ROMANS CHAPTER 8 ROMANS 8:1 Under the gospel we are free from condemnation, walking after the Spirit. ROMANS 8:5 The evil of being carnally minded, and the good of being spiritually minded. ROMANS 8:9 Christians have God's Spirit to guide and assist them, ROMANS 8:12,13 by which if they mortify the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE; some understand hereby the doctrine of the gospel, which is called _the law of the Spirit of life, _ because it is the ministry of the Spirit and of life. Others understand the efficacy and power of that grace and holiness, wherewith the living and quickening Spirit of... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse is a further proof of the main proposition in ROMANS 8:1. There are two things in sin that may endanger us as to condemnation, the power and the guilt of it. As to the freeing us from the former, viz. the power of sin, of that he had spoken in the foregoing verse; as to taking away the... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED IN US: here is another end of God's sending his Son, as before; it was that he might perfectly fulfil the righteousness of the law in or for us, which for us ourselves to do in our own persons was utterly impossible; and yet upon which (as being i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY THAT ARE AFTER THE FLESH; i.e. that are carnal and unregenerate persons, in a mere natural state. DO MIND THE THINGS OF THE FLESH; either such things as are absolutely evil, and are called, _the works of the flesh,_ GALATIANS 5:19; or else such things as are occasionally evil, as riches, ho... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse we have an account of the different end of those that are carnal and spiritual, as in the former we had a description of their different carriage and disposition. FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; i.e. to be of that temper before described, ROMANS 8:5; to _mind_ and affect _the thing... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither can the carnal man look for any better issue, BECAUSE THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD. He doth not say it is an enemy, but in the abstract, it is ENMITY, which heightens and intends the sense: an enemy may be reconciled, as Esau was to Jacob; but enmity cannot be reconciled; as black m... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEN; this verse is a consectary, or it follows from that which went before. THEY THAT ARE IN THE FLESH; not they which are married, as a pope once expounded it; the next verse refels such an absurd conception; but they that are carnal and unregenerate; the same with those who, in ROMANS 8:5, are... [ Continue Reading ]
Here he applies what he had laid down more generally to the believing Romans in particular. NOT IN THE FLESH, BUT IN THE SPIRIT; i.e. not _after the flesh, _ but _after the Spirit, _ (as in ROMANS 8:5), or not carnally, but spiritually minded. IF SO BE THAT; the conjunction here is causal, not condi... [ Continue Reading ]
IF CHRIST BE IN YOU; before he said, the Spirit of God and Christ dwelt in them; here, Christ himself. Christ dwells in believers by his Spirit. THE BODY IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SIN: by _body_ some understand the corrupt and unregenerate part in the godly, as if that were as good as dead in them. But oth... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD; a periphrasis of God the Father. The Son raised himself, 1 THESSALONIANS 2:19, 1 THESSALONIANS 10:18; and yet the Father is said here to raise him from the dead: see notes on ROMANS 1:4. QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES; raise them from a state of mortality, and all... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE; this illative particle sends us to the things before delivered: q.d. Seeing we are not in the flesh, but have the Spirit of God dwelling in us; not only sanctifying and enlivening our souls for the present, but raising and quickening our bodies for the time to come; THEREFORE WE ARE DEBTO... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE; viz. eternally, and never partake of the glorious resurrection before spoken of. The godly themselves need this caution; they must not think, that because they are elected and justified, &c., that therefore they may do and live as they list. THROUGH THE SPIR... [ Continue Reading ]
This proves the latter part of the foregoing verse: Such as by the Spirit do mortify sin, shall live, for THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD; and that appears, because they ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD. He doth not say, as many as live by the Spirit, but, _as are led by the Spirit; _ to show (says one) that t... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse proves the former, that we _are led by the Spirit of God, _ and are his children, and that by an effect of the Spirit in them, which is to enable them to call God FATHER. He doth not here speak of two distinct Spirits, but one and the same Spirit of God, in different persons and at differ... [ Continue Reading ]
The Spirit of adoption doth not only excite us to call upon God as our Father, but it doth ascertain and assure us (as before) that we are his children. And this it doth not by an outward voice, as God the Father to Jesus Christ; nor by an angel, as to Daniel, and the virgin Mary; but by an inward a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF CHILDREN, THEN HEIRS; there is a parallel text in GALATIANS 4:7. It is not so with the children of earthly princes: see 2 CHRONICLES 21:3. JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST; or co-heirs with Christ; he is our elder Brother, and is not ashamed to call us brethren: the inheritance is his by nature, ours... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I RECKON; i.e. I make account, I certainly conclude: see ROMANS 3:28. The word is borrowed either from arithmeticians, who by casting their accounts do find the true and total sum; or from logicians, who by considering the premises do draw the conclusion. NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED; the word prop... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle Peter, speaking of the Epistles of our apostle, in 2 PETER 3:16, saith, that there are _some things_ in them _hard to be understood; _ and some think, by reflecting upon some particular passages in that chapter, he doth more especially respect this context; there is indeed a great deal o... [ Continue Reading ]
If these words be understood of the world, and all the creatures therein contained, then they show the creature's present condition; it is SUBJECT TO VANITY, and that, either in regard of its insufficiency, it falling short of that for which it was first created and ordained; then a thing is said to... [ Continue Reading ]
If this verse be understood of the heavens and the earth, and the things therein, the meaning is, that _the creatures, _ in their kind, and according to their capacity, shall be partakers of that liberty and freedom, which in the children of God is accompanied with unspeakable glory; they shall not... [ Continue Reading ]
If here again the heavens and the earth, with what is therein, be understood, then the apostle further enlargeth upon their present state and condition; before they waited and expected deliverance, now they groan and travail in pain. They also are metaphorical expressions; one is taken for a man who... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle had asserted and concluded, ROMANS 8:18, that there is a future glory to be revealed hereafter in the saints, such as infinitely transcends their sufferings now; and this he had confirmed from the earnest expectation of the creature, (the pronoun _they_ is not in the original), and now h... [ Continue Reading ]
Though we certianly believe there is such a redemption or salvation belonging to us, according to the promise of God, yet for the present we have no possession of it; all the salvation we have at present is in HOPE, which, according to the nature of it, is of things not yet enjoyed, for vision or po... [ Continue Reading ]
q.d. If we indeed hope for redemption and salvation, which is out of sight, then it is meet that we do with patience digest and bear all our present evils and sufferings; true hope is accompanied always with a patient waiting for the things hoped for; therefore you read of the _patience of hope,_ 1... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE: this referreth us, either to the work of the Spirit, before noted, ROMANS 8:11; he quickeneth, and he likewise helpeth: or rather, to _hope, _ in the foregoing verse; hope helpeth to patience, so also the Spirit. HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES; the word imports such help, as when another of great... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SEARCHETH THE HEARTS; this phrase is a periphrasis of God, and is spoken of him after the manner of men. God doth not properly search or inquire into any thing; but because amongst men knowledge comes by searching, therefore, by way of resemblance, this is attributed to God, though that whic... [ Continue Reading ]
Another argument to comfort us under the cross, from the benefits of it; WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS, &C. It is not matter of guess only and conjecture, but of certainty and assurance. How is this known? 1. By the testimony of God; the Scripture tells us as much, PSALMS 128:1,2 ISA 3:10. 2. By our own... [ Continue Reading ]
Having let fall a word in the former verse concerning the _purpose_ of God, he thinks good, in what follows, to pursue that subject, and a little to enlarge upon it. WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW; i.e. with a knowledge of approbation; for otherwise, he foreknew all persons and things: or, whom he did forekno... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath already given them the beginning and pledge thereof in grace; and will in due time bring them to the possession of eternal life and glory. Some, under this term of glorification would have sanctification included; because, otherwise, they think there is a great defect in this chain of salvat... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SHALL WE THEN SAY TO THESE THINGS? Some refer this question to what is said in the verses immediately preceding: others, to what he had said, ROMANS 8:28; and others go higher, and refer it to all that he said before. Some by _these things_ understand afflictions and sufferings more especially;... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON: this phrase either shows the bounty of God, that he did not withhold Christ; or the severity of God, that he did not favour, but afflict and punish him, ISAIAH 53:4,5,11. BUT DELIVERED HIM UP: see ACTS 2:23. This doth not excuse Judas, no, nor Pilate and the Jews; tho... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL LAY ANY THING TO THE CHARGE OF GOD'S ELECT? Who can implead such, or put in any accusation against them? There is nothing to accuse them of, they are justified; and there is none to accuse them: IT IS GOD THAT JUSTIFIETH; the Supreme Judge hath absolved them. This seems to be taken out of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH? As none can accuse the elect of God, so much less can any condemn them, see ROMANS 8:1. IT IS CHRIST THAT DIED; and it is he that is the Judge, and must condemn them, if they be condemned. His deatk frees them from condemnation; thereby he hath made a sufficient atonement... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL SEPARATE US? He continues his triumph: he does not say what, but _who; _ though he instanceth in things, and not in persons, yet it is expressed personally, because that these things do commonly do us hurt in the improvement of persons, whether of Satan or wicked men, who are instrumental... [ Continue Reading ]
He cites this testimony to prove that none of the forementioned evils, no, not death itself, can separate believers from the love of Christ: it is taken out of PSALMS 44:22. The argument seems to be this: The saints of old have endured all manner of sufferings, and yet were not separated from the lo... [ Continue Reading ]
NAY, IN ALL THESE THINGS; i.e. in _tribulation, distress, _ & c. as before, ROMANS 8:35. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS; or, we overcome. We conquer when we ourselves are conquered; we conquer by those which are wont to conquer others; we beat our enemies with their own weapons. The meaning seems to be... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I AM PERSUADED; or, I am fully assured, not by any special revelation, but by _the same spirit of faith, _ which is common to all believers, 2 CORINTHIANS 4:13. NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE; i.e. neither fear of death, nor hope of life. NOR ANGELS. 1. The evil angels; for the good angels would not a... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH; i.e. neither the height of honour and worldly advancement, nor the depth of disgrace and worldly abasement. Some take _height_ and _depth_ for a comprehensive expression, which the Scripture uses, when he takes in all, and leaves nothing out. NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE; this is ad... [ Continue Reading ]