II. I2 13 we shall live. by his Spirit that dwelleth 12 Therefore, Brethren, we are Debtors, not to the Flesh, to live after the Flesh. 13 For if ye live after the Flesh, ye fhall die: But mortify the Deeds of the if ye through the Spirit do Body, ye fhall live. 96 14 For as many as are they 14 Well may it be expected, that in this Cafe, you led by the Spirit of GOD, they For the Spirit teftifies, that we are the Children of GOD: they are GOD. 15 For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Ab ba, Father. For ye, 15 14. 97 the Sons of they are indeed the Sons and Daughters of GOD, Sect. 16. 16 The Spirit itself beareth Witness with our Spirit, that we are the. Children of GOD. 17 And if Children, then Heirs; Heirs of GOD, and Joint (c) The Spirit of Bondage.] Both Mr. Locke and Mr. Pierce understand this, of the Fear of Death, under which the legal Difpenfation left the Jews; but I rather understand it of that comparitively fervile Spirit, which ran thro' the whole Mofaick Oeconomy, and which is finely illuftrated by Dr. Evans, in his Sermon on this Text. Evan's Chriftian Temp. Vol. i. Serm. xvii. Serm. xviii. (d) Abba, Father.] I fuppofe, few of my Readers will need to be informed, that the Word Abba fignifies Father, in the Jewish Language, that is, the Syro-Chaldaick; and the Infertion of it here beautifully reprefents the Union of Jewish and Gentile Believers, in those Devotions, which were dictated by a filial Spirit. VOL. IV. N 98 Sect. 15. Rom. VIII. 17. Ver. 17. Ver. 15. Ver. 14. Ver. 9. Ver. I. Ver. 7. Ver 6, fo be that we fuffer with If Children, then Heirs of GOD, and Joint-Heirs of Chrift. WELL IMPROVEMENT. ELL may we rejoice in Privileges like thefe; well may we be aftonished to think, that they should be bestowed on any of the Children of Men! That any of them thould be Heirs of GCD, and JointHeirs with Chrift; 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 Compellation, Abba, Father, in their Mouths! Oh that every one of us may know by Experience, which alone can teach us, how fweet it is! And if we would obtain and fecure this Witness, let us fee to it, that we be obediently led by the Spirit of GOD; for that Spirit is not, where he does not effectually governs and if any Man have not that Spirit of Chrift, he is none of Chrift's Difciples, nor is he intitled 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 after the Flesh, or the Spirit. Let us guard more and more against that carnal Mind, which is Enmity against GOD, and cannot be fubject to his Law, nor leave Room for us to pleafe GOD, while it prefides and governs in us. Let us often reflect upon that Death, which would be the Confequence of our living after the Flesh; and never conceive of ourselves. upon any Occafion as Perfons, who, in Confequence of fomething that has already paffed, have found out a Way to break the Connection here established, and in the Nature of Things effentially established, between a carnel Mind, and Death. May our Spirits be more and more enlivened by Reflections on the Privileges of the Children of GOD. 99 by that vital Union with a Redeemer, which may give us a Part in the Sect. 16. Merits of his Righteousness, and in the Life it has fecured for all true Believers; and may the Efficacy of his Spirit to raise our Souls from a Death of Sin to a Life of Holinefs, be in us a bleffed Earnest, that he will compleat the Work, and at length quicken our mortal Bodies by his Spirit which dwelleth in us. When Flesh and Senfe can adminifter a Confolation 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. The glorious Profpects, which the Gospel fets before us, are reprefented and urged as a further Advantage, which it gives us for Holiness; even that confummate Glory, the Difcovery of which the whole Creation, now fubject to Vanity, Seems to wait and call for. The Apostle then mentions Confolations, which are derived from the Affiftances of the Spirit in Prayer, as further illuftrating his main Defign. Rom. VIII. 18---27. Ν ROMANS VIII. 18. IN reprefenting the high Privileges of our Adop- Sect. 17. 18. tion, I have been observing, that if, in Confequence of our Fidelity to our Saviour, we should Rom. VIII. fuffer with him, we fhall also be glorified together with him: And in this perfecuted State, in which, as Christians, we now are, I befeech you attentively to enter into this Thought, that your Hearts may be duly quickened and fortified by it. I have for my own Part been obliged, amidst the peculiar Hazards of my Apoftolick Office, frequently to weigh and exactly to examine the Matter; and I find upon the moft deliberate Computation, that the Sufferings of the prefent Time, how extream foever they may be, [are] not worthy [of any Account] at all, nor fo much as worthy of a MenN 2 tion, 100 Sect. 17. Rom. VIII. 18, 19 The Creation waits for the Revelation of the Sons of GOD, tion, when fet against that great and unalterable to be compared with the GloGlory, that fhall in due Time be revealed to us; ry which fhall be revealed us;n us. but which at prefent exceeds even our most ele... vated Conceptions, and can never be fully known, till we fee each other wear it, and by Conscioufnefs feel it in our felves. Thefe, my dear Brethren, are the Views, original Beauty and Felicity; a fad Change paffed Adam, 19 For the earnest Ex pectation of the Creature tion of the Sons of GOD. waiteth for the Manifefta 20 For the Creature was willingly, but by reafon of made fubject to Vanity, not him who hath subjected the fame in Hope. (a) The earnest Expectation of the Creation, &. This and the following Verses have been generally, and not without Reafon, accounted as difficult as any Part of this Epiftle. The Difficulty has perhaps been fomething encreased by rendering hos, Creation in one Claufe, and Creature in another. To explain it as chiefly referring to the brutal, or inanimate Creation is infufferable; fince 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 preferable to this. But on the whole, I think, it gives a much fublimer and nobler Senfe, to fuppofe it a bold Profopopeia, by which on Account of the Calamity and Sin brought and continued on the whole unavangelized World, (tho' few of its Inhabitants faw fo much of their Mifery, as actually to defire the Remedy,) it is reprefented as looking out with eager Expectation, (as the Word enoxapadoxia exactly fignifies,) for fuch a Remedy and Relief as the Gofpel brings, by the Prevalency of which human Nature would be refcued from Vanity and Corruption, and inferior Creatures from Tyranny and Abuse. Nothing is more common, than to reprefent a Land as mourning or rejoicing, as calling for Rain, &c. And if this be allowed to be the Meaning of these three Verfes, the Gradation in the 23d will be much more intelligible, than on any other Scheme that I know. See Note (b) below. 7 (6) Bring |