which are Patience, Experience, and Hope.

5 And Hope maketh not afhamed, because the Love our Hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto

of GOD is fhed abroad in

610

perience; and Experience, dy Refolution for him, as we are fure will be Sect. ro. Hope: acceptable to him; and therefore this Experience Rom. V. 4. and Proof of our Graces, which like pure Gold brighten in the Furnace, worketh a more lively and triumphant Hope of a glorious future Re-1 ward; And this Hope fublime, and confident 5 as it is, does not shame and confound [us] with Difappointment; yea we know it cannot, because we have already within ourselves the very Beginning of that Heaven, at which it afpires. For the Love of GOD, in the Perfection of which the Bleffedness of that celestial World consists, is, in a plentiful Effufion, poured into our Hearts by his Holy Spirit, which is given unto us, and enables us to fee his Love amidst all his Corrections, and to delight ourselves daily in him; tho' for the present he appoints us Trials which may feem ever fo rigorous.

us,

6 For when we were yet without Strength, in due Time Chrift died for the Ungodly.

in

Now all these invaluable Priviledges and 6
Hopes, which make our Lives so joyful amidst
fuch various Tribulations and extreme Sufferings,
are to be traced up to the Death of Chrift, and
refolved into his Love; for when we were yet
a weak and languishing, infirm and helpless State,
deftitute of all thefe Divine Principles and Hopes;
yea incapable of delivering ourselves from the
Depths of Guilt and Mifery, into which we
were plunged, Chrift most feasonably died for us,
even in the Stead of the Ungodly (e), for Jews and
Gentiles, when they were, as we have proved
before, all under Sin.

Now

(e) Died in the Stead of the Ungodly.] By Ungodly here Mr. Locke underftands Gentiles, as alfo by weak, Sinners, Enemies, &c. They are undoubtedly included; but it seems very inconfiftent with the whole Strain of the Apostle's Argument in the preceding Chapters, to confine it to them. Compare Chap. iii. 9,20, 22, 23. Chap. iv. 5, Chap. v. 20. I therefore all along explain fuch Paffages in the moft extenfive Sense; and think nothing in the whole New Teftament plainer, than that the Gospel fuppofes every human Creature, to whom it is addreffed, to be in a State of Guilt and Condemnation, and incapable of being accepted with GOD, any otherwife than thro' the Grace and Mercy which it proclaims. Compare John iii. 16, 36. Chap. v. 24. 1 John iii. 14. Mark xvi. 15, 16. Luke xxiv. 47. and especially I John i. 10. than which no Affertion can be more pofitive and exprefs. Albert. (Obferv. Sacr. pag. 304.) has well proved that xala xaspor fhould be rendered feasonably; and Raphelius (Not. ex Xen. in ver. 8.) has abundantly demonftrated, that ve nav atrodam fignifies be died in our Room and Stead; nor can I find, that azobave værep Tivos has ever any other Signification, than that of refcuing the Life of another at the Expence of our own: And the very next Verse shews, independent on any other Authority, how evidently it bears that Senfe

620

Sect. 10.

Rom. V. 7.

a

8 But GoD commendeth his Love toward us, in

Fuftified by Chrift's Death, we shall be faved by his Life. Now (f) this is a most memorable Thing, 7 For fcarcely for a righand worthy our frequent, attentive, and affectio- teous Man will one die; Yet peradventure for nate Confideration. For fcarcely would one be good Man fome would even willing to die in the Stead of a righteous Man, dare to die tho' we apprehended him in the most immediate. Danger; [if] perhaps in the Stead of a remarkably good and benevolent Man (g), one would even dare to die: For certainly it is but here and there one, in a great Multitude, who would be willing to redeem the most eminently useful Life at 8 the Price of his own. But GOD bath recommended his aftonishing Love towards us, and fet it off as it were with this grand Circumftance of high Embellishment, if I may fo fpeak, that when we were yet Sinners, and therefore not only undeferving of his Favour, but justly obnoxious to Wrath and Punishment, Chrift died in our Stead, that our Guilt might be cancelled, and we brought into a State of Divine Acceptance. Since therefore it hath pleased the bleffed GoD to give us fuch an unexampled Display of his Love as this, how high may our Expectations rife, and how chearfully may we conclude that much more being now justified by the Efficacy of his most precious Blood, we shall be faved from Wrath by him!

9

For

that while we were yet Sinners, Chrift died for us.

9

Much more then, being

now juftified by his Blood, Wrath through him,

we fhall be faved from

Senfe here; as one can hardly imagine any one would die for a good Man, unless it were to redeem his Life by giving up his own. How much higher, not only Grotius, but Le Clerc, carried their Explications of this great Doctrine, than fome Moderns have done, may be feen by confulting Grotius's Glofs on 1 Pet. ii. 19. (de Satisf. Cap. ix.) and Le Clerc on John i. 29.

(f) Now: yag.] It is very evident, that yg cannot have the Force of an illative Particle here, or in the preceding Verfe; and it is hardly poffible to number all the Passages in Paul's Writings to which the like Remark may be applied.

(g) Righteous,good.] 'Tis true that in one Senfe Righteousness must include Goodness, as we owe to every Man a benevolent Affection, and are bound in Duty to GOD to do all the Good we can to the whole human Species. But he may in common Speech be called a juft or righteous Man, who gives to every one what is by Law his Due; and be a grod or benevolent Man, who voluntarily abounds in kind and generous Actions, to which no human Laws can compel him. Tully has the like Diftinction, (de Offic. Lib. I. Cap. x. Edit, Pierc. and it is admirably illuftrated by Raphelius (Not. ex Xen. in Loc.) by oppofite Quotations from other ancient Writers. It may very poffibly, (as Godwyn has fhewn in his Jewish Antiquities. Lib. I. Cap. ix.) bear fome Allufion to a Diftribution of Mankind into the three Claffes, 70, 0, and O'yu, good Men, righteous Men, and Sinners, which fome Rabbinical Writers mention All the Beauty and Grace of this Paflage is loft, by reading adxy inftead of deae, as the Editor of the New Verfion of 1727 does; without, as I can find, any fingle Authority: For a wicked Man no one would willingly die, tho' for a Benefactor fome have readily offered to die. And ayabe don't fignify merely a perfonal Benefactor, but in general a benevolent Man.

Reflections on the Happiness of Peace with GOD.

10 For if when we were Enemies, we were reconci

led to Gop by the Death of his Son: Much more being reconciled, we fhall be faved by his Life.

63

For we can never imagine that GoD would pro- Sect. 10.
vide at fo expenfive a Rate for our Juftification, Rom. V. 9.
and then finally leave us under Wrath; tho' we

have acquiefced in the Scheme of his Grace for
our Deliverance.

For it, as I have already maintained, when we
were Enemies, through the Perverfenefs of our
Minds, and the Rebellion of our Lives, we were
reconciled to GOD by the Death of his own dear
Son, and if forefeeing we fhould fall into this
State of Hoftility, he made this wonderful Pro-
vifion for our being admitted to Terms of Peace;
how much more being thus reconciled, fhall we be
faved from Mifery, and made compleatly happy
by his recovered Life, now he is rifen from the.
Dead, and afcended to Glory?

IMPROVEMENT.

WITH what Extafies of holy Joy may we juftly furvey these in

eftimable Privileges, the bleffed Confequences of having em

IO.

braced the Gofpel, and being justified by Faith unfeigned! How great a Ver. t. Happiness to have Peace with GOD, with that omnipotent Being, who can at Pleasure arm all Nature againft us, or for us! To have access to him Ver. 2. by Jefus Chrift, and daily converfe with him as our Father in Heaven! To rejoice in an affured Hope of enjoying Glory with Chrift, in his Prefence; yea of enjoying the GoD of Glory. To fee all Affliction not only difarmed, but turned into Matter of Triumph, while Tribulation work- Ver. 3, 4. eth Experience, Patience, and Hope! So may all our Tribulations work, and be they ever fo fevere, they will be Reasons for our Joy and Praife. The Pain of them will foon be over; the happy Confequences of them will be as lafting as our immortal Souls.

Let us endeavour to dilate our Hearts, that we may receive the largest Effufions of the Love of GOD, to be shed abroad there. The Love of Ver. 5 GOD! That Plant of Paradife, which will fpring up into eternal Life. And to excite it, let us be daily meditating upon the rich Wonders of redeeming Love and Grace; adoring that feafonable Interpofition of Divine Ver. 6.. Mercy, that when we were weak and guilty Creatures, when we lay for ever helpless under a Sentence of everlafting Condemnation, that is, when we appeared thus in the Eyes of him, who beboldeth Things which Ver. 75are not as if they were, Chrift died for us, and gave a Token of his Love even for the worst of Sinners, which few among the Children of Men are willing to give, with Refpect to the moft upright and benevolent of

3.

their

64

We glory in GOD through Jefus Chrift.

Sect. 10. their Brethren. Since the Love of GoD comes thus recommended, let

us cordially embrace it, and awaken all the Powers of our Souls to a diligent Care to fecure the happy Fruits; that we may not receive the Grace of GOD in vain. If we do indeed experience in ourselves, not only that there is a Foundation laid for our Reconciliation, but that we are actually Ver. 10. reconciled to GOD by the Death of his Son, our Hopes may rife high, that we shall much more obtain confummate Salvation by his Life. For furely it is infinitely more astonishing, that the Son of GOD fhould die to reconcile Enemies, than that having fubdued their Hearts by his dying Love, and received them to Friendship as the Purchase of his Blood, he should imploy his recovered Life and extenfive Authority for their Protection, and compleat Salvation.

Sect. II.

S. E C T. XI.

The Apoftle fhews, that the Calamities brought by the first
Adam on his Seed are repaired with glorious Advantage to
all, who by Faith become interested in the fecond Adam.
Rom. V. 11, to the End.

I1

ROMANS V. II.

And

HAVE been breathing out our Hopes, and our Joys, as we are Chriftians, and are Rom. V. 11. taught by the Principles of our Divine Religion to rejoice, not only in the Profpect of Glory, but even in Tribulation itself. now I must add, that it is not only [fo,] but that there is another grand Confideration, which, though not yet mentioned, lies at the Root of all our Confidence and Happiness; which is this, that we boaft in GOD as invariably our covenant GOD, and Father through Jefus Chrift our Lord, by whom we have now, in thefe late Times, received the great and important Reconciliation (a),

which

(a) Received the Reconciliation.] The Word alaay here has fo apparent a Reference to nalan and salaays in the preceding Verfe, that 'tis furprizing it fhould have been rendered by fo different a Word in our Verfion; efpecially as it is fo improper to speak of our receiving an Attonement, which God receives as made for our Sins.

2

(b) Therefore.

For, tho' by the one Offence of Adam Death came;

65

which not only averts the Terrors of his Wrath; Sect. 11.
but opens upon us all the Bleffings of his perpe-
Rom. V. 12.
tual Friendship and Love.

And therefore (b) we may from these Premi-
fes infer, that the Benefit which we Believers re-
ceive from Chrift (c), is equal to the Detriment
we receive from Adam; yea, is on the whole grea-
ter than that; for we now obtain Righteousness
and Life from one; as by one Man, that is, Adam,
the common Father of the human Species, Sin
entered into the new made World, and Death, be-
fore unknown in the Creation of GOD, entered
by Sin; and fo Death passed on from one Gene-
ration to another upon all Men; unto which all
bave finned in him (d), that is, they are so far
involved in the Confequence of his first Trans-
greffion, as by Means of it are become obnoxious
to Death. And that this was indeed the Cafe, 13
and this Offence the Engine of Mortality in the
whole human Species, we may infer from one
very obvious Fact, I mean the Death of Infants,
from the very Beginning; for from the Fall of
Adam unto the Time when God gave the Law
by Mofes, as well as after it, Sin was, and ap-
peared to be in the World, by the continual Ex-
ecution of its Punishment, that is, Death. But
it

(b) Therefore.] Aia lalo certainly does often fignify in this Refpect; but there are some Inftances even among the Texts collected by Mr. Taylor here, in which it may as well be rendered therefore: Particularly Mat. xiii. 13. John ix. 23. Chap. xii. 18. Chap. xiii. 2. 1 Cor. iv. 17. Chap. xi. 30. Eph. i. 15. In all which Places our Rendering feems prefe rable to what he would propose.

(c) We Believers.] As this 12th Verfe is an Inference from the 11th, it feems evident that they only are spoken of; for it is plain from comparing the 9th, 10th and 11th Verfes with the 1, that it is only they, who are juftified by Faith, who have Peace with GOD, and who joy in him by Chrift as having received the Reconciliation. And this obvious Remark clears the following Paffage of Difficulties, which would be exceeding great, if it were to be confidered without Regard to this Connection, and which have in Fact, mifled many Commentators; who for Want of attending to it, have plunged themfelves and their Rea ders into great Perplexity, and given a Senfe to the Paragraph, of which it is by no Means capable.

(d) Unto which all have finned: wmavles nuaptor.] Elfner (Obferv. Vol. ii. pag. 26.) would render it, on Account of whom; and he produces fome remarkable Authorities for it; (Compare Phil. iii. 12. Rom. x. 19. Chap. xvi. 19. Rom. x. 19. Chap. xvi. 19. 1 Theff. iii. 7.) but I think thofe produced by Mr. Taylor (from Gal. v. 13. Eph. ii. 19. 1 Theff. iv. 7. 2 Tim. ii. 14.) with the Ufe of the Particles in fome of the purest Greek Clafficks, fufficient to fupport his Rendering, which I have here followed. See his Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin, Part I. pag. 51, &c. Note. (e) Likeness

VOL. IV.

I