106 29. For, being chofen, and called, and juftified, they fhall be glorified; Sect. 18. and appointed a proper Series of fubordinate freed pre foreknow, he also did deftinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son, that he might be the Firft-born among many Brethren. 30 Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called; And whom he called, them he also justifi ed: (b) W bom he foreknew, as the Objects of his peculiar favourable Regards.] To know fometimes fignifies to favour, Amos iii. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 19. Exod. xxxiii. 12, 17. Pfal 1. 6. Jer. x. 14. Rom. xi. 2. 1 Pet. i. 2, Hof. xiii. 5. and they who interpret these Verfes, as Mr. Locke and many others do, of GOD's intending to bring the Gentiles into the Church, on a Footing of equal Priviledges with the Jews, maft certainly take the Word in this Senfe. But the Reader will eafily perceive, by my Paraphrafe, that I confider them as applicable to all true Chriftians, whether originally of Jewish or Gentile Defcent; as the Priviledges themfelves felate not to Communities, as fuch, but to Individuals. (c) Whom he hath called, he hath justified. Barelay pleads that this Fußification must include Holiness, or it is left out of the Chain. Barcl. Apal. pag. 221. But the Apostle had fo plainly declared in the Beginning of the Chapter, that a Freedom from Condemnation was the peculiar Piviledges of thefe, who walk after the Spirit; that it was the lefs neceffary for him here diftinctly to mention Sanctification (d) Whom A ! And he, that fpared not his own Son, will give us all Things: 107 ed: And whom he justified, freed them from the condemning Sentence of Sect: 18. them he alfo glorified. 31 What fhall we then fay to thefe Things? If GOD be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that own Son, but up for us all, ho all he not with him alfo freely give us all Things? his Law, and given them a pleadable Right to T 30. a full Acquittal at his Bar; and thofe whom he Rom. VII tor? On the whole, what shall we therefore fay to 31 Upon (d) Whom-he-juftified-he glorified.] 'Tis plain, that Juftification is here confidered as dif- erve for himself. 02 i. (e) Who 108 Sect. 18. 33. Nothing therefore shall separate us from the Love of Chrift; Upon the whole then, we may take Courage, 33 Who fhall lay any and fay, who shall lodge any Accufation against Thing to the Charge of GOD's Elect? It is GOD Rom. VIII. the Elect of GOD (e), against thofe who love that juftifieth: him, and have been, as we before observed, predeftinated and called according to his eternal Purpofe? [Is it] GOD? What! he who himself jufifieth (f)? as the Prophet in his own Cafe expreffes it. (Ifai. 1. 8, 9.) He is ready to answer all Objections, and folemnly to pronounce us ab34 folved. Who [is] be then, that condemneth? [Is it] the Lord Jefus Chrift, whom we know to be appointed as the final Judge? What! doth be condemn, who hath died to expiate our Guilt, and refcue us from Condemnation? Yea rather, (which is the most delightful Confideration of all) who is rifen again? Shall he undo the Purposes of his Death and Refurrection? He who is now fitting at the Right Hand of GOD, where he appears under a quite contrary Character, and is also making Interceffion for us; undertaking the Management of our Affairs, and, far from accufing us, appears ready to answer all Accufations brought against us, and to fruftrate all the Defigns of our Enemies? 35 Confident therefore in his Protection and Favour, we defy them all; and fay in Strains of yet fublimer Triumph, who fhall feparate us from the Love of Chrift? Who or what shall diffolve that Union to him, which is our great Security, and be able to alienate our Hearts from him, who is the Source of fuch invaluable Bleffings, and hath difplayed fuch incomparable Riches of Grace? [Shall the severest Affliction (g), or the most 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right Hand of GOD, who also maketh Interceffion for us. 35 Who fhall feparate us from the Love of Chrift? Shall Tribulation or Dif trefs, (e) Who fhall lodge an Accufation, &c.] This a plainly fignifies.-By the elect of GOD many understand the Gentiles; but as it is certain, the Phrafe, whatever it imports, is not to be confined to them, and is prefently after ufed of believing Jews, (Rom. xi. 5, 7, 28.) it feems highly reasonable, to confider it here, as including them alfo; efpecially as their unbelieving Brethren might be ready to lodge the heaviest Accufations against them, as De ferters and Apoftates from their own Law, if they acted on the Principles the Apofile had 'been laying down in the former Chapter. (f) GOD who juftifieth, &c.] I here follow the Pointing propofed by the learned and ingenious Dr. Sam. Harris, in his Obfervations (pag. 54, 55.) which greatly illuftrates the Spirit of this Paflage, and fhews, how juftly that Author adds, that it is remarkably in the grand Manner of Demofthenes. (g) Shall Affliction, &c.] None can imagine, that Chrift would love a good Chriftian the Jefs for enduring fuch Extremities for his Sake. The Text muft thefore be intended to exprefs 40 For through him we are more than Conquerors. trefs, or Perfecution, or moft preffing Straits, or the most cruel Perfecu- Sect. 18. Famine, or Nakedness, or tion, to the Inconveniencies and Extremities of Peril, or Sword? 36 (As it is written, For the Day long; we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter) 35. which we may indeed be expofed in our Chriftian Rom. VIII. Warfare, or Hunger, if we be ftarving in defolate Places (b), or Nakedness, if it had not fo much as Sheep-fkins or Goat-fkins to cover it, or in a Word, any other Peril, to which in our different Situations we may be expofed, or even the drawn Sword of our blood-thirsty Enemies ready to be plunged into our defenceless Bofoms? It thy Sake we are killed all may indeed cut fhort the Refidue of our mortal 36 Days; as it is written, in Words which may juftly be applied to us, (Pfal. xliv. 22.) " for thy "Sake we are without Remorfe killed all the Day long, we are accounted as fo many Sheep deftined to the Slaughter, and delivered over to "it without Refiftance on our Part, or Mercy on that of our Enemies.' Nevertheless, 37 while we appear in fo weak and helpless a State, we do in all thefe Things more than conquer, we triumph in certain and illuftrious Victory, thro' bim who hath loved us, and, having redeemed us to God by his own Blood, will fecure us amidst all these Temptations, and finally fhew that our Sufferings and Death have been precious in his Sight, and have made a Part in his merciful Scheme for our more exalted Happiness. 37Nay in all these Things we are more than Conque rors, through him that loved 38 For I am perfuaded, Well may I thus boaft of the fecureft and 38 that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Prin- compleateft Victory, even amidst the Combat; cipalities, nor Powers, nor for I am perfuaded, that neither the Fear of Death, Things in any imaginable Form of Terror, nor the Hope and Defire of Life, in the most agreeable Circumftances that can be imagined, nor all the Efforts of infernal Angels, nor of Principalities, nor of Powers (i), however various their Rank, how ever exprefs the Apofile's Confidence, that GOD's invariable Love to his People, illuftrated already in fo glorious a Manner, would engage him to fupport them under all their Trials, by vital Communications of Divine Strength. (b) Hunger.] The Word us is more extenfive than Famine, and may be applied to perfonal, as well as publick Neceffity. (i) Angels, Principalities, and Powers.] Elfner, (Obferv. Vol. ii. pag. 42.) has fufficiently fhewn, that good Angels are fometimes called Powers, to exprefs their being ufed as Inftruments of the Divine Power, (Compare Eph. i. 21. Chap. i. 10. Col. i. 16. Chap. ii. 10.). as likewife that apxas may fignify Magiftrates, Compare Tit. iii. 1. But as it is certain that 1 Reflections on the Fruits of the everlasting Love of GOD. Sect. 18. ever fubtle their Artifices, however furious and Things prefent, nor Things malignant their Rage may be, nor Things prefent, to come, 1 Rom. VIII. difficult as they are, nor Things future, extream 39. Ver. 29, 30. Ver. 28. Ver. 33. Ver. 34. Ver. 35. Ver. 36. any of Profperity, nor the Depth of Adverfity, nor Ver. 38, 39. 39 Nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other Creature fhall be able to fepaGOD, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord. rate us from the Love of H bleffed Souls indeed, who having been in the eternal Counsels of the Divine Love foreknown and predeftinated, are, in Confequence thereof, called and juftified, as the Earneft of being ere long glorified! Who would not defire to fee his own Title to Privileges fo ineftimable, as these? And how fhall we know that we have our Part in them? How but by fecuring an Evidence, that we love GOD? Then may we be affured, that all Things fhall work together for our Good, and glory in it, that we are the Elect of GOD; to whofe Charge therefore nothing fhall be alledged, fince GOD juftifieth; whom none fhall condemn, fince Chrift died to expiate our Sins, and is afcended into Heaven continually to intercede for us. In chearful Dependence on his Patronage and Care, let usbid Defiance to all our Enemies, and be willing to fubmit to the greatest Extremities, fince they fhall not be able to feparate us from the Love of Chrift, even tho' for his Sake we should be killed all the Day long, and accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter. Oh bleffed Souls, whom neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor any other Creature, fhall be able to divide and cut off from the Love of GOD! What then can harm us? What Evil can we then, fuffer? What Good can evil Angels are called Principalities and Powers, (Eph. vi. 12. Col. ii. 15.) and as that Interpretation of the Words beft fuits the Context, (for it is not to be thought that good Angels would attempt to feparate Men from Chrift's Love,) I must adhere to it. (k) Shall feparate us, &c.] Archbishop Tillotson thinks (Vol. i. pag. 491.) Paul fpeaks thus confidently in Reference to himself, and the Experience he had paffed through of fo peculiar a Nature, but he feems to me to found the Argument on Confiderations common to all Chriftians, Ver. 28. and the Connection is fuch, that if these latter Claufes are limited to St. Paul, I don't see how the preceding can be extended farther. |