Romans 7

Notes

Ver. 1-3. I now appeal to all of you who know the law of nature or revelation, that no man can be bound by any law longer than he lives under it, or stands related to it; and that, however strictly the law of marriage binds a wife to abide with and perform all necessary duties to her husband whilst they both live, yet if he die she is fully delivered from that obligation, and may even be married to another man, as freely as if she had never had any connection with her deceased husband. 4. In like manner, my dear Christian brethren, ye, through Christ's fulfilment of the law in your stead by his obedience unto death, are perfectly delivered from all connection with it as a covenant, requiring personal righteousness in order to justification before God, justifying you for your good works, or condemning you for your sins,—in order that, in a state of spiritual marriage, union to, and fellowship with him, as your risen Husband and Saviour, and by a principle of spiritual life derived from him, ye may bring forth fruits of holiness to the glory of God, acceptable to him through Jesus Christ. 5. For while we, Jews or Gentiles, were in our carnal, unconverted state, under the full power and influence of our natural corruption, which works so much by our bodies, the violent passions thereof, irritated by the purity of the precepts and severity of the curses of the broken law of works, powerfully employed all our members and faculties in incessant labours of wickedness, greatly dishonouring to God and eternally ruinous to ourselves. 6. But now, the law in that form being dead to us through Christ's complete fulfilment of all its demands in our stead, we are delivered from all its requirements of perfect obedience in order to justification, and its rigorous sentences of condemnation on account of sin, that through union to and fellowship with him, we might, from new principles, motives, and ends, under the influence of his Spirit, cordially and cheerfully serve God in all holiness of heart and life, and not with mere ceremonial and external devotions and virtue. 7. But let none imagine that because subjection to the law as a covenant retains us in our sinfulness, and deliverance from it promotes gospel holiness, therefore its moral precepts are causes of rather than checks to sin. With detestation of the thought, I can, from my own experience, affirm that my conscience had never been convinced of the sinfulness of the secret workings of irregular desires, and the first motions of inordinate affections, unless I had found that the law had forbidden all impatience, discontent, envious grudging, or uneasy and irregular inclinations to worldly enjoyments. 8. But though the holy law thus discovers and forbids the most secret operations of wickedness, and never gave me any proper occasion of sinning, yet the reigning corruption of my heart basely took occasion from the strictness and severity of the law, and, through my own natural enmity against God, wrought in me all manner of sinful inclinations and desires after that which is forbidden; for as long as I continued without any true sense of the spirituality, holiness, strictness, and extent of the divine law, sin, and especially heart-sins, appeared to me quite trifling and harmless, without any power or danger. 9. Nay, I then imagined myself in a good state, deserving of, and able and inclined by my good works to recommend me to, God's favour; yea, able to entitle to, and prepare myself for, eternal life. But when the Holy Ghost applied the commandments closely to my conscience, as reaching to my inmost thoughts, principles, views, and desires, as well as to my words and actions, I could not but be convinced of inconceivable multitudes of sins, and degrees of their aggravation, beyond what I had ever thought of, and of my just exposure to divine wrath on account of them. And while I lost all hopes of eternal life by my own performances, and my conscience condemned me to eternal death for my sins, my inward corruption, irritated by the holiness and severity of God's law, raged more and more against him; and this increased my spiritual death in sins, and my danger of eternal ruin. 10. And thus I found God's holy law, as a covenant of works, which was originally framed for a mean of men's justification and eternal happiness through Adam's perfect obedience to it, a tremendous instrument of condemning me to death—temporal, spiritual, and eternal; and, through my own indwelling lusts, a mean of increasing my spiritual death, and alienation from and enmity against God. 11. For my inward lusts, impatient of restraint, took occasion from the strict holiness of its commands and awful severity of its threatenings, to rage against both the law and the Lawgiver; and thus insensibly drew me to the commission of many forbidden evils, and so | tend creased my inward corruption, and enlarged the | that mtence of my condemnation to death; while the law, | peri rther applied to my conscience, convinced me that | noth l my hopes of recommending myself to God's favour | thou ere utterly groundless. 12. Since therefore the moral | by r .w gives no occasion to, but discovers, forbids, and | gooc mdemns every sin, it must be acknowledged an in- | natu insically pure, holy, just, right, and true, good and xcellent, eternal and unchangeable, rule and standard | ness f all holiness and righteousness, everyway becoming | vigo ne holy, righteous, and good God to enjoin, and in- | to c elligent creatures to obey, for his glory and their own | fron dvantage. 13. Nor is this holy law the cause of the | his « nischief and death which comes upon mankind, Nay, | conf aa thin ennveacantatinn of it derived fram mv own | fall mm this representation of it, derived from my own | fall in perience, it is evident that sin, therein showing itself | 20. § most malignant and destructive evil, by a vile abuse | reign the law, produced in me what was wicked, and | hono 'ought me under a righteous and manifest sentence of | his h mdemnation and death,—that thus rising up in des- | of sir 'rate Opposition to the holy law of God, it might be | my v ade to appear infinitely odious, unreasonable, and | does \jurious, directly contrary to him and pernicious to | owin ien. 14, For though'I, and all those who have felt | natu s thorough convictions, are certain that this law of | labo: rod is pure and spiritual, reaching not only to external | find rords, actions, or appearances, but to the thoughts, ispositions, principles, motives, and ends of our heart, | insin nd requiring both internal and external obedience to | form € performed in a spiritual manner; yet, alas! not- | sent: rithstanding all the powerful influences of God's grace thich I have experienced, such are my deficiencies, NCN L NAVE CAPCiIcuLccuy, DULL ase arty Urtrsraseerey | =o ve ~~ d such the remains of corruption in me, that I am | the gn lite ashamed of myself, as inexpressibly carnal, and | nobles o often employed by my sinful lusts, as if I were | right : ill their slave, sold into their hands by Adam's fal) | most id my own former consent. 15. 1 am indeed far | ing al om allowing myself in any known violations of God's | powe1 w; but, alas! I too often, through sloth or inadvert. | man, ice, neglect or unprofitably perform the duties which | and a' am desirous of observing and persevering in, and | and e: n, to my great grief, drawn into the commission of | grace tose sins which I habitually and determinately abhor. | and ¥ 5. If then I have a supreme, fixed, and habitual aver- | unwil on to those sins which I commit in opposition to | ness. 1od's holy law, I thereby manifest that I am so far | able: newed in heart, that I approve of it as right in all | an al Oints, even to the condemning of myself. 17. And | from rough this change which God's grace hath made in } lusts - . ae ce ee ee inher meed what it forbids, but it is the remaining sinful | his 1 encies of my nature, which J disallow and abhor, would transgress. 18. For I know, bysad ex- | deliv ence, that in my sinful nature, considered in itself, | have ing spiritually good has any residence; and even | all t gh the principles of grace imparted to me | obed 'egeneration be wholly inclined to that which 1s | your i and holy, yet, through the power of fleshly | all ir re and concurring temptations, and the want | of G lively exercise of faith on Christ's person and ful- | full: , I cannot perform holy duties in that spiritual and | whol rous manner in which I resolve and sincerely desire | an u lo them. 19. For while by faith I am kept] so f 1 gross vices, and have an unfeigned respect to all] inm commandments, yet I do not attain that universal ormity to them which I aim at, and too frequently | tere: into sins of infirmity which I really hate and detest.j| y, ito sins of infirmity which 1 really mate anu ueiest. 7 yy, 'ince then these sinful falls are contrary to the | asa siz ing bent of my heart, I must insist on it, to the | speaks ar of God's work >f grace in me, to the honour of | for the . . view, z dly, just, and good law, and to the just reproach | pag ac , aS an unreasonable violation of it, that it is not | good, 1 hole or renewed self that knowingly and willingly ; ful,' ve the abominable things which God hates, but it is | XOTe8* g to those remains of my sinful corruption of | ners,' e which I do not oppose, watch, Pray: and | delighi ir against so much as I ought. 21. I therefore an evil principle of sin so powerfully working in | for de vy Suggestings, sinful allurements, and prevailing | than « uations, that often, when I am essaying to pere- j Served holy duties, some bad motion or influence pre; itself in opposition te my unfeigned endeavours, RE unawares draws me into something unlawful. 22. certain I am, that so far as my soul is renewed by | of we aa -~ af HAA T hawa the arentect delight and | right: race of God, I have the greatest delight and | rightec it satisfaction in all the precepts of God's law as | this de and good, and cordially desire to yield them the | our he perfect obedience. 23. But, alas! notwithstand- | possibl 1 my experience of God's grace, I feel in me a | tificati: 'ful principle of sinfulness residing in my whole | by it and peculiarly working in my sensitive passions | science ppetites, and earnestly opposing all the holy aims | in am ndeavours of that governing spiritual principle of | nature divinely implanted in my judgment, conscience, | and cx vill, and sometimes prevailing to render me its | and e ling captive, and involve me in acts of wicked- | weakn 24. And, alas! how vile, loathsome, and miser- | plague im I in myself on this account! O when shall | hindrz mighty and infinitely gracious God deliver me | isthe« this detestable and deadly system of indwelling | holy p which dwell in and overspread my whole nature, | it is a randar me cn Inathcame and inactive before him, | soul w 1ame, through Christ, that, by his deep love the working of his grace in me, I am already ered from the guilt and dominion of sin, and an assured hope of a complete deliverance from ae defiling remains of it at last, through the ience, suffering, and intercession of Jesus Christ, and my Lord and Saviour. So then, to sum up \a few words, so far as I em renewed by the grace od, with settled judgment and choice, and with ':pprobation, resolution, and consent, I devote my e man to God; and as his willing servant yield feigned and unreserved obedience to his law; but ar as the disallowed sinful tendencies prevail e, I am brought under the influence of sinful lusts, Jed shamefully to serve their abominable inits and demands, . 14. Sold at the fall for a promise never fulfilled, and seized 14. Sold at the fall for a promise never tulniiea, ana seize ve, whom none but Jesus can set free.— Note, Of whom the apostle? Of himself, as a renewed believer, evidently, following reasons:—({1) He had been once, in his own live, but now knew that he was dead, ver.q-1rz. (2) He knowledged the law and commandment holy, just, and 'er. x2. (3) He had discovered sin to be 'exceeding sinr. 13—an acknowledgment and conclusion to which the nerate never arrive. (4) He allowed not, and he hated 15; but the unrenewed 'take pleasure in sin and sinth. 1.32. (5) He delighted in the law of God, ver. #2, a . the unregenerate never feel. (6) The law of his mind . against sin, ver. 23 the mind of the unregenerate is y against God,' (7) He felt his wretchedness, and longed iverance, ver. 24; the unregenerate never desire more ontinuance in sin with pardon. (8) With his mind he God, ver. 25; but the mind of the unrenewed is not and be rendered subject to the will of God, ch. 8.7. C. FLECTIONS.—Marvellous, but certain, glorious, full, is our deliverance from the broken law rks,.by our union to Christ and interest in his -ousness, whereby he fulfilled it for us. And jusness, Whereby he lulnued IT IOr USe sauu liverance powerfully promotes the renovation of art and the reformation of our life. It is imle to obtain either justification or even true sancon by the broken law. And sharp convictions make fearful work on men's hearts and con2s, Jesus and his grace find unrenewed sinners ost deplorable condition. And dreadful is the of sin, which perverts even the holy law of God, mvictions by it, as an occasion of strengthening nraging wicked lusts. Alas! what fear an ess are found with the best on earth! what a : and burden is this to believers, and what a mce to holiness! But marvellous and merciful -reation and preservation of gracious habits and rinciples amidst so much sinful tendency. And certain mark of divine grace governing the 'hen the sense of evil tendency occasions such me at last. May the Lord hasten it to my soul in | Ghos 3 time! their of th CHAPTER VIII.—Ver. 1. Since the grace of God, | objec rough Christ Jesus, thus delivers all true believers } natw om the guilt and dominion of sin, in order to their | dese: 'ing in due time freed from all the remainders of it, | But is evident that, even in this imperfect world, there no sentence of condemnation to God's wrath standing | unde zainst them who are vitally united to Christ as memers of his mystical body, and who, though attended | aspi ith many lamented and condemnable infirmities, do, 2 the general tenor of their conversation, act, not | tion ccording to the dictates and inclinations of their cor- | enjc upt nature, but according to the inspired Word of } priv xod, the suggestions, directions, assistance, and pat- | is « ern of the Holy Ghost, and according to the nature te sls 8 shad avincinie af erace imparted | inv: ET OL iO baway wesavney --— --id inclinations of that principle of grace imparted | invet faith, 2. For through the promise of grace | fectix erfectly fulfilled by Christ, and through the gospel | form pplied by the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost | such » my conscience, I am delivered from the law of | itsel 'orks, which is the strength of sin and binds over | the: nto death,and have anew principle of grace imparted 3 my heart, in opposition to the sinful and destructive |} who rinciple of natural sinfulness. 3, 4. For when the ovenant of works, which required perfect obedience | are, s the only condition of eternal life, and pronounced | any! . curse for the very smallest transgression, had, not | of t ndeed of itself, but through our sinfulness and inability, | acce 'endered the justification of fallen men by their own works absolutely impossible, God, in his infinite wisdom ind grace, appointed and manifested in our world his awn only begotten Son, personally united to our nature } of ¢ in all the debased and distressing circumstances thereof, tall the debased and aistressimy Cucussocanres areeeny nd, by rendering him an atoning sacrifice for sin, | you : evealed its nature, and sufficiently testified his dis» | and s leasure against it, in order that all righteousness, in | from, ibedience to the precepts of the law, or satisfaction to | cann ts penalty, being fultilled by him as our loving Savior, | conti night be imparted to our persons and applied to | to et yur consciences, who by his grace have our stated and | by h iabitual conversatior towards God and men, not under | bers she influence or according to our natural principles } die, of sinful corruption, but according to the dictates and influences of the Holy Ghost, and the nature and bent | soul of these gracious principles which he has imparted, | eve; and seeks to uphold, actuate, and assist in our | rific souls. 5. For whatever men profess, they who are under the direction, dominion, and influence of indwelling sinfulness, habituallyconsult,relish, pursue, | here and delight in worldly, sensual, and sinful things, an. -4afan nw Lint Rat t. °6, Nor is their condition less ditterent tnau ; oer course ; for to have the prevailing bent and delight | chief e heart turned towards worldly, sensual, and sinful | bless: ots, and to live and act accordingly, is in its own | the ° re a spiritual death in trespasses and sins, which | reasc rves, tends to, and naturally issues in eternal death. | or ok to have our mind frequently, delightfully, intently, * but transformingly employed about spiritual things, | good 2x the dominion and influence of the Holy Ghost, | live of infused spiritual principles of grace, is in itself | 13. . iritual life, fills the soul with inward activity, peace, | char comfort, and is the certain earnest of and prepara- | in fu for everlasting life and peace in the immediate | all 3 yyment of God. 7. But this happy temper and | relig nlege we cannot possess unless by faith our heart | inte changed; for the whole bent of an earthly | plur _ unregenerate heart is in direct opposition to, and | beli: sterate and malicious enmity against, God, his per- } fron ' pant and all aan. erate and Malicivus TALL eagerenerey — ms, will, authority, and government, and all con- j his § ity to him or spiritual enjoyment of him; and | affect is its desperate malignity, that it cannot of | to th f come into a subjection to or compliance with | live \ piritual and righteous demands of his holy, just, | they good law. 8. It is therefore manifest that they | light are in their natural state under the power and | affect inion of carnal principles and corrupt affections, | child while they continue so, utterly incapable of doing j ador hing spiritually good and acceptable to God, or eing in Christ discharged from con:lemnation or | not : :pted to eternal life. 9. But ye, brethren, are not | souls er the dominion of your sinful, and in part remain- | ness corruption, but under the direction and govern- | conv it of the Holy Ghost, and of implanted principles | conv race, as is manifest from the abiding residence and | joy « ration of the same in you. Nevertheless, if any of cra not nartakers of the inhabitation, renewing, are not partakers of the inhabitation, renewiuy, ) cur. sanctifying operations of that Spirit who proceeds } hever , resides in, and is sent and given by Christ, ye } vour, ot possibly be of the number of his children, or, | God j nuing such, be owned by him as his, or adjudged | 16. A ernal life at the last day. 10. But if Christ has, is Spirit, taken up his abode in you, as his mem- | gracit spiritually united to him, your bodies indeed must | own: because of the divine sentence passed against sin, { with because of the carnal nature in you; but your | adop s$ are already made spiritually alive, and shall for | if we : live in blessedness and glory, through the sac- | vocal 'e of Christ, wrought out for and imparted to | everl , and by means of that true principle of holiness ch is thus given you, to make you live to God >and meet for the enjoyment of him hereafter. 11. i if that blessed Spirit who, together with the | that her and Son. raised up the dead body of Jesus | ours RLLwbwawawy eerp oo —-: and ruin are conveyed to us by sin, and all the ngs we enjoy or hope for are conveyed to us by doly Ghost, we can be under no obligation or nable inducement to follow the pernicious motions ey the unrighteous demandsof oursinful natures, are under the strongest obligations to the Spirit of God, and have the strongest motives to answerably to his holy dictates and influences, And if any of you, contrary to your Christian icter and professions, habitually indulge yourselves lfilling your sinful lusts, ye must, notwithstanding 'our notions, pretences, or external privileges in ion, aS persons who have no real union with or est in Christ, fall short of eternal life, and be ged into everlasting misery; but if ye, as true 'vers, vitally united to Christ by virtue derived 1 him, in the gracious influences and assistances of Snirit. resist. subdue, and crucify your corrupt pirit, resist, subdue, ang cCrucity yuu euasupe ions, principles, and practices, ye shall, according 2 gracious establishment of the gospel, for ever rith him, soul and body, in heaven. 14. For all who are conducted, assisted, and governed by the and influence of God's Spirit in their minds, wills, ions, and conversation, and they only, as the ren of God, are entitled to everlasting life by their tion, and prepared for it by faith in Christ, ing sure their regeneration. 15. For ye have 'eceived the Holy Ghost in order to subject your to such servile fears as resulted from the darkand terror of the legal dispensation, or from legal ictions of your sinfulness and misery before your ersion; but, according to the light, liberty, and f the New Testament dispensation, ye have been e partakers of him in his most comfortable and oldening operations, by which we and other bepe Etat wth hale reverance. affection. fer- ENA AAMROm ON Em mm GG s are enabled, with holy reverence, affection, terimportunity, confidence, and freedom, to address in our worship, as our reconciled Father in Christ. ind in this assured pouring out of our hearts to through Christ, the Holy Ghost, by working ous dispositions in us, and by shining upon his work, doth, in and by his word, assist and concur our consciences in witnessing that we are truly the ted and regenerated children of God. 17. And be thus his children, we are necessarily and irrebly entitled to the rich and glorious inheritance of asting life, happiness, and holiness, answerable to high dignity and relation; and in, and through, together with Christ our Saviour, Head, Father, elder Brother, are heirs of God himself, and all he is, or has, as our everlasting portion; and all sufferings in this world for his sake, and in cone "42 Lin, ahall hnt nramote and issue in out MW LUE CICaALULG wuo saUUEr tet ae ee , and trivial, as to deserve no comparison whom he thu mazing glory and happiness which shall be | and honour: otted to and bestowed upon us in the last | constantly by 19-22. Nay, such is the transcendent glory | him; and « arty and happiness which we, the humble | Christ deten ul children of God, shall then enjoy, that | he pardons, ational creatures in this lower world, with | through the earnestness answerable to their nature. long | thus justifies. , by their sharing therein, they may be com- | comforts in — 1 finally delivered from all that vanity, dis- ] and immedi: der, or pain, which has by the curse been | with, and cc . among and upon them on account of\man's | finitely wise, ther sins. 23. And while they thus long for } our certain, : e from their present vanity and misery, we, | tions, purpo accepted the Holy Ghost in his sanctifying, | side, what gi id comforting operations, as pledges, earnests, | wonder! an : 12 a 6. £11 nwtnewwmant | erafty and 1 ECOL Lda UW pee nau wr pew ~~; . and securities of our future full enjoyment | crafty, and po venly inheritance, are, notwithstanding our | inveterate ene joy in believing, exceedingly troubled; and | to us, cheerfu : groanings under the pressure of our re- | Son our suret ifulness and affliction, earnestly long for and | in law, and v 1redly hope, and patiently wait for the full } him all the of all those exalted privileges and blessings } world, that w to us as faithful children of God, and } in our stead ur bodies, raised to an immortality, shall, | lasting salvat 'ith our souls, share in the most honourable | along with t iorting fellowship with God. 24, 25. For at | bestow upon e have not the actual possession of our full | in his wotd but only the assured hope of enjoying it in | 33. And sin re period; and hoping for it as a thing un- | atoned for E inenjoyed, we, patiently bearing our troubles, | how is it px ly resigning ourselves to God's will as to the | guilt upon 1 ; manifestation, wait for it with cheerfulness, | and transgre necting that. in due time, we shall be fully | over, since it ecting that, in due time, we shall be muily } vves, sue as rom all evil, and crowned with everlasting | according to ti in heaven. 26, 27. And as this delightful | us absolved fi irages and supports our patient waiting under | righteous, toe efs and burdens, so doth the Holy Ghost | enemies, and r his concurrent direction, support under our | be to condem: veaknesses and imperfections, which would | of God's law, carry us into unseasonable and impatient | sacrificed hii leliverance ; for by our remaining ignorance, | fulfilled the ri , carnality, and perturbation of spirit, we | stead, and in 10w what to pray for, as most conducive to | risen again fo 'y and our good, nor are capable of ordering | Father's righ sts in a duly believing, spiritual, fervent, | for our advan nble, submissive, and steady manner: but | us to eternal Ghost suggests to us proper requests. and | his own frie 3 to offer them up, with such vehement pant- | favour with G oreathings of soul, in an admirable mixture of | the merit of ! natiance imnortunity and hone, as no wards | intercession, s predestinated to koliness, sufferings, | who have renou s, he, in the execution of this, aids | nd lusts, ch.6. 7 the Holy Spirit, and unites them with | made in the fir all who by implicit faith in Jesus | exerted by, or mine to lead new lives through his aid, | who is the auth t d entitles to eternal lite, | “me Paul accepts, and entili¢ ? | power of grace' righteousness of Christ; and whom he | | dwelling in hi » he, by his Holy Spirit, sanctifies and or. power) of si this world, and at last admits to the full is feet ate enjoyment of himself in heaven, in, Ver. 3. The mnformed to Christ. 31. If then the in- | version. The ( unchangeable, and almighty God be thus | having sent his fast, and steady friend, and all his perfec | 2%,-47'"£ 4" ast, and steady friend, and all his perfec- | js death, and a ses, promises, and operations, be on our | gives the Greeb round have we of confidence, comfort, and j 18, and in the 1 how little reason to fear the malicious, on account Y § owerful attempts of our most malicious and | He came on « - ” - . es ae werful attempts Of Our MOst Waieivus aun) oe Laie Ure ae mies! 32. For if God, in infinite love atoning sacrifice, 4 — preter the latte ly and freely appointed his.only begotten | * Fyr St y, brought him into our nature and place | we 'cry Abba,' ' rithout the least abatement exacted from | he also bears in: obedience and suffering due from the | witness in himse e, through his atoning sacrifice of himself | .,. lifting of th, , might be saved in him with an ever- sible, either to : ion, how is it possible that he should not, | meaning of the . : : entire passage his unspeakable and leading gilt, freely sought: r. In tk 'us whatever gracious Dlessing promised | ro, it signifies ' is needfu! for either our soul or body? | creature' (man) ce we are accepted in Christ, our sins | In. Ro, r 20 it. y him, and our persons justified in him, | tire? or 'a eres issible that any can fix a law charge of | in Mar. 16.15, ' s, notwithstanding the fearful sinfulness | it appears also t ssions which we have reason to mourn | 22 im 9. trit i en : . . represented as t is God himself, whose judgment is always | it signifies 'orc ow VW - Law ananemtad and nranannred | 2. ra, it signifies 'uth, who has accounted and pronounced | 3. r4, it signifies * om guilt, accepted and entitled us, as | tion fails to give ternal life? And however intent our | 4S meaning be sc 34- : this xriatg. The. however ready our own conscience may | hope, bondage, ; nus, yet who can subject us to the curse | Into the hberty ¢ , to our eternal destruction? Christ has | $204 to perplex t of so much impor mself to save us from our sins; has | state both the chi ghteousness demanded by the law in our j understand 'the receiving the reward of his work, has } because all its t justification; yea, is exalted to his | Suished by earn r our justilic Ny yea, | w S liberty of the son t hand, to exercise a universal dominion | ness, corruption, tage, and publicly to absolve and adjudge | for the mortificat life at the last judgment : and to manifest | $SPecially hope, ; St juag . . : Limborch, Ham: ndship, and secure our continuance in | from the Jews ( rod, he, as our righteous Advocate, pleads | Gentiles, as in ' his atoning blood for us in his prevalent iinet that we. through faith, may be eternally happiness (Whi' cP. - Lew Ln femnecihia that angele- far they uced and crucified the flesh with the affections 5; Ga. 2. 10; 5.24; 6.14. C, verse gives a reason for the general statement st clause of ver. 1. 74e daw, i.e. the influence he power of, the Spirit of dife—the Holy Spint, ox and sustainer of divine life in the soul—/reea ie is here giving his personal experience of the , in Christ Fesus (being united to him by faith, nand hein me}, from the daw (i.e. the influence 2 and death. The reasoning of the apostle in lose, and, though somewhat involved in construewerful aud convincing. ?. ast clause of this verse is very indefinite in our sreek may be interpreted in two ways:-—1. 'God own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, amd, dy sin, condemned sin (i.e. removed zés sting, winch SO its power) in the flesh.' This interpretation phrase the same meaning which it has in He. ro, Septuagint rendering of Le.4.3. 2.'... And 23? joing the phrase immediately with hazog ng it express one object for which Christ came. ccount of sin, i.¢. to remove it, by dying as ug ~ and nvwarenmine its power by his divine power voorrr wp wen ey mee and overcoming its power by his divine power r meaning. P. 'witness' the Spirit bears first in heaven, wheg our Father who art in heaven.'—This 'witness' our hearts, for 'he that hath the Son hath the f, 1 Jjn.5.10. C. we earnest expectation \axoxagadoxia' signifier : head and s retching of the body as far as posee or hear something very interesting.— On the word 'creature' (xtiois; the exposition of the must depend. Let its meaning therefore be .¢ Scripture use of the word. In Mar. 10. 6. 13. world' or 'creation;' and in 16. 15, 'intelligent capable of believing or rejecting the gospel. uignifies 'creation;' and in ver. 25, 'any created .5.17; Ga. 6.5; Col. 1.15 it signifies either 'creation;" and in Col. 1.23 it evidently signifies, as every man,' nationally considered. In He. 4. 13 9 signify 'any human or other intelligent being ; 3 translated 'building,' the visible creation being he architecture and temple of God. In 1 Pe.2.13 inance,” 'institution;' and in 2 Pe. 3.4 and Re. 'creation,' visible and invisible. If this examina~ -= Lf whe ween let creation,' ViSIDIC ANG WavisiviG. a4 cists Urerenearee a preponderance to any one use of the word, let sught, 2. In the attributes ascribed by Paul to chief of these are—earnest expectation, waiting, zroaning, travailing, deliverance, and entrance of the sons of God.—Now, though it is seldom he mind with various apinions, yet, on a subjcct 'tance and confessed difficulty, it may be well to ief opinions and authorities. (1) By xtieis some whole church of God' (see Is. 43. 7; 65. 17); rue members are, in this present world, distinest desires for the glorious manifestation and is of God—being subject to vanity, that is, weakand misery, but not from choice, He. 12.11, but tion of sin, Ro.8,13, and exercise of grace, and Ro. 8. 24; 2Co. 4.17. (This view is supported by mond, &c.) (2) The Gentile world in distinction Lightfoot, Guyse). (3) All mankind, Jews and Mar. 16. 15, who through all their history have € present state of things, and have been earmestly ooking for both present deliverance and future tby, Macknight, Ritchie, &c.) (4) Not good 7 are not subject to vanity—not devils; for they

Ver. 26. Our infirmities. 'These are many, but chiefly 'infirmities' of knowledge of the things to be asked of God, or of the manner of patient resignation to God's will, when its final t purpose is unknown, or of earnestness and perseverance, and uw confidence of prayer when it is revealed, Mat. 26.42; 1 Jn. 5. 14, th 15.—The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us—by begettng in us those feelings of the evil of sin, and desires after holiness and glory, that no language can express; even as severe disease cannot be described in words, but becomes erfectly intelligible its to the tender-hearted from the groanings of the sufferers. C. lie Ver. 28. Adi things. All events, prosperous or adverse—even the malice of Satan and persecutions of wicked men. C. Ver. 29. Foreknow. Not as mere subjects of prescience, for re all things are thus alike known to him, Ac. 15.18; but as the objects of his merciful, wise, holy, and righteous choice in Christ T Jesus, Ep.1.4,5,9,11; 2 Ti.r.9. C. se Ver. 39. Nor height, nor depth. Some interpret the phrase of heaven or hell; but how is it supposable that heaven could separate from God? others, of height of honour, or depth of disgrace; others, of highest earthly powers, or deepest piots of enemies; others, of evil spirits in the air, or in hades; others, of haughty ——-~rlneinne af che learned or gross superstitions of the ignorant, WEEIWS Dy WR wee wpe wen --- - r .. . speculations of the learned, or gross Superstitions of the ignorant, or deep sins of the wicked.—Query, May it not mean that no f conceivable distance of place can separate from omnipresent wet C. ce: . REFLECTIONS. — What dreadful work hath sin made the world! In the most debasing manner it has med the natural bent of our heart towards earthly ings, and into a fixed and malicious opposition to, id hatred of, God and his law. It has brought corption and curses on the whole lower creation; and ; distresses and infirmities still cleave even to bevers. But great is their safety, comfort, honour, id happiness, who are united to Jesus Christ. Their stification is complete; their nature and life are sally renewed; and grace given, governs them. heir present beginnings of spiritual-mindedness, pos'ssion of Christ's Spirit, conflicting with remaining nfulness, heirship with Christ, suffering for his ike, and supplication for his mercies, are earnests and ledges of, and shall quickly issue in, their complete nd everlasting glorification. Already all things pro- j C) .ote. and the perfections, purposes, and providences te, and the pertections, purpuscs, amu pruviusaces God, and the justifying death and powerful inter- | is e sion of Christ, secure their full and eternal welfare. 332 1y then do we not always triumph in what ne Is w and has done and will do for and to us? Why do not always rejoice exceedingly in hopes of the ry of God? Why are we not constantly wrapped in wonder—ail inflamed by the views of his re sming love? No created thing should ever disquiet - hearts, since nothing can separate us from Jesus' "son, except our own unbelief. CHAPTER IX. Ver. 1, 2. I should have been 'xpressibly glad had I been able on good grounds to im that the whole of my Jewish brethren were the culiar objects of God's redeeming favour, and heirs his distinguished blessings which I have just now tioned ; and I dare, in the most solemn, candid, d Christian manner, appeal to the all-seeing Jesus rist and his Holy Spirit, who search the hearts and , the reins of all 'the children of men, that my mind ~--2 ee Bi ntlee Asauwhalmead anth orief and nain. a5 & <ceedingly overwhelmed with grief and pain, as ® nan in travail, whenever I think of their present deplorable condition by means of their unbelief. 3-5. I could cheerfully submit to the greatest sufferings which can be endured without sinning; be cut off from life in the most tremendous manner, and be excommunicated from all the churches of Christ on earth; or even for a time cut off from all delightful communion with himself; if it could avail to promote his glory in the faith and salvation of these my dear countrymen, who are descended from Jacob the renowned wrestler with God, and have been nationally adopted as the peculiar people and children of God, and not a few of them made his spiritual children, by faith in Jesus Christ: who have had his glorious temple, ark, mercy-seat, Shekinah, and other visible tokens of his peculiar presence, granted to them; and have been brought into his promise for temporal and spiritual blessings, which has been frequently confirmed to them; and have, in a most solemn manner, received his laws—moral, ceremonial, and judicial; his ordinances of worship, and promises of blessings—temporal, spiritual, and eternal; and have Abraham, Isaac, David, and many other holy men, for their natural ancestors; and from among whom, in respect of his manhood or human birth, the Messiah sprung, who, in his divine nature, is infinitely blessed in himself, the object of all adoration, and the most High over all the earth. 6-13. But though, to the grief of my soul, the bulk of the Jewish nation are now in a most deplorable condition through their own rejection of the gospel, yet it must not be imagined that God's word of promise which he made with their fathers is disannulled, or has failed of accomplishment; for all the natural descendants of Jacob were never considered by God as true Israelites, interested in the saving blessings of it.—The restriction of Abraham's honourable seed to Isaac, who was born by means of supernatural influence, and his descendants, to the exclusion of his posterity by Hagar and Keturah, who were born by natural influence; and the after preference of Jacob, a younger child by the same mother at one birth, and no way superior to Esau in natural goodness of qualities or works, plainly manifested that not natural descent from Abraham, but spiritual conformity in faith, marked the intended heirs of promise; and that the Jewish posterity of these patriarchs should, in due time, for their unbelief, be excluded from the church, and others, no better in themselves, by their faith in God be brought in to fill their room. 14-16. Let none dare to think God unrighteous in making such a wide difference in his choice and disposal of persons equally sinful and unworthy in themselves; for he grants his favors, not according to the vain and empty opinions of men, who might suppose he would bless the most highly favored in a merely worldly point of view, but according to the faith of individuals among men in Jesus Christ. 17. And why may he not, in the same wisdom, as in the case of Pharaoh the oppressing king of Egypt, advance men, no worse in themselves than others, to high stations, and preserve them for a time amidst manifold judgments, in order that, by tremendous acts, he may at last manifest his gracious purposes to all around, in the salvation of the world. 18. From the above instances it is plainly evident that God, in his wisdom, extends his free mercy to such sinful and miserable creatures as accept him, and at the same time leaves those who will not accept him to Satan and their own sinful lusts; that, refusing his Word, ordinances, and providences, they are hardened, as a punishment for their former sin, and as a prelude of the ruin that finally awaits them. 19-21. Let none therefore dare to arraign the most High, as if he were unrighteous in threatening, condemning, or punishing men for that obstinacy in wickedness into which they fall themselves, or as if it were necessary for him to account for bestowing his blessed favours upon some, and withholding them from others; or if a potter, who himself is but a fellow-creature formed of the dust, may, out of the same lump of clay, form vessels for different purposes and degrees of honour without injuring the clay, why may not the most high Creator, Proprietor, and Lord of all dispose of his creatures as best answers the glory of his perfections, when he grants to all alike the opportunities of faith and salvation? 22. Why may not he, for the glory of his great wisdom and manifestation of his loving power and equity upon obstinate and impenitent sinners, defer their punishment, and even load them with many external benefits, till, by their increased sinfulness, they have rendered themselves more notoriously deserving of his rejection and displeasure? 23, 24. And why may he not take this course in order to manifest the transcendent and endearing riches of his glorious grace in the salvation of those who accept Christ and with him everlasting life, and whom he prepares for it by his renewing and sanctifying grace—even all his sinful children, whether Jews or Gentiles. 25-29. From these predictions of Hosea and Isaiah it is plain that God always intended to form a people for himself, by the call of the gospel, where he had none, while only a remnant of the Jews would be saved; and designed, by necessity, to reject those who will not accept him, who reject his mercy and love, on account of their sin, while in free mercy he saves those who have faith, Gentiles as well as Jews. 30. In fulfilment of which predictions, and to manifest which mercy upon the one hand, and his universal love also, the poor, ignorant, idolatrous heathens, who, instead of knowing, concerning themselves about, or endeavouring to perform any good works, had lived in every sinful abomination, have many of them been led by faith to receive and share of the justifying righteousness of Christ revealed and offered in the gospel. 31. On the other hand, the Jewish descendants of Jacob, who, with great but misguided zeal, have pursued after righteousness for justification by their own obedience to the law of Moses, have neither fulfilled nor received any righteousness which can answer the demands of that law for which they are so zealous, or procure their acceptance with God, and title to eternal life. 32. And their falling short of righteousness is not owing to any decree of God hindering them, but to their own pride, perverseness, and unbelief, through which they refuse to accept it, as provided for them in Christ, and freely offered in the gospel, and desire to be justified, in whole or in part, by their own obedience to the law. 33. For, as Isaiah foretold, they take such offence at Jesus Christ, the only foundation of the gospel church and of all salvation, on account of his mean parentage, appearance, poverty, and crucifixion, the spiritual nature of his kingdom, and his humiliating doctrines, that they cannot think of owing any part, much less the whole, of their salvation to him alone.

Ver. 3. I could wish. The word in the Greek is in the imperfect indicative, and not in the optative mood, as our translation has it, and should therefore be rendered 'I did wish' or 'was desirous.' The passage would then read thus: 'I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart (for I myself was desirous of being accursed—separated—an anathema, from Christ) for my brethren,' &c. He pitied his brethren the more feelingly, because once (like them) he had desired to be separated from Christ; see Ac. 26. 9; Mat. 27. 25 (An Anon. Correspondent).—'The verb translated "wish" would have here been more correctly rendered "boast," when the passage would read thus: "I have great heaviness, &c. (for I myself made it my boast to be separated from Christ) for my brethren," &c. (Haldane).—This translation would also remove the difficulty of the passage; but it must be acknowledged that in the New Testament the word is uniformly translated 'to will,' in the sense of desire, 'to pray,' 'to wish,' 'to rejoice,' Ac. 26. 29; 27. 29; 2 Co. 13. 7, 9; 3 Jn. 2, while the word translated 'boast' is uniformly different, Ro. 2. 17, 23; 2 Co. 7. 14; Ep. 2. 9; Ja. 4. 16, &c.; and though the proposed version may be sustained by classical use, yet the use of the word in the New Testament seems the only admissible standard. C.

Ver. 13. The word 'hated' cannot be diluted down to 'slighted,' or 'less favourably regarded.' Yet the apostle surely speaks of Jacob and Esau personally, for he speaks of them before they were born—of the one before he was capable of doing good; of the other, before capable of doing evil. But can this be vindicated or explained? Just as far as any of the unsearchable judgments of God can be vindicated or explained, Ro. 11. 33. Perhaps two views of the subject limit the human understanding. (1) The distinction between Jacob and Esau is a fact, declared on divine authority, which it becomes not the creature to call in question. (2) The sovereignty of God is not a solitary and independent attribute, but God ruling in the exercise of all his attributes of power, wisdom, justice, holiness, goodness, mercy, and truth; see Dr. A. Thomson's Sermons, p. 11. Such a ruler cannot do otherwise than right. And if any, on the ground of these attributes, deny the possibility that God should make the distinction before the children were born, the same grounds will present the same difficulty in making it at the day of judgment. Nor is the difficulty one whit lessened by resolving the distinction into national privileges; for if national privileges convey any spiritual advantages, the difficulty returns in all its force: and if they convey none, what is their use? And it may be the distinction was made on the foreseen differences of character, so that the blessing is of 'God that showeth mercy,' and of man that 'willeth and obeyeth;' see ver. 15, 16. Hear then the sum of the matter: it is not what man can explain, but what has God revealed? See Haldane's Exposition. C.

Ver. 32. This verse demands special notice, on account of its testimony to the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1) There can be no question that the stumbling-stone of the Jews was Jesus Christ, whom they rejected, 1 Co. 1. 23; 1 Pe. 2. 5-8. (2) Hear the prophet Isaiah, ch. 8. 14; 28. 16—'Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel,' &c. (3) Now surely what the prophet affirms of the LORD of hosts, the apostle applies directly to Christ, wherefore the conclusion is inevitable, that Jesus Christ is the LORD of Hosts, 'God manifest in the flesh.' C.

Reflections.—Certain and manifest is the supreme Godhead of Jesus Christ and his Spirit, who search men's hearts, and by whom they may swear. And very marvellous in himself, and just suited to our need, is he who is at once a true man, the promised seed of the patriarchs, and the most high God, blessed for ever. Great is the honour and mercy to stand related to God as church-members, and to enjoy their privileges. Yet, alas! many such, through their unbelief, fall short of spiritual and eternal salvation! But whether men be saved or lost, the purposes of God are executed, and his promises fulfilled. How deep, how wise and endearing, is his saving love towards guilty sinners, Gentiles as well as Jews, without any regard to their natural goodness! And righteous is his whole conduct, as he withholds from none what he ought to give them, and punishes none but on account of their sins, by which they deserve and are fitted for destruction. Gloriously he marks his compassion over his creatures. And it is absurd then to quarrel with his dispensations, or to pry into or perplex ourselves with his secret purposes, especially when his Word, which is our only rule, gives all reasonable encouragement to faith and holiness as the means of manifesting our salvation. Yea, men's quarreling with the tenderness, mercy, or justice of his conduct, will result in leading men to judicial blindness and incurable hardness of heart. Multitudes really prevent their own justification and salvation by seeking righteousness in their own works, in opposition to the righteousness of Christ. But happy and full is their deliverance who rest on him alone for righteousness and strength.