Romans 8

Here a Christian's grace is imperfect, he cannot write a copy of holiness without blotting. He is said to receive but Primitas Spiritus, the first fruits of the Spirit, Grace in Fieri (Romans 8:23). But at death believers shall arrive at perfection of grace.

6. Believers at Death shall gain perfection of holiness. Here grace was but in Cunabulis, in its cradle, very imperfect; we cannot write a copy of holiness without blotting: believers are said to receive but Primitias Spiritus, the first fruits of the Spirit (Romans 8:23). But a…

Christ said to his Father, as Rebecca to Jacob, Upon me, upon me, be the curse, let the blessing be upon them, but upon me be the curse. And now there's no condemnation to believers (Romans 8:1). An unbeliever has a double condemnation; one from the law which he has transgressed…

(Romans 8:34) Who also makes intercession for us. When Aaron entered into the holy place, his bells gave a sound; so Christ having entered into Heaven, his intercession makes a melodious sound in the ears of God.

Had not Christ suffered on the Cross, we must have lain in Hell for ever satisfying God's justice. 2. The severity of God: Though it were his own Son, the son of his love, and our sins were but imputed to him, yet God did not spare him (Romans 8:32), but his wrath did flame agai…

Romans 8:30 Them he also called. Quest. 20. What is effectual calling?

Repentance is not in the outward severities used to the body — penance, fasting, and chastising the body — but it consists in the sacrifice of a broken heart; thanksgiving does not stand in church music, the melody of an organ, but rather making melody in the heart to the Lord (…

And the glory you have given me, I have given them; there is possession. Glory shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18), not only revealed to us, but in us. To behold God's glory, there is glory revealed to us; but to partake of his glory, there is glory revealed in us.

There is none else to shield off the wrath of God from us (1 Thessalonians 1:10): Jesus has delivered us from wrath to come. 3. Subject to all outward miseries: All the troubles incident to man's life are the bitter fruits of original sin; the sin of Adam has subjected the creat…

Not that he could go out of God's sight, but the meaning is, Cain went from the church and people of God, where the Lord gave visible tokens of his presence. Third Sign of Adoption: To have the conduct of God's Spirit (Romans 8:14). As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are t…

Resp. It is not vocal, any audible voice, or brought to us by the help of an Angel, or Revelation; assurance consists of a practical syllogism, where the Word of God makes the major, conscience the minor, the Spirit of God the conclusion. The Word says, He that fears and loves G…

Resp. The whole Trinity, all the persons in the blessed Trinity have a hand in the Justification of a sinner: Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa. God the Father is said to justify (Romans 8:33). It is God that justifies. God the Son is said to justify (Acts 13:39). By him a…

He is enslaved. Thus sinners are in the house of bondage, but God takes his elect out of this house of bondage: He beats off the chains and fetters of sin: He rescues them from their slavery: He makes them free, by bringing them into the glorious liberty of the children of God (…

2. He will bless us with peace (Psalm 29:11): The Lord will bless his people with peace: Outward peace, which is the nurse of plenty (Psalm 147:14): He makes peace in your borders: Inward peace, a smiling conscience: This is sweeter than the dropping honey. 2. God will turn all…

That I may be found in him. Faith implants us into Christ, it ingarrisons us in him; and then there's no condemnation (Romans 8:1). There's no standing before Christ but by being in Christ.

In particular, this is one branch of his wisdom, that he knows what is best for us: An earthly parent knows not in some intricate cases how to advise his child, or what may be best for him to do; but God is a most wise Father; he knows what is best for us; he knows when comfort…

So I prayed to the God of Heaven. 4. Conceived prayer; when we pray for those things which God puts into our heart (Romans 8:26). The Spirit helps us with sighs and groans.

3. You that are Christians, believe that all God's providences shall conspire for the good of his people, and shall promote their salvation at last. The providences of God are sometimes dark, and our eyes dim, and we can hardly tell what to make of them: but when we cannot unrid…

Yet further, the power and Godhead of the Holy Ghost appeared in the effecting the glorious conception of our Lord Jesus Christ; the very shadow of the Holy Ghost made a virgin conceive (Luke 1:35). The Holy Ghost works miracles, which transcend the sphere of nature; as raising…

One day's wearing the crown will abundantly pay for all the Saints' sufferings — how much more than when they shall reign for ever and ever (Revelation 22:5). O let this support you under all the calamities and sufferings in this life: what a vast difference is there between a b…

Secondly, in the foregoing verses he had spoken of justification, whereby God pardons our sins and accepts our persons. The prophet, or Christ in the person of his elect (as some interpret), having expressed his assurance of this: 'God is near that justifies me, who shall condem…

Why does he sometimes assist us in prayer and fill our sails, and again at other times leave our hearts empty? Is it not that we may learn that lesson of Romans 8:26 — that it is the Spirit who helps our weaknesses and that we of ourselves know not what nor how to ask? In like m…

For our spirit — that is, our graces — never witnesses alone; but if God's Spirit does not join in testimony therewith, it is silent. 'The Spirit of God witnesses with our spirits' (Romans 8:16). Now therefore, when God has withdrawn his testimony, then the testimony of our hear…

For the Spirit is not the direct efficient or positive cause of them. And to this end we may consider that known place: Romans 8:16: 'You have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again, but the spirit of adoption.' The right understanding of which will also prevent an obj…

The righteousness of his life and death is not only a sufficient ransom (1 Timothy 2:6), but there is 'plenteous redemption' in it (Psalm 130) — yes, to superfluity, as the apostle's phrase implies (1 Timothy 1:14), overfull, more than would serve the need, and that to pardon th…

God's General calling, is, whereby he calls all men to repentance by the Gospel, and so to life eternal. Of this, speaks the Apostle, Romans 8:30. Whom God predestinated, them also he called: and Romans 11:29.

This is a sovereign remedy against immoderate grief in the greatest distress: and, undoubtedly the floods of affliction shall never overwhelm him, that has his heart assured by faith of the mercy of God towards him by Jesus Christ. This made David say, He would not fear evil, th…

Romans 8:28. We know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

2. Sanctification of body and soul (1 Thessalonians 4:3): This is the will of God, even your sanctification, etc. 3. The bearing of affliction in this life (Romans 8:29): Those which he knew before, he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his own son. Philippians 3:1…

It is a blessed work of the spirit. Romans 8:15. We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, that is, father. And Romans 8:26. Likewise the spirit helps our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought: but the spirit itself makes request.

This point is the rather to be marked, because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seen with the eye; and few there be in respect that have felt the virtue thereof in themselves: for the devil does mightily show his contrary power in the greatest part of the world, in…

Answer: It is no lip-labor, it is the putting up of a suit to God, and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man. Romans 8:26. The spirit makes request for us. But how?

It is a metaphor alluding to water, quae ebullit prae ardore, which boils over; a good heart boils over with hot affections in prayer; there may be powder in a gun when there is no fire; some may have good matter in prayer, but no fire of affection to discharge it; prayer withou…

This appears (Genesis 8:21): The frame of man's heart (says the Lord) is evil even from his childhood: that is, the disposition of the understanding, will, affections, with all that the heart of man devises, forms, or imagines, is wholly evil. And Paul says (Romans 8:5): The wis…

Whereby we see they desire a final deliverance of the Church and a destruction of the enemies thereof, that they themselves with all the people of God might be advanced to fullness of glory in body and soul. Yes, the dumb creatures in Romans 8:23 are said to groan and sigh, wait…

Christ says in Matthew 5:6: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied — where by persons hungering and thirsting are meant all such as feel with grief their own want of righteousness and withal desire to be justified and sanctified.…

In original sin are three things: 1, the punishment, which is the first and second death. 2, Guiltiness, which is the binding up of the creature to punishment. 3, the fault or the offending of God, under which I comprehend our guiltiness in Adam's first offense, as also the corr…

The first part of this reason is true, and cannot be denied of any. The second part is proved thus: Saint Paul says (Romans 8:15): We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear: but the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father: adding further, that the same spirit be…

And (Ephesians 2:8-10): By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works which God has prepared that we should walk in them. If any works be crowned, it is certain that the sufferings of Martyrs shall be rewarded: now of them…

Hebrews 12:10: 'But he for our profit.' Romans 8:28: 'All things work together for good.' They are God's workmen upon our hearts, to pull down the pride and carnal security of them.

So working upon it, in order to this self-same thing, continually. To which words there, these here have an evident aspect; yet so, as that time of working is but during this life: for it is while the outward man is moldering, and that by afflictions, which during this moment wo…

For answer to this Question, divers places of scripture are to be skanned; wherein this case of conscience, is fully answered and resolued. The first place is Rom. 8. 16. And the spirit of God testifies together with our spirits, that we are the sonnes of God.

Unto you it is given (says Paul) for Christ, that not onely ye should believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. The Fourth ground of comfort in affliction is, that euery affliction upon the seruants of God, has some special goodnesse in it, Rom. 8. 28. We know that all thing…

We are not sufficient (says the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 3:5) of ourselves as of ourselves to think anything, not so much as a good thought. 2. The Scripture holds him out not only as unable for good, but perverse and bent to everything that is evil (Colossians 1:21), alienated an…

He is better content with your recovery than ever he was discontent or ill-pleased with all the wrong you did to him. Use 3. This word of doctrine lays down the ground on which a sinner sensible of sin may build his expectation of peace with God; The transaction concluded and ag…

Our Lord Jesus not only died and was laid in the grave, but he went further in (to speak so,) he was even at the bar of Justice, libelled, exacted upon and sentenced, and the sentence executed upon him, else, woe had been to us. On this ground is that triumph, Romans 8: Who shal…

For 1. Has a believing sinner to do with challenges at the bar of justice, is it not unspeakable consolation that their debt is paid? Hence it is said (Romans 8:33), Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies; who shall condemn?

Thus you see what is the meaning of these words, "my people" — that is, his elect people in or by the decree of election. I shall shortly give you some few grounds from Scripture to clear and confirm this truth; the first of which is taken from the names that the people of God g…

We grant indeed that the people of God are free of sin in these respects. 1. In this respect, that no sin can condemn them, they are not under the Law but under Grace in that respect (Romans 8:1). It is said that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ. 2. In this res…

3. In respect of His having had a hand actively in them; and as he was the chief party that pursued Christ; it was He that was exacting the elect's debt of Him; therefore the Lord looks over Pilate and Herod to Him; and says to Pilate you could have no power over me except it we…