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…

Galatians 6:4. God sent forth his Son made of a Woman; he was his Son, and was made of a woman; according as he expresses it (Hebrews 10:5), A body have you prepared Me; as also (Romans 8:3). Philippians 2:5, 6, 7.

(Romans 3:23) For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 8:7) The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Ephesians 4:18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God thro…

Now guilt is properly an obligation binding a person over to suffer punishment for some transgression which he is fallen under; condemnation is a passing of a sentence formally upon such an one, adjudging of him so to suffer: and there is only this difference between these two,…

If you have thus believed, you are then in Christ Jesus, and you shall be found in him, and being so, you are delivered from all grounded fear of evil, and have reason to expect to partake in all needful good: briefly, that you are every way as safe as can be desired, for [illeg…

(1) Luke 18:1; Chap. 21:36; Romans 12:5; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2. (2) Ephesians 4:8, 12, 13; Romans 8:15, 16; Galatians 4:6. (3) Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 4:5.

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…

And as he which continues in Christ's word is verily his disciple: so he that does not fall away, but abides a sheep, is verily a sheep. Romans 8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Romans 10:29: The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Here we see that Paul distinguishes God's eternal purpose and election, and places in his decree a certain election in the first place before the purpose of damning or saving. And in Romans 8:29-30: those which he knew before, he also predestinated to be made like to the image o…

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…

Seventhly, lastly, there is no society that has such privileges, as this spiritual house, which is constituted according to the Magna Charta of the gospel (Matthew 28:18, 19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16), though while they are in the world, they are for the faith of Jesus the Christ kill…

He quickened us, since he acknowledges a passive receiving of Christ, he must acknowledge a passive faith: for there is no receiving of Christ, but by faith. In a book of choice English sermons, that goes under the name of Doctor Sybbs, and our Brother Hooker, and Master Davenpo…

Zancheus his judgement, though he was a godly and an eminent learned man, yet I would not have named him, but that Mr. Perkins highly approved his discourse, and translated it, as a choice piece, into his own volume, which makes it obvious to every godly reader, that studies Per…

We harden the obstinate Papist in their superstition; for they say, and that truly, we received most of our forms of prayer and praise from them. We rob the Spirit of his glory, who is given to Saints to form prayer and praise in them (1 Corinthians 14:15, 16; Romans 8:26; Galat…

There ensued also an enmity between man and all the creation here below. The sin of man had brought all things into a condition of vanity and bondage, which they groan to be delivered from (Romans 8:20, 21, 22). And the Earth the common mother of them all, as it were to revenge…

(2) By the evidence of faith when any thing is believed on grounds infallible, namely, the revelation of the mind of God in the Scripture, or the Promises of the Gospel. So he uses this word (Romans 8:34), [in non-Latin alphabet], for I am perswaded that neither death nor life,…

The introduction of all imperfection and weakness in the Church was by sin. This made the Law weak (Romans 8:3), and sinners to be without strength (Romans 5:7). Therefore the reduction of Perfection must in the first place be by righteousness.

The End it directed to was Righteousness before God: But this could never be attained by an Obedience to it, nor was it ever intended that so it should do. This the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh (Romans 8:3). And therefore those who pursued and followed…

And the defective speech is to be supplied by [in non-Latin alphabet], made perfect; as we do it by did, that is, did make all things perfect. To the same purpose the Apostle expresses himself in other words (Romans 8:3): For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak throug…

1. He was not separate from them as to community of nature. For God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). He sent him in the flesh, for he sent him made of a woman, made under the Law (Galatians 4:4), wherein the Word was made flesh (John 1:14); but he s…

But it became necessary from the state and condition of them with whom this covenant was made, and the especial nature of this covenant. This the Apostle declares (Romans 8:3): For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the li…

To the same purpose he argues (Chap. 7:11, 19). And with respect to this end it is said that the Law was weak (Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:21; Acts 13:38, 39). In brief, that which the Apostle designeth to prove is that the first Covenant was of that constitution, that it could not…

He was appointed Heir of all things (chapter 1:3). By him is it communicated to all believers, who thereby become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:15, 16, 17). For the Lord Christ as the great Testator did in and by his death bequeath to them all his goods, as…

It is the name of taking away the force, power, and obligation of a law. The power of sin, as to all its effects and consequents whether sinful or penal, is called its law; the law of sin (Romans 8:2). And of this law as of others, there are two parts or powers.

What was in the tables of stone was nothing but a transcript of what was written in the heart of man originally; and which is returned there again by the grace of the new Covenant (Jeremiah 32:35; 2 Corinthians 3:3). 3. Although this Law as a Covenant, was broken and disannulled…

And how do we become heirs of this inheritance? Merely by God's gratuitous adoption; so our Apostle declareth fully this whole matter (Romans 8:15, 16, 17). "You have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father; the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit th…