The first blessed effect and sweet fruit of our justification by faith, is peace and reconciliation with God. Pardon and peace go together, and accompany one another;. sinner being discharged from guilt, and thereby from his obnoxiousness to God's wrath, is instantly brought into. state of friendshi... [ Continue Reading ]
A second benefit which flows from justification by faith, is our admission to GRACE and favour with God: This is. privilege beyond the former;. traitor may be pardoned by his prince, and yet not admitted into the presence of his prince; as Absolem's crime was forgiven, but he must not see his father... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle mentioneth. fourth benefit flowing from justification by faith; and that is, glorying in their present sufferings. He told us before, that justified persons, being at peace with God, rejoiced in hopes of future glory; but, says he, that is not all, they glory in their present tribul... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse, the apostle sets forth the efficacy of Christ's love towards us before justification: He had. love towards us when we were sinners, which prevailed with him to die for sinners; WHEN WE WERE YET WITHOUT STRENGTH, CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. Note here, 1. Man's condition by nature des... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle amplifies, extols, and magnifies the love of Christ in dying for us, when we were enemies to him; by comparing his love to us, with our love to one another: He intimates to us, that amongst men it is very rare and seldom known that one man will lay down his life to save another's; b... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, How the scripture distinctly represents the love of God in giving Christ to die for us, as well as Christ's love in dying for us: GOD COMMENDED HIS LOVE; declared expressed and made manifest his love to us: Christ's death is often represented in scripture, as an instance of the great l... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "He that loved us when we were enemies, will not damn us now we are his children. He that reconciled us to himself by his Son's death, that is, for the sake of his Son's sufferings, and satisfaction, will certainly save us from wrath to come by his life, or for the sake o... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "And moreover, we are not only reconciled to, but we glory and rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement or reconciliation." Here note, The Christian's great duty to rejoice, the cause of that is joy, his reconciliation with God... [ Continue Reading ]
The doctrine of original sin is not more difficult to be understood, than it is necessary to be known: the apostle here declares the manner how sin and death entered the world, namely, by the fall of Adam the first man: BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, AND DEATH BY SIN. Note, 1. An unhappy pa... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle having asserted the doctrine of original sin in the former verse, he prosecutes and pursues it in this and the following verses: asserting, That it is evident all have sinned, because sin was always in the world; not only after the giving of the law by Moses, but also before, even from t... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle had asserted, That sin was in the world before the written law of Moses; here he proves it thus: "Death, the wages of sin, did reign in the world, and had power over all mankind from Adam to Moses; therefore sin was in the world from Adam to Moses." BY THEM THAT HAVE NOT SINNED AFTER THE... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle having noted the parity and resemblance between Christ and Adam in the foregoing verses; here he observes the disparity and difference betwixt them, and that in several advantageous particulars: 1. He compares the sin of Adam with the obedience of Christ, and shews that the sin of the o... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe, here, How the apostle informs us of. truth, which all the writing of PHILOSOPHERS never acquainted us with; namely, the meritorious imputation of Adam's sin to all his posterity; that all mankind sinned in Adam, and became obnoxious to death, and all other calamities and miseries, as. punis... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW ENTERED THAT SIN MIGHT ABOUND; That is, before the law was written, we became obnoxious to death by one man's disobedience, without much sense of it; but after the law was given by Moses, sin did more clearly and conspicuously appear to be sin: Its odiousness and ugliness was more manifest t... [ Continue Reading ]