th verse God

’s loveto Jacob and his hatred to Esau are declared . In


490 ROMANS, 1x . 17 .

tians, it is said , the Scripture, foreseeing thatGod would justify the heathen and, theScripture hath concluded all under sin , Gal .

iii . 8 . 22 . Here the word of God is so muchidentified with himself, that the Scripture isrepresented as possessing and exercising thepeculiar prerogatives of God . What is done byGod , and what belongs only to him , is ascribedto the Scriptures

,— proving that they contain

the very words of God . All Scripture is givenby inspiration of God . 2 Tim . iii . 16 . Theword Scripture is here taken in its appropriatedmeaning— being confined to the book of God .

All that is written in it is divinely inspired ; andwhat does writing consist of but of wordsP Ifany of these are not inspired, then all Scriptur eis not inspired . Every word, then , in the bookreferred to is the word of God, dictated by himof whom the Writers wer e‘the instruments heemployed, who spoke or

'

wr ote as they weremoved by the Holy Ghost . Why are so manyunwilling to admit this view of the inspirationof Scripture so much insisted on in the Scripturesthemselves Is it on account of the difficultyof conceiving how words should thus be com

municated PAnd, is it easier to understand howideas could be communicated Do they believ ethat the Lord opened the mouth of the ass

”

of Balaam, and communicated the wor ds which

ROMANS, 1x . 17 . 491

she spake? Is it, then, more difficult to communicate words to men than to a dumb animalTo speak of difficulties where omnipotence isconcerned is palpably absurd . Besides, all allowthat in the parts of Scr ipture to which (makingvain distinctions respecting inspiration, withoutthe least foundation from any expression theScriptures contain) they ascribe the inspirationof suggestion ,

” the very words were communicated to the writers . Those who deny the plenaryverbal inspiration of the Scriptures ; who introduce various modifications of the manner inwhich they hav e been written , neither can have,nor ought to have the same profound venerationfor them as those who believe that, without anyexception , from beginning to end they are dictated by God himself.The Scr ip tur e sa ith unto Phar aoh—That is,

the Scripture showeth how Moses was commanded to say unto Pharaoh, Exod . ix . 16 For

this same purpose have I raised thee up . Hereis the destination of Pharaoh to his destruction

That I might show my power in thee, andthat my name might be declared throughout allthe earth .

” This is the end and design intendedby it. It was not, then, by any concurrenceof fortuitous circumstances that Pharaoh wasseated on the throne of Egypt, and investedwith the power he possessed when Moses was

492 ROMANS,1x . 17 .

appointed to conduct Israel out of Egypt . Hewas raised up, or made to stand in that place,inorder that, by his opposition, from the perversityof his heart, God might show his power in himand exalt his name . It is not merely allegedthat God had not shown mercy to this king of

Egypt, or that he had suff ered him to go on

in his wicked ways ; but, in language that theunrenewed heart of man will never relish, it isdeclared, Even for this same purpose have Iraised thee up , that I might show my power inthee, and that my n ame might be declaredthroughout all the earth .

” For this very endthe birth, the life, and the situation of Pharaohwere all of Divine appointment . This is language so clear that it cannot be guiltlessly misinterpreted . The unbelieving heart of man willrevolt, and his ingenuity may invent ex pe

d ients to soften this explicit declaration ; butit never can ‘be evaded with success . All theexpedients of sophistry will never be able fairly,or even plausibly, to explain this language ina sense «that will not testify the sovereignty of

God .

The above truth respecting Pharaoh is whatthe Scriptures declare ; and we ought never topretend to go farther in the deep things of Godthan they go before submissively to bow

t o whatever God says . We know that all sin


494 ROMANS, ix . 18 .

when they had heard this, said, this is an hardsaying ; who can hear it ?

” There is no part ofScripture the meaning of which is more obviousthan that of this chapter . But if men will yieldto the natural Opposition of their minds to thetr uth it declares, and wresting the plainest expressions, affirm that hatred signifies love, is itsurprising that they are bewildered in following their own dev ices

V. 18 . Ther ef or e ha th hemer cy on whom he will ha ve mer cy,

a nd whomhewill he ha r deneth.

Here the general conclusion is drawn fromall the Apostle had said in the three precedingverses, in denying that God was unrighteousin loving Jacob and hating Esau . It exhibitsthe ground of God’s dealings, both with theelect and the reprobate . It concludes that hisown sovereign will is the rule both with respectto those whom he receives, and those whom herej ects . He pardons one, and hardens another,without reference to any thing but his own

sovereign wil l . Even so, Father, said our

blessed Lord, for so it seemed good in thysight.”

Mr Tholuck , in his Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans,has most fear fully per ver ted the meaning of this ninth chapter ,

as well as many other par ts of the Epistle. See Consider ations,850. quoted page 151.

ROMANS, IX . 18 . 495

Ther ef or e hath he mer cy on whom he will have

mer cy—Paul here repeats it for the third time,that God has mercyon whom he will have iner cy ,without intimating the least regard to any thingin man as deserving mercy . The smallest degr eeof right in the creature would furnish reasonfor displaying justice, not mercy . Mercy 18

that adorable perfection of God by which hepities and relieves the miserable . Under thegood and righteous government of God, no oneis miserable, who does not deserve to be so .

The obj ects of mercy are those who are miserable, because they are guilty, and thereforejustly deserving of punishment. The exerciseof mercy is a particular display of the grace orfree favour of God . In no case can it be dueto a guilty creature ; it is the eff ect of the sovereign good pleasure of God . God, it is said,delighteth in mercy,

” Micah, vii . 18 ; and inthe proclamation of his name to Moses, thisattribute is particularly signalized . The Lord,the Lord God merciful and gracious .” -Exod.

xxxiv . 6 . He is “ rich” and plenteous” inmercy, and his tender mercies are over al l hisworks .”

Mercy, however, is an attribute, the constantexercise of which is not essential to God, likethat of j ustice, which can never, in any instan ce,be suspended for a moment . Mercy is dispensed

ROMANS, 1x . 18 .

according to his sovereign pleasure in regard topersons or times, as to him seemeth

'good . To

wards the fallen children of men it was gloriously displayed when God sent his

'

Son into theworld, which was purely a work of mercy, andnot demanded by justice . But to the fallenangels mercy was not vouchsafed. And is thisany impeachment of the mercy of God ? If not,is it a just ground for complaint, that in orderto manifest his hatred of sin , his mercy is notextended to a certain portion of the human race

,

who we know for certain shall perish ? ThusGod has mercy on whom he will have mercy .

It is one of the fundamental errors of Socinians ,and of many besides , to hold that the m ercyof God must be necessarily and constantly ex ercised ; while, reversing the order of Scripture, and

all its representations of the char acter 'of God,they deny this necessity regarding his justice.The same act, however, may be both an act ofjustice and an act of mercy in reference to diff erent obj ects . The punishment of the enemiesof God , the slaying of the fir st-born in Egypt,the f overthrow of Pharaoh and his h ost, thesmiting of kings, and transferring their landsfor an heritage to Israel, while they were acts ofjustice towards the enemies of his people, areall ascribed to the mercy of God to them.

-Ps .

cxxxvi . 15 . But overthrew Pharaoh and his


ROMANS , 1x . 18 .

ed by the holy influences of grace, but by thedifferent restraints under which they are placedby Providence . They are hardened when theserestraints are removed, and when they are leftfree to act according to the depraved inclinationsof . their own hearts . Or they are hardened bythe communication of qualities which are neithergood nor had in themselves, but which may become either good or bad, according to the usemade of them, such as courage, perseverance, orother dispositions which may be employed forbad purposes Men are also hardened whenthey are abandoned to the suggestions of Satan

,

all on any lega l gr ound. The ver y fact of its bestowmen t, isa super seding of the claims of law and acting on gr ounds of adiff er ent natur e .

“ Her e is an Open avowal of that par t of the

Socinian her esy which denies that justice is an essential attr i

bute of God , since its exer cise may be suspended. Thus'

Mr

Stuar t misr epr esen ts the char acter of God as a just God , an da‘Saviour

,

”—an d makes void the law. He over tur ns the gospel ,

the glor y of which is , that gr ace r eigns thr ough r ighteousness ,

while he sets asid e the necessity of the sacr ifice for sin . If

God can consistently with his char acter r emit the claims of law

and justice , to what pur pose , beyond what Socinians admit,wer e the incar nation and death of Chr ist ? Accor ding to Mr

Stuar t, the imputation o f his r ighteousness is a mer e fiction o f

law in the pr ocess of our final justification and acceptance .

’

What an awful sentiment is this All 'this explains the r eason

why Mr Stuar t so often substitutes the wor d justification forr ighteousness, in his tr anslation an d Commentar y on the Epistleto the Romans. See Rom. i. 17, v . 21, and elsewher e.

ROMANS, 1x . Is. 499

of whom they are the willing slaves . ThusJudas was hardened by Satan, who had takenpossession of him, and to whom he submittedh imself, although wa r ned . in the most solemnmanner of his danger When a man is entirelyleft to himself, the commands, the warnings,the j udgments

,the deliverances, and all the

truths of.

Scripture become causes of hardness, ofinsensibility, of pride, and presumption . Eventhe delay of merited punishment, and the deliver ances from the plagues that fell on hiscountry, were, in respect to Pharaoh, the meansof hardening his heart Because sentenceagainst an evil work is not executed speedily,therefore the heart of the sons of men is fullyset in them to do

_evil . In these ways men’s

hearts are hardened , through means that inthemselves are calculated to produce the Opposite effect .But by whatever. means the heart of men is

hardened, they are regulated by God, who alsodetermines that these means shall succeed . Wesee this remarkably verified in the case of Ahab .

And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him,

and thou shalt also prevail . Go out and doeven so . Now therefore, behold the Lord hathput a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy pr o

phets,

‘and the Lor d h ath spoken evil a gainst

thee .” —2 .Chron . xviii . 21. If the prophet

.aoMANS, 1x . 18 .

be deceiyfi when he hath spoken a thing, I theLor d/ have deceived that prophet ; and I will

stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroyhim from the midst of my people Israel . —Ez.

xiv. 9 . Truly the son of man goeth, as itwas determined ; but woe unto that man bywhom he is betrayed .

”—Luke, xxii . 22 . Him,

being delivered by the determinate counsel andforeknowledge of God, ye have taken, and bywicked hands have crucified and slain .

” -Acts,11. 23 . Of a truth against thy holy childJesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herodand Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and thepeople of Israel, were gathered together, for todo whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done .

”—Acts, iv. 27 . Astone of stumbling, and a rock of off ence, evento them which stumble at the word, being disobedient ; whereunto also they were appointed .

”

1Peter ii . 7 . There are certain men crept inunawares

, who were before of old ordained tothis condemnation .

”—Jude, 4 . Thereforethey could not believe, because Esaias saidagain

,He hath blinded their eyes, and harden

ed their heart ; that they should not see withtheir eyes

, nor understand with their hear t,and I should heal them .

”-John, xii . 39 . Ao

cording as it is written , God hath given thema Spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not


ROMANS , 1x . 18 .

man in such a way asto be the author of sin ismost certain . But there must be a sense inwhich he hardens sinners , or the thing would

not be asserted . From his conduct with respect toPharaoh , it is obvious that sinners are hardenedby the Providence of God bringing them intosituations that manifest and excite their corruptions .In the history of Pharaoh in the book of

Exodus, it is repeated ten times that God hard ened Pharaoh’s heart . Pharaoh is also said tohave hardened his own heart . This shows thatthere is a certain connexion between God’s hardening the hearts of men , and their voluntar yhardening their own hearts, so that

'

when theone takes place the other does so likewise . Itdoes not follow from this, that God

’s hardeningthe heart of Pharaoh , and Pharaoh

’s hardeninghis own heart, are one and the same thing .

This supposition,although adopted by many, is

contrary to the representations and the ’

expr ess

words of Scripture . On this subj ect, Mr Carson ,in his book lately published

,entitled

,Ex ami

nation of the Principles of Biblical Interpretation of Er nesti, Ammon , Stuart , and otherphilologists,

” observes, It is said that Godhardened the heart of Pharaoh ; it is said alsothat Pharaoh hardened his own heart. 1Whatthen i s the lawful way to reconcile-these two

ROMANS, 1x . 18 . 503

statements ? The statements musttrue . There must be a sense in which

)

God

hardened “Pharaoh’s heart, for this is asfi

eXpr ess

ly asserted as that Pharaoh hardened“

his ownheart. That this is not a sense implying thatGod is the author of Pharaoh’s sin, there cannot be a moment’s question I may be askedhow God could in any sense harden a man’sheart without being the author of sin ? But themost assur ed ibelief of the fact does not requirethat an answer should be given to the question .

A thing may be true, yet utterly inexplicable.God’s declaration is perfectly sufficient for

'

thebelief of

~

any'

thing‘which he testifies . Our r e

ception of it does not imply that we know thegrounds or nature of its truth . We receive it,not because we can explain how it is true butbecausewe know that God cannot lie . TheScriptures testify the-fact ; the fact then mustbe received as truth ; the Scriptures do net

testify the manner in which the thing IS trueof God, the manner then 1s not

’ a thing to bebelieved ; and consequently,

not a thing to beexplained byman . Ma

'

ny‘tell us that such

assertions ‘m‘ean'

merely that God p ermits thething which heis said to do .

-But is permissionsuff icient toi secur e accomplishment God sentJoseph

'

to it cis said, he p ermittedhis

‘br ethr en to s ell him; Nay,

-but ‘it was God’s

504 ROMANS, 1x . 18 .

will, purpose, and plan, that Joseph should '

go

down to Egypt, and his Providence secured theevent . Now, therefore,

’ says Joseph , be not

grieved nor angry with yourselves, that ye soldme hither : for God did send me before you topreserve life .’ His brethren did it wickedly ;God did it in mercy and in wisdom . We knowthat he did it entirely in consistency withman’s accountability ; but the manner of this

consistency is not a matter of rev elation, andtherefore it is impossible to attempt explana

Romans, ix . says Ammon, appearsto be an obscure passage relating to the abso‘lute decrees of God . Light may be thrownupon this, by 1 Sam . vi . 6 , where Pharaoh issaid to have hardened his own heart .’ How

does Sam . vi. 6 , throw light upon Rom . ix . 18 ?

We might have expected rather that Ammonwould have found a contradiction, as the one

passage ascribes to God what the other ascribesto man . The passages indeed are consistent ;but their consistency must be made out, not byobliging one of them to

,silence the other, but

by the pr1n01ple that they assert the same thingin a diff erent View. Aminon

’

s plan, I presume,is to make Rom . ix , 18 r ecent, in order ,

to harmonize with 1Sam . vi . 6 . But the honour of

Scr ipture, and of God’s character, require that


ROMANS, 1x . 18 .

internal efficacious agent, is so completely theservant of the Most High, as to act

"

only byhis command . The frivolous attempt of theschoolmen to avoid the difficulty by foreknowledge, is completely subverted ; for Paul does"not say that the ruin of the wicked is foreseenby the Lord, but ordained by his counsel, decree, and will . Solomon

,also

, t eaches thatthe destruction of the wicked was not onlyforeknown , but they were made on purposefor the day of evil . —(Prov . xvi .

Many call themselves moder ate Calvinists, a denomination to which it is not easy to affix a pr ecise idea . To‘the sys

tem called Calvinism, ther e may be near er or mor e d istant

appr oaches, but those who d eny any of the peculiar d octr ines

of that system cannot, in any sense , he called Calvinists. To

a ffix the term Calvinism to any system,fr om which the doctr ine

of pr edestination is excluded, or in which it is even modified ,is entir ely a misnomer .

Some pr ofess Calvinism, but aff ect to hold it in a mor e

unexceptionable manner than it is held in the system in

gener al . They seem to think that in the defence of that system,

Calvin was extr avagan t, and that he gave unnecessar y offenceby exagger ated statements, and by language not war r anted bythe Scr iptur es. Such pe r sons, it is pr esumed, ar e str anger s tothe wr itings of Calvin . Calvin himself is r emar kable for keeping on Scr iptur e gr ound, and avoiding any thing thatmay justly

’

be termed extr avagant. No wr iter has ever indulged less inmetaphysical speculation '

on the]

deep things of God than this

wr iter . To suppor t his system it was necessar y only to exhibitScr iptur e testimony, and he seems quite contented to r est the

matter on this foundation .

What is called moder ate Calvinism is in r eality r efined Ar

ROMANS , 1x . 18 . 507

God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, as he declaredfrom the beginning of the history he would dobut did not put evil into his mind There wasno need for this, for he was previously wicked,like al l mankind ; and while God punished hiswickedness no more than his iniquity deserved,he displayed to his people Israel, in his treatment of him, their security under his protection .

God has no occasion to put evil into the heartof any, in order to their destruction , for in consequence of the curse of the broken law (fromwhich God’s people alone are delivered), there

minianism. It is impossible to modify the former without sli

d ing in to the latter . If the d octr ine of God’s sover eign ty an do f unconditional election he denied, r egener ation an d r edemp

tion must under go a cor r esponding mod ification , and all the

doctr ines of gr ace will be mor e or less aff ected. While it is admitted that many of the people of God , thr ough imper fect viewsof Divine tr uth, falter on the subject of election , it is a tr uth

essential to the plan of salvation , and a tr uth most explicitlyr evealed. No tr uth in the Scr iptur es is mor e easily d efend ed.The r eason why many find it d ifficult to d efend this d octr ine is,that they supp ose

'

it necessar y to account for it by human wis

d om, and to justify the conduct of God . We have nothing to

d o with the gr ounds of it in the Divine pr ocedur e , we haveto do

'only with the Divinetestimony, that testimony which Mr

Tholnek so fear fully per ver ts . Ther e ar e many who in wor dsfully admit the doctr ine of election , and at the same time neu

tr alize it by dwelling exclusively upon God’

s being love ,’

and

laying the blame of the whole wor ld not being saved on the

sloth of Chr istians.

ROMANS IX. 19 , 20.

is in no natural man any thing good towardsGod — Rom. viii . 7 .

V. 19.—Thou wilt say then,

un to me, Why doth he yet findf ault For who ha th r esisted his will ?

The Apostle here brings forward the objection that would naturally occur . If God thusshows mercy, or har dens according to his sover eign pleasure, why, then, it may be asked,does be yet find fault with transgr essors Thisis the only obj ection that can be made to whatthe Apostle was stating . Thou wilt say , then,

who hath r esisted his will ? If God wills sin ,

and if he is all-powerful, must he not be theauthor of sin The objection is in substance thesame that is still urged, and it never can be putmore strongly than here by the Apostle . Whatthen does he answer This we learn in thefollowing verses .

V. 20.— Nay but, 0 man , who a r t than tha t r ep liest aga inst

God 2 Sha ll the thing f ormed say to him tha t f ormed it, Whyhast than ma de me thus

To the preceding objection the Apostle givesthree distinct answers. His first answer in thisverse, similar to Is . xlv. 9, is directed againstthe proud reasonings ofman , who though he beborn like the wild ass’s colt, and being of yester day, knows nothing, Job, viii . 9, presumesto scan the deep things of God , and to find fault

”


ROMANS IX. 20.

to find imperfection in his proceedings Why,

as thou . a r t all-powerful, hast thou formed me

in such a manner that I am capable of sin andmisery The rebellious heart of man is neversatisfied with the Apostle ’ s answer, and still thequestion is, Why did he make men to be condemmed ? Let the Lord’s people be satisfiedwith the Apostle’s answer, and let it be suffi

cient for them to know that God has willed boththe salvation of the elect, and the destruction ofthe wicked, although they are not able to comprehend the depth of the ways of God. TheApostle tells us the fact, and shows us that itmust be received on God’s testimony, and noton our ability to justify it . That God doesall things right there is no question, but thegrounds of his conduct he does not condescendto explain to us. Much less would it be consistent with his sovereignty to justify his conduct by explaining the grounds of it to his enemies. No man has a right to bring God totrial. What he tells us of himself, or of our

selves, let us receive as unquestionably right .Calvin, “would not have neglected

refuting the objection, that God reprobates orelects

,according to his

’

own will, those whom

he does not honour with his favour, or lovegratuitously

,had he considered it to be false .

9 The impious obj ect, that men are exempted

ROMANS, IX. 21. 11

from guilt if the will of God has the chief partin the sal vation of the elect, or destruction of

the reprobate . Does Paul deny itPW '

Nay

his answer confirms this truth— that God determines to do with mankind what he pleases,and that men rise up with unavailing fury. to

contest it,since the Maker of the world assigns

to his creatures,by his own right, whatever

lot he chooses .”

V. 21.—Ha th not the p otter p ower over the clay, of the same

lump to make one vessel unto honour , and a nother unto dishonour

This is the Apostle’s second answer to theobj ection contained in the 19th verse, in which,by another reference to Scripture, he assertsthat the thing formed ought not

rto contend with

him that formed it, who has a right to disposeof it as he pleases. The words in the original,translated power ” in this verse and the following, are diff erent . The word here employed isv ariously applied as signifying authority, license,liberty, right, but in its application to God, therecan be no question that it denotes p ower j ustlyexexcised . The mere power or ability of doingwhat God pleases

, cannot be the meaning, forthis is not the thing that is questioned . It isthe j ustice of the procedure that is disputed, andit is consequently the j ustice of this exercise ofpower that must be asserted. With respect to allother beings, the license, liberty, or right referred

512 ROMANS, 1x . 21.

to , may be, as it is , derived from a superior, but inthis sense it cannot refer to God . When, therefore , it is said here thatGod has power,

” it mustmean that he may, in the instance referred to, usehis power in conformity to justice. The right hasnot a reference to a superior as conferring it

,but

a reference to his own character, to which all theactions of his sovereignty must be conformable .Power, then , in this place, signifies right or

power which is consistent with justice . It isthis right or power according to justice that ishere asserted . When the potter forms the clayin what manner he pleases, he does nothing cont r ar y to justice ; neither does God do injusticein the exercise of absolute power, respecting hiscreatures . Out of the same original lump or

mass he forms, in his holy sovereignty, one manunto honour and another unto dishonour withoutin any respect Violating justice . That we areall in the hand of God, as the clay in the potter’s hand, is humbling to the pride of man, yetnothing can be more self-evidently true . If so,God has the same right over us, that a potterhas over the clay of which he forms his vesselsfor his .own purposes and interest . The samefigure as is employed by the Prophet Isaiah, indecla ring the right that God had over him, andall thepeople of Israel, God likewise employs,Jer . xviii . 6 . 0 house of Israel, cannot I do


514 ROMANS, 1x . 21.

are made to dishonour is the Apostle’s assertion .

It is true, indeed, that even vessels employedfor dishonourable purposes are useful , and it isequally true that the destruction of the wickedwill be for the glory of God . If any are condem

'

ned at all, and on any ground whatever, it iscertain that it must be for the glory of God

,else

he would not permit the thing to take place.On the verse before us, and the preceding, it

is to be observed that the Apostle does not saythat his meaning in what he had ”previouslyaffirmed had been mistaken, and that he hadnot said that it was agreeable to the will of Godthat the hardness of men ’s hearts should takeplace as it does ; he implicitly grants this as atruth, and that he had asserted it . And so farfrom palliating or softening down the expressiontowhich the objection is made, if possible, heheightens and strengthens it . All mankind arehere represented as originally lying in the samelump or mass a great diff erence afterwards appears among them. Whence does this differencearise ? The Apostle explicitly answers ; it isGod who makes the diff erence . As the pottermakes one vessel as r eadily

'

as he makes another,and each vessel takes its form from his hand, soGod makes one man to honour and another todishonour . And God’s sovereign right to dothis is here asserted ; and he who objects to this

ROMANS,l x . 22 . 515

the Apostle says speaks against God . Shallthe thingfi rmed say to him thatf ormed it, whyhast thou made me thus And this r ep r esen

tation is entirely consistent with all that theScriptures elsewhere teach . In the fundamental doctrine of regeneration

,and the new crea

tion in Christ Jesus, it is expressly inculcatedand is entirely coincident with the question,Who maketh thee to diff er from another

1Cor . iv . 7 .

V. 2 2 . Wha t if God , willing to show his wr a th, and tomakehis p ower known , endur ed with much long-sufl

'

er ing the vessels of

wr a thfi tted to destr uction

In this and the following verse, the Apostlegives his third and final answer to the obj ectionstated in the 19th verse . The sum of it is, thatthe grand object that God has in View, both inthe election and the reprobation of men, is thatwhich is paramount to all things else in thecreation of the universe

,namely

,his own glory.

With the assertion of this doctrine, however offensive to the natural man, which must alwaysappear to him foolishness

,Paul winds up in the

last verse of the eleventh chapter the whole of

his previous discussion‘

in this Epistle .

Wha t if God , willing to show hiswr ath—Herethe purpose of God in enduring the wicked inthis world, is expressly stated to arise from hiswilling to show his wrath against sin . We see,

ROMANS, l x . 22 .

then, that the entrance of sin into the world wasnecessary to manifest the divine character in hisjustice and hatred of sin. Had sin never enteredinto the creation of God, his character wouldnever have been developed . Let wicked menhear what God says in this place . They flatterthemselves that in some way through mercy, orbecause great severity would not be just

,they

will finally escape . But God here declares bythe Apostle that he has endured sin in the worldfor the very purpose of glorifying himself in itspunishment . How, then, shall they escape ?And to make his power known .

— The entranceof sin was also an occasion of manifesting God’spower and wisdom in overruling it for his glory .

The power or ability of God, according to theoriginal word used here, is diff erent from thepower (another word in the original)in the preceding verse, as is strikingly seen in this place.The twenty-fir st verse asserts the right of Godto act in the supposed manner ; this verse showsthat his doing so was to manifest his wrathagainst sin, and his power to make even sin toglorify his name . Sin is in its own nature toGod’s dishonour“ He has overruled it so thathe has turned it to his

;

glory . Thl s 1s the mostwonderful display of power .Endu

'

r ed with'

much long-suf er ing . How oftendo men wonder that God endures so much sin as


ROMANS , 1x . 23 .

consider what was the fate they deserved, andwould have experienced

,had they not been de

livered by God through Jesus Christ. Thesevessels of mercy were previously prepared fortheir happy lot by God himself. Which he hadaf or e p r ep a r ed unto glor y .

— In the precedingverse it is said that the vessels of wrath are f ittedfor destruction

,and in this verse that the vessels

of mercy are p r ep a r ed unto glory . The wickedare fitted for destruction by their sins, and theelect prepared before by God for glory . Noparticular stress is to be laid on the word fitted ,as if it could not apply to the righteous, for theyalso are fitted for glory . It is usual to say thatthe wicked were fitted by Satan and their ownfolly for destruction . No doubt, Satan is concerned in it, but as no agent is asserted, it is notnecessary to determine this . They also may besaid to fit themselves

,yet it appears that it is

not the agent, but the means that the Apostlehas in view. It is their sins which fit them fordestruction . On the other hand, the elect areaf or e p r ep a r ed unto glory . This cannot be bythemselves, but must be by God as the agent .This is expressly

‘stated, Whom he hath pre

pared .

” The elect are not only afore preparedunto glory, but it is God who prepares them .

It is suggested by what is said in this andthe preceding verse, that God does not harden

ROMANS, 1x . 2 3 . 519

sinners or pun l sh them for the sake of hardening .

or making them miserable, or because he hasany delight or pleasure in their sin or punish-iment considered inthemselves , and unconnectedwith the end to be answered by them , but he '

does this to answer a wise and important endThis great end is the manifestation and displayof his own perfections ; to show his

'wrath, andto make his power known , and to make knownthe riches of his glory . That is, he does it forhimself, for his own glory . It is also suggestedthat what God does in hardening sinners, and

“

making them vessels un to dishonour , ’ and en-1

during with much long-suff ering these vessels .

of wrath fitted for destruction, is consistent withtheir

‘being blamable for their hardness,

’ and forevery thing which

.

renders them dishonourable .

Consequently it is also consistent with his high"

displeasure at their-

conduct, and proves that

’ hemay justly destroy them for 'ever for their hardness and obstinacy 111 sin . This 1s supposed andasserted ln the words, otherwise sinners couldnot be vessels of wrath fitted to destruction . Toallege that these Scriptures import no more thanthat Godpermits sin, and orders every thing r e

spécting'

the event, so'

that if God permits, itcertainly take place

,does not obviate any

difficulty which’has been supposed here to present itself. ‘

For this is still representing God

ROMANS, 1x . 2 3 .

as willing that sin should takeplace, or on

the whole choosing that it should exist ratherthan not.Many who admit the doctrine of predestina

tion obj ect to the use of the term reprob ation ,so often employed by the first reformers, and theold and most esteemed Christian writers . In itsplace they would substitute the word rejection .

This last word, however, does not convey thefull import of what is intended by the term r e

probation ; and whether this term be used or not,all that is comprehended under it is strictly ao

cording to Scripture . Reprobation includes twoacts ; the one is negative, which consists inwhat is called preterition, or the passing by ofthose who are not elected ; that is , leaving themin their natural state of alienation or enmityagainst God ; the other is positive, and is calledcondemnation, the act of condemning on accountof sin those who have been passed by . In electing men, or in passing them by, God acts as asovereign dispensing or withholding his favours,which are his own , as to him seemeth good . Incondemning he exercises his justice in the punishment of the sinner . He may impart his grace ti)whomsoever he pleases, without any one havinga right to find fault, since in regard to thosewhom he destines to salvation , he has providedmeans to satisfy his justice . On the other hand ,


ROMANS, i x . 2 3 .

I

who receive the kingdom as little children, becoming fools that they may be wise . The highimaginations of all will be cast down at last.but with very many it will be too late, exceptto make them feel that their condemnation isjust .In strict conformity with the truths contained

in the above verses , it is said, in the Westmin

ster Confession of Faith , which contains soscriptural a summary of Christian doctrineThe Almighty power, unsearchable wisdom,

and infinite goodness of God, so far manifestthemselves in his providence, that it extendethitself even to the first fall

,and all other sins

of Angels and men , and that not by a barepermission, but such as hath joined with it amost wise and powerful bounding, and other-vwise ordering, and governing of them, in amanifold dispensation, to his own holy endsyet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth ,

only from the creature, and not from God ,

who, being most holy and righteous, neither‘is nor can be the author or approver of sin .

’

The decrees of God , are his eternal purpose,according to the counsel of his will, wherebyfor his own glor y, he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass . God executeth hisdecrees in the works of creation and providence . God’s works of providence are, his

ROMANS , 1x . 2 3 . 523

most holy, wise, and powerful preserving, andgoverning all his creatures and all t heir ao

tions .’ And again , God the great Creatorof all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose, andgovern all creatures, actions, and things, fromthe greatest even to the least, by his most wiseand holy providence, according to his infallibleforeknowledge, and the free and immutablecounsel of his own will, to the praise of theglory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness,and mercy .

” By the decree of God, forthe manifestation of his glory, some men andangels are predestinated unto everlasting life ,and others fore-ordained to everlasting death .

”

In these articles it is asserted that God foreordained, decreed, and willed the existence of

all the moral evil which has come to pass .

”

It is also said that God brings his decrees or

his will into eff ect by creation and his governing providence, by which, in the exercise of hiswisdom and holiness, he powerfully governs hiscreatures, and superintends and directs, disposesand orders all their actions .According to the

"above truths, so well ex

pressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith,to which so many profess to adhere as containingtheir creed, every thing without exception, greator

'

small, that has ever taken place, or shallever take place in heaven

, or on earth, or in

ROMANS, 1x . 23 .

hell, has from all eternity been ordained byGod , and yet so that the accountableness ofthe creature is not in the smallest degree r e

moved . This is declared, in the clearest manner, respecting the greatest sin that ever wascommitted, even the crucifying of the Lord of

Glory . It took place according to the expressordination of God , yet the wickedness of thoseby whom itwas perpetrated is explicitly asserted .

Truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined but woe unto that man by whom heis betrayed"” Luke, xxii . 2 2 . Him, beingdelivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God , ye have taken , and by wickedhands have crucified and slain .

” Who by themouth of thy servant David hast said, why didthe heathen rage, and the people imagine vainthings The kings of the earth stood up, andthe rulers were gathered together against theLord, and against his Christ . For of a truthagainst thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hastanointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, withthe Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy handand thy counsel determined before to be done .Acts

,ii . 23 ; iv. 25 . The crucifixion, then, of

the Messiah was ordained by God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed

in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Eph. iii . 11, and


526 ROMANS, ix . 2 5 .

his sons, and choosing the younger. Paul hadfurther proved that this was according to God’susual manner of proceeding, in showing mercyto some, and hardening others . God had

,not

withstanding, endured with much long-suff eringthat great multitude of the people of Israel whoproved themselves to be vessels of wrath fittedfor destruction ; and, on the other hand, haddisplayed the abundance of his free grace inpreparing vessels of mercy both among Jewsand Gentiles . The word of God had thus hadan effect by his sovereign disposal among thepeople of Israel, corresponding with the examples which Paul had produced from their history ; and in the exercise of the same sovereigntyGod had also prepared others among the Gentiles ou whom he displayed his mercy . Noneof the Jews or Gentiles were vessels of mercy,except those whom he had eff ectually called tohimself. This verse incontestably proves, cont r ar y to the erroneous glosses of many, that theApostle is here speaking of the election of individuals, and not of nations .

V. 2 5 .—As he w itha lso in Osee, I will ca ll them my p eop le,

which wer e not my p eop le and her beloved, which was not beloved.

In the preceding verse; the Apostle had Spoken of those who were called among the Jewsand the Gentiles, whom God had prepared untoglory . In this verse and the one that follows,

ROMANS, l x . 2 6 . 527

he shows that the calling of the Gentiles wasnot an unforeseen event, but that expressly foretold by the prophets . God, by theprophet Hosea, ii . 23 , alluding to the calling of

the Gentiles by the Gospel, says, I will call

themmy p eop le, which wer e not my peop le thatis, the Lord, at the period alluded to , wouldcall to the knowledge of himself, as his people,persons who were formerly living in heathenism

,

not having even the name of the people of God .

And her beloved , tha t was not beloved . The Jewish nation was typically the spouse of God .

The Lord had betrothed Israel . But whenChrist should come, he was to betroth Gentilesalso, and to call her beloved that was not be

loved . Paul, therefore, shows by this quotation,that the calling of these Gentiles, as vessels of

mercy,was according to the purpose of him who

worketh all things after the counsel of his own

will— according to the eternal purpose which hepurposed in Christ Jesus .

V. 26 .—And it sha ll come top ass, tha t in the p lace wher e it

was sa id unto them, Ye a r e not my p eop le ther e sha ll they b

ca lled the childr en of the living God .

Among the nations which formerly served ~

idols, and of'

whom it was usually and truly saidthat they were not

,God’

s people, there will bethose of whom it shall be said that they are thechildren of the living God —Hosea, i. 10. They

528 ROMANS, 1x . 2 6 .

shall be the children of the living God,in 0p

position to the dead idols or gods of their ownimagination, which they formerly worshipped .

This proves that, in their former state, theywere without God in the world, Eph . 11. 12 ,

iv. 18 ; and consequently that the Scripturesaffor d no hope for those Gentiles who are leftuncalled by the Gospel . This awful truth

,

though so many are unwilling to receive it,is

every where testified in the Scriptur es . It isheld forth in what is said of the empire of Satan

,

the god of this world ; and also in the character every where given in Scripture to heathens

,

who are declared not to have liked to retainGod in their knowledge, and to have beenhaters of God .

” It is also held forth in allthe passages that affirm the final doom of idolaters ; as likewise in all that is taught respectingaccess to God by him who is the way, the truth,and the life ; for there is no other name underheaven given amongm en whereby we must besaved .

* Men may devise schemes to extend

All the distinguished men among the heathens , without a

single exception , conformed to the idola tr y of their countr ymen.

It is asser ted bymany that we have nothing to d o with the state

of the heathens. But we have much to d o with whatever is

d eclar ed in the Scr iptur es, for all Scr iptur e is pr ofitable , &c.

See enquir y into the state of the Heathen wor ld d estitute ,of

the Gospel , in the author’

s book of Evidences, vol . ii. chap .

r m ; and vol. i. of this Exposition on chap. 11. 12 .


ROMANS, 1x . 2 7 .

testifies of the rej ection of the great body of theJews, and of the election of a number amongthem comparatively small . The Israelites lookedon themselves as all being the people of God,'

and on the Gentiles as shut out from this relation . The prophet here shows that out of allthose vast multitudes which composed theirtion only a remnant were to be among thenumber of the true Israel of God . Whateverfulfilment the prophecy had in the times of theOld Testament, this is its full and propermeaning according to the Apostle .

At first sight it might seem that the prophetspeaks only of the return of the Jews from the

captivity of Babylon but in regard to this, twothings must be remarked . One is , that all the

great events that happened to the Jews werefigures and types representing beforehand thegreat work ’

of redemption by Jesus Christ. Thusthe deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt,their passing through the Red Sea and throughthe wilderness, the passage of Jordan , and theirentering into Canaan, were representations o fwhat was to take place under the Gospel, as isdeclared, I Cor. x . 11, Now, all these thingshappened unto them fdr examples (types), a ndthey are written for our admonition , upon whomthe ends of the world are come .

” Hence itfollows that the deliverance from the captivity

ROMANS , 1x. 2 7 . 531

of Babylon, and consequently the predictionsrespecting it in Scripture, are typical of thefuture condition of the Church of Christ . Thisprophecy, then, has two meanings the firstliteral, the second mystical. The other thingto he remarked is, that in the work of God inregard to his church , there being several gradations which follow each other, it often happensthat the prophets, who viewed from a distancethose future events, j oin together many of themas if they related only to one and the samething, -which is a characteristic of the spirit ofprophecy. The prophet, then, in this placej oins the temporal r e-establishment of the Jewswith the spiritual building up of the Church ofChrist, although these

’

two things are quite distinct and separate .

These'

words in this prophecy, They shallstay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel intruth,

”can only have their full accomplishment

in believers in Jesus Christ The same is thecase respecting the words, The remnant shallr eturn for this returning or conversion denotes much more than that of the return of theJews from Babylon— even that glorious turningto God which takes place by the Gospel . Andwhen the prophet says

, though thy peop le Isr ael

be as the sand of the sea , yet a r emnant of them

sha ll r etur n, it is clear that this is an allusion to

532 ROMANS, 1x . 28 .

the promise made to Abraham that his posterityshould be as the sand of the sea, and that hemeans to say that whatever confidence the Jewsmight place in that promise, taking it in a carnal and literal sense, yet that those who weresaved should be a small remnant, whom Godwould take to himself in abandoning all the restto his avenging justice . As one event, then , inScripture prophecy is often made to shadowforth and typify another, so the events of theJewish history are made to illustrate the spiritualthings of the kingdom of God . In this waythe prophecies quoted in the New Testamentfrom the Old are to be viewed, and not to beexplained in a manner that ascribes to theApostles of Christ that false and deceitful mode

of quotation called accommodation,— so disparaging to their character as stewards of themysteries of God, and so degrading to the HolyScriptures .

V. 2 8 .—e For he willfin ish the wor k, and cut it shor t in r ight

eousness because a shor t wor k will the Lor d make up on the

This refers to God’s judgments pour ed out

upon the Jews for their,r ejecting the Messiah .

They were then cut off manifestly from beinghis people. He cut short the work in righteousjudgment. The destruction determined, denotesthe ruin and desolation of the whole house of


ROMANS, 1x . 2 9 .

were left, and the purpose for which they wereleft. The Jews who escaped destruction at theoverthrow of their city by the Romans, werespared merely as a seed” from whence was tospring all the multitudes who will yet arise toJesus Christ out of the seed of Abraham . Hadit not been for this circumstance, not one individual at that time would have been spared .

They would have been all cut off as Sodomand Gomorrah . Except those days shouldbe shortened, there should no flesh be saved :but for the elect’s sake those days shall beshortened .

—Matth. xxiv . 22 . The Apostle,instead of remnant, the word employed by theProphet

,substitutes the term seed , from the

Septuagint translation, which, though the expression is varied, has a similar meaning, implying that after the whole heap besides was consumed

,the remainder was reserved for sowing

with a view to a future crop .

By this quotation from Isaiah, the Apostleproves that the doctrine of the unconditionalelection of individuals to eternal life— that doctrine against which such objections are raisedby many—far from being contrary to the ideaswe ought to entertain of the goodness of God,is so entirely consistent with it, that except forthis election

,not one of the nation of Israel

would have been saved . Thus the doctrine of

ROMANS, 1x . 30. 535

election, very far from being in any degree harshor cruel

,as many who misunderstand it affirm

,

is, as we see here, a glorious d emonstration of

divine goodness and love . Had it not been forthis election

,through which God had afore pre

pared vessels of mercy unto glory, neither Jewnor Gentile would have escaped, but all wouldhave remained vessels of wrath fitted for destruction . In the case of the angels who sinnedthere was no election , and the whole were castdown to hell. Had there been no electionamong men , the whole must in like mannerhave perished .

V. 30. Wha t sha ll we say then Tha t the Gentiles, whichfi llowed not af ter r ighteousness , have atta ined to r ighteousness,

even the r ighteousness which is of f a ith

What sha ll we say then 9—What is the resultof all this discussion The conclusion from the

whole is, that those Gentiles who were calledby God , of whom t he Apostle had spoken inthe 2 4 th verse, who were not following righteousness, but were abandoned to every kind of

wickedness, obtained true righteousn ess, eventhe righteousness which is of faith . This isan astonishing instance of mercy . Men whowere guilty of all abominations, as Paul hadshown in the first chapter of this Epistle,were thus made partakers of that righteousn ess

536 ROMANS, 1x . 31.

which is commensurate to all the demands ofthe law .

V. 31.—But Isr ael, which j b llowed af ter the law of r ighteous

ness, hath not a tta ined to the law of r ighteousness .

Whatever obj ection might be made againstthe doctrine which the Apostle was here ineulcating, a clear proof was off ered in the case ofthe Gentiles which he had adduced , of the truthhe had advanced and illustrated by the examplesof Jacob and Esau, namely, that the purpose ofGod according to election is unchangeable, andthat salvation is not of works, but of him thatcalleth . And here was a wonderful instance ofdivine sovereignty . The nation of Israel werefollowing after righteousness, yet God, insteadof giving it to them, bestowed it on those whowere not even looking for it . How different isthis from the ways of men"How does theproud heart of the self-righteous legalist revoltat such a View of the divine conduct"Man’swisdom cannot endure that God should in thissovereign way bestow his favours . But this isGod’s way, and whoever will not submit to it,resists the will of God . Nay, whoever fi nds

fault with it attempts to undeify God. Thewhole plan of salvation IS so ordered , That

,

according as it is written, he that glorieth, leth im glory in the Lord .

” -l Cor. i . 31.


538 ROMANS, IX. 32 .

alone has fulfilled the law,they failed in obtain

ing righteousness.For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone

That is, they stumbled at Jesus Christ. Instead of choosing him as the elect, preciousfoundation-stone, on which to rest their hope,they rej ected him altogether. They looked fora Messiah of a diff erent character, and, therefore, they rej ected the Christ of God . TheApostle thus charges it upon the Jews as theirown fault, that they did not attain to righteousness . They mistook the character of that lawunder which they were placed, by which, ac

cording to the testimony of their own prophets,no man could be justified ; and also the characterof the Messiah who was promised, and so perverted that law, and rejected him by whom alonethey could be saved . They thus verified thewords of the Apostle The natur al manreceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ;for they are foolishness unto him ; neither canhe know them, because they are spiritually discerned .

”Of this Paul exhibits himself as an

example . In the seventh chapter of this Epistle,he shows how entirely he once mistook the extentof the law ; and in the beg1nn1ng of the chapterbefore us

,that he once made it his boast that he

had nothing to do with Christ as the Messiah .

ROMANS, 1x . 33. 39

V. 33 .—As it is wr itten , Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling

stone and r ock of ofi'

ence : and whosoever believeth on him sha ll

not be a shamed.

As it is wr itten—The Apostle here confirmswhat he had just said concerning the stone ofstumbling by quoting from two places of Scrip?ture— Isa . viii . 14 xxviii . 16 . The stumbling,then

, of the Jews at Christ, the rock of off ence,was predicted by the prophets . It should not,therefore

,appear strange to those who lived in

the times when it was accomplished .

A stumbling-stone and r ock of qfi‘ence.

-Thislanguage of the prophet applied by the Apostleto our Lord Jesus Christ, ought tobe particularlyobserved : Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself ;and let himbe your fear, and let himbe your dread .

And he shall be for a sanctuary ; but for a stoneof stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to boththe houses of Israel .” As here the prophet speaksdirectly of God , and the Apostle applies whathe says to Jesus Christ, it is a conclusive proofthat Jesus Christ is God, and that he is declaredto be so both in the Old Testament and theNew. The designations of a stone, and a rock,are given to Jesus Christ, both of them presenting the idea that the great work of redemptiondepends solely on him . He is its author, the

'

centre in which all its lines meet, and their originfrom which they proceed . He is to that work

540 ROMANS, i x . 33 .

what the foundation-stones and the rock onwhich it is erected are to the building, sustaining it, and giving it form and stability. Inanother sense, he is a stone of stumbling, occa

sioning his rej ection by those who,not believing

in him, are cut off from communion with God.

Behold, I lay in Siam—This stone, or rock

this sure foundation ,” is laid by God

,accord

ing to the Apostle’s reference . Isa . xxviii . 16 .

Therefore, thus saith the Lord God , Behold,I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone

,a tried

stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation .

This stone was laid in Zion the Church of God .

It was laid by God himself. That it was asure foundation” which could not fail, is evidentfrom all the promises of God concerning theMessiah of upholding him as his elect, and insuring to him success

,dominion and glory in his

character of Mediator . Isa . xlii . 1, 8 xlix. 7 , 9 .

All the promises to the Church of old, of theMessiah as a future Saviour, from the declaration made to our first parents in Paradise, to thelast prediction concerning him delivered by theprophet Malachi, demonstrate the impossibilitythat Christ

,the foundation which God has laid,

should fail . Those promises were often renewedwith great solemnity, and confirmed by the oathof God, as in Genesis xxii . 16-18 . And in Ps .


ROMANS, 1x . 33 .

of old rested, and built their comfort . Abrahamsaw Christ’s day and rej oiced, and all the othersdied in the faith of his advent . What a view doesthis give us of the faithfulness of God , and thetr uth of the Scriptures ; and what an inducementto rely securely upon the rock of ages"Its solidity is assured to us by him whose voice shakesthe heavens and the earth—by the revelation ofthe eternal purpose of God, which he purposedin Christ Jesus our Lord .

” Eph . iii . 11.

Rock of Wnce.— While the Messiah was

indeed the sure foundation which God had laid,he was notwithstanding, as it was written, r e

jected by the great body of the Jewish‘nation .

Had they understood the language of their ownScriptures, they would have seen that, insteadof receiving their Messiah when he came, theprophets had declared that they would stumbleat the lowliness of his appearance, and wouldgenerally rej ect him.

And whosoever‘

believeth on him sha ll not be

ashamed .— But they did not all rej ect him . Some

of them , referred to in verse 24 th, who werecalled of God, acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, sent of God , and were comforted by him.

They were not ashamed to own him before theunbelievmg part of their brethren

,and they

shal l not be put to shame before him at hissecond coming. It might be supposed that the

ROMANS, 1x . 33 . 543

followers of the Messiah would be honoured inevery country ; on the contrary, they are hatedand held in contempt . But when

’

all otherrefuges fail, when Christ comes to judge theworld

,they shall not be ashamed.

A free salvation becomes an off ence to menon account of their pride . They cannot bearthe idea of being indebted for it to sovereigngrace

,which implies that in themselves they

are guilty and ruined by sin . They desire todo something, were it ever so little, to meritsalvation, at least in part. Salvation by a crucified Saviour was in one way opposed to thepride of the Jews, and in another to that of theGreeks . The Jews expected amighty conquerorwho should deliver them from a foreign yoke,and render them so powerful as to triumph overall the other nation s of the earth ; and in orderto reconcile with those ideas what the Scripturessaid of his humiliation

,some among them sup

posed that there would be two Messiahs . TheGreeks expected, in a revelation fr om heaven,something r esembling the systems of then vainphilosophy, which might exalt their false notionsof the dignity of man , and enlarge their boastedpowers of understanding. All who are uncon

verted reason in the same way . Those amongthem who call themselves Christians suppose,that , not being perfect, they have need of Christ

H UM AN s,i x . as .

'as a Saviour to compensate f or their deficiencies,

and to give weight to their good works . Theydo not believe that they obey the law perfectly ;

'but suppose that what is wanting will be supplied by Jesus Christ. Thus, except a man be

“born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God .

‘The doctrine of the cross is, in one way or

other, misunderstood by him, and Jesus Christis a stone of stumbling .

Many by their forced criticisms have in various ways perverted the meaning of this chapter.Among their other misrepresentations theyaffirm that the Apostle does not speak of individual election to eternal life, but of

'the nationalelection of the Jews . On the contrary, it isevident that in regard to the Jews he refers totheir national rej ection . The rej ection of theJewish nation

,excepting a small remnant,

according to the election of grace, which‘is

again plainly declared in the beginning of theeleventh chapter, is the important subject whichthe Apostle illustrates by the examples and predictions he refers to

,and the reasonings with

which he follows them up .

The fact of a remnant of Israel being reserved-by God for himself, while the great body of thenation was abandoned to merited punishment,demon strates that the electionhere spoken of isindividual and not national . The prophets every


CHAPTER X.

PAUL was fully aware that his doctrine of thesovereignty of God in the rej ection of the Jewsand the preaching of salvation to the Gentiles

,

would greatly offend his countrymen . He accor d ingly begins this chapter with an acknowledgment of their sincerity as having a zeal ofGod, and before prosecuting the subject ofGod’s sovereignty further, be more particularlyadverts to their unbelief, to which in the preceding chapter he had already alluded. Thisleads him to show the difference between therighteousness of the law and the righteousnessof faith . He next insists on the free invitationsof the Gospel

,which proclaims salvation to all

of every nation who believe and from thistakes occasion to point out the necessity of

preaching it to the Gentiles . The Gentiles,

as he had before proved, were among the children of the promise made to Abraham, and it wasonly by means of the Gospel that they could bebrought to the knowledge of Christ ; throughwhich alone thepromise could be fulfilled to them .

This duty, notwithstanding the objeetions madeto it by the Jews, he therefore urges, and en

ROMANS , x . 1. 547

forces it by referring to the Scriptures, while heanswers the obj ection, that the Gospel had '

not been generally received . In the last place, heproves

,by the testimony of the prophets, that

the rej ection of Israel, and the ingathering of

the Gentiles, had been long before predicted,and concludes the chapter by showing, that theJews had both heard and rej ected the graciousand long-continued invitations to reconciliationwith God . In the whole of this chapter, Paultreats in a practical way what in the precedingone he had chiefly referred to, the sovereignty ofGod , to which he afterwards reverts .We see in this chapter a beautiful example in

Paul of the meekness and gentleness of the Lord‘

Jesus Christ, who prayed for his murderers . TheJews considered Paul as one of their greatestenemies . They had persecuted him from cityto city, had attempted to kill him , and had succeeded in depriving him of his liberty, yet hisaffection for them was not diminished . He prayed for them, he accommodated himself3to theirprejudices as far as his obedience to God permitted , and thus he

'

laboured by all means to

save some . He here assures those to whomhe writes , of his cordial good-will towards Israel,and of his prayers to God that they might be ?

saved .

V. l .—Br ethr en , my hea r t

’

s desir e and p r ayer to God f or

Isr ael is, that they might be saved.

Br ethr en-Those here addressed are the bres

thr en in Christ to whom Paul wrote, and not theJews in general, who were his brethren in theflesh . There is no doubt but by apostrophe hemight address the unbelieving Jews, but thereis nothing like an apostrophe here, nor is thereany need of such a supposition . Whoever wasaddressed, the sentiment would be equally wellunderstood by the unbelieving Jews who shouldread or hear the Epistle.My hea r t

’

s desir e and p r ayer to God .—It is

of great importance to remove prejudices as faras possible, and to show good-will to those whomwe wish to benefit by the publication of divinetruth . We see here the love of a Christian tohis bitterest enemies . Paul was abused, reviled,and persecuted by his countrymen , yet he not

only forgave them, but constantly prayed fortheir conversion . Unbelievers often accuseChristians

,though very falsely, as haters ofman

kind,because they faithfully declare that there is

n o salvation but through faith in Christ .Here we should especially remark, that while

the salvation of his countrymen was the desire

of Paul’s heart, and while he was endeavouringin every way possible to call their attention to

the Gospel,he did not neglect to off er up prayer

for them to God . Other means, as we have 0p

por tunity, should not be left untried ; but thisis at all times in our power, and should be per:


ROMANS,x . 2 .

to the doctrine of grace . We ought not, indeedto treat those as Christian s who do not appearto be such . This would be directly opposed tothe dictates of charity, and would tend to lullthem into a false security. But assuredly nonecan hav e such powerful inducements to exercisepatien ce towards any who rej ect the Gospel, asthey who know who it is that has made them todiffer from others, and that by the grace

“

of Godthey are what they are . These considerationshave a direct tendency to make them humbleand gentle . Those who are elected shall indeedbe finally saved, but this will take place throughthe means which God has appointed . It is on

this ground that Paul says, Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that theymay also obtain the salvation which is in ChristJesus with eternal glory .

”

V. 2 .—For I bea r them r ecor d tha t they have a zea l of God ,

but not a ccor ding to knowledge.

Paul acknowledged that the Jews had a zealof God , and so far he approved of them , andwas on that account the more interested in theirb ehalf . But their zeal and the sincerity oftheir attachment to their system was no excusefor their unbelief. The Apostle had sorrow fortheir condemnation, not hope of their salvationon account of their sincerity and zeal . This isan important lesson to thousands who profess

ROMANS,x . 3 . 551

Christianity. How often it is said that if a manbe sincere in his belief, his cre

'

ed is of no greatimportance. His salvation , it is supposed, is

not endangered by his ignorance or error . How

diff erent on this head is the Apostle Paul fromthose who thus judge Yet his love to mankind cannot be doubted . His love to his coun

tr ymen was quite beyond any thing to which thepersons alluded to can pretend . Yet he bewails

the Jews, as under condemnation, on accountof their ignorance . We see here that men mayattend to religion, and be much occupied on thesubj ect, without being acceptable to God ; andthat sincerity in error is neither a means of salvation nor an excuse for any man . Nothingbut the natural alienation of their minds fromGod prevents those who possess the Scripturesfrom understanding the way of salvation .

V. 3 .—For they being ignor ant of God’

s r ighteousness , and

going about to establish their own r ighteousness , have not submittedthemselves unto the r ighteousness of God .

The ground of the rej ection of the Gospelby the Jews, was their ignoran ce of God

’s righteousness . Had they

'

understood this,they woul d

have ceased to go about to establish their ownrighteousness ; but not understanding that righteousness which God has‘pr ovided in his Son ,they rejected the salvation of the Gospel . MrStuart translates the word, rendered righteous

552 ROMANS,x . s .

ness throughout this passage,by the

’

word j ustifica tion, which is warranted by no authority .

D r Macknight, who , like Mr Stuart, denies theimputation of Christ’s righteousness, says, thatthe righteousness here spoken of is the righteousness which God appointed at the fall, asthe righteousness of sinners,

’ which he explainselsewhere to mean faith ; saying, that God hathdeclared that he will accept and reward it asrighteousness . ’ Dr Campbell, of Aberdeen,as has been formerly noticed, explains the righteousness here spoken of as that purer scheme ofmorality which was truly of God ,

’ opposed tothe system of morality or righteousness fabricated by the Jews .’ In this manner do thesewriters (see vol . i . 270—4 , 2d ed .)make void,though each in a diff erent way, all that is saidthroughout this Epistle and elsewhere in theScriptures, on that most important expression,the righteousness of God,

” through the revelation of which the Apostle declares that theGospel is the p ower of God unto Sa lvation,

”

Rom. i . 17 .

The r ighteousness of God — That perfect fulfilment of the law by Jesus Christ, by which menare saved, is received by faith ; and he who doesnot submit to

'

this righteousness,and humbly

receive it, but supposes that he can do something to give him a right to obtain or to mer it


554 ROMANS, x . 4 .

who are in him . Thus it is, that Christ is theend of the law for righteousness to every one

that believeth . By him is accomplished for allsuch the whole purpose of the law . Christredeems his people from its curse, and procuresfor them the blessing of life which, under therighteous government of God, he confers on allhis creatures who are conformed to his holy law.

The fallen angels possessed this life while theyobeyed it, and Adam,

while he continued in hisintegrity ; but this was not the ful l end of thelaw, for they apostatized . In them, therefore, thelaw fell short of attaining its end . But the righteousness imputed to those who believe in Christis everlasting righteousness, Dan iel, ix . 24

,

and therefore to them belongs eternal life .Their life is comprised in his life, and he isthat eternal life ; and when he who is theirlife shall appear, they shall appear with him inglory .

” Accordingly,Jesus says, I am come

that they might have life,and that they might

have it more abundantly .

”

I have finished ,” said our blessed Lord in

his intercessory prayer to his Father, the workwhich thou gavest me to do and on the cross,j ust before he expired, he said, it is finished .

In each of these passages the word renderedfinished is the same as that which is here translated end , signifying accomplished, consum

R OMANS,x. 4 . 555

mated, or perfected. In the Epistle to theHebrews, vi . 1, the original word is renderedperfection .

” The Apostle there says, Letus go on to perfection ” —to the end or finishing,meaning the consummation or completion of allthat the law required, which he shows was foundin the sacrifice and work of Jesus Christ . This

p erfection— this end was not attained by theLevitical Priesthood, for if p erf ection wereby the Levitical Priesthood, what further needwas there that another priest should rise Heb .

vii . l l . Nor was it attained by the legal dis

pegsation , which made nothingp erfect, v . 19,

brought nothing to its end or consummation .

This was found only in Christ, “ for by one

off ering he hath p erf ected for ever (still the sameword in the original , in al l these places) themthat are sanctified,

” Heb. x . 14 .

To prove that Christ was the p erf ection or

the end of the law, is the great Object of theEpistle to the Hebrews, which furnishes a com

plete commentary on the passage before us . Itopens with declaring Jesus Christ to be the Son

qf God . To proveand to establish this grandtruth, as the foundation of all that the Apostlewas afterwards to advance

,was essential to his

purpose . For by no one in the whole universe ,excepting him who is eternal , could the eternalor everlasting righteousness predicted by Daniel,

556 ROMANS, x . 4 .

which is the perfection or end of the law,

have been brought in . It was, then, this important truth that Christ is the end of the lawfor righteousness to every one that believeth

,

which Paul labours in that Epistle to impresson the minds of the Jewish converts, in orderto confirm their faith . And it was the ignoranceof this same important truth in the great bodyof the nation , which in the chapter before us helaments .The unbelieving Jews vainly went about to

establish their own righteousness by their obed ience to the law, instead of Viewing it as aschoolmaster to lead them unto , or until Christ,by whom alone it could be, and was fulfilled,Matth . V. 18 . This verifies what the Apostlesays, 2 Cor . iii . 13

,that the children of

Israel could not look steadfastly to the end”

(the same word as in the verse before us) of

that which is abolished.

” Christ, then, as isdeclared in this verse

,is the end of the law f or

r ighteousness to ever y one tha t believeth. Forthe moment that a man believes in him, the endof the law is attained in that man ; that is, it isfulfilled in him, and he is in possession of therighteousness which the law requires, and consequently he ha th eter na l life— John vi . 54 , towhich the law was ordained, Rom. vii . 10.

Christ, then, by his obed ience has fulfilled the


558 ROMANS, x . 4 .

which unites the soul to Christ, and which r e

ceives this righteousness, are proved to possessit, shall then be pronounced “ righteous,

” Matt .xxv. 3 7 , 46 . This righteousness is imputedto every one that believeth , and to such only .

This makes it clear that Jesus Christ has notfulfilled the

'

law for mankind in general,but for

those in particular who should believe in his name,

John, xvii . 9, 20. His atonement and in ter cession are of the same extent, and are presentedfor the same individuals . I pray not for theworld, but for them which thou hast given me .

”

Mr Stuart, in his explanation of this fourthverse, introduces the following quotation fromFlatt Christ is the 'r éAog vo

'

pcou (end of thelaw) in respect to dina zomfvn (righteousness), hehas brought it about, that we should not bejudged after the strictness of the law . He has

"

removed the sentence of condemnation, fromall those who receive the Gospel .’ To this Mr

Stuart adds Well and truly .

’ That the sentence of condemnation is removed from all whoreceive the Gospel , although in a very differentway from what Mr S tuart supposes, is most certain . But no sentiment can be more unscripturalthan that we shall not be j udged after the strictness of the law . For what saith the ScriptureHe hath appointed a day m which he will

judge the world in righteousness .” In that .

ROMANS,x . 5 . 9

day, instead of men not being judged af ter thestr ictness of the law, j udgment will be laid to theline

,and righteousness to the plummet, and all

those in whom the righteousness of the law hasnot been fulfilled in all its demands, withoutwanting one jot or tittle, will be found underits curse ; and that awful sentence will be pr onounced upon them, Depart from me

,ye

cursed . The j udgment, in accordance withevery representation of it contained in Scripture, and with the whole plan of salvation, willbe conducted in all respects both as to thosewho shall be saved, and those who shall be condemned , after the strictness of both law andjustice . Under the righteous government ofGod, never was one sin committed which willnot be punished either in the person of him whocommitted it, or in that of the Divine Surety of

the new covenant.V. 5 .—For Moses descr ibeth the r ighteousness which is of the

law, Tha t the man which doeth those things sha ll live by them.

This illustrates what the Apostle had justbefore said

,that Christ, and Christ alone, has

fulfilled the demandsof the law, and thereforeit is vain for any one to seek to obtain life bypersonal obedience to its commandments . Tolive by the law, requires that the law be perfectlyobeyed. But this to fallen man is impossible .The law knows no mercy ; it knows no mitiga

ROMANS , x . 6 . 7 , 8 .

tion , it overlooks not even the smallest breach,or the smallest deficiency . One guilty thoughtwould condemn for ever . Whoever then looksfor life by the law, must keep the whole law inthought, word, and deed , and not be chargeablewith the smallest transgression .

V. 6 .—But the r ighteousness which is of f a ith sp eaketh on

this wise, Say not in thine hea r t,Who sha ll a scend into heaven( tha t is , to br ing Chr ist down fr om above

V. 7 . Or , Who sha ll descend in to the deep (tha t is , tobr ing up Chr ist aga in f r om the dead.)V. 8 .—But wha t sa ith it 3? The wor d is n igh thee, even in

thy mouth and in thy hea r t tha t is, the wor d of f a ith which we'

p r each

We should rather expect contrast than coincidence between the law given by Moses andthe gospel of Christ . Can there be any illustr ation of the receiving of righteousness by faith,which is here the Apostle’s subject, and theprecepts that were given to the Israelites as ashadow of the gospel ? Doubtless, with al l thediff erence between the law and the gospel, theremust be a point of view in which they are coincident, for in such a view it is that the Apostlemakes his quotation . Paul alleges the passageto which he refers, Deut. xxx . 11, 14 , as Speaking the language of the righteousness of faith .

But the r ighteousness which is of f aith sp eaketh on

into heaven This language, as used by Moses,


HUM AN S, x . o, 7 , s .

eff orts of our own in seeking salvation, andlabouring to keep the law of God, but by thebelief of that word which was published at Jcr usalem announcing salvation to the guiltiestof mankind .

The gospel is contained in figure in every partof the law . The very manner of giving the lawwas a shadow of the gospel , and typified salvation through a great Mediator. And thoughthe New Testament often distinguishes and evencontrasts the demands of the law with the voiceof mercy speaking ln the gospel, yet here thegospel speaks through the law The referenceto what Moses observed with respect to the precopts which he delivered from God to the peopleof Israel, instead of finding an opposition to theplan of salvation through Christ, finds an illustration that divine wisdom had prepared to shadowit in the mission of the Mediator under the law .

Wonderful is the wisdom of God manifestedin the harmony of the Old and New Testaments .

I’hey who do not understand it, have labouredto show a coincidencemerely by accommodation .

But the Spirit of God every where explains thelanguage of the Old Testament as in its designappointed by God to be a shadow of the thingsof Christ’s kingdom .

While the language of the law is, Do andLive, that righteousness which it demands, and

ROMANS,x . 6 , 7 , s . 563

which man is unable to perform, is, according tothe gospel, gratuitously communicated throughfaith . This righteousness is in Christ, and heis not at a distance, so that we must scale theheavens, or descend below the earth,— in oneword, attempt what is impracticable, to come tohim , and derive from him this benefit . He andhis righteousness are brought near unto us, aswas long before predicted . Hearken unto me,

ye stout-hearted, that are far from r ighteousnessI bring near my righteousness ; it shall not befar off , and my salvation shall not tarry .

Is . xlvi . 12 . All men,till enlightened by the

Spirit of God, seek salvation by doing something of which they imagine God will approve .If it is not complete

,his mercy, they suppose,

will incline him to take it for value ; but without something of his own to present to God, man

in his natural state never thinks of approachinghim . Nothing can be more self-evidently falsethan that man can merit from God . Yet, notwith

standing the folly of this supposition , it is onlythe energy of the Spirit through the truth of

the Gospel that will convince him of the fallacy .

Even the very Gospel of the grace of God isseen through this false medium ; and while menexclaim grace, grace, they continue to introducea species of merit by putting Christ at a distance, and making access to him a matter of

ROMANS,x . 9 .

time and difficulty . How diff erent is the Gospelas here exhibited by Paul"We must not attempt to do any thing tomerit

Christ, however little, or to bring any thing likean equivalent in our hand . The language of

Scripture is, Ho, every one that thirsteth,come ye to the waters, and he that hath nomoney ; come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, buywine and milk without money, and withoutprice .

” He hath filled the hungry with goodthings, and the rich — they who are worthy intheir own esteem, who bring something of theirown he hath sent empty away Saynot,

” observes Archbishop Leighton , unless Ifind some measure of sanctification , what righthave I to apply him (Christ) as my righteousness ? This inverts the order, and pr ejudges theeof both . Thou must first, without finding, yea,or seeking any thing in thyself, but misery andguiltiness, lay hold on him as thy righteousness ;or else thou shalt never find sanctification byany other endeavour or pursuit .”

V. 9 .—Tha t if thou sha lt conf ess with thy mouth the Lor d

Jesus, a nd sha lt believe in thine hea r t tha t God ha th r a ised himf r om the dead, thou sha lt be saved.

Tha t if thou sha lt confess with thy mouth..

The confession of Christ is salvation . But thatconfession which is salvation, is a confessionwhich implies that the truth confessed with the


566 h oMANS, x . 10.

He speaks of every one, so that every one mayearly search himself, for to every one believingand confessing, salvation is promised ; thus teaching each one to apply the promise of salvationto himself by faith and confession . Thus theApostle shows that every believer has as muchcertain assurance of his salvation as he certainlyconfesses Christ with his mouth , and as hebelieves in his heart, that the Lord Jesus wasraised from the dead . Our assurance of salvationcorresponds with the measure of our faith; andthe boldness of our confession of Christ .V. 10.—For with the hea r t man believeth unto r ighteousness

an d with the mouth conf ession is made unto sa lva tion .

Believeth unto r ighteousness . That is, unto ther eceiving of righteou sness namely, the r ighte

ousness of Christ . This righteousness is calledthe righteousness of faith ,

” Rom. iv . 13

not that it is in the faith, but it is so called asbeing received by faith , as it is said, Rom . iii . 21,the righteousn ess which is by faith,

” andPhil. iii . 9 , the righteousness which is of God

by faith . Faith , then , is only the appointedmedium , or bondofour unionwithChrist, throughwhich we receive this righteousness, and not therighteousness itself. Faith ,

” says theWestmin

ster Confession , “ justifies a sinner in the sightof God, not because

’

of those other graces whichdo always accompany it, or ofgood works that arethe fr uits of it ; nor as if the grace of faith, or any

ROMANS, x . 10. 567

act thereof, were imputed to him for his justificaJ

tion ; but only as it is an instrument, by whichhe receiveth and applieth Christ

’s righteousness .The expression, faith is counted to him for

righteousness,” Rom . iv . 4 , is often supposed to

mean, is counted to him instead of righteousness ;but, as has been remarked on that text, vol . i.,the literal rendering is not for righteousness, butunto righteousness, in conformity with the pr o-3

per translation as in the verse before us.The faith of the Gospel is not a speculation,

i t is not such a knowledge of religion as maybe acquired like human science . This mayoften have the appearance of true faith ; but itis not the substance of things

,hoped for, the

evidence of things not seen . Many thingsconnected with the Gospel may be believed bythe natural man

,and each of the doctrines taken

separately may be in some way received by him ,

as notions of lights and colours are received bythe blind . But the Gospel is never understoodand believed

,except by those who, according

to the promise , are taught of the Lord ,Isaiah , liv . 13 who, therefore, know the Fatherand him whom he hath sent, which is eternallife .—John, xvii . 3 . In the parable of thesower , where only the fourth description of persons are represented as having truly and abiding

ly received the‘word

,they are characterised as

ROMANS,x . 10.

under stand ing it, and they only bear fruit. The

natural man receiveth not the things of theSpirit of God, for they are foolishness untohim ; neither can he know them,

because theyare spiritually discerned .

” —1 Cor . ii . 14 . Itis impossible that a man can believe that to bethe word of God which he regards as foolishness . No man can say ” (understanding andbelieving what he says) that Jesus is theLord, but by the Holy Ghost .

”— l Cor . xii . 3.

When Peter answered and said, Thou art theChrist, the Son of the living God ;

” Blessed,

” said Jesus , art thou, Simon Bar-j ona ;for flesh and blood hath not revealed it untothee , but my Father which is in heaven .

”

Matt . xvi . 17 .

Justifying faith is the belief of the testimonyof Christ, and trust in him who is the subj ectof that testimony . It is believing with the hear t .Concerning those who received a good reportthrough faith , it is declared that they saw or

understood the promises ; they were persuadedof their truth, and they embraced them,

takingthem home personally, and r esting upon them .

On the passage before "us, :Calvin remarks,

The seat of faith , it deser ves to be observed,is not in the brain, but the heart ; not that Iwish

‘to enter into any dispute concern ing the

part of the body which is the seat of faith,


ROMANS,x . 11.

is manifested by the confession of his name inthe midst of enemies

, or in the face of danger .V. 11.

—For the Scr ip tur e sa ith, Whosoever believeth on him

sha ll not be a shamed.

For the Scr ip tur e sa ith—Here Paul showsthat the Scriptures of the Prophets taught thesame doctrine that he was teaching. This hedid not need to do, in order to add authority tohis own doctrine, for he was equally inspiredwith the Prophets ; but in order to show thatthe Jews who denied that the Gentiles were tobe fellow heirs with them, were wrong, even on

their own principles . Whosoever believeth on him.

-This language of the Prophet extended mercyto the Gentiles, if they believed . Sha ll not be

ashamed — That is, their faith will not be disappointed. Almost all men have some hopewith respect to the bar of God . But many havehOpes founded on falsehood . There is a vastvariety in the Opinions of men with respect tothe ground of hope ; and, besides the commonground, namely, a mixture of mercy and merit,every unbeliever has something peculiar tohimself

,which he deems an alleviation of guilt

,

or singularly meritorious. But in the great dayall shall be ashamed of their hope, except those .

who have believed in Christ for salvation . Be

liever s alone shall not be ashamed before himat his coming .

ROMANS , x . 12 . 571

V. 12 .—For there is no d ifl'

er ence between the Jew a nd the

Gr eek f or the same Lor d over a ll is r ich un to a ll that call up on

h im.

For ther e is no d if'

er ence.— So far from the

Gentiles being excluded from mercy altogether,

there is not, in this respect, the smal lest diff erence between them and the Jews . Is r ich— Thatis, rich to bestow on both Jews and Gentiles allthey need . Calvin is not to be praised in explaining the word rich here, as meaning kindand beneficen t This would sanction any abuseof words that the wildest imagination could invent . Nor is there any need of such an ex pe

dient . The meaning is quite obvious . Unto

a ll tha t ca ll up on him.— God is able to supply

the wants of all that call upon him, and he willsupply them . All of them receive out of thefulness of Jesus Christ . Here it is importedthat to call on the name of the Lord is to be abeliever . Let it then be understood, that to callon the Lord implies to call on him in faith as heis revealed in the Gospel . There must be theknowledge of God as a just God , and a Saviour,before any one can call on him . To call on theLord 111 this sense, amounts to the same thingas to believe in Christ for salvation, and it implies that “ every believer is one who calls on

God . If any man professes to be a believer, and

ROMANS,x . 13 .

does not habitually call on God, he is not whathe pretends.

V. 13 .—For whosoever sha ll call upon the name of the Lor dshall be saved.

The context in Joel,’ says Calvin, will

fully satisfy us, that his prediction applies tothis passage of Paul .’ But why should we needany thing to convince us of this, but the authority of the Apostle himself? It is a most pernicious method of interpreting the applicationsof the Old Testament in the New, to make ourperception of their justness the ground of ao

knowledging the Apostle’s conclusion . It maybe proper to show how far or how clearly thewords of the prophecy establish the particularreference made by the Apostle . But, whetherwe can explain the application or not, the inter pr etation of the Apostle is as infallible as theprophecy itself. If one will undertake to vindicate the justness of the Apostle’s conclusion,another may be inclined to question it, and toallege that the prophecy has not the meaningassigned to it by the Apostle.Here, as . in other places of Scripture

,the

name of the Lord signifies the Lord himself.By cal ling on the name of the Lord, all the partsof religious worship which we render to God

are intended . It denotes a full and entire com


574 ROMANS, x . 13.

called upon the Lord in the Scriptu r e sense ofthis phrase, without being saved . It is here asexpressly said, whosoever shall call upon thename of the Lord shall be saved, as it is, Whoever believeth shall be saved .

” It appears thatPaul, when here he speaks of calling uponthe Lord, refers to the Lord Jesus Christ,whom he had named in the 9th verse . In thesame way he addresses the Church at Corinth,With all that in every place call upon the

name of Jesus Christ our Lord .

”

In thus calling upon the Lord, a believerwalks with God, as Enoch did . It is not onlythat he prays to God at stated seasons ; his lifeis a life of prayer. He prays to God everywhere,

” and always .” He remembers thatJesus hath said, Henceforth I call you not servants ; but I have called you friends . He servesGod, therefore, in newness of spirit, and goesto him on all occasions as his covenant God, hisFather, and his friend, to whom he pours outhis heart, makes known all his wants and desires, and consults him on every occasion in matters great and small . From this holy and constant communion he is not at any time or inany circumstances precluded . In Nehemiah wehave beautiful and encouraging examples, bothof stated prayer, and of ejaculatory prayer inunforeseen circumstances, ch . ii . 4 in short, of

ROMANS,x . 14 . 575

a continual appeal to God, ch . xiii . 29 Paulcommands us to pray without ceasing. To

the exercise of this duty, so frequently enforcedby the Lord in his last discourse to his disciples,believers have the highest encour agement .Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my

name, he will give it you .

” If ye abide in me,and my words abide in you, ye shall ask whatye will, and it shall be done unto you . Wesee, in the sequel, the effect of David

’s shortprayer, O Lord, I pray thee turn the counselof Ahithophel into foolishness Although theLord shows himself at all times so ready to an

swer the p rayers of his people, yet in the trans‘

action with the Gibeon ites, Joshua and theelders of Israel asked not counsel at the mouthof the Lord,

” and what was the consequence ?We are ready to be astonished at their conductin this instance, yet how Often is similar negli~

gence or unbelief exemplified in the life of everyChr istian ; even after he has received, in innumer able instances, gracious answers to his pet itions, so Often reproving his little faith when hepresented -them ; and after he has experiencedso many distressing proofs of the evil of beingleft to his own counsels when he has neglectedthis duty-Joshua ix . 14 .

V. 14 .—How then sha ll they ca ll on him in whom they have

not believed 9 a nd how sha lt they believe in him of whom they have

not hea r d 5? and how sha ll they hear without a p r ea cher 9

ROMANS,x . 14 .

This and the following verse are not the oh

j ections of a Jew, as alleged by Dr Macknight .It is all the language of the Apostle in his owncharacter . He had said in the preceding verse ,that whosoever shall call upon the name of theLord shall be saved . From this he urges thenecessity of preaching the Gospel to all men ;for when it is said that whosoever calls on himshall be saved, it is implied that none shall besaved who do not call upon him. What then isthe consequence that should be drawn from this ?

Is it not that the Gospel should with all speed bepublished over the whole world ? If the Gentilesare to be partakers of div ine mercy, it is by seeking it from Jesus Christ, who has died thatmercy might be extended to Jew and Gentile .

It is not by the Holy Ghost speaking to theheart of the Gentiles, without the instrumentality of the word, that they are to be convertedand saved . They must hear the word and callon the Lord . Whoever is saved by Jesus Christmust call upon him .

How then sha ll they ca ll on him in whom they

have not believed — If it be necessary to call onChrist, how can the Gentiles call on him whenthey do not believe in him And how shall they

believe in him of whom they have not hear d

This is impossible . In this state were the Gentile nations before the Gospel reached them .


preachers must be sent to them. Notwithstand

ing, then, the violent Opposition made to it bythe Jews, the necessity was manifest for theApostles, according to their divine commission,to go forth to preach the Gospel to everycreature . The accordance of this

’with theOld Testament Scriptures, Paul had been showing, and he now supports it by further quotation .

As it is wr itten , ga—This prophecy, Is . 111. 7 ,which may literally respect good news of deliver ance to the Jews from temporal j udgments,typically refers , as the Apostle

’s application of

it here shows, to the messengers of mercy sentforth under the Gospel . In the beginning ofthat , chapter

,Sion , or Jerusalem, is called to

arise from her degraded condition , for the Lordhas prepared for her deliveran ce . Then followthe words here quoted. The tidings to be toldhere are subj oined . Thy God reigneth . Thatthe Gentiles also should partake in the blessingsof his reign is immediately intimated . TheLord hath made bare his holy a rm in the eyesof all the nations ; and all the ends of the earthshall see the salvation (if our God .

” Thus,beginning at Jerusalem, those commissioned bythe Lo r d were to preach salvation in his nameamong all nations . In the conclusion of thechapter, the blessed effects under the reign of

ROMANS , x . 16 . 5 79

the Messiah are declared . So shall he sprinklemany nations the kings shall shut theif ‘inouthsat him ; for that which had not been told them,

shall they see, and that which they had notheard shall they consider .” This quotationthen made by the Apostle was calculated to produce the strongest conviction of the truth bewas establishing, namely, the duty of preachingthe Gospel to the Gentiles .

V. 16 .—B ut they have not a ll obeyed the Gosp el. For Esa ia s

sa ith, Lor d, who ha th believed ou r r ep or t

It is here admitted by Paul, that though theGospel was to be preached both to Jews andGentiles, with the assurance that whosoever believeth shall be saved yet, as a matter of fact,all who heard did not believe it . This mightseem unaccountable ; or it might even appear tobe an argument against the Gospel, that notwithstanding all the blessings with which it wassaid to be fraught to those who should receiveit, it was still rej ected by many to whom it waspreached . But this should not seem strange toany acquainted with prophecy : it is the verytestimony of Isaiah . Instead

,then, of being

an objection to the Gospel,that it was not

received by the bulk of those who heard it, itwas the very thing that the Scriptures predicted .

The prophecy of Isaiah,liii . l , is applied to this

fact, in which a plain intimation is given of the

580 ROMANS,x . 17 .

small number who should receive the Gospelwhen first preached . If, then, the Jews objectedto the preaching of the Gospel from this fact,they must Object to the prophet Isaiah on thesame ground .

V. 17 .—So then f aith cometh by hear ing, and hea r ing by the

wor d of God .

According, then , to this complaint of the Prophet, it is evident that faith comes by hearing,which the Apostle is asserting ; and this is theconsequence that may be deduced fr om it. Theword in the preceding verse, quoted from Isaiah,and rendered report

,

” is the same which inthis verse is rendered hearing . Faith , then ,never comes but by hearing, that is, from theword of God The Apostles communicatedtheir testimony by the living voice, and by theirwritings . Both are comprehended in what iscalled hearing . All this showed the necessityof preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, on

which Paul had been insisting, according towhich there is no such thing as saving faithamong heathens who have not heard of Christ .Hea r ing by the wor d of God —This makes thelast observation still stronger . This hearingcannot extend to Dr Macknight

’

s scheme ofsalvation to the heathens, who supposes thatthey may have faith without the knowledge of

the Gospel ; for, consistently with this passage,


ROMANS . X . i 8 .

preaches to all nations , and informs them of

the glorious character of God, as manifestedin the incarnation and death of his Son , JesusChrist .Dr Macknight supposes the question here

asked , have they not heard to be answeredby the preaching of , the works of creation , ac

cording to the words of the Psalm in their literalmean ing . This is contrary to the whole trainof the Apostle ’s reasoning, who is speaking of

the preaching of the Gospel . Even Calvinmakes the preaching spoken of in that Psalm torefer to the “ silent works of God” in ancienttimes , and not in any sense to the preaching of

the Apostles . But it is evident that the Apostleis not referring to the former, but to the presentstate of the Gentile nations . The wor ds of thePsalmist are thus spiritually, as they alwayshave been literally

,fulfilled in the preaching of

the silent works of God . The description inthe 19 th Psalm of the sun in the firmamen t has,as above noticed

,a strict literal and primary

meaning, but it is also typical of him who iscalled the sun of righteousness, who by his wordis the spiritual light of the world . Paul , therefore, quotes this description in the last sense,thus taking the spiritual meaning which wasultimately intended . This suits his object,while he drops the literal, although also a just

ROMANS,x . 19 . 583

and acknowledged sense . It is not then as setting aside the literal application of such passages

,that the Apostles quote them in their

spiritual import, nor in the way of accommodation, as is so Often asserted to the great dis

par agemen t bo th of the Apostles and the Scriptures , but as their ultimate and most extensivesignification .

V. 19 .— But I say , D id not Isr a el know5? Fir st Moses sa ith,

I will p r ovoke you to j ea lousy by them tha t a r e no p eop le, and by

a f oolish na tion I wil l a nger you .

D id not Isr ael know, that the Jews were to becut off as a nation , and the Gen tiles called intothe divine favour ? That this was communicated in their Scriptures is most clear.

”

In thequotation here adduced , Deut . x x xu . 21, thisevent was foretold by Moses

,who commences

that prediction in a way that marks the importance of what he was about to say : Give ear,O ye heavens, and I will speak ; and hear, Oearth , the words of my mon th .

” In verse 5 th,he declares the ingratitude and unbelief of Israel . They have cor rupted themselves ; theirspot is not the spot of his children they are aperverse and crooked generation .

” He continues this complaint to the 20th verse, when hepronoun ces the decree of God of their rej ection.

I will hide my face from them, I will see whattheir end shall be ; for they are a very forward

ROMANS,x . 19 .

generation, children in whom is no faith . Andthen immediately he adds the words from whichthe verse before us is taken . In these wordsthe calling of the Gentiles is clearly predicted .

The Gentiles are marked by these expressions .1st, I will move them to j ealousy with thosewhich are not a people, I will provoke them toanger with a foolish nation .

”2d , Their calling

is pointed out by the provocation to j ealousy,with which God threatens the Jews, which intimates that he will bestow his love and his covenant on those who were formerly foolish , andwill withdraw them from Israel . 3d , This samecalling is marked by the comparison drawn between that provocation to j ealousy with whichhe threatens Israel

, w1th that with which theIsraelites have provoked him. They havemoved me to j ealousy that is, as they hadgiven their love and their heart to others besides God , in the same way God would give hislove and his heart to others beside them. Thisprediction, then, could only find its accomplishment in the conversion of the Gentiles by theGospel of Jesus Christ . The word “ nation ”

is here a figurative expression in reference toGod’s dealings with Israel . The Gentiles arecalled as individuals . The righteous nation,Is . xxvi . 2

,is composed of believers .


nonr m s, x . 20, 2 1.

in the chapter before us their rejection is shownto have been the immediate effect of their ownunbelief. No truth is more manifest in everypart of the Old Testament Scriptures than thatcontained in the declaration just quoted from ,

Isa . lxv . 2 . All day long I have stretched forthmy hands unto a d isobedient and gainsayingpeople.” What outward means did not Godemploy to induce the Israelites to love and honour him, and to lead them to submission to hisauthori ty" I have hewed them by the pro

phets ; I hav e slain them by the words of my

mouth .—Hosea, vi . 5 . I earnestly protested

unto your fathers in the day that I brought themup out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day,rising early and protesting, saying, Obey myvoice .

’ -Jer . xi . 7 . And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah , judge, Ipray you , betwixt me and my vineyard . Whatcould hav e been done more to my vineyard thatI have not done in it wherefore, when I lookedthat it should bring forth grapes, brought itforth wild grapes -Isaiah , v . 3 . Here , then,is the stretching forth of the hands of God tothat people all the day long ; that is , during thewhole period of their d ispensation , and here thecomplaint is verified of their continuing, notwithstanding, disobedient and gainsaying. Thefault

,then

,was their own , and the awful sentence

ROMANS,x . 20, 2 1. 587

that followed, Isaiah, v . 5 , 6 , was merited andj ust .In this we see what is the result, when God

employ s only outward means to lead men to obedienes , and does not accompany them with theinfluence of his efficacious grace . Without thisthe Apostle shows in the preceding chapter thatthe whole nation of Israel , without exception,would have been as Sodom and Gomorrah .

Here, then , is the cond ition to which many intheir wisdom would reduce all mankind , if theycould establish their unscriptural

i

doctrines inopposition to the divine election and efficaciousgrace . They are displeased at the idea that allthe heathen nations were left to themselves,while so much favour was shown to Israel ; yetwe see in the case of Israel, in whom so full adisplay is made of the character of man , whatwould have been the result as to the other nations

of a similar d ispensation of outward means . Butaccording to the system of such cavillers at theclear doctrine of the Scriptures, there still r emains something good in man which may leadhim, without a change of heart, to embrace theglad tidings of salvation . They also affirm thatman has power to resist and make void the internal operation of grace .In support of this last opinion many refer to

such texts as that in Genesis, vi . 3 , where God

588 ROMANS,x . 20, 2 1.

says My spirit shall not always strive withman ; and to the words of Stephen , when hecharges the Jews as stiff-necked and uncir cumcised in heart and ears, who, as their fathers did,always resisted the Holy Ghost, Acts, vii . 51.

But the answer is easy when we attend to thedifferent aspects in which the grace of God ispresented in Scripture . Besides its existencein the mind of God, it is Spoken of either in itsmanifesta tion in his word , or in its oper a tion inthe heart. In its manifestation it may

,and

unless accompanied by its internal operation,always will be resisted . To such resistance theabove passages refer, and give their attestationand for the truth of this we can appeal not onlyto the example of the nation of Israel, but alsoto what we see passing before us every day .

Multitudes, in the enj oyment of the full lightof the revelation of grace

,continual ly discover

their resistance to its manifestation in the word .

But not so with respect to grace,in its internal

operation in the heart . This cannot be effec

tually resisted . On the contrary, so far as itproceeds, it takes away all inclination to resist,creating a new heart, and

’

making those who arethe subj ects of it willing in the day Of God’spower ; Psalm, ex . 3 . Here, then , there mustbe an election by God of those who shall thusbe favoured, without which not one individual


ROMANs, x .

The love demanded from the creature is primarily for God his Creator, the great object oflove . The second part of the summary of thelaw, far from opposing, coincides with and flowsfrom the first, commanding us to love our neighbour as the creature of God . The love it thusrequires of us is measured by that we bear toourselves ; and consequently teaches that selflove is not to be condemned, unless it be ex cessive or exclusive . It is p roper and necessaryas a part of the law Of our creation, which imposes on us the duty of attending to and providingfor our own wants .This law must necessarily be the law of the

whole intelligent creation . According to itsholiness

,j ustice , and goodness, nothing mor e

and nothing less can be required of any creature . The law of the Lord is perfect .” Innothing is it deficient ; in nothing does it exceed . It requires perfect Obedience , which isessential to the nature of every law for no lawcan dispense with the smallest part of the obedience it demands . Any work of super er oga

tion, then, is impossible . No creature in theuniverse can do more than love God with allhis heart and strength .

This law is enforced by sanctions . These areindispensable in order to carry it into execution,and to maintain the dignity of the Lawgiver.

ROMANS , x . 591

Both the reward of Obedience and the punishment of transgression proceed from the char acterof God . God loves himself and his creatures .He islove for himself above all , being the supreme obj ect of love, and infinitely worthy of

being loved . He is also love for his creatures,

as appears by the original situation in which allof them were placed . The Angels at their creation were the inhabitants of heaven

,where God

manifests his glory . When man was created,the world was provided for him, and adapted tohis nature ; he enj oyed communion with God ,

and every thing around him was pronounced tobe very good .

”

From their happy original situation , a partof the Angels and all mankind have fallen bydisobedience . They broke the perfect bond oflove

,and consequently the unhappiness which

proceeds from their rebellion against God canonly be attributed to themselves . God , who isinfinite in every perfection, who is of purer eyesthan to behold iniquity, must necessarily punishsin ; for sin is the violation Of the law of love .It separates the creature from God, who is thesource of happiness ; it is rebellion against hisjust government ; and its tendency is to pr oduce universal confusion and misery. The love,there for himself and for all that isgood hich places him in infinite

5 ROMANS , x .

opposition to sin ; his regard for the honour of

his law ; and his justice, which requires the giving to all what is due ; demand that sin shouldbe punished .

The evil of violating the law of God may beestimated by the punishment inflicted on thehuman race on account of one transgression .

That one transgression caused the entrance ofdeath , spiritual, temporal, and eternal ; but bythe goodness of God men were immediatelyplaced under a dispensation of mercy . Humangovernments, being imperfect, dispense withjustice when they extend pardon to a criminal ;but this cannot be so with God , who, when heshows mercy

, does so consistently with justice.He remains faithful ; he cannot deny himself.He proclaims himself to be a just God, anda Saviour.” In the plan , then, of mercy andsalvation, the law is maintained in all its authority, and with all its sanctions . Sin is punishedwhile sinners are saved .

The authority, the maj esty, and the sover eign ty of God are evid ently interested in carr ying into effect his threatenings and denunciations of punishment. If human laws were notexecuted it would introduce confusion and disorder into families and states ; but if the law ofGod were left unexecuted, there would be absolute confusion and disorder throughout the


H UM A N S , x .

proclaiming himself to them as the Lord Godmerciful and gracious

,together with all the ex

hortations to repent, and have recourse to hisFatherly goodness . It likewise included allthose prophecies which foretold the Messiah

,

and required men to believe and place in himtheir confidence .

Although this manifestation of grace and ofmercy did not properly belong to the legal

,but

to the evangelical covenant, yet as it was connected under the same ministry with the moral,the ceremonial, and the judicial laws, the Scripture includes the whole under the term law ;

the denomination of the ministry being takenfrom the part that predominated . The reasonwhy this revelation of the Gospel was joinedwith the law is obvious . God purposed to savemany among the Israelites,

’

and to conductthem, as his elect and true children, to life andsalvation . But this could not be eff ected bythe legal

'

covenan t alone ; for the law madenothing perfect it was weak through the flesh ,and could not justify . It was necessary, then ,to connect with it a measure of the dispensationof the Spirit ; and without this the state of theIsraelites would have been worse than that ofthe other nations .The economy of Moses was not, however, to

be permanent . The object of the ceremonial

ROMANS , x . 595

law was accomplished, when that carn_e _which

is called, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, vi . 1,perfection

,which was the grand consumma

tion of al l the typical ordinances by the sacrificeof Christ . From that period its use was superseded , and itself abolished . On the destructionof Jerusalem and the temple, where alone thesacrifices could be Off ered, and on the expulsionof the Jews from their own land, the Observanceboth of the ceremonial and judicial laws becameimpossible. The whole Mosaic economy, whichhad been glorious in itself, was done away, andceased to have any glory by reason of the glorythat excelleth .

The moral law, however, could never besuperseded . Although it formed a part of theMosaic economy, to that economy it did not

exclusively belong . Under the moral law, as acovenant, man at the beginning had been placed,and under it as broken, and pronouncing itscurse, all unbelievers remain as one with thefirst man . But from this covenant, they whoare united to him, bywhom it has been fulfilled,are for ever freed . According to the energeticlanguage of the Apostle, in the seventh chapterof this Epistle

,they are dead to the law .

”

While dead to it,however

,as a covenant, either

to its blessmg or its curse— justification by it orcondemnation— it remains their rule of duty,

596 ROMANS , x .

and must for ever continue in force . And thatits authority should continue, while the otherparts of that first covenant were done away, asit had existed before that covenant was made,was clearly indicated at its first promulgationfrom Mount Sinai . On that occasion it wasstrikingly distinguished from the other parts ofthe law . These were delivered to Moses

,and

by him to the people . But the moral law waspromulgated by the voice of God, and it is saidhe added no more and while the other lawswere written in a book by Moses, this law of

everlasting obligation was written on tables ofstone, by the finger of God, and it alone wasdeposited in the Ark . There was nothing inthe Ark save the two tables of stone .” -1Kings ,viii . 9 . There , as inscribed on these tables , thelaw was placed under the mercy-seat, which wasan eminent type of him by whom it was to befulfilled . To minister and prepare the way forhis appearance was the great object in view, inthe calling of Abraham

,in the setting apart his

descendants as a people from among whom hewas to spring, and of the public proclamation ofthis law which has been transgressed .

In the third chapter of the second Epistle tothe Corinthians

,a contrast is drawn between

the ministration of Moses, and that of theApostles, in order to demonstrate the superiority


598 ROMANS,x

sought acceptance by their own righteousness .But neither by their Obedience could they fulfilthe demands of the law , nor could the sacrificesremove their guilt, while by them they couldnot Obtain peace of conscience, or assure themselves of reconciliation with God . The covenant

,

then; of which Moses was the mediator, gendered to bondage . It was the ministration of

condemnation” and death ,”for the letter

killeth.

” The spirit only, which that letterv eiled

,giveth life .

”—2 Cor . iii . 6 . Paul denominates the ministration committed to himtheministration of righteousness— the righteousness of the Messiah— and his lamentation inthe chapter before us is, that Israel being ignorant Of this righteousness,went about to establish

their own righteousness , not submitting themselves unto the righteousness of God .

The distinction, however, between the letterand the spirit, did not refer exclusively to thenation of Israel . It related formerly, and hasdone so at every period , to all who, professingto worship God, are still in the flesh . Themoral law, as has been observed , had been inforce from the beginning, as is declared in thisEpistle, chap . v . 13 ; although more fully promulgated in the covenant with Israel . But assoon as Adam had committed the act of sin bywhich it was broken, and all men had thus been

ROMANS , x . 599

brought under its condemnationfifi n pronoun

cing sentence on him, a proclamation’

Of' mercyr

was made, and sacrifices were instituted whichindicated the sp ir it, equally with those afterward senjoined on Israel in the ceremonial law. Amongthe nations

,therefore, the true worshippers of

God —such as Abel,‘who off ered his sacrifice in

faith, and Enoch , who prophesied of the comingof the Lord , and Noah, who found grace in theeyes of the Lord, with Melchisedec, of whom iti s particularly recorded , Heb . vii . 2 , that hewasfi r st the king of righteousness, and then , oraf ter that, also king of peace ;Tand Abraham,

who saw the day of Christ, with many more,worshipped God in the spirit . The service of

all others who were ignorant of the true intentand end of the sacrifices, and of that righteousness which the Messiah was to bring in

,which

Noah had preached, 2 Pet . ii . 5 , was the serviceof the letter that killeth .

” From this the

The malignant natur e of sin, and its fatal consequences,

ar e not only man ifest in the . effect of the fir st tr ansgr essionwhich br ought r uin on the

'

whole human r ace , but likewise in

the sin committed at the r enewal of the wor ld after the flood.

The bitter e ffects of that sin ar e exper ienced to the pr esent d ayby one of the br anches of the descend ants of Noah , on whomthe cur se be pr onounced still r ests . Cur sed be Canaan , a

ser vant of ser van ts shall he be unto his br ethr en .

1‘No man ever enjoyed peace till af ter he possessed that

r ighteousness.

ROMANS , x .

necessity of preaching the Gospel to the nations,

on which the Apostle so much insists in thischapter, is manifest. The heathens have generally retained the form of sacrifice, but havingentirely lost sight of the end of that institution

,

like Israel after the flesh, they know nothingbeyond the letter which killeth. Such also isthe service of all professed Christians

, of whatever name, who go about to establish their ownrighteousness which is of the law. To all men,

of every description, who are labouring underthe burden of sin, our Lord by his Gospel

,

wherever it reaches, proclaims, as formerly toIsrael, Come unto me, and I will give you r est ;

thus extending to them the ministration , not ofcondemnation , but of righteousness, not of theletter that killeth, but of the Spirit that givethlife . He himself is that spirit, and where theSpirit Of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. iii .17 . It is the Spirit that quickene th ; the flesh

pr ofiteth nothing ; the words that I speak unto

you, they are Spirit, and they are life .” If

the Son , therefore, Shall make you free, ye shall

be free indeed .

”

The glory of God is the grand Object of everything that has taken place in any part Of creation . To this the entrance of sin among angels


ROMANS, x .

of redemption , and—

the glorious and everlastingrest which remaineth for the people of God . Thevery formation of Adam and Eve, and the relation of marriage, most evidently were regulatedwith reference to the future relation Of Christand his church, Eph . V. 32 . Redemption , then,was in the View of God in the very creation of

man From all eternity it was purposed byHim who created all things by Jesus Christ :To the intent that now unto the principalitiesand powers in heavenly places might be knownby (means of)the church the manifold wisdom of

God, according to the eternal purpose which hepurposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph . iii. 9 .

Grace was given to his people in Christ Jesus,

and eternal life was promised by God that cannot lie, before the world began . 2 Tim. i .Titus

,i . 2 .

It is not possible that God would have purposed the entrance of Sin , had he not been ableto turn it to his glory . NO man would act inthe way in which many consider God in thismatter to have acted. C ould any man foreseethat what he was about to do would turn to hisdishonour and inj ur y, and would he not avoidit ? And Shall God will and foresee that Sinshould enter, and shall he permit its entrance,if it is ultimately to prove dishonourable to hischaracter To suppose that there were innu

ROMANS,x . 03

mer able plans of creation present to the mind ofthe Creator, that each of them had adVantageS

and disadvantages,and that God chose that

which upon the whole was best, is nothing butdisguised atheism. This supposes that theCreator is neither all-wise nor all-powerful .The universal apostasy of the nations of the

earth from the worship of God, and the presentapostasy of the Jews , are things apparently dishonourable to God

,and which man with God’s

power would not have permitted . But bothare according to the counsel of God, and willredound to his glory . We cannot understandhow this can be SO . It is to 118 4 1. depth un

fathomable . The Apostle wonders at it, butdoes not pretend to explain it . His languagein closing this subject is a recognition that theways of Jehovah are beyond the grasp of thehuman intellect . O the depth of the richesboth of the wisdom and knowledge of God"howunsearchable are his j udgments

,and his ways

past finding out"What a contrast does thisafford to the vain and presumptuous speculationsof many interpreters of Scripture"Many r e

ceive the testimony of God only as far as theycan satisfactorily account for all the reasons andground s of his conduct . How unbecoming insuch a creature as man"Shall man , who isbut of yesterday an d knows nothing

,pretend to

fathom the counsels of the Omniscient

ROMANS , x .

In what prominence and Strength of expression is the sovereignty of God exhibited in theninth chapter of this Epistle"Is the Apostleashamed of this view of God ? Does he coverit with a veil in treating of the rej ection of theJews ? No

, in the strongest terms that couldbe selected, he represents , both there and in theeleventh chapter

,the glory of God as the prin

cipal obj ec t in all things that exist, For of him,

and through him,and to him, are all things to

whom be glory for ever . Amen .

” The wisdomof this world finds the chief end of the existenceof all created beings to be the benevolent designOf communicating happiness . But the Apostlegives another View of the subj ect . He declaresthe glory of God to be the end of creation . LetChristians, then, not be ashamed of this displayof the divine character. Let them rather beashamed of modifving their Views of God, bythe systems of human science . Let them returnto the strong and Scriptural statements Of theReformers on the subj ect, and as little childrenbelieve God’s account of himself.The attentive reader of the preceding part of

this Epistle, who is willing to submit to receivein all things the true and Obv ious meaning OfScripture, cannot fail to perceive that all thedoctrines which are there brought before uS givethe whole glory of every thing to God . Jeho


ROMANS , x .

hibited Christ as a Saviour, through faith, tothe Chief of Sinners , how injurious is it to thehonour of his truth, and to the interests of Sinners, to put the salvation of the Gospel at a distance, and as it were in defiance of the Apostleto send men to heaven to bring Christ downfrom above

,or to the deep to bring him up from

the grave What folly appears in that wisdomthat sees greater security for the believer’s finalhappiness in making him the author of his owndestiny, than in resting the security of his salvation on the power and love of his AlmightySaviour"How vain is that wisdom which considers the performance of good works to be bettersecured by resting them on the resolutions andfaithf ulness of the believer himself, than on thefact of his oneness with Christ in his death and

resurrection .

All who acknowledge regeneration by theSpirit of God Virtually concede the things whichthey are unwilling to confess in plain and directstatement. If men are by nature dead in sin ,surely their new life is not in any sense produced by themselves . If their change from sinto holiness be a new birth. how contradictory tosuppose that they have any share in this greatchange . Yet how many will acknowledge thatevery thing good in us is of God, who will yetlabour to Show that still there is some remaining

ROMANs , x . 607

moral ability in man to turn himself to God . Isnot this to sacrifice to their own wisdom Willthey proudly refuse submission to the declarations of God’s word till they are able to fathomthe depths of the divine counselsMany Christians, who admit the truth of all

those doctrines which are most off ensive to theworld, act on the principle, that it is wise toconceal their views on these points, or at leastto keep them as much as possible in the background . They think in this way to be moreuseful to the world . But is it wisdom, is itduty, is it consistent with our allegiance toChrist, to keep in abeyance doctrines which somuch glorify God , and are so prominen tly heldforth in the Scriptures Christians should r ecollect, that although the avoiding Of certainOff ensive doctrines may lessen the prejudice of

the world against the professors Of Christianity,yet that to turn a sinner to God is, in all cases ,the work of God himself. How can we thenexpect a blessing on our efforts , if we seek toconceal what he exhibits in a blaze of light ?Better, much better in all things, to exhibit thetruths of the Divine word just as that word itselfexhibits them

,and leave the success of our efforts

to him who alone can make them eff ectual . Wecannot by all we can do bring one soul to Christ .We cannot make one Sinner alive by the Gos~

ROMANS , x .

pel,more than we can raise the dead out of their

graves . Let us then renounce our own wisdom,

and our own plans , and let us teach Divine truthas it is taught in the Scriptures .All religions, but that of the Bible, divide the

glory of recovering men to happiness betweenGod and the sinner. All false views of the Gospel do the same . The Bible alone makes

v

the

salvation of guilty men termifiate in the glory ofGod as its chief end . This doctrine is peculiarto right views of the Christian religion. Canthere, then , be a more convincing evidence thatthe Bible is from God ? If such a feature ispeculiar to the Christian religion

,yet off ensive

to most of them that bear the Christian name,it is the most demonstrative evidence that thisrevelation is not from man . How solid , then ,are the foundations of the Christian religion,when the very things in it that are most off ensive to the world afford the most satisfactoryevidence that it is from God"

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