86 If we mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live. viii.10 SECT. which as I shewed above, has brought on a sin; but the Spirit xvi. sentence of universal death; yet the spirit [is] life, and shall after death continue living, active is life, because of Rom and happy, because of that righteousness of which righteousness. our great Head, the second Adam, is the Au11 thor, as I have inculcated at large. have this farther joyful hope, that if the Spirit it of him that raised And we 11 But if the Spir of him that raised up Jesus, our great Covenant up Jesus from the Head, from the dead, dwell in you, he that so he that raised up dead, dwell in you; powerfully and gloriously raised up Christ Christ from the dead from the dead, will also, in due time, quicken shall also quicken your mortal bodies, though corrupted and con- your mortal bodies, sumed in the grave, by the agency of that great dwelleth in you. by his Spirit that and powerful Spirit, which now dwelleth in you, and acts to quicken you in the Divine life. 12 thren, we are debt12 Therefore, breors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live Therefore, my dear brethren, since it is certain the gratifications of the flesh can do nothing for us like that which will be done for us at the resurrection, and since all present enjoyments are mean and worthless when compared with that; here is a most substantial argument for that mortification and sanctity which the gospel requires. And it necessarily follows, that we are debtors to the Spirit, which gives us such exalted hopes, and not unto the flesh, that we should live after the dictates, desires and 13 appetites of the flesh. For I must plainly and faithfully tell you, and must repeat and incul- after the flesh, ye cate it upon you, as a matter of infinite importance, that if you, though professing Christians, do mortify the deeds shall die but if ye and some of through the Spirit you eminent for tinguishing a profession, (Compare chap. i. 8,) so high and dis- of the body, ye shall do live after the flesh, and mind nothing superior to its interests, ye shall assuredly die, that is, shall perish by the sentence of an holy God, no less than if you were Jews or heathens. But if you, through the influence and assistance of God's holy Spirit, and the exercise of those graces which he by regeneration has implanted in your souls, do mortify and subdue the deeds of the body, those carnal inclinations from whence all criminal indulgencies of the body arise, ye shall live: ye shall finally obtain a state of complete felicity, in spite of all that death can do live. life with respect to righteousness, I think next verse quite contrary to Mr. Locke's the version here retained much prefer- unnatural gloss, which explains, quickening able; and if this be admitted, it will the mortal body, by sanctifying the immorcertainly determine the sense of the tal spirit. For the Spirit testifies that we are the children of God. 87 to dissolve these animal bodies: not now to SECT insist on that true rational delight which is only xvi. to be found here in such a course, and without Rom. which our abode on earth scarce deserves the viii.13 name of life. Well may it be expected, that in this case, you shall live for ever; since hereby your adoption of God, which must entitle you to a blissful immortality, will be approved. 14 For as many as For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, and 14 are led by the Spirit humbly resign themselves to be guided whithof God, they are the sons of God. ersoever he will, by his sweet and secret influence on the soul, they are indeed the sons and daughters of God, and shall inherit eternal life with their heavenly Father: of which, indeed, if we are obedient to his holy dictates and motions, we already receive the earnest and fore15 For ye have tastes. For ye, who are real Christians, have 15 not received the spir- not received the spirit of bondage again unto it of bondage again to fear; but ye have fear, ye are not come under another dispensareceived the Spirit tion like that of Moses, which was much more of adoption, whereby adapted to strike the mind with terror, and we cry, Abba, Fa- often produces a servile disposition; but, on ther. the contrary, ye have received the Spirit of adoption, the confidence of children in approaching to God; by which Spirit, whatever our different nations and languages may be, we can, with equal joy and freedom, present our addresses to his throne, and cry with the overflowings of filial affection to him, and fraternal love to each 16 The Spirit it- other, Abba, Father. For as the communica- 16 self beareth witness tion of the visible and extraordinary gifts of we per spirit, that the Spirit both to Jews and Gentiles, witnesses with our we are the children of God: that we are, without distinction, in this respect The spirit of bondage.] Both Mr. Locke and Mr. Pierce understand this of my readers will need to be informed, the fear of death, under which the legal that the word abba signifies father, dispensation left the Jews; but I rather in the Jewish language, that is, the Syre understand it of that comparatively ser- Chaldaic; and the insertion of it here d Abba, Father.] I suppose few of vile spirit which ran through the whole trated by Dr. Evans, in his Sermon on this votions, which were dictated by a filial Mosaic economy, and which is finely illus- ish and Gentile believers, in those detext. Evans's Christian Temp. Vol. I. beautifully represents the union of Jew spirit. 88 xvi. heirs of God, and joint heirs with If children, then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. SECT. personally interested in his paternal love. And 17 And if chilfrom hence arises a most joyful and trium- dren, then heirs; Rom. phant hope; for if we are his children, then viii.17 we are undoubtedly heirs of a glorious and im- Christ; if so be that mortal inheritance: we are then heirs of God, we suffer with him, that we may be also and shall for ever enjoy him, as our gracious glorified together. Father, whose presence and love is the very heaven of heaven. And we are also joint heirs of Christ, we shall enjoy this happiness as with him, in his sight, and shall be formed to a resemblance of him, as the great foundation of that enjoyment. But then let it ever be remembered, that this is to be taken in connection; itis, provided that we are willing, not only to deny ourselves in prohibited carnal gratifications, and to govern our lives by his precepts, but also to suffer with [him,] that is, in conformity to him, if called out to it for the honour of God, and for the testimony of a good conscience; that so we may also be glorified together with him, in that world where he now triumphs, and where all the infamy and pain we endure for his sake, shall be amply repaid with honours and joys everlasting. verse 17 IMPROVEMENT. WELL may we rejoice in privileges like these; well may we be astonished to think, that they should be bestowed on any of the children of men! That any of them should be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; the adopted children of an heavenly Father, and marked out by the communications of his Spirit for an inheritance which he hath prepared! That they should be fitted and enabled to approach him with that endearing compel. 15 lation, Abba, Father, in their mouths! O that every one of us may know by experience, which alone can teach us, how sweet it is! and if we would obtain and secure this witness, let us see 14 to it, that we be obediently led by the Spirit of God; for that Spirit is not, where he does not effectually govern; and if any man 9 have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of Christ's disciples, nor is he entitled to any of the privileges of his people. Let the matter therefore be seriously examined and let it be determined by inquiring, whether we do on the whole walk 1 after the flesh or the Spirit. Let us guard more and more 7 against that carnal mind which is enmity against God, and cannot be subject to his law, nor leave room for us to please God, while it presides and governs in us. Let us often reflect upon that death which would be the consequence of our living after the flesh; and never conceive of ourselves upon any occasion as persons, Reflections on the privileges of the children of God. xvi. 89 who, in consequence of something that has already passed, have SECT. found out a way to break the connection here established, and in the nature of things essentially established between a carnal mind and death. May our spirits be more and more enlivened by that vital union with a Redeemer which may give us a part in the merit of his righteousness, and in the life it has secured for all true believers; and may the efficacy of his Spirit to raise our souls from a death of sin to a life of holiness, be in us a blessed earnest, that he will complete the work, and at length quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit which dwelleth in us. When flesh and sense can administer a consolation like this, let us hearken to them: in the mean time, let us remember, let us always remember, how much we are debtors to the Spirit; and let us endeavour to act according to these immense obligations. SECT. XVII. The glorious prospects, which the gospel sets before us, are represented and urged as a further advantage which it gives us for holiness; even that consummate glory, the discovery of which the whole creation, now subject to vanity, seems to wait and call for. The apostle then mentions consolations which are derived from the assistances of the Spirit in prayer, as further illustrating his main design. Rom. VIII. 18-27. ROMANS VIII. 18. F ORIreckon,that this present time are ROMANS VIII. 18. N representing the high privileges of our SECT. the sfferings of adoption, I have been observing, that if, in xvii. consequence of our fidelity to our Saviour, we Rom. pared with the glory should suffer with him, we shall also be glorified viii.18 which shall be re- together with him: and in this persecuted state not worthy to be com realed in us. VOL. 4. in which, as Christians, we now are, I beseech 13 90 The creation waits for the revelation of the sons of God, Rom. viii.19 19 For the earnest creature waiteth for These, my dear brethren, are the views with which I would animate your minds; and surely expectation of the no object can give them more noble or more the manifestation of delightful employment. For methinks, when the sons of God. I look round upon the blasted and wretched state of this world of ours, it seems that all nature does, as it were, call aloud, in pathetic language, for that blessed change which the gospel was intended to introduce. The earnest expectation of the whole creation, so far as it now lies open to our view, is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God; for the happy time when he shall appear more openly to avow them, and that reproach and distress shall be rolled away under which they are now disguised and con20 cealed. For the creation soon lost its original beauty and felicity; a sad change passed on ture was made subman and his abode, so that all the visible face ject to vanity, not of nature was made subject to vanity and wretch- willingly, but by edness in a variety of forms: and this not wil- hath subjected the reason of him who lingly, not by the personal misbehaviour of same in hope: those who are now most deeply affected with it, but by him who subjected [it,] that is, by Adam, when he stood at the head of our race, as a public person, and by his transgression brought us 21 into so deplorable a state. Deplorable indeed! but blessed be God not entirely abandoned; since it is still in hope, that the salvation so happily begun, shall at length be much more 20 For the crea 21 Because the a The earnest expectation of the creation, &c.] This and the following verses have been generally, and not without reason, accounted as difficult as any part of this epistle. The difficulty has perhaps been something increased by rendering xos, creation in one clause, and creature in another. To explain it as chiefly referring to the brutal, or inanimate creation, is insufferable; since the day of the redemption of our bodies will be attended with the conflagration which will put an end to them. The interpretation, therefore, by which Dr. Whitby and Mr. Grove refer it to the Gentile world, is much allowed to be the meaning of these preferable to this. But on the whole, three verses, the gradation in the 234 I think, it gives a much sublimer and no. will be much more intelligible than on any bler sense, to suppose it a bold prosopopaia, other scheme that I know. See note by which, on account of the calamity next page. sin brought and continued on the whole unevangelized world, (though few of its inhabitants saw so much of their misery, as actually to desire the remedy,) it is represented as looking out with cager expectation, (as the word arxaρadoxi exactly signifies,) for such a remedy and relief as the gospel brings, by the prevalency of which human nature would be rescued from vanity and corruption, and inferior creatures from tyranny and abuse. Nothing is more common, than to represent a as calling for rain, &c. land as mourning or rejoicing, And if this be |