Romans 8:30

them he also called See above, on Romans 8:28, last note but one. In this chain of past tenses, the whole process is viewed as in its eternal completeness. We look back, as it were, from the view-point of glory.

justified See on Romans 2:13. The links in this golden chain are strictly consecutive. The "call" was to obedient faith;therefore justification, by the Divine order, followed. See cch. 3, 4, 5.

glorified A past tense used, with wonderful power, of a thing future. (See ch. Romans 5:2, where we have the "hopeof the glory of God.") So indissoluble is the chain that the last link is here viewed as an accomplished fact because the first links are so. See, for a remarkable illustration, Ephesians 2:4-6. There the saints are already "seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" such is their union with Him that, just as they are viewed as having gone through penal death, because He died, so they are viewed as having entered heaven, (as regards rightof entrance), because He ascended.

It seems difficult, without violence to both the letter and spirit of this passage, to deny that it represents the salvation of "the children of God" as a line drawn from eternity to eternity: first, a sovereign Choice of souls; then the Call of the chosen, resulting in their Faith and their Acceptance; then the final entrance on heavenly Bliss of these same called ones; and also their Note and characteristic now, Love to God. The "scheme" thus indicated, called by whatever name, has always met with earnest criticism and opposition; but it is the only one which naturally fits St Paul's language here and in ch. 9. It is reallyalien from Scripture only when it is stated as if it were a plan of which we saw the whole:assuredly in these things "we know in part". But this does not mean that we are not to accept what is revealed, just so far as it is revealed, with sincere submission, and with that encouragement and joyful assurance which certainly this passage, on any view of it, was meantto excite. See, on the whole subject, the equally careful and decided language of the 17th English Church Article; especially noting that the doctrine here stated is there viewed (in the spirit of this passage) as "full of unspeakable comfort[39]." It must also be remembered that in the scheme in question the sanctificationof the saved is viewed as quite as much fore ordained, and quite as necessary a part of the process, as any other; and that the only evidence to the consciencethat the person is "foreknown" lies, not in any intuition of a Divine decree, but in the presence of faith and love, and their fruits, in heart and life. These will be always attributed, and justly, to Divine grace alone:but the presence of that grace will be traced in them alone.

[39] See further, Appendix F.