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HOMILETIC^E:
(PHINCIPALLY IN THE FORM OF SKELETONS)
NOW FIRST DIGESTED INTO ONE CONTINUED SERIES,
AND FORMING A COMMENTARY
Cl ON EVERY BOOK OF
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT;
TO WHICH IS ANNEXED,
AN IMPROVED EDITION OF A TRANSLATION OF
CLAUDE S ESSAY ON THE COMPOSITION OF A SERMON.
IN TWENTY-ONE VOLUMES.
BY THE REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A.
SF.MOR FELLOW OF KING S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
ROMANS.
LONDON:
HOLDSWOHTH AND BALL,
AMEN CORNER, PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCC XXXIII.
CONTENTS TO VOL. XV.
....cour...
Text
suhjeot.
Pjjje.
1819.
1820.
1821.
1822.
1823.
ROMANS
i. 8.
i. 912.
i. 16.
i. 20, 21.
i. 30.
A Minister s Joy over his People .
Paul s Love to the Church at Rome .
No Man to be ashamed of the Gospel
The lost State of the Gentile World .
Men Haters of God
1
5
9
16
22
1824.
1825.
1826.
ii. 35.
ii. 611.
ii. 1723.
Those who judge Others, judged ,
The Rule of God s future Judgment .
Inconsistent Christians remonstrated
28
35
41
1827.
ii. 28, 29.
The Nature and Excellence of true
47
1828.
1829
iii. 1, 2.
iii. 3, 4.
Christians Advantages above Heathens
The Folly of Unbelief
51
5,">
1830.
1831.
1832.
1833.
iii. 1020.
iii. 20.
iii. 21, 22.
iii. 24 26.
The Extent of Man s Depravity .
Our Violations of every Commandment
The Believer s Righteousness .
The Justice of God in justifying Sin-
61
65
75
79
1834.
1835.
1836.
1837
iii. 27, 28.
iii. 31.
iv. 18.
iv. 7, 8.
Justification without Boasting .
Faith establishes the Law ....
Justification by Faith alone ....
83
89
92
100
1838.
iv. 16.
Justification by Faith necessary to the
Honour of God and the Happiness of
Man .
106
1 OQQ
i v> 20 25.
112
1840.
v. 15.
Benefits arising from a justifying
116
1841.
1842.
v. 610.
v. 11.
The Believer s Security in Christ
Happiness of the more-advanced Be
liever .........
121
127
VI
CONTENTS.
,_.,
TfXt.
Subject
Page.
1843.
ROMANS
V. 18, 19.
Death by Adam, and Life by Christ .
132
1844.
v. 20, 21.
The abundant Grace of God . .
137
1845.
vi. 14.
The Gospel secures the Practice of
Holiness
141
1846.
vi. 811.
The Christian risen tcith Christ in
newness of Life
146
1847.
vi. 14.
j j
A Promise of Victory over Sin
150
1848.
vi. 17.
Conversion a Ground of Thanksgiving
153
1849.
vi. 21.
Unprofitableness and Folly of Sin
156
1850.
vi. 23.
Man s Desert, and God s Mercy .
161
1851.
vii. 4.
Deadness to the Law, and Union with
Christ
165
1852.
vii. 7.
The spirituality of the Law
168
1853.
vii. 9.
The spirituality of the Law
171
1854.
vii. 18 23.
Spiritual Conflicts of Believers .
174
1855.
vii. 24, 25.
Paul s spiritual Conflicts ....
181
1856.
viii. 1.
The Privilege of true Christians .
185
1857.
viii. 2.
The Gospel frees Men from Sin and
Death
188
1858.
viii. 3, 4.
Christ the Author of our Sanctijication
191
1859.
viii. 5.
The carnal and the spiritual Man
195
1860.
viii. 6.
The carnal and spiritual Mind con-
199
1861.
viii. 7, 8.
Vileness and Impotency of the natural
Man
202
1862.
viii. 9.
Necessity of having the Spirit of Christ
205
1863.
viii. 9.
The Offices of the Holy Spirit
209
1864.
viii. 9.
Our Need of the Holy Spirit .
223
1865.
viii. 9.
The Spirit s Work in Unbelievers
237
1866.
viii. 9.
The Spirit s Work in Believers .
250
1867.
viii. 12.
God s dwelling in us is a Motive to
265
1868.
viii. 13.
267
1869.
viii. 14.
The Leadings of the Spirit ....
270
1870.
viii. 15.
Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption .
276
1871.
viii. 16.
The Witness of the Spirit ....
283
1872.
viii. 17.
The Privileges of God s Children
286
1873.
viii. 18.
Present Troubles and future Glory .
290
CONTENTS.
Vjl
Discourse.
Text.
subject.
p.*.
1874.
ROMANS
viii. 23.
The State of God s Children . .
294
1875
viii. 24, 25.
The Office of Hope ....
300
1876
viii. 26.
The Work of the Spirit in strength
ening Men for Suffering or Duty .
307
1877
viii. 28.
All Things work for Good ....
310
1878
viii. 29, 30.
Predestination considered .
312
1879
viii. 32.
God s Gift of his Son a Ground for
expecting every other Blessing .
321
1880.
viii. 33, 34.
Paul s Confidence
324
1881.
viii. 38, 39.
Paul s Assurance of persevering .
329
1882.
ix. 14.
The Privileges of Jews and Christians
333
1883.
ix. 15.
Our Duty towards the Jews
338
1884.
ix. 6.
Israel in the midst of Israel .
344
1885.
ix. 16.
God s sovereign Mercy the Source of
all our Blessings
v> " 1
1886.
ix. 1924.
God s Sovereignty not to be arraigned
358
1887.
ix. 3033.
Christ rejected by the Jews, and be
lieved on by the Gentiles
367
1888.
x. 1.
Paul s Love to his Brethren . . .
372
1889.
x. 4.
Christ the End of the Law for Right
eousness
377
1890.
x 810
Gospel Salvation
t) i i
1891.
x. 1215.
Salvation by Christ universally to be
proclaimed
389
1892.
x. 20, 21.
Christ made known to the Gentiles .
394
1893.
xi. 5.
The Lord s People a chosen Remnant
400
1894.
xi. 6.
Grace and Works opposed to each
other as Grounds of Salvation . .
407
1895.
xi. 11, 12.
The Restoration of the Jews a Bless
ing to the Gentiles
413
1896.
xi. 1721.
Neglect of the Jews reproved .
419
1897.
xi. 20.
Against Pride and Security .
424
1898.
xi. 22 24.
The Dispensations of God totvards
428
1899.
xi. 2527.
The future Salvation of all Israel
442
1900.
xi. 28, 29.
The Jews still beloved of God for their
Fathers sake
445
1901.
xi. 30, 31.
The Gospel given to us as a Deposit
451
Vlll
CONTENTS.
1..C.,.
Te x t
Subject.
Page.
ROMANS
1902.
xi. 33.
The Unsearchableness of God s Ways
456
1903.
xi. 3436.
God All in All
463
1904.
xii. 1.
Devotedness to God recommended .
467
1905.
xii. 2.
Against Conformity to the World .
471
1906.
xii. 3.
Sobriety of Mind enjoined ....
476
1907.
xii. 48.
Christians are all Members of one Body
481
1908.
xii. 912.
Christian Duties to God and Man
explained ........
487
1909.
xii. 15.
Suimoathu recommended .
492
1910.
xii. 21.
J 3
Overcoming Evil with Good
499
1911.
xiii. 1 7.
Duty to Civil Governors ....
503
1912.
xiii. 11.
The Nearness of Salvation a Motive to
510
1913.
xiii. 12.
513
1914.
xiii. 14.
Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ .
515
1915.
xiv. 7 9.
The Extent and Grounds of Chris
tian Obedience ......
520
1916.
xiv. 10 12.
523
1917.
xiv. 1719.
/
Practical Christianity illustrated .
528
1918.
xiv. 22.
Regard to Conscience recommended .
534
1919.
xv. 13.
Self-denying Love inculcated .
540
1920.
xv. 5, 6.
Preferring the Good of Others
547
1921.
xv. 812.
The Universality of Christ s Kingdom
549
1922.
xv. 13.
The Holy Ghost, the Author of Hope
553
1923.
xv. 15, 16.
Ministering to the Gentiles, a good
556
1924.
xv. 26, 27.
Christians Debtors to the Jews
561
1925.
xv. 29.
The Gospel a Source of Blessings
579
1926.
xv. 30.
Prayer for Ministers
586
1927.
xvi. 19, 20.
j j
Practical Wisdom recommended .
592
1928.
xvi. 20.
r >96
ROMANS.
MDCCCXIX.
A MINISTER S JOY OVER HIS PEOPLE.
Rom. i. 8. / thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all.
AS a title of honour, a minister may assume the
character of an ambassador from God. But the
paternal relation is that which exhibits him before
us in the most endearing view. Under the character
of a father, St. Paul frequently addressed his con
verts*. Sometimes he even compared himself with
a mother " travailing in birth with them b ;" yea, and
as a nursing mother, drawing forth, as it were, the
breast to them, and " desiring to impart to them his
very soul, because they were so dear to him ." There
is scarcely one of his Epistles which does not begin
with thanking God for them, and pouring forth his
petitions in their behalf. The Church of Rome,
though he had " never yet seen their face in the
flesh," were exceeding dear to him; and the more
so, because the fame of their attainments had spread
throughout the whole world. They were not all
equally eminent ; yet for all of them, without excep
tion, did he return thanks to God : nor did he think
it at all necessary to abstain from bestowing just
commendations upon them d . Nor shall we do wrong,
if, with paternal regard, we express our thankfulness
to God for the blessings he has bestowed on those
over whom he has placed us, and whom he has
graciously committed to our pastoral care.
a 1 Thess, ii. 11. b Gal. iv. 19.
c 1 Thess. ii. 7, 8. d Rom. xv. 14.
VOL. XV. B
2 ROMANS, I. 8. [1819.
We give thanks to God, therefore, brethren, for
you all :
I. For those of you who have begun to manifest a
concern for your souls
Truly this is a just ground of thanksgiving to God
[Look at the world around you, and see how regardless
men are of their eternal interest - They even put God
far from them ; saying, " We desire not the knowledge of thy
ways" Every thing occupies in their minds a higher
place than God
But we need not think of others. Look only at your own
conduct, from your youth up, till the moment that God was
pleased to open your eyes to a sense of your guilt and danger.
See how little you cared for God, or for your own souls.
Instead of living unto Him who died for you, even to the Lord
Jesus Christ who bought you with his blood, you lived alto
gether to yourselves, and were, so to speak, " without God in
the world" It is possible that some few may have
known God, like Timothy, from their very childhood, and
never experienced any remarkable change, whether of heart
or life. But this is the lot of very few. The great mass of
believers were once as manifestly alienated from God as the
world around them still are. Compare, then, your present
with your former state; and say if there be not reason to bless
and adore God for the change that has been wrought in
you ]
We do then, and will, thank God through Jesus
Christ in your behalf
[The change has proceeded from God alone. It was he
who first " opened your heart to attend to the things which
were spoken" in his blessed word. He quickened you from
the dead ; endued you with, I will not say new faculties, but
certainly with new dispositions; by means of which, you have
been brought to hate the ways which you once followed, and
to seek the things which you once despised And it is
for Christ s sake that God has vouchsafed this great mercy,
even for the sake of him who bought you with his blood, and
intercedes for you at the right hand of God Through
that Saviour, then, will I render thanks to God, and bless him
for all that he has done for your souls. It may be that, at
present, your attainments are but small. But God forbid
that I should " despise the day of small things." It is true,
also, that where the change is but small, and but recently
experienced, we have not that confidence in your state which
we feel in reference to more advanced Christians. But never
theless we rejoice, even as the angels in heaven do, at the
1819.] A MINISTER S JOY OVER HIS PEOPLE. 3
first return of a repenting sinner to his God : and we desire
to pray to God that he would establish all which he has
wrought in you, and confirm unto the end the blessed work
he has begun.]
But with yet greater delight will we return thanks,
II. For those who have made some progress in the
Divine life
Over such persons we rejoice with very exalted
joy
[Of those who begin a heavenly course, how many " run
well only for a season ! " The stony-ground hearers are very
numerous ; and their end most deeply to be bewailed. Ho\v
many thousands are turned aside by the fear of man ; and
" leave off to behave themselves wisely," because they cannot
bear the cross which an adherence to Christ would bring upon
them ! The cares of this life, also, arrest many in their course,
and drag them down to the concerns of this perishing world.
And not a few are ensnared by the lusts of the flesh, which
they will not mortify ; or by the vanities of the world, which
they cannot prevail upon themselves to renounce. Even in the
apostolic age there were many, who, " after having known the
way of righteousness, have forsaken it," and " turned back as a
dog to his vomit, and as the sow that has been washed to her
wallowing in the mire"- Shall we not bless God, then,
for those who have maintained a steadfastness in the ways of
God, and have made their profiting to appear? Surely, if
augmented growth in corporeal and intellectual strength in a
child be a ground of joy and gratitude to his parent, much
more must a progress in the divine life, amongst his hearers, be
an occasion of praise and thanksgiving to him who " watches
over them in the Lord"- ]
We do then bless God, through Jesus Christ, for
you
[We well know to what temptations you are exposed,
and what conflicts with sin and Satan you have had to main
tain ; and we therefore adore him who has graciously given you
strength according to your day, and held you up in his ever
lasting arms. O ! when we think of the account which poor
apostates have to give, and how fearful will be their condition
in the eternal world ; and when, on the other hand, we con
template your future prospects ; we cannot but bless God for
you. Yes, whilst for them we weep, and would have " our eyes
as a fountain of tears to run down night and day;" for you we
would adore and magnify our God, and implore him to " per
fect that which concerns you," that what he has begun in grace
may be consummated in glory
4 ROMANS, I. 8. [1819.
Most of all, however, must we thank God,
III. For those who are walking worthy of their high
and heavenly calling
To such our text more especially refers ; because
the Apostle specifies, as the peculiar ground of his
thanksgiving, that " their faith was spoken of through
out the whole world." Now for such we thank God,
1. Because of the glory which they bring to God
[They live for God: they honour God: they commend
his religion throughout the world. A man of low attainments
causes but a dim light to shine around him: but a man who
" runs well the race that is set before him," is seen of all, and
approved of all, whose judgment in any respect accords with
the mind of God. He is, in fact, " a light in the world :" and
those who behold him are constrained to " glorify our Father
which is in heaven" ]
2. Because of the good they do to mankind
[Who are they that promote the knowledge of God in
the world? Who labour for the salvation of their fellow-
men? I will not say that persons may not give the aid of
their wealth and influence to a religious society from corrupt
motives : but those who set on foot these societies, and exert
themselves with most self-denying labour in them, are the
persons of whom I am now speaking. In truth, but for them
there would be little religious good done in the whole world.
Works of humanity might go on without them : but works of
religion would stagnate altogether. Nothing but apostolic
zeal can do the work of an Apostle : but that work as far
transcends every other, in real excellence and use, as the
effulgence of the sun exceeds the twinkling of a star.]
3. Because of the blessings that await them in a
better world
[Who can contemplate the blessedness of a pious soul
when admitted into the immediate presence of God, and not
rejoice in its welfare? And can we see you, my brethren,
pressing forward in your heavenly course, and labouring inces
santly to finish the work assigned you, and not thank our God
in your behalf? W T ould not the very stones cry out against
us, if we were so insensible, so altogether destitute of love
either to God or man ? For those that are departed in the
faith of Christ we cannot but rejoice : and for you, who are
daily ripening for glory, we cannot but feel a measure of
thankfulness proportioned to the attainments they make, and
the prospects they enjoy.]
1820.] PAUL S LOVE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME. 5
Permit me now to ADDRESS you " all,"
1. Individually
[That which rendered the Christians at Rome so eminent,
was " their faith." Let that grace, then, be cultivated by
every one of you. That is the root from which every other
grace proceeds. Abound in that ; and every other grace will
be carried on and perfected within you.]
2. Collectively-
[Be careful, all of you, that we be not disappointed of our
hope respecting you Then shall we thank God also
for you in the eternal world, and have you as " our joy and
crown of rejoicing" for ever and ever.]
MDCCCXX.
PAUL S LOVE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME.
Rom. i. 9 12. God is my witness, whom I serve with my
spirit in the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make
mention of you always in my prayers ; making request, if by
any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey
by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you,
that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye
may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together
with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
IT has been thought by some, that it would have
been better for the Church if the Gospels only had
been transmitted to posterity, and the Epistles had
perished in oblivion. This impious sentiment origi
nates altogether in men s hatred of the truth ; and it
argues as much ignorance of the Gospels, as it does
ingratitude to God. The Gospels contain all the
same truths as the Epistles ; but the Epistles render
them more clear. Never should we have had so
complete a view of the correspondence between the
Jewish and Christian dispensations, as we are favoured
with in the Epistle to the Hebrews : nor would the
doctrine of justification by faith alone have been so
clearly denned, or so incontrovertibly established, if
the Epistles to the Romans and theGalatians had never
existed. We are moreover indebted to the Epistles
for a much clearer insight into practical religion, than
6 ROMANS, I. 912. [1820.
we ever should have had without them. It is true,
that the example of Christ is perfect, and that the
precepts he has given us are perfect also ; but we
should never have known what heights of piety are
attainable by " men of like passions with ourselves,"
if we had not known more of the Apostles than what
is recorded of them in the Gospels. In the Acts of
the Apostles we behold much of their zeal and dili
gence ; but in the Epistles, the full portrait of a
minister is drawn with a minuteness and accuracy
which we should in vain look for in any other place.
To go no further than to the words before us what
an exalted idea have we of the love which a minister
should bear towards his people, in this solemn decla
ration of St. Paul ! Let us contemplate it awhile :
let us consider the leading points which his words
develope ; and,
I. His love to the Church at Rome
St. Paul was a man of a most enlarged heart : he
loved all that loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ;
as well " those who had not seen his face in the flesh,"
as those who had been converted under his own
ministry. He knew the Christians at Rome only by
report ; yet he felt the most ardent affection for
them ; and shewed that affection.
1. By his incessant prayers for them
[The love which exists among the men of this world
leads them to regard each other s temporal welfare : but spiri
tual and Christian love has respect chiefly to the souls of men;
and consequently exercises itself most in promoting their eter
nal welfare. It was thus that St. Paul manifested his love to
the Christians at Rome : he prayed for them : he knew that
God alone could make them truly happy ; and that he would
regard the intercessions of his people in their behalf: and
therefore " he made mention of them always in his prayers,"
and laboured "without ceasing" to bringdown upon them the
blessings of heaven.
Now this was a decisive proof of love. Indeed by this we
till may try our love, and may ascertain whether it be merely
natural, or truly Christian ; yea, all husbands and wives,
parents and children, ministers and people, may here discern,
not only the nature of their affection, as by a touchstone, but
1820.] PAUL S LOVE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME. 7
the measure of it, as by a scale; and, by examining into the
constancy and fervour of their intercessions for others, may
learn the state of their own souls before God. O that, like
the Apostle, we could appeal to the heart-searching God, and
" call him to witness," that we have this evidence at least of
" serving him with our spirit in the Gospel of his Son !"]
2. By his earnest desire to visit them
[Love naturally affects communion with the objects beloved.
St. Paul no sooner heard of the piety of those at Rome, than he
conceived an ardent affection for them, and a determination of
mind, if a favourable opportunity should present itself, to pay
them a visit. For many years, occurrences had arisen to pre
vent the execution of his purpose 3 : but nothing could abate
his desire of seeing them, when his way thither should be
made clear. Hence, among his other petitions for them, he
prayed particularly and constantly that God would be pleased
to direct his way to them, and to prosper him in his journey
towards them. This, in connexion with the former, was also
a strong evidence of his love : for, had he loved them less, he
might well have left them to the care of their spiritual fathers,
and confined his own ministry to those who were nearer to him
and easier of access. Had they been the peculiar objects of
his charge, and had he laboured for many years exclusively
amongst them, we doubt not but that his desire to see them
would have been still more ardent. At all events we are sure,
that no minister who truly loves his people and his work will
be long absent from his flock without having this the constant
language of his heart, " I long to see you ! " He may be
separated from them " in presence, but not in heart."]
But what were,
II. The particular objects of his intended visit to
them
Rome was then the most magnificent city in the
universe : it was the seat of empire, the capital of
the world. But was it to gratify a vain curiosity, or
to court popularity among the great, that the Apostle
sought to go thither ? No : he had far nobler ends
in view : the true objects of his intended visit were,
1. The advancement of their welfare
[The Apostle was honoured by God with a power of con
ferring miraculous gifts: and these, when conferred, tended
greatly to strengthen the hands of those who preached the
a Rom. xv. 22, 23.
8 ROMANS, I. 912. [1820.
Gospel, and to confirm the faith of them that heard it b . To
this therefore he might in part refer, when he spoke of " im
parting to the Church some spiritual gifts." But he certainly
desired to increase also the graces of the Lord s people ; to
confirm their faith, enliven their hope, and augment their
joy. However exalted their characters were, there was yet
abundant room for improvement ; and he hoped to be a blessed
instrument in the hands of God for the advancing and per
fecting of his work in their souls. For this end, God is pleased
to make use of his ministering servants. On them he confers
the honour, not merely of awakening men from the sleep of
death, but of " building them up also on their most holy faith,"
and completing them, as a spiritual edifice, for his own immediate
residence. O blessed work indeed ! Well might the Apostle
desire to be engaged in it, wherever his labours might be
successfully employed : for surely no labour can be so great,
no suffering so heavy, but it is richly compensated, if this end
be in any measure produced.]
2. The comfort of his own soul
[Next to the happiness of communion with God, is that of
fellowship with his believing people. To be appreciated, it
must be felt : no one can have any conception of that oneness
of heart and mind which exists in the Lord s people, unless he
himself has experienced it. When their faith is in lively exer
cise, and their souls are humbled in the dust, and their hearts
overflow with love, who shall give us any adequate idea of their
felicity? Certainly it is nearly allied to the happiness of heaven ;
or rather, it is an anticipation and foretaste of heaven itself.
This happiness the Apostle assuredly expected to enjoy among
the people at Rome : yea, this happiness does every faithful
minister enjoy, according to the degree in which his own soul
is devoted to God, and the people to whom he ministers have
imbibed his spirit.
O that it may be known and felt amongst us ; and that we
may increasingly reap this fruit of our intercourse with each
other !]
IMPROVEMENT
1. Let us be thankful to God, who has heard and
answered our supplications
[That you have remembered your minister, we have no
doubt: and " God is witness" that he has not been unmind
ful of you ; and now our heavenly Benefactor has graciously
renewed to us our opportunities of uniting together in our
wonted exercises of prayer and praise. Let us then be thank-
b This is strongly marked in his appeal to the Galatians, Gal. iii. 2, 5.
1821.] N0 MAN TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL. 9
ful ; yet " not in word only, but in deed and in truth." Let us
consecrate ourselves to him afresh, and strive, with holy ardour,
who shall serve him best. This is the true way in which to
manifest our thankfulness to God. Our offices may differ, as
the offices of the eye and hand ; but, if all of us perform the
proper duties of our station with care and diligence, he will
accept our services, not according to the importance which we
annex to them, but according to the mind with which they
are performed.]
2. Let us continue to pray for his blessing on our
poor endeavours
[It is to no purpose that God has brought us together
again, if he himself be not in the midst of us. " Paul may
plant, and Apollos may water : but it is God alone that can
give the increase." Let us therefore wait upon him continually.
Let us go to him before we meet in the public assembly ; and
retire from thence to our closets again. Let all that we do be
begun, continued, and ended in a humble dependence upon
God. Then shall spiritual gifts be richly imparted to you;
and the whole body of us be comforted and edified.]
MDCCCXXI.
NO MAN TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL.
Rom. i. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ : for it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth.
THE Epistle to the Romans, though first in order*
is by no means first in point of time ; several having,
in fact, been written before it. But in respect of
importance, it justly deserves to take the lead of all
the others. There is no other that is so full and
comprehensive on the great subject of a sinner s jus
tification before God; no other so orderly in its
arrangement, or so argumentative in its statement;
and perhaps no other that is, on the whole, so in
structive. It was written to the Church at Rome,
which, though not planted by St. Paul, had a dis
tinguished place in his regard. He had long wished
to visit that Church, but had been prevented, by a
variety of circumstances, from carrying his purpose
into execution. Now however he announced his
intention of going to them the first opportunity, being
10 ROMANS, I. 16. [1821.
desirous of " having some fruit among them even as
he had had among other Gentiles." He had reason
indeed to expect, that, in that opulent city, the abode
of so many great and learned men, his ministrations
would excite no small measure of contempt: but " he
was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ ;" nor did
he think he had any occasion to be ashamed of it ;
since " it was, and would be, the power of God to
the salvation of all who received it in faith." It were
well if all who profess to believe the Gospel, were like-
minded with him in this particular : but there are
multitudes who, notwithstanding they call themselves
Christians, are in reality ashamed of the Gospel. That
we may assist such persons in discovering their own
character, and induce them to walk worthy of their
holy profession, we shall shew,
I. When we may be said to be ashamed of the
Gospel
Few perhaps imagine that any such evil is im-
putable to them : but they, in fact, are guilty of it,
who, through fear of that disgrace which attaches to
the Gospel, are deterred,
1. From seeking instruction in it
[Many, from what they have seen and heard of the effects
of the Gospel, have a secret conviction that it has an excel
lence far beyond any they have hitherto discovered : and they
would be glad to be better instructed in it: but they dare not
go where it is more fully and plainly set forth, because of the
odium to which they will expose themselves. They are aware
that the very circumstance of attending upon the ministry of
one who is stigmatized as evangelical, will tend to fix a stigma
on their names also, and to produce an apprehension in the
minds of their friends, that they are beginning to favour these
obnoxious tenets. If the same doctrines were delivered in
a church, where they might attend without suspicion, they
would gladly avail themselves of the opportunity to hear them :
but, if any sacrifice of character is to be made in order to get
instruction, they will rather lose the benefit, than purchase
it at such a price. Even a religious book, should it happen
to be in their hands when a friend unexpectedly calls in upon
them, is put away in haste, lest it should draw down a mea
sure of disgrace upon them. Even the Bible itself they would
be afraid to have seen upon their table, if they were supposed
1821.] NO MAN TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL. 11
to be reading it with a view to the welfare of their souls. I
ask then, Whence does all this proceed? and what does it
argue, but that they are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?
They have none of these feelings in reference to other places of
worship, or to other books, no, not even to plays and novels :
it is plain therefore that the Gospel is that which creates the
offence ; and that the dread of the odium attached to it diverts
them from prosecuting the knowledge of it. Such persons may
obtain mercy of the Lord, even as did Nicodemus, whose chil
dren they are ; yea, they may, like him, become distinguished
ornaments of the Gospel : but they are in great danger lest
God give them over to their unworthy fears, and leave them
to " perish for lack of knowledge."]
2. From making an open profession of it
[After that men have attained the knowledge of the truth,
the same evil principle frequently operates in their hearts, to
make them ashamed of confessing it. They see that the
followers of Christ are still at this day, no less than in the
Apostolic age, " a sect that is everywhere spoken against 3 ;"
and they cannot bring their minds to participate their reproach.
They would partake of the blessings of the Gospel, without
" partaking of its affliction :" they would enjoy their Lord s
crown, but not bear his cross. But such cowardice is ex
pressly designated as a being "ashamed of the Gospel b ;" and
it will assuredly rob them of all the advantages which they
desire to possess. If they would be Christ s disciples indeed,
they must " deny themselves, and take up their cross daily,
and follow Christ ." Like Moses, they must " choose to suffer
affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt d :" they must
not be contented with honouring Christ in secret, but must
" follow him without the camp bearing his reproach 6 ." Indeed
it is not reputation merely that they must be willing to sacri
fice, but life also, for Christ s sake : and, if they stop short
of this, they "lose their souls "for ever f . In some respects
these are in a worse state than they of whom we have before
spoken ; because they sin against greater light and knowledge,
and are guilty of infinitely greater ingratitude towards their
Lord, whose love and mercy they inwardly acknowledge, and
from whom they expect all the blessings of grace and glory.
To these therefore our Lord speaks in very awful terms, and
warns them, that as they are ashamed of him, and deny him,
" he will be ashamed of them, and deny them, in the presence
a Acts xxviii. 22. b 2 Tim. i. 8. c Matt. xvi. 24, 25.
<i Ileb. xi. 25, 26. c Heb. xiii. 13. f Matt. x. 38, 39.
12 ROMANS, I. 16. [1821.
of his Father and his holy angels e." " The fearful, no less than
the unbelieving," will have their portion in the lake of fire at
the last day h . " If we will not suffer with Christ, we cannot
reign with him V " With the heart man believeth unto right
eousness ; but with the mouth confession is made, and must
be made, unto salvationV]
3. From walking worthy of it
[Whilst the principles of the Gospel are by the world at
large accounted "foolishness 1 ," the practice enjoined by it is
no less offensive to them, on account of its contrariety to all
the desires and habits of the carnal mind. Hence they who
profess the Gospel are often led into compliances which are
unsuitable to their high calling, and dishonourable to their
profession. Under the idea of " becoming all things to all
men " they belie their consciences, and betray the cause which
they are pledged to serve. They forget that Paul s com
pliances were to save others" 1 -, whilst theirs are only to screen
themselves. But this is " to put their light under a bushel,"
when their duty is " to make it shine before men n ." They
are " not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather to reprove them ," and, like Noah, to
"condemn that world p " which sets itself against the Majesty of
heaven. Instead of " following a multitude to do evil," the
Christian is to consider himself as set by God to be " a light in
the world," that he may " hold forth to others, in the whole of
his spirit and conduct, the word of life q ." And all who are
kept by fear from thus adorning the Gospel, will be numbered
amongst hypocrites and dissemblers with God r . If a den of
lions were to be the recompence of our fidelity to God, we are
not to be intimidated ; we are not to be ashamed*. The Lord
Jesus Christ " endured the cross, and despised the shame" for
us 1 ; and we must brave contempt and death in their most
terrific forms for him.]
Thus all who are deterred from "following the
Lord fully," are, in fact, " ashamed of Christ." But
how unreasonable this conduct is, will appear, whilst
we shew,
II. Why we should not be so
8 Matt. x. 32, 33. and Mark viii. 35, 38. h Rev. xxi. 8.
1 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12. * Rom. x. 10. } 1 Cor. i. 18.
m 1 Cor. ix. 19 23. " To gain the more." Observe how often
that is repeated.
n Matt. v. 14 16. Eph. v. 11. P Heb. xi. 7.
q Phil. ii. 15, 16. r Gal. ii. 1113. Dan. vi. 10.
t Heb. xii. 2.
1821.] NO MAN TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL. 13
Certainly, if any one might reasonably give way to
shame, Paul might, when he contemplated the preach
ing of the Gospel at Rome. For as Rome was the
seat of wealth and science, the preaching of the cross
was likely to be peculiarly offensive to them, inas
much as it poured contempt on all that was valued
there, and required that they should place all their
hopes for time and eternity on a poor despised Jew,
who had suffered the most ignominious of all deaths
from the hands of his own countrymen. But Paul
was not ashamed of the Gospel ; nor had he any real
reason to be so : for,
1. It is a revelation of God s grace to man
[A wonderful mystery it is ; a mystery which all " the
angels of heaven desire to look into," and which, as an ex
pression of God s good-will to man, brings the highest possible
glory to God himself. In it a way of salvation is provided
for fallen man ; a way exactly suited to man s necessities, and
at the same time displaying in perfect harmony all the perfec
tions of the Godhead. It exhibits the Father sending his only
dear Son to take upon him our nature, and to " bear our sins
in his own body on the tree." It represents the co-equal, co-
eternal Son of God actually fulfilling that very office, and
" reconciling us to God by his own blood." It sets forth also
the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the ever blessed Trinity,
undertaking to apply that salvation to the souls of men, and
by his almighty power to render them " meet for the inhe
ritance" prepared for them.
Now I would ask, What is here to be ashamed of? Is that,
in which all " the wisdom of God, and the power of God," are
concentrated and display ed u , an object which we should blush
to acknowledge and confess ? Is that, which is the one theme
of adoration and thanksgiving to all the hosts of heaven, fit to
be disowned by man on earth, so that the very mention of it
shall suffuse his face with shame? Shall sin, in all its varied
forms, stalk abroad with unblushing effrontery, and this glo
rious mystery be veiled for fear of man s reproach ? Abhorred
be the thought ! Let the man that has ever been ashamed of
the Gospel, be ashamed of his own extreme folly and impiety :
and let that which is so glorious in the eyes of all the hea
venly hosts, be henceforth glorious in our eyes ; and let us
" count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of it*."]
1 Cor. i. 24. * Phil. Hi. 8.
14 ROMANS, I. 16. [1821.
2. It is God s instrument for the salvation of a
ruined world
[Look back, and see what it is that has been the means
of saving so many myriads of our fellow-creatures, when of the
fallen angels not so much as one has ever been saved ? What
saved Adam, but the Gospel, which promised that " the seed
of the woman should bruise the serpent s head?" What saved
Abraham, but the Gospel, which was preached to him in these
words ; " In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed ? " Could you go up to the third heavens, and hear,
as Paul did, the songs of the whole heavenly choir, you would
hear but one note amongst them all, ascribing " salvation to
God and to the Lamb for ever." Is this then a subject for us
to be ashamed of ? Shall we be ashamed of that, which alone
has put a difference between us and devils ? of that, which is
" the rod of God s strength," whereby he has brought millions,
through seas of difficulty, to the full enjoyment of the heavenly
Canaan ? The brazen serpent that healed the Israelites in the
wilderness, though it was only a piece of brass, became an
object of idolatrous regard: and shall we make " the glorious
Gospel of the blessed God an object of shame and contempt?
If we marvel at them for giving God s honour to a piece of
brass, what wonder must it create amongst all the heavenly
hosts, that any creature, to whom the Gospel of salvation
comes, should treat it but with the profoundest veneration, and
the most ardent gratitude !]
3. It is actually effectual for the salvation of every
one that believeth
[Never did it fail in any instance : it is equally effectual
for " Jew or Gentile," and for the vilest, as well as the best, of
the human race. It will leave none under the guilt and con
demnation of their sins, none under the power and pollution
of them. The righteousness which it provides for sinners is so
pure and perfect, that, when clothed in it, they stand before
God without spot or blemish. The grace treasured up for
them in their living Head is so abundant, that the weakest of
mankind, even though he be opposed by all the hosts of hell,
shall find it sufficient for him. It will not bring him out of six
difficulties, and leave him to perish in the seventh y ; but " will
keep him to the end z ," and suffer " nothing to pluck him out
of his Redeemer s hands a ." Is this then a thing to be ashamed
of? and shall they be ashamed of it who profess to expect sal
vation by it? Methinks, a man must be almost as destitute of
reason as of piety, who can account it any ground for blushing,
y Job v. 19. z 1 Cor. i. 8. a John x. 28.
1821.] NO MAN TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL. 15
that he loves, and admires, and glories in the cross of Christ ;
yea, and determines never to his latest hour to glory in any
thing else b .]
ADDRESS
1. Let not any of you then be ashamed of the
Gospel
[Let not the rich; for it will make you richer than ten
thousand worlds : " the riches of Christ are absolutely un
searchable ." Let not the poor; for it raises them to an
equality with the greatest on earth, and gives -them crowns
and kingdoms for their inheritance 11 . Let not the learned be
ashamed of it ; for in it is contained " the manifold wisdom of
God;" and even angels are made wiser by the revelation of it
to the Church 6 . Let not the unlearned; for it will "make
them wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Let
not any thus dishonour it, till they cease to need its blessings,
or have found a substitute worthy to supersede it. God is
" not ashamed to be called our God f :" O ! be not ye ashamed
to become, and to be called, his people.]
2. Let not the Gospel be ashamed of you
[Many, alas ! who profess to love the Gospel, are in their
conduct a disgrace to it. Their pride, their passion, their
worldly-mindedness, perhaps too their want of truth and
honesty, together with a variety of other evils predominant
in them, cause " the way of truth to be evil spoken of g ," and
" the very name of God to be blasphemed." In every age, and
in every Church, such instances occur; and lamentable it is to
say, that no people are more unconscious of their guilt than
they. It is on account of such persons that our Lord says,
" Woe unto the world because of offences ! for it must needs
be that offences come : but woe unto him by whom the offence
cometh : it were better for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and that he were cast into the depths of the
sea h ." Look to it then, ye professors of godliness, that this
tremendous evil be not imputable to you : and endeavour so to
walk, " that the adversary may have no evil thing to say of
you," and " that they may be ashamed, who falsely accuse your
good conversation in Christ 1 ."]
b Gal. vi. 14. c Eph. iii. 8. d Jam. i. 9. and iv. 5.
" Eph. iii. 10. Heb. xi. 16. e 2 Pet. ii. 2.
h Matt, xviii. 6, 7. * Tit. ii. 8. and 1 Pet. iii. 16.
16 ROMANS, I. 20, 21. [1822.
MDCCCXX1I.
THE LOST STATE OF THE GENTILE WORLD.
Rom. i. 20, 21. 27ie?/ ore without excuse : because that, when
they knew God, they glorified him not as God.
HERE the plan of the epistle begins to be deve
loped. St. Paul, intending to prove that there was
one only way of salvation for the whole race of man
kind, begins with shewing, that the Gentile world
were altogether guilty before God, and lying under a
just sentence of condemnation. In the next chapter
he shews the same respecting the Jews : and, in the
third, he confirms, from the Scriptures of truth, all
that he hath spoken respecting both the one and
the other ; and from thence deduces the general con
clusion, that they are all shut up unto the faith of
Christ, and must seek salvation by him alone.
In this present discourse we shall have to consider
the state of the Gentiles, against whom universally
the judgments of God are denounced ; " the wrath of
God being revealed from heaven against all ungodli
ness and unrighteousness of men," and especially
against " those who hold (or imprison) the truth in
unrighteousness," which they have done in all ages
of the world 3 .
But that we may bring the matter home to our
selves also, we shall shew
I. How inexcusable they are for their conduct towards
God
The Gentiles have in every age had sufficient oppor
tunities of attaining the knowledge of God
[The things of God which are exclusively made known to
us in the book of revelation, they could not be acquainted with,
because the light of revelation was not vouchsafed to them :
but the book of creation was open to them, and equally legible
to all; and from thence they might acquire a considerable
knowledge of God s nature and perfections. In beholding the
heavenly bodies all moving in their orbits ; and the earth so
abundantly furnished with every thing for the accommodation
a ver. 18.
1822.1 LOST STATE OF THE GENTILE WORLD. 17
of man ; and man himself the most noble of all God s works,
his body so curiously wrought, and his soul so richly endowed ;
in beholding these things, I say, they could not but know,
that there was some superior Being, who had formed them all.
They could not look upon any work of art, a house, for in
stance, or a watch, or any thing that required skill, but their
minds must of necessity be led to contemplate the maker of it:
and a similar necessity was imposed upon them by all the works
of creation. Having traced up every thing to a First Cause,
they must see that, as He was the cause of all that existed
besides himself, there could be nothing to give existence to
him; and that consequently, he must be self-existent and
eternal. Moreover, they must see, from the immensity and
the excellency of all his works, that there can be no limit to
his wisdom, his power, or his goodness; but that these per
fections of his must of necessity be infinite. That these de
ductions were open to them we are sure, because some of their
more enlightened philosophers have actually made these dis
coveries, though certainly with less clearness and precision
than we by the means of revelation are enabled to do. And
God himself affirms it in the verses preceding our text; saying,
that the things concerning him which were invisible to human
eyes, were nevertheless " clearly to be seen and understood
in his visible works, even his eternal power and Godhead V
St. Paul also, when addressing heathens, quotes to them their
own poets, to shew, that, in the representations which they
foolishly made of the Supreme Being, they did in fact violate
the law that was in their own minds, and act contrary to the
light that was within them .]
But they did not improve these opportunities
aright
[They entertained most umvorthy conceptions of the Deity.
Instead of regarding him as a Spirit who pervaded all space,
they " made images of him like to corruptible man, and to
birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things ;" and then
bowed down to the work of their own hands, and said, " Deliver
me ; for thou art my god d ." What could be more insulting to
the Divine Majesty than such conduct as this?
Moreover they testified no gratitude towards him for all the
benefits that he conferred upon them. Innumerable were the
blessings which in constant succession he bestowed upon them 6 ;
yet " were they not thankful V but abused his gifts, instead of
taking occasion from them to love and glorify the Giver.
* ver. 19, 20. c Acts xvii. 28, 29.
d Compare ver. 23. with Isai. xlir. 9 20. e Acts xiv. 16, 17.
f ver. 21.
VOL. xv. c
18 ROMANS, I. 20, 21. [1822.
They sought not in any thing to please him, nor cared how
ever much they might displease him. The abominations they
committed cannot even be thought of but with horror and
amazement 8 . And, whilst they were thus bent on the grati
fication of their lusts and appetites, and purposely cast out of
their minds all those notices of a Supreme Being, which from
time to time arose to check them in their excesses 11 , they were
given over to the dominion of every hateful disposition that
could assimilate them to the god of this world, whose willing
servants they were. What an assemblage of evils was there
accumulated in their character 1 ! Yet was this repre
sentation of them by no means overcharged. Their own
historians, and poets, and philosophers have justified every
word that is here spoken. What the poet said of the Cretans
might, with few exceptions, be applied to all ; " The Cretans
are always liars, evil beasts, slow-bellies k ," a wretched com
pound of falsehood, and cruelty, and abominable sensuality.
Nor were they merely impelled to these things by the im
petuosity of their own passions ; for, whilst they had internal
convictions of the impiety of this conduct, they deliberately
approved and honoured those tvho were most addicted to itJ]
From hence it appears how inexcusable they were,
and how justly sentenced to eternal condemnation
[Had they been able to plead ignorance, they would have
had some kind of excuse : but they could not do this : for
" they did really know God ;" but " did not choose to retain
him in their knowledge :" and so far were they from having
this plea to extenuate their crimes, that the light which they
resisted constitutes the heaviest aggravation of their guilt :
" This is their condemnation, that they loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil 1 ." Again, if they
could not plead ignorance, neither could they plead necessity ;
for they were under no necessity to dishonour God in this way,
either from without or from within. They were perfectly free
agents in all that they did : and though they could not, nor can
any child of man, fulfil all the Divine will, or themselves do
any thing spiritually good, yet they might have abstained from
much which they did amiss, and done much which they neglected
to do: and therefore they are justly chargeable with all the
guilt that they contracted; and are as reprehensible before
God for not using the powers which they possessed, as they
would have been, if those powers had been ever so enlarged.
All that has been spoken in reference to the heathen in
former days, is still applicable to them at this time. The notices
of a Deity may be much more obscured in the minds of some
K ver. 26, 27. h ver. 28. ver. 29 31.
k Tit. i. 12. i John iii. 19.
1822.] LOST STATE OF THE GENTILE WORLD. 19
than of others ; and the criminality of all must be estimated in
some measure according to the peculiar circumstances under
which they live : but, inasmuch as all violate the law that is in
their own minds, and neglect to improve the advantages they
enjoy, they all are obnoxious to the charge contained in our
text, and are therefore " without excuse."]
But, that we may bring this matter home to our
selves, let us consider,
II. How much more inexcusable we are, if we re
semble them
We have opportunities of knowing God, far beyond
any that the heathen ever enjoyed
[Even in reading the book of creation, we, by means of
our superior advantages, are enabled to see much that was hid
from them, or, at least, to discover with incomparably greater
clearness the unity and perfections of God, which they could
but faintly and doubtingly discern. But we have a revela
tion, wherein God has proclaimed his own name, " The Lord,
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abun
dant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin ; and that will by no
means clear the guilty m ." We have also a yet clearer revela
tion of God in the person of his own Son, who is " the image
of the invisible God n ," " the brightness of his Father s glory,
and the express image of his person ." Nor is it from words
only that we discover his excellency, but from actions also.
We behold our God incarnate : we behold his glory veiled, so
that, without being blinded with the overwhelming splendour
of his majesty, we may contemplate him, and familiarize
ourselves, as it were, with his adorable perfections. In this
especially the most ignorant amongst us excels all the greatest
philosophers of Greece and Rome ; we behold the attribute of
mercy ; we can tell how that may be exercised in perfect con
sistency with justice : we can tell how God can be "just, and
yet the justifier of the ungodly p ." In a word, all the wonders
of redeeming love are set before us in terms so plain, that " he
who runs may read them."]
But how have we improved these advantages ?
[Have we glorified God as God, or his blessed Son as the
one hope of a ruined world ? Alas ! alas ! if we take a survey of
our own spirit and conduct through life, we shall find, that there
has been but little difference between us and heathens.
Consider our defects. " We have not glorified God as God,
m Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. n Col. i. 15.
Heb. i. 3. P Rom. iii. 26. and iv 5.
20 ROMANS, I. 20, 21. [1822.
neither been thankful." What might justly have been ex
pected of persons privileged as we have been? Might it not
have been reasonably hoped that persons redeemed from death
and hell by the blood of God s only dear Son should have
been incessantly pouring out their souls in grateful adorations,
and dedicating to his service their every faculty, and every
instant of their time ? Methinks, it should have been a work
of pain and self-denial to devote so much as a thought to any
other subject, especially to any subject unconnected with this.
But have our hearts been thus exercised? Has it been thus
our delight to anticipate the employment of heaven ? Or rather,
have not the wonders of redemption had far less influence on
our minds than the things of time and sense ? Yea, have they
not for the most part been passed by, as though they were only
" a cunningly-devised fable," wherein we had no interest?
Consider also our errors. We have not, it is true, trans
formed our God into an idol: but we have had scarcely more
worthy conceptions of him than if he had been an idol. In
theory we have ascribed to him the different perfections of his
nature ; but in practice we have denied them all his omni
science, his holiness, his justice, and his truth, by vainly
imagining, either that he did not behold, or that he would
not punish, our iniquities. We, as he himself tells us, have
" thought him to be even such an one as ourselves:" whilst
exalting in our minds his attribute of mercy, we have, in fact,
divested him of all that belongs to him as the Governor of the
universe : a God all mercy, is a God unjust.
Consider yet further our excesses. These, as to the overt
act, do not proceed to such extremes as were common among
the Gentiles : but the abominations that we do commit, suffi
ciently shew, that we are not restrained by any regard to God,
so much as by public laws and popular opinion. Christianity
having elevated the general tone of morals, those hideous
crimes which were but too frequent among the Gentiles are
scarcely so much as thought of amongst us : but, in all that we
can do consistently with the laws of society, we are not a whit
superior to the heathen themselves. What juster picture could
the Apostle have drawn, if he had intended to describe, what
is improperly called, the Christian world ? Take us as a people,
and say, whether we are not " filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness ; yea,
whether we be not full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malig
nity; whether we be not whisperers, backbiters, haters of
God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, dis
obedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers,
implacable, unmerciful q : and say particularly, whether, not-
i ver. 29 31. In reading this, pause after every word.
1822-3 LOST STATE F THE GENTILE WORLD. 21
withstanding we know the evil of such things, we do not both
practise them ourselves, and choose for our friends and com
panions those who are guilty of those very practices ? Who, I
would ask, are the favourites with the world ? the godly, and
they who are conformed to the Saviour s image ? No : but the
ungodly, who by their conduct and example sanction all the
corruptions of the human heart r .]
How inexcusable then must we be !
[Verily, " the men of Nineveh will rise up in judgment
against us ;" yea, the Gentiles also, throughout the universe,
will condemn us, because of the extent to which we have imi
tated their evils, and abused our infinitely superior advantages.
" The Gospel which we enjoy, if it prevail not with us to put
away our sins, and to walk as Christ walked," will only prove
to us "a savour of death" to our more aggravated and heavier
condemnation 8 . " If Christ had not come and spoken unto us,
we had not had sin : but now we have no cloak for our sin 1 ."]
SEE then,
1. How thankful we should be for the Gospel of
Christ !
[Doubtless one reason why the world was left without a
Saviour for four thousand years, was, that the world might
see how little they could do to restore themselves to the favour
and image of God. At no period were the powers of the human
intellect carried to a greater extent, than at the time of our
Saviour s advent : but what did philosophy effect ? what did it
eifect even amongst those who most exalted it? Nothing to
any good purpose. The poets and philosophers themselves
were as much addicted to sin as the vulgar, whom they looked
down upon with contempt : and, if it were not for the light of
the Gospel, we should be as much immersed in sensuality as
they. Let this be borne in mind, that, whether born in a
Christian or a heathen land, we are all by nature equally cor
rupt and helpless ; and all need a Saviour, the one as much as
the other. To us a Saviour is revealed, and precisely such an
one as we stand in need of. O let us then bless our God for
the revelation of his grace : let us be thankful that we see what
many prophets and kings desired to see, but desired it in vain :
and let Christ, who is the sum and substance of the Gospel,
be truly "precious" to all our souls.]
2. What effect our superior advantages should
produce upon us
[We should aspire after the highest possible attainments,
in love and gratitude, in purity and holiness. We should aim
r ver. 32. s 2 Cor. ii. 16. l John xv. 22.
22 ROMANS, I. 30. [1823.
at " glorifying God as God/ and Christ as Christ. Let us
then contemplate Christ in all his offices, as our Prophet, as
our Priest, as our King. Let us not be contented with a
theoretical or superficial survey of his character, but let us
search into it, and ruminate upon it, and get our souls suitably
impressed with it. Let us get such views of him, as shall
render us insensible to all created excellency ; as a man who
looks at the meridian sun is blinded to all inferior objects.
Let us in these holy exercises seek to obtain a conformity to
his image ; agreeably to what the Apostle has said, " We
beholding his glory are changed into the same image from
glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord u ." Let no
measure of resemblance to him ever satisfy us ; no efforts in his
service ever content us. Let us, even if we have attained an
apostolic measure of zeal and holiness, " forget it all, and
reach forward" to higher attainments x . Let our trust in him
be simple ; our fellowship with him intimate ; our confidence
in him assured ; our expectation from him large ; our devo
tion to him ardent ; our obedience uniform ; our surrender of
ourselves to him entire, and unreserved. Let us live for him,
and " walk worthy of him ;" so that HE may be glorified, yea,
and " be magnified in us" also, both in life and death y."]
2 Cor. iii. 18. x Phil. iii. 13, 14. y Phil. i. 20.
MDCCCXXIII.
MEN HATERS OF GOD.
Rom. i. 30. Haters of God.
WHAT! are there any persons of this character
upon earth ? It cannot be : it were a libel upon
human nature to suppose it. Go round to all the
people you can find, and put the question to them,
Are you a hater of God? They will spurn at the
idea, and deem the question a gross insult. The
moral part of mankind would be filled with indigna
tion at such a strange calumnious suggestion. And
the most immoral would say, * I certainly do not
serve him as I ought : but, as to " hating him," " is
thy servant a dog, that he should dothis a ?" But
let us " come to the word and to the testimony."
Of whom speaks the Apostle the words which we
a 2 Kings viii. 12, 13.
1823.] MEN HATERS OF GOD. 23
have read ? Does he give this character to some of a
pre-eminently impious disposition ? or does he ascribe
it to the whole Gentile world, even to every child of
man, so long as he continues in his natural and un
converted state ? It is most assuredly in this latter
sense that the words must be understood : for the
scope of this part of the epistle is to shew, not that
some particular persons need a Saviour, but " that
every mouth must be stopped, and all the world be
come guilty before GodV I am far from saying
that all persons manifest their enmity against God in
the same way, and to the same extent: but if we will
candidly examine the state of mankind, we shall find
it precisely such as the Apostle here describes it ;
and that the human heart, till changed by Divine
grace, is " full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, ma
lignity ;" and that men still are, no less than in the
Apostle s days, " whisperers, backbiters, haters of
God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents, without understanding,
covenant-breakers, without natural affection, impla
cable, unmerciful ." With the description at large I
shall not trouble you. It is my intention to confine
myself to that particular part of it which I have se
lected for my text: in confirmation of which, I shall,
I. Establish the fact, that unregenerate men are
haters of God
This fact is absolutely universal
[Look at every child of man, and see what are his dispo
sitions and conduct towards the God of heaven and earth : and
all, without exception, will be found to deserve the character
here assigned them. All betray an enmity against God ; they
feel it in their hearts, and manifest it in their lives. If their
minds were rightly disposed towards God, they would esteem
him above all ; and desire him above all ; and delight in him
above all ; and, in comparison of his favour, there would be
nothing regarded by them as worthy of a thought. But what
is the fact ? There is not any thing, however vain or worth
less, or vile, that does not occupy a higher place in their
esteem than He. Any gratification which they affect, is suffi
cient to draw them from their allegiance to Him, and to induce
" Rom. iii. 19. c ver. 2931.
24, ROMANS, I. 30. [1823.
them to violate his most express commands. The favour of
a fellow-creature is more sought than his ; and the displeasure
of a poor sinful worm more dreaded than his. Even Satan
himself is deemed more worthy to be obeyed than he : as our
Lord has said, " Ye are of your father the devil ; and the
lusts of your father ye will do d ." But the will of our heavenly
Father we will not do. There is no such satisfaction felt in
any thing which he enjoins ; no such readiness to comply with
his sacred motions in the soul. In truth, what is the whole
life of an unregenerate man? is it not a state of rebellion
against God? There is not a command of his which we desire
to keep : there is not one which we do not violate.
Now let us try this conduct by an easy test. Suppose that
a child, or a servant, treated us as we have treated God : sup
pose that, whilst he acknowledged his relation to us, he never
sought to please us ; never cared however much he displeased
us ; never felt any comfort in our society, but affected rather
the society of our bitterest enemies ; never was concerned
about our honour or interests ; but would sacrifice both the
one and the other at any time, without any shame or remorse
what construction should we put upon that conduct ? Should
we not say that his mind was altogether alienated from us?
No doubt we should : and that is the construction which God
himself puts on our deportment towards him : " The carnal
mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be 6 ."]
This fact is also realized, to an inconceivable de
gree
[It would appear impossible for a man so to hate God, as
that HIS annihilation and extinction should prove to them a
source of real satisfaction : but I put it to the consciences of
all, and ask, Supposing we were told, from undoubted autho
rity, that there was no God to control us, no God to inspect
our ways, no God to call us to an account, and that we were
at liberty to follow our own ways without any fear of a here
after, would it not, on the whole, be an acceptable report?
The Psalmist says, " The fool hath said in his heart, No
God f ." Now, whether we understand that as an affirmation
or a wish, it equally shews what I am now contending for ;
that the very existence of God is a burthen to the carnal
mind ; and that the extinction of it, if it were possible, would
be welcomed as a relief. In truth, we flee from him, as Adam
did after the fall g , and banish him from our minds as much as
possible 11 , and live altogether as "without him in the world ."
d John viii. 44. e Rom. viii. 7. f Ps. xiv. 1.
Gen. Hi. 8. h Ps. x. 4. > Eph. ii. 12.
1823.] MEN HATERS OF GOD. 25
And thus we give a clear proof that we should esteem it no
loss if we could get rid of him altogether.]
Melancholy, indeed, is this fact. I will now en
deavour to,
II. Account for it
One would suppose, that He who is all excellence
in himself, and the one source of all benefits to man,
should be an object of love, and not of hatred, to us :
and so he would be, if we had retained our primitive
state of innocence : but we have fallen, and are be
come inconceivably depraved : and therefore we hate
him on account of,
1. The contrariety that exists between him and us
[There is not a greater difference between light and
darkness, than between him and us ; not only in his natural
attributes, which, of course, we cannot resemble, but in his
moral perfections also, which in our original creation were
enstamped upon us. There is not any one thing which God
loves, which we do not hate with a perfect hatred. Holiness,
in all its branches, is that which he approves : but in no one
respect do we love it. A conformity to his image we never
seek ; nay, if we behold it in another, we hate and abhor it.
This matter has been put to a trial. God himself has become
incarnate, and exhibited to the world a perfect transcript of
his perfections : and how did the world treat him ? There was
not an indignity which they did not offer him ; nor did they
rest, till they had put him to the most ignominious death.
Nor was this the conduct of the ignorant populace alone, but
of every rank and order in society : kings, priests, people, all
joined in the same murderous assaults upon him. His image,
too, was represented in his holy Prophets and Apostles : and
how were all of them treated ? In every age they were the
objects of most inveterate hatred ; insomuch, that, of all the
Apostles, one alone escaped the sword of martyrdom. And is
human nature different now from what it was in former ages ?
The laws of men have imposed restraints on the enmity of the
heart : but were those restraints removed, and occasion for the
exercise of men s evil dispositions afforded, the same scenes
would be transacted now as formerly : for men at this hour, no
less than in former ages, " love darkness rather than light ;"
and would gladly extinguish the light, that they might be left
to follow their own ways unmolested and unreproved.]
2. The consciousness we feel that he will summon
us to his tribunal
26 ROMANS, I. 30. [1823.
[We may treat revelation as we will ; but we all feel in
our bosoms a persuasion that God inspects our ways, and
hates our proceedings, and will avenge the breaches of his
holy laws. We may try to divest ourselves of these feelings,
and may prevail to dissipate them for a moment ; but they
will return; and at certain times and seasons will occasion
much uneasiness to the mind, and produce there a wish that
we could by any means avoid the judgment that awaits us. We
feel that God is, and must be, an enemy to us : and therefore
we cannot contemplate him with any other feeling than that of
fear and dread.
It may be said indeed by some, that this is by no means
their experience : that, on the contrary, they feel a complacent
regard for God, and a grateful sense of his mercies.
But to this I would answer, It is not to God as revealed in
the Scripture, but as they paint him to themselves in their own
vain imaginations, that they feel this regard. They conceive
of him as bearing no anger against them for their sins, and as
lowering his demands of obedience to the standard which
they have fixed for themselves, and as looking with compla
cency on their formal self-righteous endeavours : it is in this
view of him alone that they are pleased with him : they despoil
him of his own proper attributes, and clothe him with attri
butes of their own creation ; and then they worship the work
of their own hands. But, let him be presented to them in his
own proper character as a holy Being, that cannot look upon
iniquity without the utmost abhorrence; as a just Being, that
cannot but punish with everlasting destruction every impeni
tent sinner ; and as a God of truth, that will accept no human
being but as clothed in the righteousness of his dear Son and
they will lose all their fancied regard for him, and shew to
wards him all the aversion which we have before described.
They will find in themselves that Scripture realized, " My
soul lothed them ; and their soul abhorred me k ."]
Regarding the fact as proved, I now come to,
III. Make some reflections upon it
In the view of this fact, we may observe,
1. How deep should be our humiliation before God !
[Men are not humbled, because they will not look at
themselves in the glass of God s word. They think only of
some particular sins which they may have committed ; and put
out of view altogether the disposition of their souls towards
God. But, if we would have a just sense of our condition, we
must probe our hearts to the bottom ; and see, not merely
1823.J MEN HATERS OF GOD. 21
what we are, but what we should have been if we had been
left to follow our dispositions without restraint. Look at the
souls that are now shut up in the abodes of misery in hell :
Has any new disposition been infused into them, since they
have entered into the eternal world ? No : they have only the
dispositions which they carried with them : and the only dif
ference is, that they are now left to manifest to the uttermost
what in this world was kept from issuing forth in all its full
malignity. Under the displeasure of their God, so far are
they from humbling themselves before him, that they " gnaw
their tongues with anguish, and blaspheme the God of heaven
because of their pains 1 ." What would they htive said in this
world, if they had been told what was really in their hearts ?
They would have deemed it a gross calumny. But such would
be our deportment here, if our corruptions were not restrained,
either by education, or by the preventing grace of God. And,
if we be sensible how great our depravity is, we shall see that
no humiliation can be too deep for any of us; but that it
becomes all of us, without exception, to " abhor ourselves, even
as holy Job did, in dust and ashes. "]
2. What obligations we owe to God for his Gospel!
[In the Gospel is revealed a way of reconciliation for us,
through Christ. O ! what love was it that bestowed upon
us such an inestimable gift as that of God s only dear Son, to
make reconciliation for us through the blood of his cross !
And here it is particularly to be noticed, that God does not
so much offer to be reconciled to us, as he invites us to be
reconciled to him. The address which his ministers are com
missioned to make to men, is, " We beseech you in Christ s
stead, Be ye reconciled to God m " The great obstruction to
friendship between God and us lies altogether on our part.
Not a single moment would God retain his anger against us,
if we humbled ourselves before him, and besought his favour
for Christ s sake. But, though importuned by him, we con
tinue obstinate in our alienation from him. Still, however, the
Gospel follows us with invitations and entreaties to lay aside
our enmity, and to accept his proffered mercies. Be thankful
for this marvellous kindness vouchsafed unto you : for, if once
you be taken into the eternal world, there will be no longer
any forbearance on the part of God ; but his wrath will burst
forth against you, and burn even to the lowest hell to all
eternity". It would be terrible to have all the creation for
your enemies : but to have the Creator himself your enemy,
and that for ever and ever, O ! how inconceivably terrible
1 Rev. xvi. 10, 11. m 2 Cor. v. 20.
11 Ps. xi. G. Rom. ii. 8, 9.
28 ROMANS, II. 35. [1824.
will this be ! Well ! bless your God that this need not be
your fate, nor shall be, if only you will throw down the wea
pons of your rebellion, and implore mercy at God s hands for
Christ s sake.]
3. What a blessing the Gospel proves to all who
receive it !
[The effect of the Gospel is, to " slay this enmity," and
to bring the soul into a state of peace with God. Nor does it
merely put away our guilt ; but removes also our indisposition
to what is good and holy, and even writes the law of God upon
our hearts ; so that there is in those who receive it as great a
resemblance to God, as there was before a contrariety. The
mind of a true convert is brought into a conformity to God s
mind, and his ways into a conformity to God s ways. Thus,
" being agreed, they walk together" in mutual love ; and earth
is made, to man, a foretaste of heaven itself. See, then, my
brethren, that ye experience this effect. See that you love all
that God loves, and do all that God approves. Then will you
shew that there is an efficacy in the Gospel to transform the
soul into the Divine image, and to render it meet for the
inheritance of the saints in light.]
MDCCCXXIV.
THOSE WHO JUDGE OTHERS, JUDGED.
Rom. ii. 3 5. Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them
which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt
escape the judgment of God ? Or despisest thou the riches
of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering ; not
knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ?
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up
unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation
of the righteous judgment of God.
HUMAN nature is the same in every age, and
every place : external circumstances may make an
external difference ; but internally, every child of
man is alike alienated from God, and alike needs the
salvation revealed in the Gospel. To prove this, is
the scope of the three first chapters of this epistle.
In the foregoing chapter, it is proved in reference to
the Gentiles ; and in this, in reference to the Jews.
But to which of these the words which we have just
read are addressed, admits of doubt. We think how-
1824.] THOSE WHO JUDGE OTHERS, JUDGED. 29
ever, that the transition to the Jews is at the com
mencement of this chapter, notwithstanding they are
not expressly mentioned till the 17th verse : and the
not mentioning of their name proceeded, we appre
hend from a delicacy of feeling, and a fear lest he
might, by a too direct attack, arm, as it were, their
minds against him. This certainly accords with the
very tender regard which he manifests towards them
throughout this whole epistle : and it was the less
necessary to mention them, because their contempt
of the Gentiles was so fully known, and so universally
acknowledged. But the characters that are addressed
are the same, whether amongst Jews or Gentiles :
and, as the whole force of the address will be invali
dated if we do not clearly discern to whom it is
delivered, we will,
I. Shew to whom the expostulation is addressed
There were among the Gentiles some who in their
public discourses inculcated a purer morality than
that which was generally practised, but in their own
life and conversation were guilty of the very crimes
which they condemned : and so it is at this day
among those who call themselves Christians. The
disposition which is here reproved shews itself,
1. In the world towards each other
[From whatever it may proceed, whether frem envy or
uncharitableness, there is a disposition in all to view others
in an unfavourable light, at the same time that they themselves
are faulty, either in the same precise way, or in other ways to
the same extent. Indeed such is the extreme blindness of
human nature, that the more any are under the dominion of
pride, or vanity, or covetousness, or ambition, the more they
hate those in whom the same evils are predominant : the proud
man cannot endure the proud ; and so of the rest.
But if this disposition manifests itself amongst equals, much
more does it among those who are placed at some distance
from each other, whether the difference be in age, or rank, or
relation, or general habits and dispositions. The old condemn
the follies of the young ; and the young the severity of the old.
The rich inveigh against the idleness or dishonesty of the poor;
the poor, against the selfishness and oppressiveness of the rich.
Parents complain of their children ; children, of their parents.
30 ROMANS, II. 35. [1824.
Masters, of their servants ; and servants, of their masters. In
like manner, the bigot and the free-thinker, the prodigal and
the penurious, the hermit and the gay, all love to indulge in
mutual criminations; all overlooking their own peculiar fail
ings, and condemning without reserve the characteristic failings
of others.]
2. In the world, towards those who profess re
ligion
[To be religious is, with the generality, the greatest of all
crimes : there is no other so little tolerated, so universally con
demned. Opprobrious names are universally affixed to the
godly: and the current title, whatever it may be, is sufficient
to make a man despised, and shunned, and dreaded, as a public
nuisance all the world over. Supposing for a moment that
religious persons were unwise in laying so great a stress on
religion, is there no evil in neglecting God and our immortal
souls ? yet the world overlook all their own impiety, as if there
were no harm in it, and set no bounds to their invectives
against those who serve and honour God. It may be thought
that the wild enthusiast alone is the object of their aversion :
but were the Apostles wild enthusiasts ? Was our blessed Lord
wanting in wisdom and prudence? Yet were they all regarded
" as the filth of the earth, and the offscouring of all things : "
and the very men who scrupled not to suborn false witnesses,
and to imbrue their hands in the blood of an innocent man,
could find no evil in themselves, but only in those who were
the objects of their implacable aversion.
If an occasion arise where a professor of religion acts un
worthy of his profession, what a cause of triumph is it to an
ungodly world ! With what exultation are his faults imputed
to the whole body of religious people, and all of them con
demned as hypocrites alike ! The sins of the ungodly and
profane are all reputed as nothing in comparison of his crime ;
and the whole Church of God is vilified, and God himself also
is blasphemed, as approving and justifying the iniquity that
has been committed.]
3. In religious persons towards the world
[It would be well if this partiality in judging were confined
to the ungodly : but there is a great tendency to it in those
who profess religion. Doubtless in proportion as real humility
is formed in the heart, this evil disposition will be mortified :
but in proportion as pride and conceit are unsubdued, the
attendant evil of uncharitableness will betray itself. We have
a most remarkable example of this in David, when he had
relapsed into a state of grievous departure from God. When
Nathan told him of a man who had taken a poor man s lamb,
1824.] THOSE WHO JUDGE OTHERS, JUDGED. 31
behold, nothing would suffice to expiate the crime but the for
feiture of life itself: so atrocious did this light offence appear,
when all his own unparalleled enormities were forgotten. We
grant that this was a very extreme case ; and that nothing like
it is commonly to be imputed to those who profess religion :
but is there not amongst many professors an utter contempt of
the ungodly? Do they not frequently speak of their irreligious
neighbours with contemptuous asperity, as wretched, blind,
carnal creatures ? The Jews designated the Gentiles as dogs,
and as cursed ; whilst they fancied themselves the chosen people
of God : and is not a great deal of the same spirit to be seen
amongst what are called the religious world ? The ignorance
and ungodliness of the men of this world are at once conceded
as just grounds of their eternal condemnation ; whilst the pride
and uncharitableness, and ten thousand other evils that are
found but too frequently amongst these contemptuous pro
fessors, are passed over as venial, or perhaps as having no
existence in their hearts. How different was the lesson taught
us by our Lord, who, when the Rich Youth came to inquire
of him the way to heaven, " loved him," notwithstanding he
knew that the love of earthly things would ultimately overcome
all those better desires which occupied his mind ! Our divine
Master loved him for the good that was in him, though he
foresaw it would prove ineffectual for the final welfare of his
soul : whereas the great mass of religious professors would have
lost sight of all the good that was in him, and have treated him
with unqualified contempt. But among those who with great
confidence " cry, Lord, Lord," there are many who will be found
in as bad a condition as he : and the Disciple who betrayed our
Lord with a kiss, will be found in no happier plight, than they
who apprehended him with swords and staves.]
4. In religious people towards each other
[Strange as it may seem, the different sects of religious
people are as ready to anathematize each other, as to condemn
those who cast off all religion. It is even an avowed tenet in
the Church of Rome, that they who are not of her communion
cannot be saved. And there is not a little of that same bigotry
existing amongst the different professors of the Protestant
faith. To be of their party is almost of itself a qualification for
heaven ; and a dissent from it a preparative for hell. Blessed
be God ! this intolerant spirit has of late years greatly abated 3 :
but still it prevails to an awful extent, and gives but too just
occasion for sceptics and infidels to triumph. But even amongst
persons of the same religious community this propensity to
judge and condemn one another greatly prevails. The weak
a Since the establishment of the British and Foreign Bible So
ciety.
32 ROMANS, II. 35. [1824.
will judge the strong, and the strong despise the weak. Per
sons, whose situations totally disqualify them for estimating
aright the conduct of others who are differently circumstanced,
will yet take upon them to determine with confidence the line
of conduct that should be pursued, and to pass a sentence of
condemnation on those who walk not in the way that seems
good to them. In truth, there are but few who do not need
that reproof: " Who art thou that judgest another? To his
own Master he standeth or falleth."]
Thus we see to whom the expostulation in our
text is addressed; namely, to all who "judge others,
whilst they themselves do the same things," or things
equally reprehensible. We proceed now to,
II. Consider the address itself
This is extremely pointed. The interrogations
shew how fearfully these persons delude themselves.
The address is, in fact, an appeal to the consciences
of the persons addressed ; and it constitutes them
judges in their own cause. It shews to all such un
charitable persons, what an awful state they them
selves are in :
1. How vain their hopes !
[All the fore-mentioned characters imagine, that they
themselves have nothing to fear : but they are all in a state
displeasing to God, " whose judgment is according to truth
against them that do such things V Can any man suppose
that a mere profession of religion will pass with God for the
actual experience of it in the heart ? or that a forwardness to
condemn others will be a substitute for the performance of our
own duties? Will God form his judgment upon the partial
grounds which we take for the forming of ours? Will he
admit as just the estimate which we have made of our own
character, or be content to try us by the standard which we
have used in trying ourselves? No: his law is perfect; and
by that he will try all to whom that law has been revealed.
He will weigh us all in the balance of the sanctuary ; he will
" try the hearts," and " weigh the spirits," of the children of
men : he will " not judge according to the appearance, but will
judge righteous judgment." We appeal then to all, shall
these uncharitable hypocrites escape? O thou, who hast thus
deceived thyself hitherto, what dost thou now think ? Thinkest
thou, that, because thou knowest more than others, or makest
a greater profession of religion than others, thou shalt escape?
Know, that such a hope is vain : " We are sure c " that, if thou
b ver. 2. c ver. 2.
1824.] THOSE WHO JUDGE OTHERS, JUDGED. o3
humble not thyself as an undone sinner, and flee not for refuge
to the Lord Jesus Christ, the vengeance of God shall overtake
thee; and thou shalt experience the fate which thou art so
ready to award to others.]
2. How aggravated their guilt !
[God has graciously exercised much " forbearance and
long-suffering " towards thee ; and thou takest occasion from
thence to conclude well of thy state, and to sit in judgment
upon others who appear less favoured than thyself. But is
this the end for which God has borne with thee, and displayed
towards thee all the riches of his goodness? Was not that
the proper tendency of all " his goodness ? " Should it not
have humbled thee as unworthy such mercy ? Should it not
have filled thy heart with gratitude for such distinguishing
favour? Should it not have quickened thee to return to
God, and to requite him to the best of thy power ? Consider,
" O man," whether such be not the improvement which thou
shouldst have made of all these mercies? and ask thyself,
whether the neglecting to improve them thus be not in fact to
" despise them ?" Yes : in overlooking thine own sins, and in
passing judgment upon others, thou art " hardening thyself in
impenitence," and pouring contempt on God himself. Alas !
thou hast little thought what guilt thou hast been contracting.
Thou worldly man that judgest the religious, and thou reli
gious man that judgest the world, when wilt thou turn thy
thoughts inward, and pass judgment on thyself? Know that,
till thou art brought to a more equitable spirit, as it respects
thyself, and a more charitable spirit as it respects thy neigh
bour, thou art a despiser of God, an usurper of his preroga
tive, and " a judge of the law itself," even of that law whereby
thou thyself art to be judged d . But this most awfully aug
ments thy guilt, and prepares thee daily for a more aggravated
condemnation.]
3. How fearful their prospects !
[There is " a day wherein God will judge the world in
righteousness." Man has his day 6 , and God has his f . The
present is a day of grace : but that which is coming is " a day
of wrath." What a fearful appellation is this ! a day of wrath !
or, as it is elsewhere called, " the day of the perdition of ungodly
men g !" O hear it, and tremble, all ye who are judging others,
and neglecting to judge yourselves. Against this day ye are
heaping up wrath : ye are adding to the mass day by day :
load upon load, mountain upon mountain, ye are piling up ;
d Jam. iv. 11. e 1 Cor. iv. 3. See the Greek.
f 1 Cor. iv. 5. e 2 Pet. iii. 7.
VOL. XV. D
34 ROMANS, II. 35. [1824.
and under this accumulated weight must your souls lie to all
eternity. Ah ! little do you think what your employment is :
little do you think what shall be the issue of all your impenitence
and obduracy. But thus it will be. That day is appointed
expressly with a view to " the revealing," and displaying before
the assembled universe, "the righteous judgment of God."
Every sin that is committed will then be brought to light ;
" and every one will be judged according to what he hath done
in the body, whether it be good or evil." Then, whether ye
will or not, your attention shall be fixed upon your own sins :
you will have nothing to do then with the sins of others. O !
begin now, whilst time is afforded you, to search out your own
iniquities, and to seek the remission of them through the blood
of Christ.]
We will conclude this awful subject with a few words
of ADVICE
1. Do not occupy yourselves too much about
others, but rather take heed unto yourselves
[There are situations, no doubt, wherein we are called to
judge: nor are we ever so to lay aside the office of judging, as
to think well of those who are guilty of all manner of sin ; or to
commit ourselves to those, whom we have good reason to think
treacherous and deceitful. Nor need we so forbear judging, as
to be satisfied with the state of those who live in a total neglect
of God and of their own souls. On the contrary, we ought to
weep over them, and pray for them, and to labour by all possi
ble means for their salvation. But our chief concern must be
with ourselves. Here our scrutiny cannot be too exact, or our
anxiety too great. Here we should be afraid of entertaining
a good opinion on insufficient grounds. We should judge our
selves, that we may not be judged of the Lord. Search then,
and try your every way : and, not venturing to trust your own
efforts, pray earnestly to God, and say, " Search me, O God,
and know my heart ; try me, and know my thoughts ; and
see if there be any wicked way in me ; and lead me in the way
everlasting 1 ."]
2. Above all things, seek to know your perishing
need of a Saviour
[This is the grand scope of the Apostle s argument : he
is endeavouring to convince all, both Jews and Gentiles, that
they stand in need of the salvation which Christ has purchased
for us by his own blood. There is in the generality a fear of
seeing themselves in too humiliating a point of view : but this
can never be : the more we are abased in our own eyes, the
h Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24.
1825. J THE RULE OF GOD S FUTURE JUDGMENT. 35
more we shall be exalted in the sight of God. It is " the sick
that need the physician :" and the more sensible we are of our
disorder, the more we shall value the Lord Jesus Christ. Were
there indeed any doubt of his sufficiency to save us, we might
well be afraid of viewing our sins in all their extent : " his
blood will cleanse from all sin ;" and " he is able to save to the
uttermost all that come unto God by him." In him all ful
ness dwells : and you need not be afraid of seeing yourselves
" wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,"
when you hear him counselling you to come to him for " gold
that shall enrich you, and clothing that shall cover you, and
eye-salve that shall restore your sight ." Be nothing, yea, "less
than nothing," in yourselves ; and He will be to you all that
your heart can desire, "your wisdom, righteousness, sanctifica-
tion, and redemption."]
j Rev. iii. 17, 18.
MDCCCXXV.
THE RULE OF GOD s FUTURE JUDGMENT.
Rom. ii. 6 11. Who will render to every man according to his
deeds : to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek
for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life : but unto
them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness $ indignation and wrath, tribulation and an
guish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first,
and also of the Gentile ; but glory, honour, and peace, to
every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the
Gentile : for there is no respect of persons with God.
IN reading the apostolic writings we should at
tend, not only to the doctrines that are inculcated,
but to the manner in which they are inculcated ; for
writing, as the Apostles did, entirely under the in
fluence of love, they have given us many valuable
lessons, which escape the notice of the superficial
observer, but amply repay the search of those who
investigate them with deeper attention, and desire
to imbibe their spirit. It is of no small importance
to learn how to combat prejudice with success. This
is rarely done by an open and direct attack : it is far
better to attempt it by a more circuitous mode,
namely, by establishing such truths as shall serve to
36 ROMANS, II. 611. [1825.
give juster views to the mind. In this way the fabric
of error, which would have withstood any rude
assault, is undermined, and falls, ere the person who
defended it is aware of any opposition. The Jews
were strongly possessed with the notion, that no Jew
could perish, except through apostasy or idolatry;
and that no Gentile could be saved, but by subjecting
himself to the institutions and observances of the
Mosaic ritual. To counteract this error, the Apostle
shews, that the Jews, no less than the Gentiles, stood
in need of a Saviour, and must embrace the Gospel
in order to their final salvation. But to this conclu
sion he comes by gradual, and almost imperceptible,
advances ; shewing, that God, as a righteous Judge,
will deal with all according to their works, without
shewing partiality to any on account of their external
privileges, or leaving any to suffer on account of their
external disadvantages, but awarding equally to all
such a sentence as their respective characters shall
require. This is a truth so obvious and incontro
vertible, that they could not but acquiesce in it; and,
by a due consideration of it, they would be prepared
to embrace all that the Apostle was about to advance
on the subject which he was especially commissioned
to proclaim, the admission of all, both Jews and Gen
tiles, on an equal footing, into the Church of Christ.
But, in stating the rule which God would observe
in the future judgment, the Apostle designed further
to convey the most important information to the
whole world : for, as all must one day stand at the
judgment-seat of Christ, it is of infinite importance
for all to know on what grounds their eternal state
will be determined.
To leave no doubt on this subject, he fully states,
I. The character and end of the godly
Mark,
1. Their character
[The godly man is known by the object he pursues.
Nothing less than "glory, and honour, and immortality" will
satisfy him : not the glory and honour which pertain to this
life ; not the immortality which consists in posthumous fame :
1825.] THE RULE OF GOD s FUTURE JUDGMENT. 37
those he leaves for others: his ambition soars to higher things;
the things worthy of an immortal soul ; even to the everlasting
possession of all the glory and felicity of heaven. This is the
prize which he sees held out to him in the Scriptures : and for
the attainment of it he strains every nerve. He well knows
how richly it will recompense all his labours and toils ; and
every thing in comparison of it is regarded by him as the
small dust upon the balance.
He is further known by the means he uses to attain it : he
seeks it " by a patient continuance in well-doing." Whatever
he believes to be the will of God, he does. Has God com
manded him to humble himself as a sinner, and to flee to
Christ as to the refuge that is set before him ? he does it ;
he does it heartily; he does it humbly; he does it continually.
Has God further ordered him " no longer to live unto him
self, but unto Him that died for him and rose again?" he
endeavours to consecrate all his faculties and all his powers to
the service of his adorable Redeemer. He is not satisfied
with doing such good works as the men of this world are wont
to perform ; his efforts extend to all the most difficult and
self-denying duties, as well those which are loaded with oppro
brium, as those which elevate us in the good opinion of man
kind And this he does with " a patient continuance,"
prosecuting, like the sun in the firmament, his destined course,
and causing all who behold his light, to glorify God in his
behalf. There are times indeed when the difficulties and
discouragements which he meets with oppress his mind : his
hands sometimes hang down, and his feeble knees seem as if
they would no longer sustain the weight they have to bear.
But he looks up to God for help: he obtains fresh supplies of
grace and strength from above ; and, with vigour renewed like
the eagle s, he resumes his course, determined never to stop,
till he has obtained the prize.
In accomplishing the work assigned him, he finds also oppo
sition from without. Much as the ungodly world profess to
honour good works, they do not like such works as Christ
performed, or such as all his faithful followers perform : they
do all they can to obstruct the Christian s path ; and if he will
proceed in it, they will revile and persecute him, even as they
did the Lord of Glory himself. But he " endures hardness as
a good soldier of Jesus Christ," and " counts not his life dear
to him, if only he may be enabled to finish his course with joy,"
and to complete the work which God has given him to do.]
2. Their end-
[God never suffers his faithful servants to be disappointed
of their hope. Do they seek " eternal life " as their one
object? " eternal life" shall be theirs : " the glory and honour"
38 ROMANS, II. 611. [1825.
which they sought shall be awarded to them, and shall be
enjoyed by them in a degree, of which, whilst here, they had
no conception. "Peace" also, even a perfect freedom from
all those conflicts which so often troubled them in this world,
will be theirs in full and everlasting possession. Whilst they
were here, their " peace passed all understanding, and kept
their hearts and minds as in a citadel," out of the reach of all
their enemies : but in the future world, their reconciliation
with God will be so perfect, and their rest in God so com
plete, that their peace will flow down like a river, with ever-
increasing amplitude and abundance to all eternity.]
In perfect contrast with the foregoing are,
II. The character and end of the ungodly
Their character is the very reverse of that before
considered
[It might be thought that an obedience to the Gospel was
not intended to be included in the " well-doing" of the godly :
but here the want of it is particularly marked as a leading
feature of the ungodly. In fact, " the souls of men can only
be purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit a ;" and
all who are born again of the Spirit, that is, all the children
of God, are so purified. But the ungodly are averse to the
truth ; they are " contentious, and will not obey it :" and this
arises, not from any want of evidence in the truth itself, but
from the predominance of some unrighteous principle, towards
which they feel a decided preference, and to which they yield
a willing subjection. Some, through the pride of their hearts,
reject the principles of the Gospel: whilst others, through the
love of this present evil world, or through the prevalence of
unmortified lusts, refuse submission to its precepts : the prin
ciples are too humiliating; the precepts too difficult and self-
denying. It is not necessary that a person, in order to be
numbered with the ungodly, should commit such crimes as are
reprobated by the world around him : he may be blameless as
to his external conduct in the sight of men, and yet be very
ungodly in the sight of God : his aversion to " the truth as it
is in Jesus" constitutes him a most flagrant sinner before God,
and subjects him to God s heaviest displeasure 1 *.]
Their end will be more awful than either language
can express, or heart conceive
[They dream of being in the favour of God : but they are
objects of his " indignation and wrath." They persuade them
selves that they shall be happy in the eternal world : but
8 1 Pet. i. 22. b 2 Thess. i. 8. and 1 Pet. iv. 17.
1825.] THE RULE OF GOD s FUTURE JUDGMENT. 39
"tribulation and anguish" will be their certain and unalterable
portion . O ! who can conceive what it is to be " cast into a
lake of fire and brimstone," and to "dwell with everlasting
burnings ?" Alas ! what " weeping, and wailing, and gnashing
of teeth " will there be in those regions to which the ungodly
will be for ever consigned ! Yes : " to every soul that doeth
evil," shall this sentence be awarded. " No respect will be
shewn to persons " on account of their name, or profession, or
rank, or distinctions of any kind. The Jew will have a
priority to the Gentiles, both in respect of happiness and
misery ; of happiness, inasmuch as his peculiar privileges
afford him greater advantages for the attainment of holiness ;
though the Gentile shall not be overlooked on account of his
want of those advantages. In like manner the Jew will have
a fearful precedence also in respect to punishment, on account
of the advantages he has abused : but the Gentiles will accord
ing to their measure be punished also, if they have not walked
agreeably to the light which they have enjoy ed d . The posses
sion of privileges will prove a blessing, or a curse, according to
the use that has been made of them ; but the want of privi
leges shall neither excuse deliberate wickedness, on the one
hand, nor prevent the acceptance of willing, though imperfect,
services, on the other hand. If God, on the one hand, will
" take vengeange on them that know him not," he has, on the
other hand, declared, that " in every nation, he that feareth
God, and worketh righteousness, shall be accepted of him."]
From this subject then we may LEARN,
1. What the Gospel is
[Many imagine that such declarations as those in our text
are altogether legal. But the apostle Paul, who surely under
stood the Gospel, considered these declarations as an essential
part of it : and it is worthy of notice, that, in the very epistle
where he has most strongly advanced the doctrines of predes
tination and election, he has brought forward these truths,
which are so often set in opposition to them. But the Gospel
is not such a partial system as is generally imagined : it neither
consists exclusively in those doctrines which are commonly
spoken of under the term Calvinism, nor in those which are
supposed to have an Arminian aspect. The Gospel exhibits
the Deity to us under different views ; first, as a merciful
Father, who offers salvation to us through the blood and
righteousness of his only-begotten Son ; next, as an almighty
Sovereign, who dispenses his blessings according to his own
will and pleasure ; and lastly, as a righteous Judge, who will
proceed with perfect equity in assigning to every man his
c Compare Ps. Ixxviii. 49. with Ps. xi. 6. d Luke xii. 47, 48.
40 ROMANS, II. 611. [1825.
proper portion of happiness or misery, according to what he
has done in the body, whether it be good or evil. Under all
these characters God must be viewed : if any one be excluded,
his Gospel is mutilated, and his glory obscured. Let us then
be equally ready to view him under any of these characters.
Let us look to him for a full salvation through the death of
his Son : if made partakers of that salvation, let us give all the
glory to his free grace, and his electing love : and then let us
walk before him in a conscientious performance of every duty,
under a firm expectation, that our final sentence shall be
according to the dictates of perfect equity. This is to be in
the spirit of the Gospel ; and if any restrict it to more partial
views, they only betray their ignorance or pride, and will find
themselves awfully mistaken in the last day.]
2. How to estimate our own character
[The persons who have such an exclusive fondness of the
deeper doctrines of predestination and election, are ready to
pour contempt on evidences, as though an inquiry into the
evidences of our conversion were mere legality. A favourite
notion with them is, that faith is the ONLY evidence of faith.
But this is a grievous error. That faith does carry its own
evidence along with it, just as love, or any other grace does,
we readily allow. A person who relies simply and entirely on
God, has a consciousness that he does so, and may, if this
consciousness be confirmed by other evidence, be assured that
his faith is genuine. But men may have a full persuasion in
their own minds that they are right, and yet may be under a
fatal delusion. This was the case with Paul, whilst he perse
cuted the Church of Christ : he "verily thought that he ought
to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus." The Scrip
tures furnish us with unnumbered marks whereby to judge of
our state. The Epistles of St. John are full of them 6 ; and
our blessed Lord cautions us strongly against that presump
tuous confidence that would exclude an appeal to them f :
he bids us judge of ourselves by the fruits that we produce g ;
and assures us, that in this way only can we guard against
final disappointment and everlasting ruin h . To all then
would we say, examine whether you are proceeding in " a
patient continuance in well-doing:" for the Judge himself
will assuredly at the last day institute a strict inquiry into
your works, and determine your state according to them 1 :
and " whatever you have sown, that, and that only, shall you
reap to all eternity V]
e See 1 John iii. 10, 14, 1921, 24. f Matt. vii. 2123.
s Matt. vii. 16 20. h Matt. vii. 24 27.
1 Matt. xxv. 31 4G. * Gal. vi. 7, 8.
1826.] INCONSISTENT CHRISTIANS REPROVED. 41
3. How to secure the prize that is set before you
[Not only is this plainly told us in our text ; but St. Paul
elsewhere says expressly, " Be not weary in well-doing ; for
in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not 1 ." St. John also
inculcates the same salutary lesson, as our Lord also does in
the parable of the Sower" 1 , both, in effect, saying, look to
yourselves, that ye " lose not those things which ye have
wrought, but that ye receive a full reward"." That we must
live altogether by faith in the Son of God, is certain ; for it is
from his fulness alone that we can receive any spiritual bless
ing : but still we must exert ourselves as much, as if salvation
were the fruit and recompence of our own efforts alone. This
matter is put in a just light by St. Paul, when he says, " Let
us cast away every weight, and the sin that doth so easily
beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before
us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith ."
In humble dependence on him to assist our efforts, and in an
entire reliance on his meritorious sacrifice as the only ground
of our acceptance, we must press forward in our heavenly
course : then may we with confidence expect " a recomponce
of reward," not indeed for any merit in our services, but in
exact proportion to them. The men of this world may seek
for glory and honour, and be disappointed : but no disappoint
ment shall occur to us: " The wicked worketh a deceitful work ;
but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward p ."]
1 Gal. vi. 9.
m Luke viii. 15. " Bring forth fruit with patience."
" 2 John, ver. 8. Heb. xii. 1, 2. P Prov. xi. 18.
MDCCCXXVI.
INCONSISTENT CHRISTIANS REMONSTRATED WITH.
Rom. ii. 17 23. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in
the laiv, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will,
and approvest the things that are more excellent, being in
structed out of the law ; and art confident that thou thyself art
a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an
instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the
form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore
ivhich teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that
preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou
that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou com
mit adultery ? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit
sacrilege ? thou that makest thy boast of the law, through
breaking the laiv dishonourcst thou God ?
42 ROMANS, II. 1723. [1826.
IT is generally acknowledged, that the heart of
man is deceitful : but the extent of its deceitfulness
is very little known. It is not in things of minor im
portance only that its delusive operations are felt, but
in things of everlasting concern, where, it might be
supposed, we should be most on our guard against
them. It deceives us in things relating to God, who,
however we may deceive ourselves, can never be
deceived by us : it leads us to substitute a profession
of religion for the actual experience of it in our souls;
and to rest in a form of godliness, whilst we are
wholly inattentive to its power. This species of self-
deceit obtained to an awful degree amongst the Jews,
with whom St. Paul expostulates on account of it in
a way of keen remonstrance. They could not be
persuaded that they were in any danger, because they
were descended from Abraham ; but St. Paul shews
them, that their descent from him would avail them
nothing, whilst their conduct was so contrary to their
professions ; but that rather their hypocrisy proved
them to be as much in need of a Saviour, as the most
ignorant of the Gentile world could be.
Such being the general scope of the passage, we
will consider more particularly,
I. The remonstrance itself
Certainly the state of the Jews called for severe
reproof
[They were highly privileged beyond the rest of mankind.
They had a revelation from heaven, whereby they were in
structed in the mind and will of God a , and enabled both to
" discern things that differed," and to " approve the things that
were more excellent 13 ." Moreover, as God s peculiar people,
they could call Jehovah their God.
But these privileges they grievously abused. We condemn
not their " resting in the law," or their " making their boast
of God," provided they had really endeavoured to serve God
acceptably, and to yield a willing obedience to his law: but
it was the external privilege that they gloried in, and not the
spiritual advantages derived from it: they were proud of the
distinction, but not desirous of the spiritual benefits connected
* Deut. iv. 8.
b ck>/a/uatie ra hatiipovra may be translated in either way.
1826.] INCONSISTENT CHRISTIANS REPROVED. 43
with it. Because of the superior light they enjoyed, they
despised all the rest of the world, as blind, ignorant, be
nighted : and they assumed to themselves vain-glorious titles,
as " guides of the blind, lights of those who were in darkness,
instructors of the foolish, and teachers of babes :" they had a
summary of their duties in a short compendious form, " a
form of knowledge and of the truth in the law," by means of
which they were enabled to appear very wise to the unen
lightened heathen; but, whilst they thought themselves so
highly qualified to " teach others, they taught not themselves:"
on the contrary, they were notoriously guilty of those very
crimes which they reprobated amongst the Gentile world.
They proclaimed with great authority the commandments,
" Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery;" but
they were as much addicted to these crimes as the heathen
themselves ; and though since their return from Babylon they
professed an abhorrence of idolatry, and in that respect ex
celled the heathen, they sacrilegiously robbed God not only
of his tithes and offerings, but of all that honour and obe
dience which they acknowledged to be his due. In a word,
by their gross hypocrisy, and their diversified abominations,
they caused Jehovah himself to be blasphemed and abhorred
amongst the heathen who were round about them .
Of what avail could external privileges be to such hypo
crites as these ?]
Would to God there were not equal cause for
reproof to those also who name the name of Christ
[Great as were the advantages of the Jews, they were not
to be compared with those which are enjoyed by the Christian
tvorld. We have not the law only, but the Gospel also, in
which are discovered to us all the wonders of redeeming love.
And we, in consequence of this distinction, look down with pity
on the benighted heathen, who are bowing down to stocks and
stones, and seeking to propitiate their deities by services most
painful, most nugatory, most debasing. On the Christian
name also we value ourselves, as if that name could save us :
and because we have been admitted by baptism into the external
bond of the Christian covenant, we conclude ourselves of course
partakers also of its inward blessings. Ah ! fatal delusion ! We
stand amazed at this error, when exhibited to us by the Jews;
but behold it not, when exemplified in ourselves.
But our lives testify against us, as no less hypocritical than
the Jews themselves. Were we really a holy people to the
Lord, we might well " make our boast of the Saviour," and
" rest in his Gospel " as an undoubted source of everlasting
c Isai. lii. 5. Ezek. xxxvi. 21 23.
44 ROMANS, II. 1723. [1826.
blessedness, But whilst we boast of our superiority to the
heathen in point of light and knowledge, we are on a perfect
level with them in our allowed violations of every moral duty.
We say to heathens, " Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not
commit adultery:" but where were ever fornication and adultery
practised with more unblushing effrontery, than amongst those
who name the name of Christ? Where was dishonesty more
universal in every branch of trade, than amongst those who call
themselves Christians ? Who have ever carried dishonesty to
such a pitch as the professed followers of Christ ? Who have
been men-stealers ? Who have stirred up wars from year to
year, on purpose to facilitate their projects of enslaving their
fellow-creatures ? Ah ! tell it not in Gath. The very name of
Christ stinks in the nostrils of millions, who have been the
victims of our rapacity. " Me no Christian," is, in the mind
of an African, a severer reproach to us than any other that
language can express. And, at this day, there is an anniversary
held in the island of Japan for the purpose of trampling on the
cross, which the Jesuits of former days have made an object of
universal abhorrence.]
Happy should we be, if this reproof were to be
confined to merely nominal Christians !
[Amongst religious professors, who have the Gospel fully
and faithfully administered to them, there are many whose
superior light and information serves only to puff them up
with false confidence and vain conceit. They look down with
affected pity on those whose views of divine truth are not so
clear as their own ; whilst yet, in respect of truth, and honour,
and integrity, they are far inferior to the persons whom they
despise. It is common for such persons to set up for teachers,
whilst they themselves need to be taught some of the first
and fundamental rules of Christian duty. That professors of
religion are too indiscriminately, and too severely, judged, is
certain : but it is no less certain, that there is too much reason
for complaint given by many, who, under a cloak of religion,
veil, or attempt to veil, the grossest hypocrisy. Deceit, and
lying, and covetousness, and fraud, and petulance, and idleness,
and many other evils, are not unfrequently found predominant
features in persons professing godliness ; insomuch that the very
profession of piety is brought by them into general disrepute,
till, by a long probation, a man shall have established his
character for integrity and truth. The dishonour they reflect on
God, and the injury they do to " the Gospel of Christ, which
is evil spoken of through them," is more than words can ex
press: but against such persons no remonstrance can be too
pointed, no censure can be too severe.]
1826.] INCONSISTENT CHRISTIANS REPROVED. 4/5
To view the remonstrance in its true light, \ve
must further consider,
II. The argument confirmed by it
The general argument is, to convince the Jews of
sin : but more particularly it was the Apostle s design
to shew,
1. The emptiness of a merely nominal religion
[The Jews valued themselves on their descent from Abraham,
and on their external relation to God as his peculiar people.
We in like manner value ourselves on being Christians and
Protestants : and we, purely on this ground, entertain as little
doubt of our salvation, as the Jews did of theirs. But St. Paul
tells the Jews, that the uncircumcised Gentiles, who walked
according to the light they enjoyed, would fare better in the
eternal world than the disobedient Jews, notwithstanding all
their boasted privileges d . And, no doubt, many heathens are
in an incomparably better state than the great mass of the
Christians, who in their life and conversation disgrace the truth
which they profess. We must go further still, and say, that
many, who have walked humbly and conscientiously before
God, will, notwithstanding the comparative darkness of their
views, rise up in judgment against those, who, with their
clearer views, and more confident professions of faith in Christ,
have walked unworthy of their heavenly calling. Yes ; many
that, according to human estimation, are " last, shall be first ;
and many that in their own conceit are first, shall be last."]
2. The criminality of an inconsistent profession
[A profession of love to God and his law only involves
us in deeper guilt, if it be not accompanied with a suitable
conversation. Much as God hates wickedness in general,
there is nothing so odious in his sight as hypocrisy. Against
none did our blessed Lord denounce such woes as against
hypocrites; "Woe unto you hypocrites!" and to " take our
portion with the hypocrites" is to have the severest lot of all
in the eternal world. Think then, ye who call yourselves
Christians, what a portion awaits you, if, whilst you name the
name of Christ, you depart not from iniquity. Say not, that
ye do not make any profession of religion ; for your very
calling of yourselves Christians, is a public avowal, that Christ
is your Redeemer, and your Lord. What if ye were warned
that you should be refused the rites of Christian burial?
would you deem that no insult? Yet it is only on the pre
sumption that you are Christians indeed, that your bodies are
46 ROMANS, II. 1723. [1820.
committed to the grave in faith and hope. You do then, and
you cannot but, make a profession of faith in Christ, and of
obedience to his revealed will : and, if you will not walk as
becometh the Gospel of Christ, " your circumcision shall be
come uncircumcision," your baptism no baptism, and your end
terrible, in proportion to the advantages you have abused.
But to a still greater extent is this true respecting those,
who, whilst they make their boast of the Gospel, dishonour
God by their unholy lives, or unsanctified dispositions. To
what purpose are their public professions, or social exercises?
To what purpose are all their boasted experiences of alternate
elevation and depression, of fear or confidence, of sorrow or of
joy ? They may profess as they will that they know God ; but,
if in their conduct they deny him, " they deceive their own
souls, and their religion is vain." Extremely awful is that
declaration of God to the Church of Smyrna, " I know the
blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but
are the synagogue of Satan e ." And it is to be feared, that
such synagogues are yet to be found in our land, under the
semblance of Christian Churches and religious societies. But
whatever they may think of their professions, God accounts
them " blasphemy," and those who make them will be dealt
with by him as hypocrites and blasphemers. We would not
speak of this, but with weeping f ; nevertheless we must declare
it, because it is the very truth of God g .]
3. The universal need of a Saviour
[All, both Jews and Gentiles, are under sin, and there
fore need an interest in the Saviour. Yea, the best of men
must perish, if they be not washed in the Redeemer s blood.
For who is there, that has not occasion to humble himself for
his manifold infirmities ? Who is there that has acted in all
things up to his profession ? Who could stand, if God
should enter into judgment with him? Yea, " if God should
lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet,"
who could answer him for any one act or thought of his whole
life ? Know then, that we are all in this respect on a level :
we must all " put our hand on our mouth, and our mouth in
the dust, crying, Unclean, unclean :" we must all desire with
St. Paul to be found in Christ, not having our own righteous
ness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ."]
EXHORTATION
We call on all then, as they value their immortal
souls,
1. To embrace the Gospel
e Rev. ii. 9. f Phil. iii. 18, 19. s Hos. viii. 2, 8.
1827.] NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF RELIGION. 47
[Do not attempt to substitute any thing of your own in
the place of it. Your privileges, your professions, your ex
periences, your attainments; you must consider them all
but as "loss and dung in comparison of Christ." Let it not
appear a hard thing to renounce them all in point of de
pendence ; but " submit " willingly and thankfully " to the
righteousness of God." It is strange that the acceptance of
a free salvation should require any submission at all : but our
proud hearts are averse to stoop to such an humiliating way of
coming unto God. But be content to have nothing in your
selves, and all in Christ : then shall you be glorified in him, and
he in you, to all eternity.]
2. To adorn the Gospel
[It is no small measure of holiness that becomes those
who believe in Christ. They should endeavour " to shine as
lights in a dark world h ;" to " walk worthy of their high
calling;" yea, "worthy also of him that hath called them to
his kingdom and glory." They should seek to be " holy as
He is holy," and " perfect as He is perfect." Doubtless those
who preach to others should, like the shepherds of old, go
before their flocks in every thing that is excellent and praise
worthy: they should be " examples, not to the world only,
but to believers also, in word, in conversation, in charity, in
faith, in love, in purity 1 ." They should be able to say to
others, " Whatsoever ye have seen and heard in me, do ; and
the God of peace shall be with you." Would to God that he
who now is endeavouring to teach you, may himself learn, and
exemplify, these lessons more than he has ever yet done !
But the duty of holiness pertains equally to all. O
be persuaded to press after the highest attainments in it, and
so to make your light shine before men, that all who behold
you may be constrained to glorify God in your behalf.]
h Phil. ii. 15. Matt. vii. 1316. 1 Tim. iv. 12.
MDCCCXXVII.
THE NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF TRUE RELIGION.
Rom. ii. 28, 29. He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh :
but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly ; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose
praise is not of nien, but of God.
IF we were to estimate men s religion by the degree
of confidence which they expressed, we should be
4-8 ROMANS, II. 28, 29. [1827.
ready to think that the glory of the latter day were
already arrived, so universal are men s claims to Chris
tian knowledge and experience. But it is often found,
that, where there is the strongest confidence, there is
the least ground for it. None could ever be more
firmly persuaded of their acceptance with God than
the carnal Jews ; yet were they fatally mistaken : for
though they enjoyed many privileges, and abounded
in outward observances, they were destitute of that
vital principle, without which their religion was a
vain ceremony, an empty form.
In the preceding context the Apostle is proving to
the Jews that they stood in need of a Saviour no less
than the idolatrous Gentiles : and, knowing what a
stress they laid upon their outward privileges, he tells
them, that it was not an outward and carnal, but an
inward and spiritual service that God required, and
that was necessary to justify their pretensions to the
Divine favour.
His words naturally lead us to shew,
I. The vanity of a mere outward and nominal reli
gion-
All are apt to rest in external forms
[There is nothing in mere forms, which does not gratify,
rather than counteract, our natural tendency to self-righteous
ness, and self-applause. Hence arises that universal readiness
to substitute something that is of an external nature, in the
place of vital godliness. The Jews valued themselves on their
descent from Abraham, and on their admission into covenant
with God by the right of circumcision : they also boasted of
the law in which they were instructed, and of the ordinances
wherein they drew nigh to God: and such was their depend
ence on these things, that they would not suffer themselves to
doubt one moment their title to heaven. Precisely such also
are the grounds on which the generality of Christians hope to
obtain eternal happiness : they have been born of Christian
parents, devoted to God in baptism, instructed in the truths
of the Gospel, and brought up in a constant attendance, if
not on the Lord s supper, at least on the other ordinances of
religion. If they can boast thus far, they will conclude that
all is well with them, and that their salvation is quite secure.]
But the form of godliness without its power is of
no avail
1827.] NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF RELIGION. 4-9
[Testimonies to this effect are exceeding numerous and
strong. John the Baptist particularly cautioned the Jews
against trusting in their descent from Abraham a : our Lord
also warned his hearers, that though they were Abraham s
children after the flesh, they could not be considered as the
seed to whom the promises were made, because they did not
the works of Abraham b . St. Paul also, having enumerated
the great and glorious privileges to which the Jews were
entitled, yet declares that " all were not Israel who were of
Israel," and that the spiritual seed alone should be partakers
of the promises .
However therefore our knowledge of divine truth be en
larged, or our outward services be multiplied, we can never be
admitted into God s sanctuary, unless we have a better righte
ousness than the Scribes and Pharisees attained" 1 : we may
indeed, " have a name to live; but we are really dead 6 ."]
In confirmation of this point we proceed to state,
II. The nature and excellence of true religion
True religion extends its influence to the inmost
dispositions of the soul
[Circumcision and baptism are mere signs and shadowy
representations of something inward and spiritual; they are
intended to lead our minds to " the circumcision of the heart,"
and " the washing of regeneration*"." True religion rests not
"in the letter of the law," but goes to " the spirit" of it; and
inclines the heart to an uniform, unreserved compliance with
the will of God. God himself has informed us fully upon this
point ; " Neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircum-
cision, but a new creation g . The renovation of our inward
man after the Divine image, is that which alone constituted a
person a Jew in God s estimation ; nor is any thing less than
this necessary to constitute us Christians in the sight of God.
Without this, the circumcision of the Jew was a mere concision ;
and the baptism of the Christian is a worthless ablution 11 .]
Wherever this operates, God looks upon it with
pleasure and delight
[Man s approbation is confined to the outward forms of
religion ; the life and power of which are reprobated by him as
hypocrisy and enthusiasm. But God, who sees the emptiness
of mere outward services through the specious veil that is
a Matt. iii. 9. b John viii. 39. c Rom. ix. 4 8.
d Matt. v. 20. e Rev. iii. 1.
f Compare Deut. x. 16. and xxx. 6. with Col. ii. 11, 12. and
Tit. iii. 5.
g Gal. vi. 15. vine. >> Phil. iii. 2, 3. 1 Pet. iii. 21.
VOL. XV. E
50 ROMANS, II. 28, 29. [1827.
put upon them, beholds also the intrinsic worth of those dis
positions which are cultivated by the true Christian. The
sighs and groans of a penitent are as a sweet-smelling savour
unto God; while the self-exalting thoughts and expressions
of a proud Pharisee are as an offensive " smoke in his nose,"
which excites nothing but disgust and abhorrence 1 . Nor is
there a good desire rising in the bosom from a principle of
pure religion, but it is instantly noted in the book of God s
remembrance k , and shall be recorded to the Christian s honour
in the great day of our Lord s appearing 1 ]
ADDRESS
1. Those who are resting in outward forms
[Persons who are diligent in external duties, never doubt
but that they are true Christians : but if they be not equally
attentive to their inward motives and principles, God himself
tells us that they are no Christians. Let us then inquire, not
whether we be descended from Christian ancestors, but whe
ther we be born of God ? Let us ask, not whether we have
" cleansed the outside of the cup and platter ;" but whether we
are " purified from all spiritual as well as fleshly filthiness m ?"
And let us remember, that " the King s daughters are all glo
rious within;" and that their brightest ornament is " the hidden
man of the heart" :" nor is it he who commendeth himself that
is approved of God, " but he whom the Lord commendeth ."]
2. Those who disregard religion entirely
[It has already been seen that persons may be Christians
in appearance, and very observant of all the ordinances of reli
gion, while yet they are no Christians in the sight of God :
how far then must they be from deserving this appellation,
who habitually violate the commandments of their Divine
Master, and live in a constant neglect of the most acknowledged
duties ! Surely " their circumcision is become uncircumcision ;"
instead of being Jews " they are of the synagogue of Satan :"
and the unbaptized heathen, who walk agreeably to the light
of nature, shall condemn them, who, having been baptized
into the faith of Christ, are yet despising his authority, and
trampling on his laws P. Let then the very name of Christian
be renounced at once, or let the spirit of Christianity be made
apparent in our lives.]
3. Those who are cultivating a spiritual and hea
venly mind
1 Jer. xxxi. 18, 20. Isai. Ixv. 5. See also Luke xviii. 11 14.
k Mai. iii. 16, 17. il Pet. i. 7. 1 Cor. iv. 5.
m 2 Cor. vii. 1. n p s . x i v . 13. i p e t. iii. 4.
2 Cor. x. 18. P ver. 2527. with Rev. ii. 9.
1828.] CHRISTIANS ADVANTAGES ABOVE HEATHENS. ,51
[Amidst the abounding of iniquity there yet are many
who are devoted to God both in heart and life : and unspeak
ably blessed is their state. " Their praise indeed is not of
men :" by men they are derided as enthusiasts and fanatics :
but they have " praise of God." God beholds them with
pleasure, and forbears to destroy the world for their sake q . He
accounts them his servants, his children, his glory r ; and in a
little time he will welcome them to his bright abodes, saying,
" Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy
of your Lord." At the day of judgment too will the Lord
Jesus Christ confess them before his Father and his holy
angels ; " These were Christians indeed ; they followed me in
the regeneration, and shall therefore now be seated on thrones
of glory : as I have already shewn my mercy to them, so will
I now evince my righteousness in them ; they shall walk with
me in white, for they are worthy 8 ." Go on then, beloved,
from grace to grace : never think that you have yet attained,
or that you are already perfect ; but forget all that is behind,
and press forward for that which is before, knowing assuredly,
that " to him who worketh righteousness shall be a sure
reward."]
i Isai. i. 9. Matt. xxiv. 22. r Isai. xlvi. 13.
s Rev. iii. 4, 5.
MDCCCXXVIII.
CHRISTIANS ADVANTAGES ABOVE HEATHENS.
Rom. iii. 1, 2. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what
profit is there of circumcision ? Much every way.
IT is not easy to form a just estimate of the privi
leges attached to the profession of Christianity : we
are ready either, on the one hand, to rate them too
high, or, on the other, to undervalue and despise
them. The Jews laid so great a stress on their rela
tion to Abraham, that they could scarcely conceive it
possible for them to perish : they concluded, that be
cause they bore in their flesh the external seal of
God s covenant, they must of necessity be partakers
of its spiritual blessings : and when St. Paul shewed
them their error, they indignantly replied, " What
advantage then hath the Jew ? or what profit is there
of circumcision ?" Thus many amongst ourselves are
apt to imagine, that their having been admitted by
52 ROMANS, III. 1,2. [1828.
baptism into the Christian covenant will secure them
an admission into heaven : and, when they are warned
against this sad delusion, they are ready to say, that
the heathen are in a happier state than they. In
opposition to this, we propose to shew,
I. What advantages we, as Christians, have above
the heathen
The Apostle intimates, that the Jews, merely as
Jews, possessed "every way much" advantage above
the heathen : but, instead of descending to particulars,
he contents himself with specifying one, which, as it
was the greatest, so in fact it included all the rest,
namely, that " to them were committed the Oracles
of God." What he has stated thus comprehensively,
we shall enter into more minutely.
We say then, that as Christians, we have many
things to which the heathen are utter stangers : we
have,
1. A guide for our faith
[The oracles which the heathen consulted, were altogether
unworthy of credit. Their answers were purposely given with
such ambiguity, that they might appear to correspond with the
event, whatever the event might be a . But our oracles have
no such subterfuges : nor can we possibly err in giving to them
the most implicit confidence. They declare to us the nature
and perfections of God the way which he has appointed for
our reconciliation with him the eternal state of those who
shall embrace his proffered mercy, and of those who shall
reject it. Of these things the heathen were wholly ignorant ;
a A famous instance of this is mentioned by Herodotus, B. i.
Cyropaedia, B. vii. Croesus, king of Lydia, inquired of his gods,
Whether he should make war against Cyrus ? The Oracles answered,
That he was then only to think himself in danger, when a mule should
reign over the Medes ; and that, on his passing over the river Halys,
he should destroy a powerful kingdom. Relying on these answers
as predicting success, he commenced the war, which speedily termi
nated in the ruin of himself and his whole kingdom : and when he
complained that he had been deceived by the Oracles, he was told,
That Cyrus was that mule (being a Persian by his father s side, and
a Mecle by his mother s) ; and that the kingdom which he was to de
stroy, was his own. See the account given in Prideaux s Connection
of the Old and New Testament History.
1828.] CHRISTIANS ADVANTAGES ABOVE HEATHENS. 53
nor could their oracles afford them any instruction on which
they could rely.
What an amazing advantage then has the meanest Christian
above the greatest of the heathen philosophers! The little
volume which he has in his hand, sets before him innumerable
truths, which reason never could explore ; it reveals them to
him so plainly, that he who runs may read and understand
them : and, instead of deceiving him to his ruin, it will " make
him wise unto everlasting salvation."]
2. A warrant for his hope
[The oracles which could declare nothing with certainty,
could afford to their votaries no solid ground of hope. But the
Christian who believes the oracles of God, has an " anchor
for his soul so sure and steadfast," that not all the storms or
tempests which either men or devils can raise, shall ever drive
him from the station where he is moored. Suppose his dis
couragements to be as great as the most gloomy imagination
can paint them; he has reasons in plenty to assign for his
hope. The sovereignty of God the sufficiency of Christ
the freeness and extent of the promises the immutability of
Jehovah, who has confirmed his promises with an oath these,
and many other things which are revealed in the sacred volume,
may enable the person who relies upon them to go to the very
throne of God himself, and to plead for acceptance with him :
and, in proportion as he relies upon them, he has within his
own bosom a pledge, that he shall never be ashamed.
What an advantage is this to the man that is hoping for
eternal happiness ! Surely " blessed are the eyes which see
the things that we see, and hear the things which we hear."]
3. A rule for his conduct
[The wise men of antiquity could not so much as devise
what constituted the chief good of man ; much less could they
invent rules which should be universally applicable for the
direction of their followers: and the rules which they did
prescribe, were in many respects subversive both of individual
and public happiness. But the oracles of God are proper to
direct us in every particular. We may indeed in some more
intricate cases err in the application of them, (else we should
be infallible ; which is not the lot of man upon earth ;) but in
all important points the path we are to follow is made as clear
to us as the racer s course : yea, the word is not only a general
" light to our feet, but a lantern to our steps :" so that what
was obscure at a distance, is discovered to us on our nearer
approach, and a direction is given us, " This is the way; walk
ye in it." The whole circle of moral and religious duty is thus
accurately drawn. The poor man who is conversant with his
54 ROMANS, III. 1,2. [1828.
Bible, needs not to go to the philosopher, and consult with
him ; nor need he regard the maxims current in the world.
With the Scriptures as his guide, and the Holy Spirit as his
instructor, he needs no casuist, but an upright heart; no
director, but a mind bent upon doing the will of God. If he
derive assistance from any, it is from those only who are more
fraught with divine knowledge, and whose superior illumina
tion has qualified them to instruct others. But they are no
farther to be regarded, than as they speak according to the
written word.
Compare now the illiterate Christian with the most learned
pagan, and see how greatly he is benefited in this respect also
by the light of revelation. If indeed he rest in his admission
into the Christian covenant, and look no further than to a mere
profession of Christianity, he may easily overrate his privileges :
but if he consider them means to an end, and improve them in
that view, he can never be sufficiently thankful, that he was
early received into the bosom of the Church, and initiated by
baptism into a profession of Christ s religion.]
Having stated our advantages, we proceed to notice,
II. The improvement we should make of them
If the possession of the sacred oracles constitute
our chief advantage, doubtless we should,
1 . Study them
[" Search the Scriptures," says our Lord, " for in them
ye think ye have eternal life." If we neglect the word of God,
we lose the very advantage which God in his mercy has vouch
safed to give us, and reduce ourselves, as much as lieth in us,
to the state of heathens. If then we shudder at the thought
of reverting to heathenism, let us, not on some occasions only,
like the heathen, but on all occasions, consult the oracles,
whereby we profess to be directed. " Let our meditation be
in them day and night ;" and let them be " our delight and our
counsellors 13 " ]
2. Conform ourselves to them
[The end of studying the sacred oracles is not to obtain a
speculative knowledge, but to have our whole souls cast, as it
were, into the mould which is formed therein. By them we
must regulate both our principles and our practice. We must
not presume to dispute against them, because they are not
agreeable to our pre-conceived opinions ; we must not complain
that this is too humiliating, and that is too strict ; but must
receive with submission all which the Scriptures reveal,
b See Deut. vi. G 9. and Ps. i. 2. and Prov. ii. 1 6.
1829.J THE FOLLY OF UNBELIEF. 55
believing implicitly whatever they declare, and executing un
reservedly whatever they enjoin If we do not thus
obey the truth, we shall indeed be in a worse state than the
heathens ; our baptism will be no baptism ; and the unbaptized
pagans, who walk according to the light they have, will rise up
in judgment against us for abusing the privileges which they
perhaps would have improved with joy and gratitude .]
3. Promote the knowledge of them in the world
[If God had imparted to us a secret whereby we could
heal all manner of diseases ; and our own interest, as well as
that of others, would be greatly promoted by disclosing it to
the whole world ; should we not gladly made it known ? Shall
we then withhold from the Gentile world the advantages we
enjoy ; more especially when God has commanded us to com
municate as freely as we have received ? Should we not con
tribute, by pecuniary aid, or by our prayers at least, to send
the Gospel to the heathen, that they may be partakers with us
in all the blessings of salvation ?
But there are, alas! heathens, baptized heathens, at home
also ; and to those we should labour to make known the
Gospel of Christ. We should bring them under the sound of
the Gospel we should disperse among them books suited
to their states and capacities we should provide instruction
for the rising generation we should especially teach our own
children and servants and labour, " by turning men from dark
ness unto light, to turn them also from the power of Satan
unto God."]
c Rom. ii. 25 27.
MDCCCXXIX.
THE FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.
Rom. iii. 3, 4. What if some did not believe ? shall their un
belief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid ;
yea, let God be true, but every man a liar.
IN every age of the world man has been prone to
disbelieve the testimony of God : our first parents fell
by questioning the prohibition which God had given
them, and doubting the penalty with which it was
enforced. Their posterity, born in their fallen image,
have but too faithfully copied their example. By un
belief, the antediluvian world were overwhelmed : by
unbelief, God s chosen people the Jews have been
56 ROMANS, III. 3, 4. [1829.
despoiled of all their privileges. The same malignant
principle pervades also the Christian church. We
profess indeed, like the Jews of old, to venerate the
sacred oracles ; but there is scarcely a truth contained
in them, which is not practically, and almost univer
sally, denied. Yet is this no reason for questioning
their divine authority : for God is as immutable in his
word, as he is in his nature ; and, as his existence
would not be affected, though the whole world should
be atheists, so neither will one jot or tittle of his
word fail, though the world should be infidels. This
is the very point on which St. Paul is insisting in the
passage before us. Having observed that the Jews
were highly privileged in having the oracles of God
committed to them, he anticipates the objection which
might be urged against him from their unbelief; and
allowing the truth of the fact, That they were very
generally disbelieved, he denies and refutes the infer
ence that might be drawn from it, by declaring, That
their unbelief, however general it might be, could
never invalidate the truth of God.
From his words we shall be led to consider,
I. The prevalence of unbelief
It is not our intention to expose the errors of infi
delity, or the sophistry with which the truth of God
has been assailed ; but rather to point out that secret
unbelief which works in the minds of all, even with
respect to the most acknowledged truths. That
such unbelief prevails, cannot possibly be doubted, if
we observe,
1. How general is men s neglect of the word of
God
[The sacred volume lies by us : we have it in our own
language, that all may read it; and it is statedly read and
explained to us in public. But how few study it ! how few
regard it ! how few are there who do not give a decided, yea,
an exclusive preference to books of human science, and even
to any worthless novel, or ephemeral compilation ! And what
is the cause of this ? Could they be thus indifferent, if they
believed it to be the word of GOD ; the word of God to them ?
Would any one manifest such indifference towards a will in
1829.] THE FOLLY OF UNBELIEF. 57
which he was informed that great estates were bequeathed to
him ? or even towards a map, which would shew him his way
through a trackless desert ? How much less then would any
disregard the Holy Scriptures, if they really believed them to
be the charter of their privileges, and the only sure directory
to heaven ! They would rather account them more precious
than gold, and esteem them more than their necessary food 3 .]
2. What contempt men discover for the truths they
do hear
[Men hear that there is such a place as heaven, where the
saints shall live in everlasting felicity ; and such a place as
hell, where the wicked shall lie down in everlasting burnings :
yet are they neither allured, nor alarmed. When the ministers
of God insist on these subjects, they are considered only as
preaching " cunningly devised fables." But could this be the
case, if men believed the testimony of God ? Do men feel no
emotion at the news of some unexpected benefit arising to
them, or some unforeseen calamity impending over them ?
Do men treat with contempt a sentence of condemnation, or
a notice of reprieve ? How then could men so disregard the
things revealed in the Gospel, if they believed them to be the
very truths of God ?]
3. How men expect things in direct opposition to
the word of God
[Unconverted men will as confidently expect to go to
heaven, as if the word of God were altogether on their side.
The drunkard, the swearer, the sabbath-breaker, the whore
monger, are as persuaded that they shall never come into con
demnation, as if there were not one word in all the book of
God that declared the contrary. They will never believe that
the wrath of God is revealed against such sins as theirs, not
withstanding God so positively declares, that " the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of GodV They do not indeed
imagine that any will be finally lost. They can hear of thou
sands slain in battle, and yet extend their thoughts no further
than the grave. The idea that multitudes of them may possibly
have died in their sins, and been consigned over to endless
misery, seems so harsh, that they cannot harbour it in their
minds one moment, notwithstanding God expressly says, that
" the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that
forget God c ." Could all this be so, if they believed the word
of God ? Would not their sentiments then be more conformed
to it ? Would they not be assured, that, however " it should
a Ps. cxix. 72. Job xxiii. 12. b 1 Cor. vi. 9.
c Ps. ix. 17.
58 ROMANS, III. 3, 4. [1829.
be well with the righteous," it must and should " go ill with
the wicked d ? "]
4. How little men are influenced by the things
they profess most to believe
[They profess to believe that there is a God : yet they do
not love him, or fear him, or trust in him, or regard him, any
more than if there were no such Being. They profess to
believe that they have an immortal soul ; yet they pay no
more attention to its interests, than if it were not to survive
the body. They profess to believe that there will be a day
of judgment, wherein they shall give account of themselves
to God: yet they are not at all solicitous to know how their
account stands ; they bestow no pains in preparing for that
day; they presume that others are happy, and that they shall
fare as well as those who have gone before them ; and thus
they hazard their eternal welfare on a mere groundless surmise.
They profess to believe that death will put a period to their
day of grace, and that it may snatch them away suddenly, and
unawares : yet they live as securely, as if they could call days
and years their own : " Soul, take thine ease," is the constant
language of their hearts. Now, whence is all this ? Will any
one say, that these men are thoroughly persuaded even of the
things which they profess most to believe? they certainly are
not : they give a general assent to them, because they have
been educated in these particular sentiments, and because their
reason cannot but acquiesce in them as true : but as for the
faith which realizes invisible things, which is " the substance of
things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen," they
have no portion of it ; they are shut up altogether in unbelief.]
The prevalence of unbelief being thus unquestion
ably proved, we proceed to point out,
II. The folly of it-
A just view of this subject will soon convince us,
that the very men who glory in their unbelief, and
say, " Wisdom shall die with us e ," are indeed influ
enced by the most foolish and fatal of all principles :
for, with respect to unbelief,
1. It cannot avert the evils which it affects to
despise
[Unbelief can never make void the truth of God. It did
not in the days of old. When Satan said to our first parents,
Ye shall not surely die," and they credited his testimony in
d Isai. iii. 10, 11. e j |, x jj 2,
1829.] THE FOLLY OF UNBELIEF. 59
preference to God s, did their unbelief avail them? was the
threatening less certain ? Did God forbear to inflict it ? Did
not their souls die that very day, being instantly separated
from God, which constitutes spiritual death, and becoming
obnoxious to his wrath, the chief ingredient of eternal death ?
Did not their bodies also, though, for the peopling of the
earth, and for other gracious purposes, they were suffered to
continue awhile, become impregnated with the seeds of death,
whereby they were in due time reduced again to their native
dust?
When the unbelieving Jews rejected their Messiah, were the
purposes of God at all frustrated? Yea, were they not rather
furthered and accomplished by their unbelief? and were not
the whole nation, except a little remnant, broken off from
their stock, and the Gentiles, whom they regarded as accursed,
engrafted on it ?
So we may now ask of unbelieving sinners, " "What if ye do
not believe ? shall your unbelief make the faith of God
without effect ? " Will God cease to be an holy, sin-hating,
sin-avenging God, because ye presume to think him even such
an one as yourselves ? Shall sin no longer be debasing, defiling,
damning, because ye choose to esteem it light and venial ?
Shall death wait your pleasure, because ye think ye have made
a covenant with it, and put it far from you ? shall the judg
ment-day lose its solemnity, and the account you are to give
be made less strict, because you take it for granted, that all
shall then be well with you? Shall hell be divested of its
horrors, because you will not believe that there is any such
place, or because you are averse to hear of it? Shall the
nature and blessedness of heaven be altogether changed, in
order that it may, according to your conceits, be the residence
of the wicked as well as of the righteous? In short, is it
reasonable, is it probable, is it possible, that the truth of God
should be made void, merely because you do not choose" to
believe it?]
2. It enhances and insures the evils, whose very
existence it presumes to deny
[The Apostle tells us what should be the fixed principle
of our minds, " Let God be true ; but every man a liar." But
unbelief reverses this ; and gives, not only to the testimony of
man, but even to his most groundless conjectures, a greater
weight than to the most solemn declarations of Jehovah.
What an affront is this to the Majesty of heaven ! Is there a
man on earth that would not take offence at such an indignity,
especially if it were offered to him by those whom he had
never deceived, and for whose sake alone he had spoken ? Let
it not then be thought, that, to treat God as though he had no
60 ROMANS, III. 3, 4. [1829.
veracity, is a light matter ; for surely it must greatly provoke
the eyes of his glory.
Besides, unbelief, while it thus incenses God against us,
rejects the only possible means of reconciliation with him ; and
consequently rivets all our guilt upon us Judge then
whether they, who yield themselves up to its influence, be not
" blinded by Satan," and victims to their own delusions f ?]
By way of IMPROVEMENT, let me commend to your
attention the grand object of a Christian s faith-
fit is to little purpose to have general notions of the
prevalence and folly of unbelief, if we do not apply them par
ticularly to that fundamental doctrine of Scripture, That we
are to be justified solely by faith in the Lord Jesus. This is
that, which is emphatically called, The Gospel ; concerning the
necessity of believing which, nothing more need be urged, than
that assertion of our Lord, " He that believeth shall be saved,
and he that believeth not shall be damned^" The point for us
now to determine, is, Do we indeed believe in Christ for the
justification of our souls? We are continually apt to mistake
the nature of saving faith ; and, for want of right views of
that, we put away from ourselves all that is spoken respecting
unbelief, as though we had no experience of it, no concern
about it. But it has been already abundantly shewn, that if
we believe only in the manner that the generality of Christians
do, we have no true faith at all. Examine then, Have you
clear and lively views of Christ as the Saviour of sinners?
Are you deeply convinced of your own sinfulness, and your
consequent need of mercy ? Have you renounced every other
hope ? and do you rely simply and solely on Christ s atone
ment? Finally, are you deriving virtue from him for the
healing of your corruptions, and for the bringing forth of all
the fruits of righteousness to his praise and glory ? This, and
this alone, is saving faith ; and he, who thus believes, shall be
saved ; and he, who does not thus believe, shall be damned.
Let not any object, and say, " What is there in this faith that
should save us, or in the want of it that should condemn us?"
Our only inquiry must be, Has God suspended our salvation
on the exercise of a living faith, or not ? If he has, we have
no more to say, than, " Let God be true : but every man a
liar." To dispute against him is to dispute against the wind.
The wind will not stop its course for us : yet sooner should
that be done, yea, " sooner should heaven and earth pass away,
than one jot or tittle of his word should fail." If then no
objections of our s can ever disprove the truth of God s word,
or prevent the execution of it on our own souls, let us guard
f 2 Cor. iv. 4. Isai. Ixvi. 4. 8 Mark xvi. 10.
1830.] THE EXTENT OF MAN S DEPRAVITY. 61
against that principle of unbelief, which operates so powerfully,
so fatally, within us. Let us remember where our danger
lies : it is not in giving too much weight to the declarations of
God : but in softening them down, and accommodating them
to our vain wishes or carnal apprehensions. Let then the
fore-mentioned record abide upon our minds. Let us be per
suaded that he, whom God blesses, shall be blessed ; and he,
whom God curses, shall be cursed. In other words, Let us
rest assured, that life is to be found in Christ alone ; and that
" he who hath the Son, hath life ; and he who hath not the
Son of God, hath not lifeV]
h 1 John v. 11, 12.
MDCCCXXX.
THE EXTENT OF MAN S DEPRAVITY.
Rom. iii. 10 20. It is written, There is none righteous, no,
not one : there is none that under standeth, there is none that
seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they
are together become unprofitable ; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with
their tongues they have used deceit ; the poison of asps is
under their lips : whose mouth is full of cursing and bitter
ness : their feet are sivift to shed blood : destruction and
misery are in their ways : and the way of peace have they
not known : there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now
we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to
them who are under the law : that every mouth may be
stopped, and all the ivorld may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the laiv there shall no jlesh be jus
tified in his sight.
THE Scriptures are the only and infallible source
of divine knowledge. To them the Apostles con
tinually refer in support of their doctrines. No
subject is capable of more ample proof from them
than that before us. St. Paul is shewing that all
mankind are guilty and depraved. In confirmation
of this he cites many passages from the Old Testa
ment 9 . From these, as stated and improved in the
text, we are led to consider,
I. The representation which the Scripture gives of
our state
a See Ps. xiv. 13. Prov. i. 16, 18. Isai. lix. 7, 8.
V2 ROMANS, III. 1020. [1830.
The testimonies here adduced, declare, that the
most lamentable depravity pervades,
1. All ranks and orders of men
" There is none righteous, no, not one b "-
[Righteousness is a conformity of heart and life to the law
of God. Where is the man on earth that possesses it by
nature ? Where is the man whose deviations from this
standard have not been innumerable ?]
" There is none that understandeth "-
[The natural man has no discernment of spiritual things ;
his practical judgment is in favour of sin and the world.]
" There is none that seeketh after God "-
[The things of time and sense are diligently pursued ;
but who ever cultivates divine knowledge, or seriously inquires
after God 11 ?]
" All are gone out of the way "
[Men universally prefer the way of self-righteousness to
that of faith in Christ, and that of sin and self-indulgence to
holiness and self-denial. No one that sees them would imagine
that they really intended to tread in the steps of Christ and
his Apostles.]
" They are together become unprofitable "
[God has formed us for his own glory, and each other s
good : but unregenerate men never attempt to answer these
ends of their creation 6 : hence they are justly compared to
things worthless and vile f .]
" There is none that doeth good, no, not one"
[Nothing is really good, which is not so in its principle,
rule, and end s . But where is the action of any natural man
that will stand this test ?]
2. All the faculties and powers of men
6 The Apostle has so arranged his quotations as to form a beauti
ful climax, every subsequent passage affirming more than that which
precedes it.
c 1 Cor. ii. 14. d Job xxxv. 10.
e They may do good to the bodies of men ; but never shew any
real solicitude about their souls. Indeed, how should they, when
they care not for their own souls ?
f Luke xiv. 34, 35. and John xv. 6.
g The fear and love of God are the principle, the Scriptures the
rule, and God s glory the end of Christian obedience, 1 Cor. x. 31.
1830.] THE EXTENT OF MAN*S DEPRAVITY. G3
[Nothing is more offensive than an open sepulchre h ; or
more venomous than an asp ; yet both the one and the other
fitly represent the effusions of a carnal heart : " Out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth will speak :" deceit, calumny,
invective, yea, in many instances, the most horrible oaths and
execrations will proceed from it 1 . Hence that awful descrip
tion of the human tongue k From words we are ready also to
proceed to actions, yea, even the most cruel and atrocious.
Who that sees with what readiness nations engage in war, will
question the declaration in the text ? Hazael revolted at the
idea of murder, when warned of his readiness to commit it ;
yet notwithstanding his present feelings, how " swift were his
feet to shed blood 1 !" How many at this day are impelled by
shame even to destroy their own offspring ! How frequently
do men engage in duels on account of the slightest injury or
insult ! And in how many instances might we ourselves, when
irritated and inflamed, have committed murder in an unguarded
moment, exactly as others have done, who in a cooler hour
would have shuddered at the thought ! The instance of David,
who, though " a man after God s own heart," murdered Uriah,
and many others with him, to conceal his shame, is sufficient
of itself to shew us what the best of men might commit, if
left to themselves" 1 . Well we may apply to this subject that
humiliating language of the prophet" Thus, God himself
being witness, instead of walking in " paths of peace " and
safety, we all by nature prefer the " ways which bring des
truction and misery" both on ourselves and all around us .
The whole of our state is properly summed up in this, that
" there is no fear of God before our eyes ;" so entirely are our
understandings blinded, and our hearts alienated from him, by
means of our innate depravity 1 *.]
This humiliating view of our state should lead us
to consider,
II. The INFERENCES to be deduced from it
Those which the Apostle suggests in the text will
suffice for our attention at this time :
h Matt, xxiii. 27.
1 No less than four expressions, and those exceeding strong, are
sued to declare the evils of the tongue.
k Jam. iii. 6.
1 2 Kings viii. 12, 13. with ib. ver. 15. and xiii. 7.
m 2 Sam. xi. 14 17. n Isai. i. 5, 6. Ps. xxxvi. 1.
P ver. 16. and 17. relate primarily to the evil which men do to
others, though they may include what they do to themselves. See
Isai. lix. 7, 8.
64 ROMANS, III. 1020. [1830.
1. We are all " guilty before God "-
[It seems inconceivable to many, that they should really
be obnoxious to everlasting misery in hell : and they will plead
their own cause with zeal and eloquence : if they concede it
with respect to some more heinous transgressors, they will deny
it in reference to themselves. But God has taken care that
" every mouth should be stopped." It is not possible to
express the universality of men s wickedness more strongly
than it is expressed in the words before us q . All then must
" become guilty before God," and acknowledge their desert of
his wrath and indignation ; they must feel their desert of con
demnation, as much as a man that has been condemned for
parricide feels the justice of the sentence which is pronounced
against him. O that we might all be brought to such unfeigned
contrition ! We should then be " not far from the kingdom
of God*."]
2. We can never be justified by any works of our
own
[" We know that what the law saith, it saith unto them
that are under the law." Now the law saith, " Do this and
live : transgress it and thou shalt die 8 ;" but it speaks not one
word about mitigating its demands to the weak, however weak,
or its penalties to the guilty, however small the measure of
their guilt. How then can any man "be justified by the
works of the law ?" Can a man be guilty, and not guilty ? or
can he be condemned by the law, and yet justified by it at the
same time, and in the same respects? Let all hope then, and
all thought, of justification by the law be put away from
for us ever. God has provided a better way for our justifi
cation, namely, through the blood and righteousness of his
dear Son 4 : and to lead us into that way was the intention of
the Apostle in citing the passages that have already been con
sidered. Let us improve his humiliating representation for
this salutary end ; so shall we be " justified freely by grace,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus u ."]
i " None, no, not one ; " " none ; none ; none, no, not one ; "
" all ; all together ; " " every mouth ; " even " all the world." Can
any, after this, fancy himself an exception ?
r Ps. li. 17. s Rom. x. 5. Gal. iii. 10.
1 Rom. iii. 21, 22. u Rom. iii. 24.
1831.J VIOLATIONS OF EVERY COMMANDMENT. 65
MDCCCXXXI.
OUR VIOLATIONS OF EVERY COMMANDMENT.
Rom. iii. 20. By the law is the knowledge of sin.
OUR lost estate, and our consequent need of a Sa
viour, can never be truly known, unless we compare
our lives with that universal rule of duty, the law of
God. St. Paul took this method of proving that both
Jews and Gentiles were under sin : in all the preceding
part of this epistle he sets forth their transgressions
against the law ; and having confirmed his assertions
by many passages out of the old Testament, he says
in the verse before my text, " We know that what
things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are
under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and
all the world become guilty before God." From
hence it is evident that the law of which he is speaking,
is the moral law, that same law which was originally
engraven in the heart of Adam, and was afterwards
published to the world on Mount Sinai : for the Gen
tiles having never been subject to the ceremonial or
judicial law, it can be no other than the moral law,
which shuts their mouth and brings them in guilty
before God. The principal ends for which he referred
them to this law were these ; first, to convince them
that they could not be justified by their obedience to
it (and therefore in the words immediately preceding
our text, he says, that by the law shall no flesh be
justified ;) and secondly, to shew them their undone
condition by the law ; and therefore he adds, in the
words of our text, "by the law is the knowledge of sin."
From these words we shall take occasion to com
pare our lives with the law of God, that so we may
obtain the knowledge of our sins : and while we are
thus bringing our iniquities to remembrance, may the
Spirit of God come down upon us, to convince us all
of sin, and to reveal unto us that only Deliverer from
sin, the Lord Jesus Christ !
VOL. XV. F
66 ROMANS, III. 20. [1831.
The law was delivered to Moses upon two tables of
stone, and comprised in ten commandments.
The first of the commandments respects the object
of our worship, " Thou shalt have none other gods
but me." In this we are required to believe in God,
to love him, and to serve him with all our hearts, and
minds, and souls, and strength : and if we examine
ourselves by it, we shall see that our transgressions are
neither few nor small : for instead of believing in him
at all times, how rarely have we either trembled at his
threatenings or confided in his promises ! Instead of
loving him supremely, have we not set our affections
on the things of time and sense ? Instead of fearing
him above all, have we not been swayed rather by the
fear of man, or a regard to our worldly interests ?
Instead of relying on him in all difficulties, have we
not rather " leaned to our own understanding, and
trusted in an arm of flesh ?" and instead of making it
our meat and drink to do his will, have we not lived
to ourselves, seeking our own pleasure, and following
our own ways ? Surely if we seriously inquire into
our past conduct, we shall find that throughout our
whole lives " other lords have had dominion over us,"
the world has been our idol, and self has usurped the
throne of God. If therefore we were to be tried by
this commandment only, our offences would appeal-
exceeding numerous, more than the hairs of our head,
more than the sands upon the sea shore.
The second commandment respects the nature of
worship : " Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven
image." God is a Spirit, and therefore is not to be
addressed by the medium of any sensible object, but
is to be " worshipped in spirit and in truth." Yet,
whenever we have presented ourselves before him, we
have scarcely paid him more respect, yea frequently
much less, than the heathens manifest towards their
gods of wood and stone. Let us only consider what
has been the frame of our minds when we have ap
proached the throne of grace ; how little have we
stood in awe of his Majesty ! How unaffecting has
been our sense either of our wants, or of his power
1831.] VIOLATIONS OF EVERY COMMANDMENT. (>7
and readiness to help us ! And if we look at the
prayers which we have offered, we shall see cause to
acknowledge that they have been dull, formal, and
hypocritical. Our confessions have neither been at
tended with humility nor followed by amendment :
our petitions have been without faith and without
fervour : and our thanksgivings, which should have
been the warm effusions of a grateful heart, have
frozen on our very lips. Indeed secret prayer is by
the generality either wholly omitted, or performed as
a task or drudgery : as for family devotions they are
wholly, and almost universally, neglected : and in the
public assemblies, instead of breathing out our hearts
before God, our thoughts are wandering to the ends
of the earth, or, as the Scripture has said, " we draw
nigh unto God with our mouth, but our heart is far
from him." Let us all therefore consult the records
of our own consciences, that we may judge ourselves
with respect to these things ; nor let us forget that
every such omission and every such defect has swelled
the number of our transgressions, and greatly aggra
vated our guilt and misery.
The third commandment respects the manner of
worship; " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain." The name of God is never to be
uttered by us but with awe and reverence. But, not
to mention the stupid indifference with which it is
often repeated in prayer, how generally, how daringly
is it profaned in common conversation, so generally,
that no age, sex, or quality is exempt from this im
pious custom ; and so daringly, that it is even vindi
cated : the thoughtless manner in which that sacred
name is used, is often urged as an excuse for the
profanation of it ; when it is that very thoughtless
ness which constitutes the profanation. But instead
of extenuating the guilt of this sin, we shall do well
to consider what God has said respecting it, " The
Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his
name in vain."
The fourth commandment respects the time of
worship ; " Remember the sabbath-day to keep it
68 ROMANS, III. 20. [1831.
holy." In what manner we are to keep it holy, the
Prophet Isaiah teaches us 3 ; " Turn away thy foot
from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy
day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honourable ; and honour HIM, not doing thine
own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speak
ing thine own words." But how has this day been
regarded by us ? Have we conscientiously devoted
it to God, and spent those sacred hours in reading,
meditation and prayer ? Have we, as well by example
as by precept, inculcated on our dependants a regard
for the sabbath ? and have we improved it for the wel
fare of their souls as well as of our own ? alas ! have
not those blessed seasons been rather wasted in worldly
business, worldly company, and worldly pleasures ?
Yes, it is to be feared that however we may have
kept up a mere formal attendance on the external
services of the Church, we have not any of us ac
counted our sabbaths a delight, or spent them in
devout and holy exercises. We may rest assured
however, that of every such abuse of the sabbath we
shall give a strict account ; for if God has so solemnly
warned us to " remember that we keep the sabbath
holy," no doubt he himself will remember what regard
we payed to it.
Here end the commandments of the first table,
which relate to God, as those of the second table
relate more especially to our neighbour ; yet not so
entirely as to exclude ourselves. We proceed there
fore with them :
The fifth commandment, " Honour thy father and
thy mother," requires a becoming deportment not
only towards our own immediate parents, but towards
all mankind, however related to us ; our superiors,
equals, and inferiors : to the first of these we owe
submission ; to the two last, love and condescension.
But how often have we affected independence, and
refused submission to lawful authority ! How often
have we envied the advancement of our equals, or
exalted ourselves above them ! How often have we
a Isai. Iviii. 13.
1831.J VIOLATIONS OF EVERY COMMANDMENT. 69
treated our inferiors with haughtiness and severity !
Even our natural parents we have by no means
honoured as we ought, nor sustained any relation in
life as God has required us to do. In all these re
spects therefore we have sinned before God, and
" treasured up wrath for ourselves against the day of
wrath."
Thus far many will readily acknowledge themselves
guilty. But so ignorant are mankind in general of
the spirituality and extent of God s law, that they
account themselves blameless with respect to all the
other commandments : if they have not literally, and
in the grossest sense, committed murder, adultery,
theft, or perjury, they have no conception how they
can have transgressed the laws which forbid these
things. But let us calmly and dispassionately exa
mine this matter ; bearing this in mind, that it is our
interest to know our sins; because by knowing them,
we shall be stirred up to seek the forgiveness of them
through the Saviour s blood ; whereas, if we remain
ignorant of our sins, we shall not feel our need of a
Saviour, and shall consequently die without an in
terest in him.
The sixth commandment then respects our own
and our neighbour s life ; " Thou shalt do no mur
der." We take for granted that none of us have
imbrued our hands in human blood : yet this by no
means exempts us from the charge of murder. Our
Lord, in that justly admired Sermon on the Mount,
has given us the clew, whereby we may be led to a
true exposition of this and of all the other command
ments ; " Ye have heard," says he, " that it hath
been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill,
and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment ; but I say unto you, that whosoever is
angry with his brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say to
his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council ;
but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger
of hell fire." By this comment of our Lord s, we arc
assured that causeless anger and passion are esteemed
70 ROMANS, III. 20. [1831.
by him as violations of this commandment. And
St. John in the third chapter of his first epistle con
firms this by saying, " He that loveth not his brother
abideth in death ; whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer ; and ye know that no murderer hath eter
nal life abiding in him." From this additional testi
mony therefore we see that the hating of any person,
or the not truly loving him, is a species of murder in
the sight of God. Who then is innocent ? Who has
been free from passion ? W T ho has not often con
ceived anger and hatred against his neighbour ? And
shall it be thought unreasonable to call this murder ?
Look at the effects of anger ; how often has it termi
nated in murder, when the perpetrators of the act
little supposed themselves capable of such an atro
cious crime ! and if we have been irritated and pro
voked by small occasions, who can tell what our
anger might have effected if the occasion had been
increased, and the preventing grace of God with
drawn ? And what is that which the world has falsely
called a sense of honour ? tis revenge, tis murder ;
murder in the heart, as it often proves murder in the
act. But there are other ways of committing murder :
if we have wished a rival dead, in order that we might
be advanced ; if we have wished an enemy dead,
because of our aversion to him ; if we have wished
a relation or any other person dead, in order that we
might succeed to his fortune or preferment, or if we
have rejoiced in the death of another on any of these
accounts, we have manifested that same principle
in our hearts, which, if kindled by temptation and
favoured by opportunity, would have produced the
most fatal effects. Nor is this all : we are no less
guilty in the sight of God, if we do what tends to the
destruction of our own life, than if we seek the de
struction of our neighbour s life. Not to mention
therefore the too common act of suicide, how many
bring upon themselves pain, sickness, and disease, I
may add too, an early and premature death, by means
of debauchery and excess. Let not any one therefore
imagine himself innocent even in respect of murder :
1831.] VIOLATIONS OF EVERY COMMANDMENT. 71
for in every instance of anger, impatience, or intem
perance, yea, whenever we have wished for, or re
joiced in another s dissolution, we have violated this
commandment.
The seventh commandment respects our own and
our neighbour s chastity : " Thou shalt not commit
adultery." Fornication and adultery are by many prac
tised without remorse, and recorded without shame.
But to such we may well address the words of Solo
mon : " Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let
thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and
walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of
thine eyes ; but know thou, that for all these things
God will bring thee into judgment." Nor will it avail
any thing to say, that we committed these sins only
in our youth ; and that now we have left them off ;
for sin is sin, whensoever and by whomsoever com
mitted ; and however it may have escaped our
memory, it is not therefore erased from the book of
God s remembrance ; nor however partial the world
may be in its judgment respecting it, will it escape
due notice at another tribunal ; for we are assured by
the Apostle, that " whoremongers and adulterers God
will judge."
But this commandment extends much further than
to the outward act : it reaches to the inmost thoughts
and desires of the heart. Let us hear an infallible
expositor ; let us hear what our Lord himself says in
his Sermon on the Mount : " Ye have heard that it
hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery : but I say unto you, that who
soever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart,"
By this commandment therefore is forbidden all in
dulgence of unclean thoughts, and consequently all
immodest words, all obscene allusions, all wanton
looks, all impure desires and affections. Who then
will say, I am pure ? Who will take up a stone to
cast at another ?
The eighth commandment respects our neighbour s
goods ; " Thou shalt not steal." Theft is universally
72 ROMANS, III. 20. [1831.
branded with disgrace : and it may be hoped that we,
who have been so far out of the reach of want, have
never been reduced to so infamous a practice. Yet
how many are guilty of practices equally repugnant
to the spirit of this commandment ! How many de
fraud the government by withholding or evading the
legal imposts! How many defraud the public by
circulating coin which they know to be either base
or defective ! How many defraud those with whom
they transact business, by taking undue advantage of
their ease, their ignorance, or their necessities ! How
many defraud their creditors by neglecting to pay
their debts ! And how many defraud the poor by
not giving to them what the Great Proprietor of all
hath made their due ! If indeed we regard only
these effects of dishonesty, they will probably appear
to us light and insignificant ; but if we look to the
principle which gives birth to these things, it will be
found no less corrupt than that which manifests itself
in theft and robbery. Odious therefore as the impu
tation of fraud may justly be considered, there is not
one who has not at some time or other been guilty
of it : so that this commandment as well as all that
have preceded it, will accuse us before God.
The ninth commandment respects our neighbour s
reputation; " Thou shalt not bear false witness." We
offend against this law, not only when we perjure
ourselves before a magistrate, but whenever we mis
represent the conduct of others, or pass hasty and
ungrounded censures upon them. All whisperers
therefore and backbiters, and all who circulate re
ports injurious to their neighbour, are condemned by
it : nor does it forbid such falsehoods only as are
pernicious, but such also as are jocular, marvellous,
or exculpative : for, as to the morality of the act, it
matters little whether we falsify to our neighbour, or
against him. Who then has not been often guilty in
these respects ? Who does not feel the force of the
Psalmist s observation, that " as soon as we are born
we go astray, speaking lies?" Nor let any think
lightly of this sin : for so detestable is it in the
1831.] VIOLATIONS OF EVERY COMMANDMENT. 7, j
sight of God, that he has given us this solemn warn
ing, " All liars shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death."
The tenth commandment, " Thou shalt not covet,"
is perhaps the most extensive of any ; because while
the others forbid the indulgence of any sinful act,
this forbids the first risings of desire after any sinful
object : it utterly condemns the least motions of dis
content at our own lot, or of envy at the lot of others.
It was this commandment which first wounded the
conscience of the Apostle Paul ; he was in all points
relating to the ceremonial law, and according to the
letter of the moral law, blameless ; and he conceived
that he must therefore of necessity be in a state of
salvation : but this good opinion of his state arose
from his ignorance of the spirituality and extent of
the law : and when his eyes were once opened to see
that the law condemned him for the first risings of
evil as well as for the actual commission of it, he
became guilty in his own sight, and acknowledged
the justice of his condemnation. Thus he says of him
self ; " I had not known sin but by the law ; for I
had not known lust (i. e. the evil and danger of it)
unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet : for I
was alive without the law once ; but when the com
mandment came, sin revived and I died." The plain
meaning of which is this : before he understood the
spirituality of the law he thought himself safe ; but
when that was revealed to him, he saw himself justly
condemned for his offences against it. May that
same, that salutary, conviction be wrought also in
our hearts ! for our Lord has told us, that " the whole
need not a physician, but they that are sick ;" plainly
intimating thereby, that we must feel our need of
him, before we shall be willing to receive his saving
benefits. Though therefore we may think as highly
of our state as the Apostle did of his, yet if we feel
not our condemnation by the law, we shall but de
ceive ourselves ; and though we be possessed of his
knowledge, zeal, and holiness, yet shall we, like him,
74 ROMANS, III. 20. [1831.
be " dead in trespasses and sins :" for till we be indeed
weary and heavy laden with a sense of sin, we never
shall, nor ever can, come unto Christ for rest.
To CONCLUDE
If, while we have been surveying the duties of the
first table, we have called to mind our low esteem for
God, together with the unnumbered instances wherein
we have neglected his worship, misemployed his sab
baths, and profaned his name ; if in examining the
duties of the second table, we have remembered our
several violations of them, both generally, by mis
conduct in the different relations of life, and particu
larly, by anger and intemperance, by actual or mental
impurity, by dishonesty or want of liberality, by wilful
and allowed falsehood, by discontent with our own
lot, or coveting of another s, surely we shall confess
with the Psalmist, that " our iniquities are grown up
unto heaven, they are a sore burthen too heavy for
us to bear." We shall see also with how great pro
priety the compilers of our Liturgy have directed us
to cry after every commandment, " Lord, have mercy
upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law."
To make us thus cry out for mercy is the proper
use of the law ; for the Apostle says, " The law is our
schoolmaste r to bring us unto Christ." And if we
once obtain this view of the law, and by it the know
ledge of our sins, we shall then have the best pre
servative against errors : for instead of making the
divinity of Christ and his atonement a matter of mere
speculative inquiry, we shall see that we have no
safety but in his blood, no acceptance but in his
righteousness. We shall then " count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ,"
and shall each of us be like-minded with that great
Apostle who said, " I desire to be found in Christ,
not having mine own righteousness which is of the
law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith."
1832.] THE BELIEVER S RIGHTEOUSNESS. 75
MDCCCXXXII.
THE BELIEVER S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Rom. iii. 21, 22. But now the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the
Prophets ; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.
IT is justly observed by our Lord, that " they that
are whole need not a physician, but they that are
sick." Persons never value a remedy till they are
aware of their disease : they must know their con
demnation and misery by the Law, before they will
receive with gratitude the glad tidings of the Gospel.
On this account St. Paul labours through the whole
preceding part of this epistle, and especially in the
ten verses before the text, to prove all, both Jews and
Gentiles, guilty before God ; and to shew that they
need a better righteousness than any which they
themselves can work out. Then he introduces that
righteousness which is exhibited in the Gospel, and is
offered to every repenting and believing sinner.
To elucidate the subject before us, we propose to
shew,
I. What is that righteousness whereby we are to be
saved
The Apostle s description of it is as clear and com
prehensive as we can possibly desire :
1. It is " the righteousness of God"
[Twice is it called " the righteousness of God ;" by which
expression we are to understand that it is a righteousness pro
vided by God for sinful man, wrought out by God himself in the
midst of us, and accepted of God on our behalf.
When we were destitute of any righteousness of our own,
and incapable of establishing one that should be sufficient for
us, God, in his infinite mercy determined to provide one for us,
that should be commensurate with the demands of law and
justice, and fully adequate to our wants. For this end he sent
his co-equal, co-eternal Son to fulfil the precepts of the law
which we had broken, and to endure its penalties which we had
incurred. The Lord Jesus came into the world and executed
his high commission ; and thus, as the Prophet Daniel expresses
76 ROMANS, IJI. 21,22. [1832.
it, " brought in an everlasting righteousness 3 ." He being
" Emmanuel, God with us," his righteousness is truly and
properly the righteousness of God. This righteousness God
accepts for us as though it were our own. In consideration of
what Jesus suffered, he remits our punishment; and in con
sideration of Christ s meritorious obedience, he bestows on us
the reward of eternal life. Hence, from beginning to end,
this is distinguished from the righteousness of man,- seeing
that it was provided by God the Father, wrought out by God
the Son, and shall be accepted both by the Father and the
Son on our behalf.]
2. It is a righteousness " without the law "-
[By this expression the Apostle distinguishes it from any
righteousness arising from our obedience to the law ; and
intimates, that it is totally independent of any works of ours,
past, present, or future. No works of ours can add to it in
the smallest degree, or render it either more satisfactory to
God, or more sufficient for us. On the contrary, if we were
to attempt to unite any thing of our own with it, instead of
rendering it more firm, we should utterly make it void ; and
instead of securing to ourselves an interest in it, we should cut
off ourselves from all hope of acceptance by it b . We must not
be understood to say, that this righteousness supersedes the
practice of good works, (for it lays us under tenfold obligation
to perform them ) but that it excludes all reliance on our own
works, and will on no account admit a creature s righteousness
to participate the honour of justifying us before God.]
3. It is a righteousness " by faith of Jesus Christ"-
[As in the foregoing expressions this righteousness is
declared to be God s, exclusive of any works of man, so here
we are told how it becomes ours. But this part of the subject
will be more fully considered under the third head of our dis
course ; I will therefore only observe at present, that we must
obtain an interest in this righteousness, not by working, but by
believing in Christ. We must no more attempt to purchase it
by our works, than to add to it by our works ; or, if we will pur
chase it, we must " buy it without money and tvithout price d ."]
To confirm the Apostle s description, we shall pro
ceed to shew,
II. What evidence we have that this is the only jus
tifying righteousness
a Dan. ix. 24. t> Gal. v. 2, 4.
c Tit. ii. 11, 12. a Isai. Iv. 1.
1832.] THE BELIEVER S RIGHTEOUSNESS. 77
There will be no room left to doubt respecting it,
if we consider, that,
1. It was " manifested" to be so by the Gospel
[This truth had been obscurely intimated under the law ;
but " now" it was fully " manifested" by the Gospel. When
Christ was just entering on his ministry, John Baptist pointed
him out as " the Lamb of God that should take away the sins
of the world 6 ." Christ himself declared that he was about to
" give his life a ransom for many 1 ," and that they were to
receive the remission of sins as purchased by his blood g .
St. Peter in his very first sermon exhorted the people to believe
in Christ for the remission of their sins, and declared to them
that there was no other name whereby they could be saved h .
St. Paul in numberless places insists upon our seeking justifi
cation solely by faith in Christ, without the smallest mixture of
dependence on our own works 1 : and when St. Peter, through
fear of the Jews, had given some reason to think that an obe
dience to the Mosaic ritual ought to be, or at least might be,
added to the righteousness of Christ in order to render it
more effectual, St. Paul reproved him publicly before all the
Church, and reminded him that all, not excepting the Apostles
themselves, must be justified solely by the righteousness of
Christ, without any works of the law k . Is riot this a strong
confirmation of the point before us ?]
2. It was "witnessed by the law and the prophets"
[The moral law may in some sense be considered as bear
ing testimony to the righteousness of Christ : for though it
makes no express mention of it, yet, by condemning all without
exception, it " shuts men up to the faith of Christ," and serves
as " a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ 1 ." The ceremonial
law in all its ordinances pointed directly to Christ. It is not
possible to contemplate the Paschal lamb, or the scape-goat, or
indeed any of the sacrifices or ablutions, without seeing Christ
prefigured by them, and confessing him to be " the end of the
law for righteousness" to believing sinners.
If we consult the prophets, they are unanimous in directing
us to Christ. The prophecies that preceded Moses, repre
sent Christ as the one conqueror of the serpent", and the
one source of blessedness to man . Moses himself spake of
him as the prophet, to whom all must look for instruction and
e John I 29. f Matt. xx. 28. & Matt. xxvi. 28.
h Acts ii. 38. and iv. 11, 12.
Rom. iv. 35, 14. and v. 9, 1518. k Gal. ii. 1416.
1 Gal. iii. 22 24. m Rom. x. 4. n Gen. iii. 15.
Gen. xii. 3. and xv. 6.
78 ROMANS, III. 21, 22. [1832.
salvation P. Jeremiah calls him by name, " The Lord our right
eousness i :" and Isaiah represents every child of God as saying
with exultation, " In the Lord have I righteousness and
strength 1 ." To adduce more proofs is unnecessary, since we
are assured by St. Peter, that all the prophets unite their testi
monies to the same effect 8 . What stronger evidence than this
can any man desire ?]
But we have further to inquire,
III. How this righteousness becomes ours
Faith is the means whereby alone, we obtain an
interest in it
[This also is twice intimated in the text : nor can it be
too often repeated, or too strongly insisted on. We must come
to Christ as perishing sinners ; and, without attempting to
establish, in whole or in part, our own righteousness, we must
submit to be saved by his alone 1 . We must be contented to
have his " righteousness imputed to us without works u ," and
to make his obedience the one ground of our hope x . They
alone who thus regard Christ, can properly be said to believe
in him ; and it is only when we thus believe, that " he is made
of God righteousness unto us y ."]
On our believing, it is instantly put to our ac
count
[This righteousness is bestowed upon us freely by God
himself; it is not only given " unto" us as a portion, but is put
" upon" us as a garment. In this light it is spoken of by our
Lord himself, who counsels us to " buy it of him that we may
be clot! led, and that the shame of our nakedness may not
appear 2 ." Without this, we are despoiled of our innocence,
and exposed to shame, as our first parents were upon the intro
duction of sin: but as they were covered by the skins of
their sacrifices according to the direction which God himself
had given them a , so are we by " putting on the Lord JesusV
nor, when clothed with his righteousness, can even God him
self behold a spot or blemish in us c . Hence the Church
rejoices with joy unspeakable d , and is rendered meet for the
presence of her heavenly bridegroom 6 .]
APPLICATION
P Acts iii. 22, 23. <J Jer. xxiii. 6. r Isai. xlv. 24, 25.
s Acts iii. 24. and x. 43. * Rom. x. 3.
u Rom. iv. G. x Rom. v. 19. y 1 Cor. i. 30.
z Rev. iii. 18. a Gen. iii. 7, 21. b Rom. xiii. 14.
c Eph. v. 27. d Isai. Ixi. 10. e Rev. xix. 8.
1833.]] SINNERS JUSTIFIED BY GOD. 79
Must not the self-righteous moralist then stand con
founded before God ?
[Surely it is no light matter to pour contempt on the
righteousness of God, as though it were insufficient for us
without " the filthy rags of our righteousness f ." It is no light
matter to reject the united testimony of the law and the pro
phets, of Christ and his Apostles. And as the guilt of such
conduct is great, so is also the danger : and whosoever persists
in it must irremediably perish g .]
On the other hand, should not the self-condemning
sinner receive encouragement from this subject ?
[It is well to condemn ourselves, but not to despond.
Twice is it declared in the text, that this righteousness is for
" all" who will believe in Christ 11 . And is it not sufficient for
all? Let all then " set to their seal that God is true." Let
them honour the righteousness of Christ by their affiance in it;
and it shall be " manifested" to their consciences, no less than
in the Scriptures themselves, that it is complete in itself,
adequate to our necessities, and effectual for all who rely
upon it.]
f Isai. Ixiv. 6. s Rom, ix. 3032.
h Compare Acts xiii. 38, 39. with Isai. i. 18. and Rom. v. 20, 21.
MDCCCXXXIII.
THE JUSTICE OF GOD IN JUSTIFYING SINNERS.
Rom. iii. 24 26. Being justified freely by his grace, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus : whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God ; to declare, I say, at this
time his righteousness : that he might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus.
THE whole plan of the Gospel takes for granted
that we are in a lost and helpless condition. Its pro
visions are suited to such, and to such only. Hence
the Apostle proves at large that " we all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God ;" and then he
states, in the plainest and strongest manner, the
method which God has proposed for our restoration
to his favour.
The words of the text will lead us to shew,
80 ROMANS, III. 24-2G. [1833.
I. The way of a sinner s justification before God
The manner of our justification is here plainly de
clared
[There seems indeed a senseless tautology in the expres
sions of the text ; but the words " freely," and " by grace," are
of very different import, and are necessary to convey the full
meaning of the Apostle.
We are justified " freely," that is, without any cause for it
in ourselves*: no works before our justification, no repentance
or reformation at the time of our justification, no evangelical
obedience q/fer our justification, are at all taken into the account.
There is no merit whatever in any thing we ever have done, or
in any thing we ever can do. Our justification is as indepen
dent of any merit in us, as was the gift of that Saviour through
whom we are justified.
Our justification also springs from no motive in God, except
his own boundless " grace " and mercy. When speaking merely
after the manner of men, we say, that God consults his own
glory : but, strictly speaking, if the whole human race were
punished after the example of the fallen angels, he would be
as happy and as glorious as he is at present: just as the sun
in the firmament would shine equally bright, if this globe that
is illuminated by it were annihilated. We can neither add
to, nor detract from, God s happiness or glory in the smallest
possible degree. His mercy to us therefore is mere grace, for
grace sake.]
Yet it is of great importance to notice also the
means by which we are justified
[Though our justification is a free gift as it respects us,
yet it was dearly purchased by our blessed Lord, who " laid
down his own life a ransom for us." There was a necessity on
the part of God, as the moral Governor of the world, that his
justice should be satisfied for our violations of his law. This
was done through the atoning blood of Jesus ; on which account
we are said to be "justified by his blood," and to be "redeemed
to God by his blood." The Father s grace is the source from
whence our justification flows ; and " the redemption that is
in Christ" is the means, by which God is enabled to bestow it
consistently with his own honour.
In this view the text informs us, that " God hath set forth
his Son to be a propitiation, or mercy-seat b , through faith in
his blood." The mercy-seat was the place where God visibly
See John xv. 25. in the Greek. And for the truth of
the assertion, see Tit. iii. 5.
b i\a<TTripwv. See Heb. ix. 5. the Greek.
1833. J SINNERS JUSTIFIED BY GOD. 81
resided, and from whence he dispensed mercy to the people,
as soon as ever the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled before
him c ." But that typical mercy-seat is accessible no more :
Christ is now the true mercy-seat, where God resides, and from
whence he dispenses all his favours of grace and peace. God
requires, however, that we should come with the blood of our
Great Sacrifice, and sprinkle it, as it were, before him, in token
of our affiance in it, and as an acknowledgment, that we hope
for mercy only through the blood of atonement.]
But in our contemplation of this subject, we are
more particularly called upon to shew,
IT. The justice of God as displayed in it
God had exercised " forbearance " and forgiveness
towards sinners for the space of four thousand years;
and was now, in the Apostle s days, dispensing pardon
to thousands and to myriads. That, in so doing, God
acted consistently with his own justice, the Apostle here
labours to establish : he repeats it no less than thrice
in the short space of our text. We shall therefore
shew distinctly, how the justice of God is displayed,
1. In the appointment of Christ to be our propi
tiation
[If God had forgiven sins without any atonement, his
justice, to say the least, would have lain concealed; perhaps
we may say, would have been greatly dishonoured. But when,
in order to satisfy the demands of justice, God sends, not an
angel or archangel, but his only dear Son, and lays on him
our iniquities, and exacts of him the utmost farthing of our
debt, then indeed the justice of God is " declared," yea, is
exhibited in the most awful colours. The condemnation of
the fallen angels was indeed a terrible display of this attribute :
yet was it no proof of justice in comparison of that more con
spicuous demonstration which was given of it in the death of
God s co-equal, co-eternal Son.]
2. In requiring us to believe in him as our propi
tiation
[God wills that every one should come to " Christ " as a
propitiation through faith in his blood, or, in other words,
should express his dependence on that blood that satisfied
divine justice. As the offender under the law, when he put his
hand upon the head of his sacrifice, confessed his own desert
c -2 Cor. v. 19.
VOL. xv. r,
82 ROMANS, III. 2426. [1833.
of death ; and as the high-priest, when he sprinkled the blood
of the sacrifices before tlie mercy-seat, confessed that the hope
of all Israel was derived from that blood d ; so when we look to
Christ as our sacrifice, or approach him as our mercy-seat,
we must carry, as it were, his blood with us, and sprinkle it on
our consciences before him, as an acknowledgment that by
the justice of God we were deservedly condemned, and that we
have no hope of mercy except in such a way as will consist
with the immutable rights of justice. Thus it is not sufficient
for Christ to have honoured divine justice once by enduring
its penalties ; but every individual sinner must also honour it
for himself by an explicit acknowledgment, that its demands
must be satisfied.]
3. In pardoning sinners out of respect to this pro
pitiation
[That sinners are justified through Christ, may well appear
an act of transcendent mercy : but it is also an act of justice ;
and the justice of God is as much displayed in it, as it would
be in consigning sinners over to everlasting perdition. It is
not an act of mercy, but of justice, to liberate a man whose
debt has been discharged by a surety. But when Christ has
paid our debt, and we, in consequence of that payment, claim
our discharge, we may expect it even on the footing of justice
itself. And whereas it is found, that no living creature ever
applied to God in vain, when he pleaded Christ s vicarious
sacrifice, it is manifest, that God has been jealous of his own
honour, and has been as anxious to pay to us what Christ has
purchased for us, as to exact of him what he undertook to pay
on our behalf: so that his justice is as conspicuous in pardon
ing us, as it has been in punishing him.~]
INFER
1. How certain is the salvation of believers !
[That which principally alarms those who stand before a
human tribunal, is an apprehension that justice may declare
against them. But there is no such cause for alarm on the
part of a believer, seeing that justice is no less on his side than
mercy. Let all then look to Christ as their all-sufficient pro
pitiation, and to God as both " a just God and a Saviour."
Then shall they find " that God is faithful and just to forgive
them their sins 6 ," yea, is "just in justifying all that believe."]
2. How awful will be the condemnation of un
believers !
[While they slight the united overtures of mercy and
justice, what do they but arm both these attributes against
11 Lev. xvi. 2, 14. " 1 John i. 9.
1834.] JUSTIFICATION WITHOUT BOASTING. 83
them ? Now, if they would seek for mercy, justice, instead of
impeding, would aid, their suit. At the last day, how will
matters be reversed ! When justice demands the execution of
the law, mercy will have not one word to say in arrest of
judgment, but will rather increase the vengeance by its
accusations and complaints. Let this be duly considered by
us, that we may actively glorify God as monuments of his
saving grace, and not passively glorify him as objects of his
righteous indignation.]
MDCCCXXXIV.
JUSTIFICATION WITHOUT BOASTING.
Rom. iii. 27, 28. Where is boasting then ? It is excluded. By
what law ? of works ? Nay : but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith with
out the deeds of the law.
IT may well be supposed, that any revelation, pur
porting to be from God, should, in addition to all
external evidences, have internal proofs also of its
divine original. Accordingly, if God should reveal a
way of salvation to fallen creatures, we should of
course expect it to be such a way., as should display
the riches of his own grace, and secure all the glory
of it to himself. Now when we look into the Gospel,
we find precisely such a method of salvation revealed
to us. And herein it differs from all the methods that
ever have been devised by man : for they uniformly
reserve a share of the glory, at least, to the creature :
whereas the Gospel gives all the glory to God alone.
St. Paul, having opened throughout the whole pre
ceding part of this epistle the state of fallen man,
and the way prescribed for his acceptance with God,
puts this question, " Where is boasting then ?" And
having told us, that it is, and must for ever be, " ex
cluded by the law of faith," he repeats his former
conclusion, and represents it as confirmed by this
additional evidence of its truth ; " Therefore we con
clude," &c.
In discoursing on these words, we shall shew,
I. That the way of salvation (whatever it may be)
must exclude boasting
84 ROMANS, 111. 27, 28. [1834.
This will appear undeniably true, if we consider,
1. The avowed design of God in the revelation he
has given us
[St. Paul speaking on this subject, repeats even to tauto
logy, that God designed from the beginning to exalt his own
grace, and had so planned the way of salvation, as that every
part of it might redound to his own honour 3 . All possibility
of glorying was studiously cut off from man. With this view
the knowledge of this salvation was imparted to the poor and
ignorant in preference to the wise and noble b ; and every per
son that embraced it was necessitated to seek every thing in
and through Christ, that " the loftiness of man might be laid
low, and that God alone might be exalted ."]
2. The disposition and conduct of all that have
ever embraced it
[Abraham, the father of the faithful, accounted himself
only "dust and ashes d :" "nor had he any thing whereof to
glory before God e ." Job, " a perfect and upright man, so that
none was like him upon earth," yet spake with the utmost
abhorrence of justifying himself before God f . David, "a man
after God s own heart," cries, " Enter not into judgment with
thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be
justified g ." Isaiah, that most distinguished prophet, lamented
that he was vile as a leper h ; and confessed that his righteous
nesses were as " filthy rags 1 ." St. Paul, who was " not a whit
behind the very chiefest apostles," yea, " laboured more abun
dantly than they all," acknowledges himself the very " chief
of sinners k ," desires to be found in Christ, not having his own
righteousness 1 , and boils with indignation at the thought of
glorying in any thing but the " cross of Christ."
If any might glory in themselves, we might suppose that
the glorified saints and angels would have liberty to do so :
but among them there is one only theme, " Worthy is the
Lamb"."
Now if the way of salvation (whatever it may be) correspond
with God s design in revealing it, or with the dispositions of
those who have been the most distinguished ornaments of it,
then it must of necessity cut off from man all occasion of
a Eph. i. 5 7, 9, 11,12, 14. and ii. 4, 5, 7 9, especially ver. 7.
b 1 Cor. i. 2629. c 1 Cor. i. 30, 31. with Isai. ii. 17.
d Gen. xviii. 27. e Rom. iv. 2.
f Job ix. 2, 3, 20, 21, 30, 31. and xlii. 6. B Ps. cxliii. 2.
h Isai. vi. 5. with Lev. xiii. 45. j Isai. Ixiv. (i.
11 1 Tim. i. 15. i Phil. iii. 8, 9. m Gal. vi. 14.
n Rev. v. 11, 13.
1834.J JUSTIFICATION WITHOUT BOASTING. 85
glorying in himself. We may say therefore with the Apostle,
" Where is boasting then? It is excluded."]
Having determined this point, let us proceed to
inquire,
II. What is that way of salvation which alone does
exclude boasting-
There are but two possible ways in which any man
can be saved, namely, by works, or by faith. Many
indeed have attempted to unite them ; but that is
impossible, seeing that they are distinct from, and
directly opposed to each other . Let us then inquire
which of the two excludes boasting ?
1. Does the law of works ?
[The law of works says, " Do this, and live." Now sup
pose a man to be saved by his own obedience to this law ;
will he not have to boast? May he not say to a perishing
fellow-creature, " I made myself to differ from you ? " May
he not justly take credit to himself for his own superior
goodness? yea, even in heaven, may he not unite his own
praises with those of his Maker, and ascribe salvation partly
to himself?
It is of no use to say, that our works are only in part the
ground of our acceptance ; and that even for them we are
indebted to the operation of Divine grace : for, works are
zvorks, by whomsoever they are wrought in us ; and, as being
wrought in and by us, they are our works ; and in whatever
degree they form the ground of our justification before God,
in that degree (be it little or great) they give us a ground of
glorying : and to deny this, is to confound grace and works,
which are as distinct, and as irreconcileable with each other, as
light and darkness J .]
2. Does the law of faith ?
[This says, " Believe and be saved." By this law we are
constrained to receive every thing out of the Redeemer s ful
ness, and to acknowledge him as our " ALL IN ALL." Nothing-
is left for us to ascribe to ourselves. The planning of salvation
was the work of God the Father : the procuring of it was the
work of God the Son: the imparting, continuing, and perfect
ing of it is the work of God the Holy Ghost. We cannot
glory over a fellow-sinner, and say, " God had respect to my
good qualities, (either seen ov foreseen} and on account of them
distinguished me from you :" no room is left but for shame to
ourselves, and gratitude to God.
Rom. xi. 6. v Rom. xi. 6.
86 ROMANS, III. 27, 28. [1834.
Here then we may boldly say with the Apostle, " By what
law is boasting excluded ? of works ? Nay : but by the law
of faith."]
It remains then for us to inquire,
III. What conclusion we are to draw from these pre
mises-
Nothing can be more express than the conclusion
drawn by the Apostle
[We have seen that the way of salvation (whatever it be)
excludes boasting; and that salvation by faith is the only
way that does exclude boasting: from hence therefore the
conclusion is plain, that salvation must be by faith and not by
works.
But there is an emphasis in the Apostle s words which
deserves particular attention. He does not merely affirm that
salvation is by faith rather than by works, but by faith exclu
sive of works. No " deeds of the law" are to be added to faith
in order to render it effectual: we must be saved by faith
simply, by faith solely. If any work whatever be added to
our faith as a joint ground of our hope, or as a motive to
induce God to justify us, or as a price whereby we are to
obtain an interest in Christ, " faith will be made void, and the
promise will be of none effect q ." We must not trust any more
in our good works than in our vilest sins : for the very instant
that the smallest stress whatever is laid on our good works as
procuring our justification before God, boasting is introduced,
and all hope of salvation is annihilated. Not even faith itself
saves us as a work, but solely as uniting us to Christ, by whose
righteousness we are justified.]
Nor can any thing be more certain than the con
clusion drawn by the Apostle
[When men argue, even from the clearest premises, we
must be cautious in admitting their conclusions ; because they
frequently put more into their conclusions than their premises
will bear. Indeed, it is necessary to watch every step of their
arguments, because of the fallacies which often escape their
own observation, and would, if unguardedly acceded to, mis
lead our judgment also. But no suspicion need be entertained
respecting the point before us, since the premises are stated,
and the conclusion is drawn, by God himself. If we will dis
pute about the one or the other, we must debate the matter
with God ; for it is to God s arguments, and not to man s, that
our assent is now required.]
i Rom. iv. 14.
1834.] JUSTIFICATION WITHOUT BOASTING. 87
Before we conclude, we will CONSIDER some OBJEC
TIONS that may be urged against the foregoing
statement. It may be said that,
1. It contradicts many positive assertions of Holy
Scripture
[Our Lord does, in answer to the young man s inquiry,
" What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" say, " If thou wilt
enter into life, keep the commandments 1 ." But our Lord
did not mean to say, that he, a fallen creature, could keep the
commandments, so as to obtain eternal life by them: his
answer was intended to shew him, that he must not seek for
life in such a way : and, to convince him that he had not kept
the commandments so perfectly as he supposed, our Lord put
him to the test ; and gave him thereby a very convincing proof,
that he must seek salvation in another way, namely, by be
coming his disciple, and embracing his salvation.
There are many other passages that speak of our works
being rewarded : and it is true, that works done in faith, will
receive a reward of grace. But is there no difference between
a sinners being justified by the merit of his works, and a
justified persons receiving a reward of grace on account of his
works? In the one case a man may boast, that he has, in part
at least, purchased heaven : in the other case, he must acknow
ledge his justification to be altogether of grace; and his in
creased weight of glory to be from the superabounding riches
of divine grace, proportioned to his services, but not founded on
his merits.
But this matter is beyond a doubt: for we are told, that
there could not be a law given that should give life to fallen
man : and that that was the very reason why a different way
of salvation was prescribed to him 8 . So that whatever is said
in (the Scriptures respecting the reward which God will give to
our works, we may be sure they never can be rewarded on the
(/round of merit, nor can we ever obtain life by the performance
of them.]
2. It encourages people to disregard good works
[If this objection were founded in truth, we should think
it sufficient to invalidate all that the Apostle himself could say
in confirmation of the text : for we may be well assured, that
God can reveal nothing, that in its consequences is destructive
of morality. But why should it be thought injurious to good
works, to affirm, that they cannot justify us before God? Is
there no other end for which they should be performed, than
to purchase heaven by them? Are they not necessary to prove
r Matt. xix. 1C, 17. s Gal. iii. 21,22.
88 ROMANS, III. 27, 28. [1834.
the sincerity of our faith? Do they not honour God, and
benefit our fellow-creatures, and strengthen the religious prin
ciple within us, and tend to make us meet for heaven, yea, and
(as has been observed above) increase our happiness in heaven?
If we affirm that food is of no use to clothe us, or that clothes
are of no use to feed us, do we teach men to despise food and
clothing, merely because we deny their utility for purposes for
which they never were designed? Surely there are motives
enough to the practice of good works, without urging one, which,
if entertained in the mind, would at once destroy all their value
in the sight of God.
But let us see whether experience gives any countenance to
this objection. Were Abraham, David, Paul, regardless of good
works, because they believed that they must be justified by
faith without works ? Were those who are so justly celebrated
for their faith in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, inatten
tive to good works, when they chose the most cruel torments,
and even death itself, in preference to an accusing conscience ?
We may even appeal to you respecting those of our own day ;
who are they that are condemned for their strictness and
sanctity? they who exalt the merit of good works, or those
who maintain justification by faith alone?
See then how little reason there is for this objection.]
In fine, we shall ADDRESS a few words,
1. To those who are yet cleaving to the law of
works
[None but they who are taught of God, can conceive
how prone we are to self-righteousness, or how subtle are its
workings in the heart. We may accede to every idea that has
been suggested, and yet be secretly founding our hopes on
something that we have done, or that we intend to do; or,
which is the same in effect, seeking to recommend ourselves
to Christ, that he may become our Saviour.
We entreat you, brethren, to be on your guard, lest, after
all your good wishes and desires, you be proved to have built
upon a foundation of sand, and be left to inherit your own
deserts.~\
2. To those who embrace the law of faith
[Much depends on your conduct : the eyes of the world
are upon you ; and they will be ready to spy out every blemish
in you, in order to justify their rejection of your sentiments.
Others may commit a thousand sins, and escape censure : but,
if you be guilty of any thing amiss, all mouths are open, not
against you only, but against your principles, and against all
who maintain them. We say then, with the Apostle, " Let
them that have believed, be careful to maintain good works."
1835.] FAITH ESTABLISHES THE LAW. 89
Be much on your guard, that you " give no occasion to the
enemies to speak reproachfully : " but rather endeavour to
" put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by well-doing."
Thus will you " adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour," and
give a practiced refutation of the calumnies that are circulated
respecting you.]
MDCCCXXXV.
FAITH ESTABLISHES THE LAW.
Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith?
God forbid : yea, we establish the law.
A GENERAL prejudice obtains against the way
of salvation by faith : but it prevailed equally even in
the apostolic age. Paul himself saw that his state
ment of the Gospel did not escape censure. He
perceived that it was deemed injurious to the inte
rests of morality ; he therefore anticipated and an
swered this objection.
To bring the subject fully before you, I will propose
for your consideration three things the objection
made the objection obviated the objection retorted.
I. The objection made
People suppose we make void the law through
faith ; but the truth, however clearly we may state it
is, for the most part, misapprehended. In explaining
salvation by faith we affirm two things concerning
the law :
1. That it has no power either to condemn or to
justify a believer
[It cannot condemn him, because Christ has redeemed
him from its curse 3 . It cannot justify him, because he has
transgressed it, and its demands of perfect obedience are
unalterably the same. Faith in Christ delivers him from the
penal sanctions of the law, but does not in any respect lower
its demands.]
2. That his obedience to it makes no part of his
justifying righteousness
90 ROMANS, III. 31. [1835.
[Faith and works, as grounds of justification, are opposite
to each other b . If our works had any share in our justifica
tion we should have a ground of boasting; which is utterly to
be excluded . The smallest reliance on our works makes void
all hope by the Gospel d . All dependence therefore on the works
of the law must be entirely renounced.]
These affirmations evidently exclude morality from
the office of justifying. They are therefore supposed
to discountenance all practical religion ; but this mis
take originates in the ignorance of the objectors
themselves.
This will be seen, whilst we notice,
II. The objection obviated
The believer, so far from making void the law,
establishes it. The power of the law is twofold ; to
command obedience, and to condemn for disobedience.
The believer establishes the law in each of these
respects :
1. In its commanding power :
[He owns its absolute authority over him as God s crea
ture ; all his hope is in the perfect obedience which Christ
paid to it for him ; he looks upon his obligations to obey it as
increased, rather than vacated, by the death of Christ; he
actually desires to obey it as much as if he were to be justified
by his obedience to it.]
2. In its condemning power :
[He acknowledges himself justly condemned by it: he
founds his hope in Christ as having borne its curse for him :
his own conscience cannot be pacified but by that atonement
which satisfied the demands of the law : bereft of a hope in
the atonement, he would utterly despair : he flees to Christ
continually " to bear the iniquity of his holiest actions."]
Thus he magnifies the law, while the objector him
self, as I will now prove, makes it void.
To see this more fully, consider,
III. The objection retorted
The person who objects to salvation by faith alone,
is in reality the one who makes void the law. Ob
jections against the doctrine of faith are raised from
a pretended regard for the law ; but the person who
b Rom. xi. G. c Rom. iii. 27. d Gal. v. 2, 4.
1835.] FAITH ESTABLISHES THE LAW. 1)1
blends faith and works effectually undermines the
whole authority of the law. He undermines,
1. Its commanding power
[He is striving to do something which may serve in part
as a ground of his justification ; but he can do nothing which
is not imperfect ; therefore he shews that he considers the law
as less rigorous in its demands than it really is : consequently
he robs it in a measure of its commanding power.]
2. Its condemning power
[He never thoroughly feels himself a lost sinner ; he does
not freely acknowledge that he might be justly cursed even
for his most holy actions; he even looks for justification on
jiccount of that which in itself deserves nothing but condemna
tion : and what is this but to lower its condemning power ?]
Thus the advocates for the law are, in fact, its
greatest enemies ; whereas the advocates for the
Gospel are the truest friends to the law also
INFER
1. How absurd is it for persons to decide on reli
gion without ever having studied its doctrines !
[In human sciences men forbear to lay down their dogmas
without some previous knowledge of the points on which they
decide; but in theology, all, however ignorant, think themselves
competent to judge. They indeed, who are taught of God,
can judge ; but unenlightened reason does not qualify us to
determine. Let us beware of indulging prejudices against the
truth. Let us seek to be "guided into all truth by the Holy
Spirit."]
2. How excellent is the salvation revealed to us in
the Gospel !
[Salvation by faith is exactly suited to man s necessities.
It is also admirably calculated to advance the honour of God.
Every man that is saved magnifies the law, and consequently
the lawgiver. The commanding and condemning power of the
law are equally glorified by the sinner s dependence on the
obedience and sufferings of Christ : but in those who are con
demned, its sanctions only are honoured. Thus is the law
more honoured in the salvation of one, than in the destruction
of the whole human race. Let all then admire and embrace
this glorious salvation.]
92 ROMANS, IV. 18. [1836.
MDCCCXXXVI.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE.
lloin. iv. 1 8. What shall we then say that Abraham, our
father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found 1 ? For if Abra
ham ivere justified by works, he hath whereof to glory ; but
not before God. For what saith the Scripture ? Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifteth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness
of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without
works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sitis are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin.
THE mind of man, however open to conviction
from the plain deductions of reason, is susceptible of
peculiarly strong impressions from that species of
argument, which, at the same time that it addresses
itself to his intellect, has a tendency to engage his
feelings, and to enlist his prejudices in its favour.
All the prejudices of the Jews were in favour of
Abraham their father, and of David, the greatest of
their monarchs, and one of the most distinguished of
their prophets : and, if the conduct of these two
could be adduced as precedents, there would need
but little further argument to convince a Jew, that
the thing which was so recommended was right. Of
this prejudice St. Paul availed himself in the passage
before us. He had proved, beyond all reasonable
doubt, that the justification of a sinner was, and must
be, solely by faith in Christ : he had proved it from
the guilty state of all, whether Jews or Gentiles,
(which precluded a possibility of their being justified
by any works of their own a ;) and from the Lord Jesus
Christ having been sent into the world to make an
atonement for sin, and thereby to reconcile the de
mands of justice with the exercise of mercy. He had
shewn, that this way of salvation cut off all occasion
of boasting, and was equally suited both to Jews and
a Rom. iii. 20.
1836.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 93
Gentiles ; and that, instead of invalidating the law, as
at first sight it might appear to do, it did in reality
establish the law.
Having thus proved his point by argument, he now
comes to confirm it by example ; and he adduces such
examples, as the Jews could not but regard as of the
highest authority.
We must bear in mind what the point is which he
is endeavouring to maintain : it is, That the justifi
cation of the soul before God is not by works of any
kind, but simply, and solely, by faith in Christ. This
he proceeds to prove from the examples,
I. Of Abraham
What (he asks) did Abraham, the great progenitor
of the Jewish nation, find effectual for his salvation ?
This he answers,
1. By an express declaration of Holy Writ
[The manner in which he appeals to the decision of
Scripture is well worthy of notice. " What saith the Scrip
ture ?" It matters little, what this or that man may say : we
must abide by what God has spoken. His word shall stand,
though the whole universe should rise up to contradict it. On
that therefore we must found our sentiments, and on that
alone : if men speak according to his word and testimony, it
is well : " if not," whatever may be their pretences to wisdom,
" there is no light in themV
Now the Scripture declares, that "Abraham believed God,
and it was accounted to him for righteousness " In
the passages referred to, there were two promises made to
him : the one was, that one particular " seed should be given
to him, in whom all the families of the earth should be
blessed ;" and the other was, that a spiritual seed should be
given him, who should be " numerous as the stars of heaven."
These promises he firmly believed ; and so believed them, as
actually to repose all his hope and trust in that promised Seed,
who was to be the Saviour of the whole world. " This faith
of his was counted to him for righteousness;" or, in other
words, this Saviour, on whom his faith reposed, was made the
source of righteousness and salvation to his soul.
This particular declaration of Holy Writ is referred to by the
Apostle a great many times, on account of its singular import
ance : but, as its importance will more fully appear in the
* Isai. viii. 20. c Gen. xii. 1 3. with xv. 5, 6.
94 ROMANS, IV. 18. [1836.
sequel of our discourse, we shall proceed to notice how
St. Paul answers his own question.]
2. By arguments founded upon it
[He justly observes, that, when the Scripture thus repre
sents Abraham as justified by faith, all works are of necessity
excluded from any participation in the office of justifying : for
if it be supposed that a man is justified, either in whole or
in part, by his works, his reward would come to him as a debt,
and not as a gift. However great the distance may be between
the work and the reward, it will make no difference with
respect to this point : if the work be proposed as the ground
of the reward, and be performed in order to merit that
reward, then is the reward a debt which may be justly claimed,
and cannot with justice be withheld. Moreover, if works be
thus admitted as purchasing or procuring the reward, then may
the person who performs them have a ground of glorying in
himself: he may say with truth, This I earned ; this / merited;
this could not justly have been tvithheld from me. But had
Abraham any such ground of glorying ? No : the Scripture
denies that he had, in that it ascribes his salvation, not to any
righteousness of his own, but to a righteousness imputed to
him, and apprehended by faith only.
But whilst the Apostle argues thus strongly and incontro-
vertibly on the passage he has cited, we must not overlook the
peculiarly forcible language which he uses, and which, if it had
not been used by him, we should scarcely have dared to use.
In declaring who the person is that is thus justified, he tells us,
that it is the person "who worketh not" (with a view to obtain
justification by his works), but " believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly" Of course the Apostle is not to be understood
as saying, that the justified person will continue " ungodly,"
or that he will " not work," after he has been justified ; but only
as saying, that he does not work with a view to obtain justifica
tion, or come as a godly person to receive a recompence :
in coming to the Saviour, he will bring nothing but his sins
with him, in order that he may be delivered from them, and
obtain an interest in the Redeemer s righteousness, in which he
may be clothed and stand before God without spot or blemish.
But still the terms are such as to mark with the utmost force
and precision, that, from the office of justifying, works must be
for ever excluded ; and that we must, like Abraham, be justi
fied by a righteousness not our own ; a righteousness which cuts
off all occasion of glorying, and which makes our salvation to
be altogether of grace.]
But, as to the Apostle s arguments several objec
tions may be made, we will endeavour to state and
answer them.
1836.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 95
1. This statement of Abraham s being justified by
faith is directly contradicted by St. James
[St. James, it is true, does say that Abraham was justified
by his works ; and specifies the offering up of his son Isaac as
the work for which he was justified : and farther declares,
that in that act the passage quoted by St. Paul received its
accomplishment d . But here is no opposition between the two
Apostles ; as the scope of the context in the two passages will
clearly evince. St. James is evidently speaking of the difference
between a living and a dead faith ; and he shews that Abraham
clearly proved his to be a living faith, by the fruits it produced 6 .
But St. Paul is speaking of the way in which Abraham was
justified before God : and the faith whereby Abraham was
justified, was actually exercised forty years before the time
that St. James speaks of f : which we consider as a decisive
proof of these two things, namely, that Abraham was justified
(in St. Paul s sense of that term) by faith without works; and
next, that St. James did not intend to contradict St. Paul, but
only to guard his doctrines from abuse.]
2. Though it was not for offering up his son that
God justified Abraham, yet it was for another act of
obedience, namely, his submitting to circumcision
[This idea is entertained by many, who oppose the doc
trine of justification by faith alone : but it is as erroneous as
that before stated : for Abraham had no son at all, when he
exercised faith in God s promises, and by that faith was justi
fied before God : and he had waited some years in expectation
of the promised seed, before Sarah gave him her servant Hagar
to wife g : and Ishmael was thirteen years old when God re
newed his covenant with Abraham, and enjoined him the use
of circumcision : so that, in this, as in the former case, Abraham
was justified many years before the act took place for which
our objector would suppose him to be justified. And this is so
important an observation, that St. Paul, in the verses follow
ing our text, dwells upon it with all the emphasis imaginable 11
deducing from it a truth which is of infinite import
ance to us, namely, that, as Abraham was justified in his
uncircumcised state, he is as truly the father of us uncir-
cumcised Gentiles, as he is of his lineal descendants, the
circumcised Jews.]
d Jam. ii. 21 23. e Jam. ii. 18.
f The faith by which Abraham was justified was exercised twenty
years before Isaac was born. See Gen. xv. 5, 6. And we suppose
Isaac to have been at least twenty years old when bis father offered
him up.
B Gen. xvi. 3. h ver. 9 11. with Gen. xvii. 23.
9G ROMANS, IV. 18. [1836.
3. If we are constrained to acknowledge, as indeed
\ve must, that Abraham was justified by faith without
works, yet that was a personal favour to him on ac
count of the extraordinary strength of his faith, and
not to be drawn into a precedent for us
[But this also is as erioneous as either of the foregoing
objections : for though it is certain that he is celebrated above
all men for the strength of his faith, and that the exercises of
his faith are recorded to his honour, yet it is expressly affirmed
by St. Paul, that " it was not ivritten for Abrahams sake alone,
that faith was imputed to him for righteousness, but for us also,
to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised
up Jesus from the dead, who was delivered for our offences,
and was raised again for our justification 1 ."]
Having thus considered the example of Abraham,
we proceed to notice, that,
II. OfDavid-
The passage which St. Paul adduces from the
Psalms of David, in confirmation of his argument, is
peculiarly deserving of our attention 1 ".
In the words themselves, we, if not directed by an
inspired Apostle, should not have found any decisive
evidence of justification by faith alone
[There is nothing in it respecting imputation of righteous
ness, but only of a non-imputation of sin. That non-imputation,
or forgiveness of sin, might, for aught that appears in that
passage to the contrary, be obtained by works : for there is
nothing said about faith in Christ, or indeed about faith at
all. Moreover, the words, as they stand in the psalm, and are
followed by what is spoken of a guileless spirit, seem to inti
mate the very reverse of what St. Paul has deduced from them,
namely, that a man, who, in consideration of his guileless spirit,
has his infirmities forgiven, is a blessed man.]
But St. Paul has, by Divine direction, put a sense
upon them which beyond all possibility of doubt
determines the question before us
[He tells us, that David in this passage " describeth the
blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteous
ness without works." Here it is not possible to shut our eyes
against the doctrine of imputed righteousness. We do not
approve of taking one or two particular expressions, and giving
ver. 2025. * Ps. xxxii. 1, 2.
1836.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 97
them in our discourses a prominence and importance which
they do not hold in the inspired volume. But we equally
disapprove of keeping out of view any doctrine which is clearly
taught in the Holy Scriptures: and we must say, that the
doctrine of " righteousness imputed to us without works," is
more clearly taught here, than if it had been maintained in a
long and elaborate course of argument; because it is intro
duced so incidentally, and because the Apostle goes, if we may
so speak, so much out of his way on purpose to introduce it.
To introduce it, he represents David as saying, what (in words)
he did not say ; and he omits some very important words which
he actually did say. It is observable, that St. Paul stops short
in his quotation, and leaves out those words of David, " and
in whose spirit there is no guile." And why did he omit
them ? We apprehend, for this reason. If he had inserted
them, he might have been supposed to countenance the idea,
that, though we are justified by faith, yet it is not by faith
only, but by faith either as connected with a guileless spirit, or
as productive of a guileless spirit : whereas we are justified by
it, not as united with holy dispositions, nor as an operative prin
ciple in the soul, but simply and solely as apprehending Christ,
in and through whom we are justified. Thus by a remarkable
addition, and by a no less remarkable omission, he brings the
words of David to bear upon his point, and to prove what is
of incalculable importance to every soul of man.
We would earnestly wish these words of David to be under
stood in their full import, as declaring explicitly, that we are
to be justified by a righteousness not our own, nor obtained
by any works of ours ; but by a righteousness imputed to us,
and apprehended entirely by faith, even by the " righteousness
of Christ, which is unto all, and upon all them that believe 1 ."]
From hence then we may SEE, how incontrovertibly
the doctrine of justification by faith alone is
established; and,
1. How far it is from being a new doctrine
[Wherever this doctrine is preached, a clamour is raised
against it, just as it was in the Apostle s days, as a " new doc
trine :" but let any one look into our Articles and Homilies,
and see, whether it be not the doctrine of our Church. It is
that very doctrine which constituted the basis of the Reforma
tion Then let us go back to the apostolic age : Can
any one read the epistles to the Romans and the Galatians,
and doubt what St. Paul thought of it ? If we go farther
back, to David and to Abraham, we see that they sought
1 Rom. iii. 22. m Acts xvii. 19.
VOL. xv. H
98 ROMANS, IV. 18. [1836.
salvation in no other way than simply by faith in Christ: and
we may go farther still, even to Adam, whose views were
precisely the same, and who had no hope but in " the Seed of
the woman, who should bruise the serpent s head." There
has been but one way of salvation for fallen man from the be
ginning of the world : nor shall there be any other as long as
the world shall stand". If it be new in any place, the fault
is not in him that preaches it, but in those who have preceded
him, who have neglected to preach it. Dismiss then this pre
judice ; and receive the glad tidings of a Saviour with all the
joy and gratitude that the occasion demands,]
2. How far it is from being an unimportant doc
trine
[Many who do not reject the doctrine itself, yet consider
it as a merely speculative doctrine, a mere strife of words. But
our reformers did not so think it, when they sealed the truth
of it with their blood. Nor did St. Paul think it so, when he
denounced a curse against any man, yea even against any angel
from heaven, that should attempt to establish any doctrine that
interfered with it . See how strongly he guards us against
any dependence whatever upon our own works, as entirely in
validating the whole Gospel, and destroying utterly all our
hope in Christ p It was owing to the aversion which the Jews
had to this doctrine, that so few of them were saved ; whilst
the Gentiles, who felt less difficulty in submitting to it, were
brought in vast multitudes into the kingdom of our Lord q .
Know then, that this doctrine of justification by faith alone
without works, is absolutely necessary to be received, and
known, and felt, and gloried in ; and that if we build on any
other foundation, we must inevitably and eternally perish 1 .]
3. How far it is from being a discouraging doctrine
[Another calumny generally circulated respecting justifi
cation by faith, is, that it is an alarming and terrifying doctrine,
and calculated not only to bewilder weak persons, but even
to deprive them of their senses. But the very reverse of this
is true. Doubtless, before that this doctrine can be received
aright, a man must be made sensible that he is in a guilty and
undone state, and incapable of effecting his own salvation by
any works of righteousness which he can do : but when once
a person is brought to that state, the doctrine of a full sal
vation wrought out for him by Christ, and freely offered to
him " without money and without price," is replete with con
solation : it is marrow and fatness to the soul ; " it is meat
n Acts iv. 12. Gal. i. 8, 9. P Gal. v. 2 4.
i Rom. ix. 30 32. r I Cor. iii. 11.
1836.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 99
indeed, and drink indeed." Look at the three thousand on
the day of Pentecost, and see the effect of this doctrine upon
them 8 . Look at the Ethiopian Eunuch, and at the whole
city of Samaria, when Philip had preached it to them 1 ; and
then you will see the proper tendency of the doctrine, and the
sure effect of it wherever it is received. If any works of ours
were required to purchase salvation, that doctrine might well
drive men to despair : for, it would be like telling the wounded
Israelites, when they were in the very article of death, to per
form some arduous feats in order to procure their restoration
to health ; or rather, like telling the dead to raise themselves
in order to their enjoyment of life. But the erection of the
brazen serpent, that the dying might look unto it and live, is
a lively emblem of that salvation which is offered to the world
through faith in a crucified Redeemer : and the more pun
gent is the grief which any feel on account of their guilt and
helplessness, the richer is the consolation which will flow into
their souls the very instant they believe the glad tidings of the
Gospel.]
4. How far it is from being a licentious doctrine
[There is no end to the calumnies raised against this
doctrine, and against all who maintain it. The preachers of
it, even those who are most sober, and most guarded, and most
practical, are always represented as saying, that, if only men
will believe, they may live as they please. But there is nothing
more contrary to truth than such a representation as this. We
always affirm, that though works are excluded from the office
of justifying the soul, they are indispensably necessary to prove
the sincerity of our faith ; and that the faith which is not pro
ductive of good works, is no better than the faith of devils.
And then, as to the actual effects which are produced by this
doctrine, look back to our reformers : look back to St. Paul,
the great champion of this doctrine : look back to David, and
to Abraham, and to all the saints recorded in the eleventh
chapter to the Hebrews: or if you wish for living examples,
look to thousands who maintain and glory in this blessed doc
trine. We will appeal to matter of fact : who are the persons
that in every place are spoken of as precise, and righteous
overmuch, and as making the way to heaven so strait that
nobody can walk in it? Are not these the very persons, even
these who maintain salvation by faith alone ? That there are
some who do not adorn this doctrine, is true enough : and so
there were in the apostolic age. But do we not bear our
testimony against them, as well as against the self-righteous
contemners of the Gospel, yea, with far greater severity than
s Acts ii. 46, 47. * Acts viii. 8, 39.
H2
100 ROMANS, IV. 7, 8. [1837.
against any other class of sinners whatever? Be it remembered
then, that the Gospel is " a doctrine according to godliness;"
and that " the grace of God which bringeth salvation teaches
us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
righteously, soberly, and godlily in this present world." And
we now declare before all, that they who profess the Gospel in
words, and deny it in their works, will have a less tolerable
portion in the day of judgment than Tyre and Sidon, or even
Sodom and Gomorrha.]
MDCCCXXXVII.
THE PARDONED BLESSED.
Rom. iv. 7, 8. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin*.
TO enter into the real scope of these words, it will
be proper to compare them with the Psalm from
whence they are cited. In themselves, they are
simple, and easy to be understood : but taken in their
connexion with the context before us, and with the
interpretation put upon them by the Apostle, they
are involved in considerable difficulty : and more
especially, when we observe the peculiar omission of
the closing words of David, which seem necessary to
a just exhibition of his mind, and a full comprehen
sion of his meaning, we are rather surprised at the
way in which they are here referred to, and at the
obscurity that is thrown around them. On com
paring the two passages together, we find the Apostle,
in appearance at least, adding to David s words what
he never distinctly uttered, and omitting a very essen-
a The Author s uniform rule has been, where passages in the Old
Testament are cited in the New Testament (which in some instances
occurs several times), to treat them only once. Here he deviates from
his accustomed plan, because, in his Discourse on Ps. xxxii. 1 G.
his object was to trace David s experience as there delineated :
whereas the two first verses of that Psalm which are here cited, being
of singular importance in relation to Christian experience in general,
be treats them here again : and, if this Discourse be made use of by
any one, the two first verses of Ps. xxxii. may be adopted as the
text, in preference to them as here cited by the Apostle. In that case,
however, the Exordium must be a little changed.
1837.] THE PARDONED BLESSED. 101
tial part of what he did utter. But the Apostle spake
by inspiration of God ; and if we attentively consider
his statement, we shall not only find it unexception
able, but shall feel greatly indebted to him for
throwing much additional light upon a most inter
esting and important passage of Holy Writ.
To unfold these words so that they may be clearly
and fully understood, I will,
I. Explain their true import
This will appear if we consider David s words,
1. According to the plain meaning of the terms
themselves
[" Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and
whose sins are covered." It is an acknowledged truth, that
sin, by whomsoever committed, involves the soul in guilt, and
subjects it to God s heavy displeasure. And how terrible his
wrath is, no words can express, no imagination can conceive.
But, if a man have attained the forgiveness of his sins, his
obligation to punishment is cancelled, and he is liberated from
all the miseries to which, without such forgiveness, he must
have been subjected to all eternity. Now who that con
templates this great deliverance, must not congratulate the
man on his escape? Who must not account him " blessed?"
To have the punishment due to his offences mitigated, or to
have them shortened to the space of ten thousand years, would
be a state of comparative blessedness ; but to have it altogether
remitted, must surely entitle the man to conceive of himself
as truly " blessed."]
2. According to the construction put upon them
by St. Paul
[St. Paul says, that David in these words " described the
blessedness of the man, to whom God imputeth righteousness
without works V Now this does not appear in the words
themselves, nor should we ever have known that such an idea
was comprehended in them, if we had not been assured of it
by God himself, that is, by an Apostle writing under his imme
diate inspiration. But, being so instructed, we know for
certain that this construction of the words is unquestionably
correct.
The fact is, that no one ever has his sins pardoned without
having at the same time the righteousness of Christ imputed to
him for his acceptance before God. We sometimes distin-
b ver. 6.
102 ROMANS, IV. 7, 8. [1837.
guish between the active and passive righteousness of Christ,
as if his death atoned for our sins, and his obedience to the law
constituted a meritorious righteousness, to be made over to us
in a way of imputation : and this may perhaps be warranted by
what is said by the Apostle, " Christ, who knew no sin, was
made sin (a sin-offering) for us, that we (who neither had, nor
could have, any righteousness of our own) might be made the
righteousness of God in him d ." But whatever ground there
may appear to be in Scripture for this distinction, the two can
never be separated from each other : the whole of Christ s life
and sufferings constituted his one obedience unto death, by which
salvation, in its full extent, was purchased for us e : and he who
partakes of salvation, receives it, not in part only, but in the
full extent to which it has been obtained for him. It is obvious
that a man whose iniquities stood in need of pardon, could not
purchase heaven by any merits of his own. He could neither
possess, nor procure by any works of his own, a righteousness
wherein to stand before God. Yet such a righteousness he
must have : and if he ever possess such a righteousness, it must
be, by having the righteousness of another imputed to him.
When therefore the Apostle quotes the words of David, he
puts upon them the true construction which they were designed
to bear: for though David, in words, speaks only of a non-
imputation of sin, he must of necessity be considered as
speaking also of an imputation of righteousness without works,
seeing that the one is of necessity involved in the other, and
can never exist without it.
Now then take the words of David in this sense, and say
whether that man who is clothed in the robe of the Redeemer s
righteousness, and so covered, that God himself cannot behold
a spot or blemish in him, be not "blessed 1 ?" Surely it is
impossible to entertain a doubt of this, or to withhold for a
moment our assent to David s assertion, according to the con
struction put upon it by the Apostle Paul.]
3. According as they stood associated in David s
mind
[David says, " Blessed is the man to whom the Lord
imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."
But these concluding words the Apostle entirely omits. What
was his reason for this ? Did Paul conceive that any man who
was not purged from "guile" could be happy ? or had he less
jealousy on the subject of holiness than David ? Why then
did he stop short, and quote the words of David in such an
imperfect way? Did he act thus by accident only, or by
design ? Surely this matter needs explanation.
c Rom. v. 19. a 2 Cor. v. 21. e Phil. ii. 8. f Eph. v. 27.
1837.] THE PARDONED BLESSED. 103
I doubt not but that he acted thus by design, exactly as our
blessed Lord himself did in his first sermon that he ever preached
when, in citing the words of the Prophet Isaiah, he stopped
short, when he came to the words which were irrelevant to his
present subject, and never mentioned them at alls
The Apostle was engaged in a most important topic, and
establishing by argument the doctrine of justification by faith
without works. He had shewn that Abraham, who had so
abounded in good works, had nothing whereof he could glory,
and that he had been justified solely by faith in the promised
Seed 11 . He proceeds then to establish the same doctrine from
the words of David, who had pronounced that man blessed,
not whose good works could avail, whether in whole or in part,
for his justification before God, but, " whose transgressions
were forgiven, and whose sins were covered;" and who, con
sequently, if saved at all, must be saved by a righteousness
imputed to him. But, if the Apostle had proceeded to cite
the remaining words of David, he would have obscured his
argument, and given occasion to an adversary to misrepresent,
or at all events to misunderstand, his meaning. An adversary,
if the last clause of David s words had been inserted by Paul,
might have said, I agree with you, Paul : we are to be justi
fied by faith : but then it is not by faith as apprehending the
righteousness of another, but by faith as working out a
righteousness for itself; or, in other words, not by faith without
works, but by faith as an active, operative, sanctifying principle :
and the person who possesses and exercises such a faith, has some
what of his own to glory in. Now this would have utterly sub
verted the Apostle s argument: and therefore the Apostle, not
choosing to give occasion for any such objection to his statement,
altogether omitted the words on which the adversary would have
founded it. He could indeed easily have answered the objec
tion : but he judged it best to cut off all occasion for it.
But David had no such reason for restraining his words;
and therefore he gave full scope to what was in his mind ; and
knowing that the justifying office of Christ is never separated
from the sanctifying office of the Holy Spirit, and that no man
under the power of sin could be blessed, he added, " and in
whose spirit there is no guile." He knew it would be to no
purpose that a man was pardoned, if he was not also renewed
in the spirit of his mind. Suppose Satan himself to be par
doned ; suppose further, that he was admitted into heaven ; he
g Compare Isai. Ixi. 1, 2. with Luke iv. 17 19. where our Lord
stopped short in the middle of the sentence, omitting all mention of
" vengeance," when he wished to impress his hearers with nothing but
the words of "grace."
11 vcr. 1 3.
104 ROMANS, IV. 7, 8. [1837.
could not be happy even there, unless he was made a new
creature : for, being enslaved by all manner of evil dispositions,
and under the influence of all his malignant habits, he would,
though in heaven, be a devil still ; and consequently far from
any thing approximating to real blessedness. The very essence
of happiness lies in a conformity to the Divine image : and he
only who possesses that, is happy. The truly blessed man,
and the only man that can be called " blessed," is " the Israelite
indeed, in whom there is no guile."]
The words of my text being thus explained, I
proceed to,
II. Confirm the sentiment contained in them
Here I speak without hesitation. The man thus
justified through faith in Christ, and thus renewed by
the Holy Spirit, is blessed. For,
1. In him are all the wonders of redeeming love
accomplished
[What did the Father design in giving his only dear Son
to take our nature upon him? What, but that we might be
" saved from wrath through him 1 ?" And for what end did the
Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious blood for us upon the
cross, but " to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto
himself a peculiar people zealous of good works k ? " And for
what purpose did the Holy Ghost come down and dwell in our
hearts, but to transform us into the Divine image, and to
" make us meet for the inheritance" which Christ has pur
chased for us ? Now in the person before described, all these
things are already attained. His sins are pardoned : the robe
of Christ s righteousness is put upon him 1 : and he is " sancti
fied throughout in body, soul, and spirit." Is not he then
" blessed ? " If not, I only ask, where will you find a " blessed "
man on earth?]
2. In him all the great ends of life are answered
[For what has God preserved our souls in life unto this
hour, and given us so many opportunities for spiritual improve
ment? Has it not been that we might be brought to the
knowledge of him, and into a state of acceptance with him,
and to a conformity to his blessed image ? That God has
assigned us many works to do, and many duties to perform, I
readily acknowledge : but they are all in subserviency to the
great work of salvation. That is " the one thing needful :"
1 John iii. 16. and 1 John iv. 10. k Tit. ii. 14.
1 Rom. iii. 22. 1 Thess. v. 23.
1837.] THE PARDONED BLESSED. 105
and whatever we may have done, or whatever we may have
attained, without that, we have done nothing, and attained
nothing. Suppose us to have laboured successfully, and ac
quired crowns and kingdoms, what would they be in compari
son of pardon, and peace, and holiness? Ask Solomon, who
possessed a greater measure of earthly joys than any other
man, what he thought of them ? He pronounced them all to
be " vanity and vexation of spirit :" so far were they from
rendering him truly " blessed." The man possessed of earthly
things knows not how soon he may have to relinquish them,
and to curse the day that he ever attained them : but the man
whom David pronounces " blessed," is prepared for every thing.
He is prepared either for life, or death. If God see fit that
he should live, he is prepared to fill up any station either of
action or of suffering. In action, he will do every thing for
God s honour ; and in suffering, he will receive it all as from
God, and improve it all for the advancement of his soul s
eternal welfare. On the other hand, if God see fit to call him
hence, he is ready to depart, at whatever hour his Lord shall
call him. In fact, though willing to continue on earth his
appointed time, " he is longing to be dissolved, that he may be
with Christ." He numbers death amongst his richest treasures;
and, in whatever shape it may come, he welcomes it, as Jacob
did the waggons that were to bear him to the presence of his
exalted and beloved Joseph.
I ask then now again, is not this man justly called "blessed?"]
3. In him is the felicity of heaven already begun
[Wherein does the blessedness of heaven consist ? Is it
not in near access to God, in an assured consciousness of his
love, and in an incessant ascription of praise to him ? All this
is begun in the believing and renewed soul. " God has shined
into the heart of him whom he has pardoned and sanctified,
ajid has revealed to him all the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ n ." He even dwells in the bosom of the believer,
and sheds abroad his love there, and enables him to " rejoice
in the Saviour with a joy that is unspeakable and glorified,"
that is, of the very same nature with that which the glorified
saints and angels possess in heaven. True, he enjoys these
things but in part : but still the little he does enjoy, is both an
earnest and a foretaste of what he shall one day be filled witli
to the utmost extent of his capacity for ever and ever.
It is needless that I pronounce him " blessed :" for I arn well
assured that there is not a soul here present that has not already
anticipated me in this, and said, " O that I were that happy
man ! "]
n 2 Cor. iv. G.
106 ROMANS, IV. 1C. [1838.
Let me in conclusion ADDRESS a few words to,
1. Those who are seeking their happiness in earthly
things
[I will suppose you to have attained all that mortal man
can possess : find me in all the sacred volume one single passage
that pronounces you blessed. Find me but one single passage,
and I will say, " Go on, and prosper." But I need only appeal
to your own experience. What has all that you have ever
attained done for you ? Has it made you truly happy ? You
know it has not Nothing short of that state which we
have before contemplated can make you happy. Seek then
blessedness where alone it can be found. Seek it in a recon
ciled God and Saviour. Seek it in a sense of his pardoning
love, and in conformity to his mind and will. The creature,
in its utmost fulness, is only " a cistern that will hold no water:"
but in your Saviour you shall find " a Fountain of living
waters."]
2. Those who profess to have attained the blessed
ness here spoken of
[" What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy con
versation and godliness !" Do but look at the millions around
you, who are yet unpardoned, unsanctified, unsaved ! What
do you owe to God, who has made such a difference between
you and others, yea, and between you and your former selves !
Surely there should be no bounds to your gratitude, no limits
to your devotion to such a Benefactor ]
MDCCCXXXVIII.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH NECESSARY TO THE HONOUR OF
GOD, AND THE HAPPINESS OF MAN.
Rom. iv. 16. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace ;
to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.
TO many the doctrines of the Gospel appear mere
arbitrary appointments ; and justification by works
seems as much entitled to our approbation as justifi
cation by faith alone. But the doctrines of the Gospel
are grounded on absolute and indispensable necessity :
we are shut up to them: we have no other ground
of hope. After man had fallen, it was not possible
that any law should be given him whereby he might
regain his lost happiness. If such a law could have
1838.] NECESSITY OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 107
been devised, God would have given it in preference
to the plan of salvation provided in the Gospel ; as
St. Paul tells us ; " If there had been a law given
which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law a ." But a Saviour was
necessary ; and justification by faith in him was
necessary, indispensably necessary,
I. For the honour of God
It is surely meet that God should have the undi
vided honour of all that he has done
[He has made the universe for the express purpose of
glorifying himself in the works of his hands b ; and both the
celestial and terrestrial bodies reflect upon him the honour clue
unto his name c . In the various dispensations of his providence
also God has respect to his own glory, " upholding all things
by the word of his power," and ordering all things, even from
the rise and fall of empires to the preservation of a sparrow, or
the falling of a hair from our head d .
But, if in the works of creation and providence God have
all the glory, shall he not much more have it in the work of
redemption ? Who first devised that wondrous work ? The
counsel of peace was between the Father and the Son from all
eternity 6 . Who prevailed upon the Father to give his only Sou
out of his bosom to be our surety and substitute, and to accept
his vicarious sacrifice in our behalf? All this was the result
of God s " eternal purpose which he purposed in himself,"
" according to the counsel of his own will, and to the praise of
the glory of his own grace f ." We may further ask also, How
is it that this salvation is imparted to the souls of men ? Do
men attract his notice first by their own superior merits ? or
do they of themselves begin to seek his favour ? Does not God
in every instance prevent them with the blessings of his good
ness ; and of his own good pleasure give them " both to will
and to do ff ?" Now all this exercise of love and mercy is
intended by God himself to shew to the whole universe " the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through
Christ Jesus h ." Is he then, or is he not, to have the glory of
this work ? Is it meet, that, when he gives all, and his crea
tures receive all, the crown should be taken from his head,
and be placed on the head of those, who, but for the super
abundance of his grace, must all have perished like the fallen
a Gal. iii. 21. b Rev. iv. 11. c Ps. xix. 1.
d 1 Sam. ii. 6 8. Isai. xlv. 5 7. e Zech. vi. 13. Eph. iii. 9,
f Eph. i. 912. and iii. 10, 11. 8 Phil. ii. 13.
h Eph. ii. 7.
108 ROMANS, IV. 16. [1838.
angels? We think that, however prejudiced any may be
against the doctrine of justification by faith alone, it is impos
sible for them not to see, that man has no right to invade the
prerogative of the Most High, and that " God cannot, con
sistently with his own honour, give his glory to another ."]
But, if man s salvation be in any measure by works,
God will not have all the glory of it
[" Therefore is salvation by faith, that it may be by grace."
Were it in any measure by works, it would become " a debt,
and not a reward of graceV Let but the smallest part of our
reward be claimed as a debt, and there is an end of God s
honour as the sole Author of our salvation. Man will have a
right to boast : indeed he cannot but boast : he cannot but say,
I paid a price for this benefit : whether the price be equal in
value to the benefit conferred, is nothing to the purpose : it
was the price demanded ; and the man who pays this price
may claim the benefit, as having performed the terms on which
that benefit was suspended. To suppose that salvation can
be of faith and of works at the same time, is absurd ; the
two are incompatible with each other: "if it be of works it
cannot be of grace ;" and " therefore it is of faith, that it may
be by grace 1 ."]
But justification by faith alone is yet further neces
sary,
II. For the happiness of man
If justification were by works, " the promise would
be sure" to none
[Consider what must be done to secure the promised be
nefit : First, such a number of good works must be performed
as shall be sufficient to purchase the remission of all our past
sins. But who shall ascertain what measure of them shall
suffice ? or who, if it were ascertained, shall perform them ?
Next, such a number of good works must be performed as
shall suffice to purchase eternal happiness and glory. And
who shall tell us the amount of these that is required ? or who
will undertake to pay the price ? Whatever is paid to purchase
mercy for other acts, must need no mercy for itself: and how
many of such acts can you produce? Nay further; it must be
not only a perfect work, but a work of supererogation : for if
it be a work that has been enjoined, you are still only " an
unprofitable servant ; you have done no more than was your
duty to do." What store of such works have you wherewith to
purchase heaven ? But you will say, that God has mitigated
the demands of his law, and is now satisfied with imperfect
1 Isai. xlii. 8. k ver. 4. ] Rom. xi. 6.
1838.] NECESSITY OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 109
obedience. I ask, Where has he done so ? and What is the
measure of imperfection which he allows ? Can you answer
this ? Can any human being answer it ? But, for argument
sake, you shall fix your own standard ; you shall fix it where
you please ; and you shall be judged by nothing but your own
law. Suppose that you have now fixed it ; Have you from the
beginning observed in all things your own law ? Have you
come up truly and habitually to your own standard ? if not,
you must be condemned out of your own mouth. Reduce the
law to any thing you please, to sincerity, if you choose it ;
and I then ask, Are you sincerely abstaining from every thing
which you believe to be evil, and doing every thing which you
believe to be pleasing unto God, from day to day, from month
to month, from year to year ? Are you willing to found all
your hopes of salvation on this ? and are you content that
all the promises of mercy shall for ever fail you, if in any
one instance you ever have been, or ever shall be, defective
in your performance of these conditions ? Will you look to
this method of salvation to "make the promise sure ?" Alas !
there is no man that ever could, or ever can, stand on such a
ground as this.]
But justification being by faith alone, the promise
is sure to all
[To all who truly believe in Christ the promise is infallibly
sure, whatever be their nation, their character, their attain
ments, their circumstances. The Jew and the Gentile are here
perfectly on a level" 1 : nothing is conceded on account of
circumcision ; nothing is withheld on account of uncircumci-
sion : the righteousness of Christ shall be equally on the one
or the other the very instant they believe in Christ". Nor
will it make any difference whether they have been more or
less sinful in times past. The blood of Christ is as sufficient
to cleanse one, as another : the very man that nailed our
Saviour to the cross, or that pierced his side with the spear,
may be as effectually delivered from his guilt, as any other
sinner in the universe, provided he really and truly look to the
Lord Jesus Christ to save him : for " all that believe, are
justified from all things ." Moreover, babes in Christ have
the promise as sure to them, as the young men or fathers have.
Salvation is not suspended on the strength of our faith, but its
reality ; not on the time that it has been exercised, but on the
simplicity and sincerity with which it is exercised. Hence
St. John says, " I write unto you, little children, because your
sins are forgiven you for his name s sake p ." It is not said
m Rom. iii. 29. n Rom. iii. 22.
Acts xiii. 39. P 1 John ii. 12.
110 ROMANS, IV. 16. [1838.
here, that their sins shall be forgiven, when they have attained
such an age ; but, that they are even now already forgiven to
them, notwithstanding their infantine weakness and insuffi
ciency. We must go further still, and say, that, though the
believer should be in the very article of death, and have no time
left him for the performance of good works, yet should the
blood of Christ, sprinkled by faith, cleanse him from all sin ;
and the righteousness of Christ, apprehended and applied by
faith, shall justify him perfectly before God. The penitent
thief had reviled our Saviour on the cross, no less than the
impenitent one : yet, the very instant he cast himself on the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was accepted ; and our
Lord himself said to him, " This day shalt thou be with me in
Paradise." The promise being made to all who believe, it is
as sure to the believer, as the power and veracity of God can
make it.]
To IMPROVE this subject, we shall,
1. Guard the doctrine from abuse
[That the doctrine of justification by faith may be abused,
is certain : for so it was in the days of St. Paul himself" 1 . But
truth is not therefore to be renounced because it may be
perverted ; but we must, as Paul himself did, hold fast
the truth, and rescue it from those perversions to which it is
exposed.
We have stated with all possible plainness, that we are to
look for our justification solely by faith, without the smallest
dependence on any works of our own. But are we therefore
at liberty to neglect good works ? or can our final salvation be
secured without them, where an opportunity is afforded for
the performance of them? Assuredly, in their place, good
works are as necessary as faith itself: only we must take care
not to confound their respective offices. The use of faith is, to
apprehend Christ ; and the use of good works is, to glorify
Christ. In no other way can Christ be apprehended, than by
faith ; and in no other way can he be glorified, than by good
works 1 . Now God has clearly pointed out the way in which
his people must walk : and it is only by walking in that way
that they can arrive at the mansions prepared for them 8 . It
is necessary therefore that we should cultivate all Christian
virtues, adding one to another throughout their whole extent :
and it is by this course of action that we are to " make our
calling and election sure 1 ." Here we would particularly remind
you, that the very same word which is used in my text by
i Rom. vi. 1, 15. T J } m xv> 13.
s Eph. i. 4. and ii. 10. 2 Pet. i. 10, 11.
1S38.] NECESSITY OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. Ill
St. Paul in reference to faith, is used by St. Peter in reference
to works u . And how are we to explain this ? Are we to set
the two Apostles against each other? No: they are easily
reconciled : the one is speaking of faith as securing an interest
in the promises ; and the other is speaking of works as the
appointed road in which we are to walk, and which alone will
lead us safely to the kingdom of heaven. As, on the one hand,
without faith we can never be united unto Christ, or be par
takers of his righteousness, so, on the other hand, if it produce
not obedience, our faith will be of no more avail than the faith
of devils. And this is exactly what St. James tells us x ; as
also does St. Paul in this very epistle, where he says, that
" to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for
glory and honour and immortality, God will give eternal
life y ." If the Apostle therefore did not contradict himself,
neither are we to consider the other Apostles as contradicting
him, but only as affirming, that in their place good works are
necessary, no less than faith is in its place. Behold then,
whilst we maintain with all steadfastness the doctrine of justi
fication by faith, we declare to all that the King s highway is
the way of holiness 2 , and that "without holiness no man shall
see the LordV]
2. Commend it to your cordial acceptance
[If you sought for nothing but present comfort, methinks
you should without hesitation embrace the doctrine of sal
vation by faith. For at what comfort can a man ever arrive,
who seeks salvation by his works ? How can he ever get satis
faction on the subjects on which all his happiness depends ?
How can he know what is sufficient for his acceptance, and
whether he has done what under his circumstances is sufficient?
And, if he can never attain the knowledge of these things, in
what sad uncertainty must he be held all his days respecting
the final salvation of his soul ! And is it not a fearful thing to
stand on the brink of eternity, and not to know whether we
be going to heaven or to hell? The doctrine of justification by
faith presents a clear and definite idea to the mind. Doubt
less, in the lower stages of the divine life, there may be con
siderable suspense even there ; because a person may not be
certain that his faith is so simple and entire as it ought to be :
but still he has a definite object in view, namely, to cast himself
wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and to rely altogether
upon him : and, though he may not have an assured confidence
of his acceptance in Christ, he knows, that it is as impossible
for a man who flees to Christ to perish, as it is for God to lie :
u fiefiaiav. x Jam. ii. 14 20. > Rom. ii. 7.
z Isai. xxxv. 8. a Heb. xii. 14.
113 ROMANS, IV. 202o. [1839.
and this conviction is a source of unbounded consolation to his
soul b . In this conviction he has " an anchor for his soul, both
sure and steadfast ;" an anchor which shall enable him to ride
out in safety all the storms which either the world or Satan
can raise against him.
But present comfort is but a secondary consideration.
The question is, What will avail us at the day of judgment?
What will secure to us the promise then ? God has told us, that
he has appointed salvation to be by faith for this very end.
Will God then, who has declared, that, if we believe not on his
Son we are condemned already, and that his wrath abideth on
us ; will he, I say, reverse his sentence in favour of those who
have proudly rejected the salvation which he offered them?
This cannot be. Let me therefore entreat all to renounce all
dependence on their own works, as Paul did on his d ; and to
seek salvation in that adorable Emmanuel, of whom it is said,
" In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and in
him shall they glory ."]
b Heb. vi. 17 19. c Here is the same word, fiefiaiav.
d Phil. iii. 9. e Isai. xlv. 25.
MDCCCXXXIX.
ABRAHAM S FAITH.
Rom. iv. 20 25. He staggered not at the promise of God
through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God ; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised,
he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed
to him for righteousness. Now it ivas not written for his
sake alone, that it ivas imputed to him ; but for us also, to
tvhom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead ; who was delivered for our
offences, and was raised again for our justification.
THERE is no Christian grace, the want of which is
so much condemned in Scripture, or the exercise
of which is so much applauded, as faith. In the
Epistle to the Hebrews there is one whole chapter
occupied in celebrating the saints that were distin
guished for this grace. Amongst these Abraham
makes a very conspicuous figure. In the chapter
before us also the Apostle mentions this eminent
trait in Abraham s character, and expatiates upon it
in support of that, which it is the one scope of this
1839. J ABRAHAM S FAITH. 113
whole epistle to establish, namely, the doctrine of
justification by faith alone.
In opening the Apostle s words, we shall consider,
I. The faith of Abraham
This faith was most extraordinary
[It had respect to two things, which God had promised
him, namely, The birth of a son by Sarah, whose progeny should
be numerous as the stars of heaven*; and the gift of one parti
cular seed, in whom all the nations of the earth should be
blessed^. Incredible as these events appeared, he staggered
not at God s promises relating to them ; but was fully per
suaded that they should be fulfilled in their season.
Considering his age and Sarah s, he being one hundred
years old, and she ninety, there was no hope, according to the
course of nature, that a child should be born unto them. But
natural impediments were of no account with him : he knew
that, whatever God should promise, he was able also to per
form : and therefore, whilst " Sarah laughed" at the tidings in
a way of unbelieving derision, Abraham laughed at them in a
way of believing exultation .
The gift of a Saviour too to descend from his loins, a Saviour
in whom both his own soul, and the souls of all his believing
posterity, should be blessed, he fully believed. Our blessed
Lord himself assures us, that, at the distance of two thousand
years, " Abraham saw his day, and was glad d ." Abraham
knew himself to be a sinner before God, and consequently that
he needed a better righteousness than his own to procure him
acceptance with God in the last day : and he believed that this
promised Seed should work out a righteousness for him, a
righteousness commensurate with his necessities, yea, and
with the necessities of the whole world. " This Gospel was
preached to Abraham" in the promise before us e , and on this
he founded all his hopes, and placed the most unshaken
affiance.]
By this he was justified before God
[" This faith of his," my text informs us, " was imputed
to him for righteousness." But what are we to understand by
this ? Was the mere act of faith made his justifying righteous
ness ? No, assuredly not : for if it were so, " he had whereof
to glory;" which the Apostle assures us he had not f . Faith, as
an act, is a work of our own, just as love, or any other grace
is : and if he was justified by it in that vieiv, he was justified
a Gen. xv. 4 G. b Gen. xii. 2, 3. and xxii. 17, 18.
c Compare Gen. xvii. 17. with xviii. 12. d John viii. 36.
e Gal. iii. 8. f ver. 2.
VOL. XV. I
114 ROMANS, IV. 2025. [1839.
by works, which no child of man ever was, or ever can be.
No ; it was instrumental^/, as apprehending Christ, that faith
justified him. In Christ alone his justifying righteousness
was found: and it was by faith that he laid hold on this
righteousness, and applied it to himself for the salvation of his
soul. That is the righteousness which God has appointed to
be received through faith in Christ, and which he has declared,
" is unto all, and upon all, them that believe g ."
Now the Apostle marks this point with peculiar jealousy and
precision. It might be supposed that, because Abraham, in
token of his believing the promise made to him, obeyed the
command given him relative to circumcision, his obedience was
meritorious, and was, in part at least, a ground of his justifi
cation before God. But the faith by which he was justified
existed many years before he was circumcised ; and his circum
cision was " a seal of that righteousness which he had long before
possessed in his uncircumcised state :" and consequently, it was
his faith only, and not any sttbsequent obedience, that justified
him 11 . The moment he believed in Christ as the promised
seed, that moment the righteousness of Christ was imputed to
him, and he was justified by it in the sight of God.]
Having distinctly marked the faith of Abraham, I
proceed to state,
II. The instruction to be derived from it
Though God was pleased to honour his servant
Abraham by transmitting to posterity an account of
his faith, yet this was not the only, or the principal,
reason that induced him to record these things con
cerning Abraham. His chief intent was,
1. To shew us how we are to seek justification
before God
[Abraham believed in God as able to accomplish all that
he had promised : and by this faith he was justified Thus
we are to believe in God as having already accomplished his
promises, in having given up his Son to " die for our offences,"
and having raised him from the dead as the author and pledge
of our eternal justification. It is by the death of Christ, and
through the prevailing intercession, which, in his exalted state,
he makes for us, that we are to be reconciled to God
We must not for one moment dream of any other way of accept
ance If so eminent a man as Abraham was incapable
E Rom. iii. 21, 22. h ver. 9 11.
1839.] ABRAHAM S FAITH. 115
of being justified by his works, much more must we: and if he
was necessitated to look to Christ in order to obtain salvation,
beyond all doubt we must stand indebted to the same Saviour
for all our hopes of happiness and glory.]
2. To assure us that, if we truly believe in Christ,
we cannot fail of being justified
[Abraham s views of Christ must assuredly have been very
obscure : yet, dark as they were, they availed for his justifi
cation before God. But we have an incomparably clearer
knowledge of Christ : we see him in his person, work, and
offices, and therefore have stronger ground for our faith in
him. If we then receive the record of God concerning him,
and rely fully upon him as " dying for our offences, and as
raised again for our justification," shall not we be accepted?
We need not fear. Our souls may appear as dead with respect
to spiritual fruitfulness, as Abraham s and Sarah s bodies were
with respect to their having a son and heir ; and to the eye of
sense it may appear as improbable that we should inherit the
promise, as that they should ; but if we believe, we shall soon
find that " all things are possible to him that believeth :" we
shall have the righteousness of Christ imputed to us ; and,
being made heirs with Abraham, we shall be enabled to " walk
in his steps p on earth, and " sit down with him in the kingdom
of our Lord in heaven V]
By way of conclusion, we would entreat you to
REFLECT Upon,
1. The folly and danger of self-righteousness
[For what end did the Apostle take such pains to shew
us that the most eminent saints of old were not justified by
their works, but to caution us the more strongly against trust
ing in our own works ? Let us not imagine this a light matter:
on this one point our everlasting happiness depends. If we
will renounce all dependence on ourselves, and " submit to
Christ s righteousness," we shall be saved : but if we will "go
about to establish our own righteousness," either in whole or in
part, we must inevitably, and eternally, perish 1 .]
2. The value and importance of faith
[The highest commendation imaginable is given to faith,
in the words before us. Two things are spoken of it, which
should render it very precious in our eyes; it " gives the highest
glory to God," and brings the richest benefit to man. Faith
glorifies all the perfections of the Deity, in a far higher
1 ver. 12. k Gal. in. G 9. > Rom. ix. 30 32. and x. 3.
I 2
116 ROMANS, V. 15. [1840.
degree than any other grace whatever : and it saves the soul ;
which cannot be said of any other grace. Faitli is the (in
strumental) cause of our justification: but all other graces are
the fruits and effects of justification already imparted to us.
Let us seek then to exercise faith, and to be " strong in faith:"
and let us be well assured, that the more confidently we rely
on the promises of God, the more certainly shall we laugh with
holy exultation, and obtain a testimony from God that we
were accepted in his sight.]
MDCCCXL.
BENEFITS ARISING FROM A JUSTIFYING FAITH.
Rom. v. 1 5. Therefore being justified by faith, ive have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ : by whom also we
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God, And not only so, but we
glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, hope :
and hope maketh not ashamed ; because the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us.
IT may excite surprise, that the Apostle should
contend so earnestly for the doctrine of justification
by faith alone, when on many other subjects he
evinces a candour that might almost be construed
into indifference. The eating of meats offered to
idols ; the observance of times and seasons which
under the Jewish law were regarded as holy ; yea,
and even the practice of circumcision itself, if not set
in opposition to the Gospel ; were left by him to the
discretion of men, to be used or neglected as they
thought fit. But to receive the doctrine of justifica
tion by faith was not left to the option of any ; nor
was any alternative offered them, but to submit to it,
or perish. This however was not without good rea
son, since it was not possible to substitute any thing
in the place of that doctrine, or to interfere with it
in any degree, without making void the whole work
of redemption. Moreover, by this doctrine such
blessings were insured to man as could not be pro
cured by any other means. Some of these the Apostle
1840.] BENEFITS OF A JUSTIFYING FAITH. 117
enumerates in the passage before us : and we shall
consider them in the order in which they lie
I. A state of favour and acceptance with God
[Man, as a sinner, is exposed to the wrath of God, and is
under a sentence of actual condemnation. But being justified
by faith in Christ, he is freed from guilt through the atoning
sacrifice which has been offered for him, and is brought into a
state of reconciliation with God. From the moment that he
believes in Christ, " the anger of God is turned away from
him ;" and there remains, if we may so speak, no longer any
thing upon him, which can call forth the Divine displeasure
against him : his sins are all washed away in the Redeemer s
blood ; and he is clothed from head to foot in the robe of the
Redeemer s righteousness, so that in the sight of God he
stands without spot or blemish a . Having thus perfect recon
ciliation with God, he has peace in his own conscience, even
that " peace of God which passeth all understanding."
Into this state " he has access by faith in Christ;" and in it
" he stands," having this peace as an abiding portion. It is the
very portion which Christ himself promised to all his faithful
followers ; " In me ye shall have peace :" " My peace I give
unto you." And hence the Lord Jesus bears, as his own peculiar
title, that glorious name, " The Prince of PeaceV]
Next, in succession to this blessing, is,
II. A joyful hope of his glory
[The believer, being made a child of God, is become " an
heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ :" and he immediately
begins to look forward to that inheritance to which he has been
begotten, which is " incorruptible, and undefiled, and never-
fading ; and is reserved in heaven for them, as they are reserved
by the power of God for it d ." To this inheritance our blessed
Lord encouraged his Disciples to have respect continually, and
to anticipate in their minds the everlasting fruition of it : " In
my Father s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And,
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be
also 6 ." And accordingly we find the Apostle Paul sweetly
assured of the possession of it, as soon as he should be liberated
from this earthly tabernacle f ; and teaching all to expect the
same portion at the period of their dismission from the body g .
a Eph. v. 27. Jude, ver. 24. b Isai. ix. 6.
Rom. viii. 17- d 1 Pet. i. 4, 5.
" John xiv. 2, 3. f 2 Cor. v. 1. Phil. i. 21, 23.
s 2 Tim. iv. 8.
118 ROMANS, V. 15. [1840.
Well may the believer rejoice in such a hope: for, what are
earthly crowns and kingdoms in comparison of those to which
he is heir h ?]
Whilst the believer receives such great benefits
from Christ, he experiences,
III. A delight even in tribulations for his sake
[Tribulations must of necessity in themselves be painful :
but as endured for Christ, they become a source and occasion
of joy. The believer knows beforehand that he shall be called
to suffer them 1 ; and he is prepared to glory in them, as the
Apostles did, who, when they had been imprisoned and scourged
for their fidelity to Christ, went forth from their persecutors,
"rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for
his sakeV They know that their sufferings will be produc
tive of present, no less than of eternal, benefit to their souls;
that, though in the first instance tribulation may cause impa
tience, it will ultimately " work patience," by bringing him to a
meek submission to the Divine will : from patience so increased,
he will derive " experience," or a decisive evidence that God is
with him, and that the grace of God has wrought effectually
on his soul. By that experience his "hope" will be exceed
ingly confirmed ; for he will see the very justice, as well as the
truth, of God pledged to recompense what is so endured for his
name s sake 1 : and this " hope will never make him ashamed,"
as theirs will, who look for salvation in any other way than
through faith in Christ. Thus he will see that " his light and
momentary afflictions are in reality working for him a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory" 1 :" and in this view of
them he will greatly rejoice ; even as Paul did, who took plea
sure in his multiplied distresses", and counted even themostcruel
death for the sake of Christ and his Church as a subject of the
most heartfelt congratulation . Instead of repining at his
trials, he receives them as a most invaluable gift of God to him
for Christ s sake?, and glorifies God for them as a most pre
cious testimony of his love**. His enemies indeed " think not
so, neither do they mean so :" nothing is further from their
hearts than to advance the work of godliness in the souls of
those whom they persecute, and to augment their joy : but this
is the real effect of persecution, which, like fire, purifies them
from their dross, and causes its victims to leap for joy r .]
h Rev. iii. 21. J 1 Thess. iii. 4. * Acts v. 41.
1 2 Thess. i. 6, 7. ra 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. " 2 Cor. xii. 10.
Phil. ii. 17, 18. P Phil. i. 29. q 1 Pet. iv. 1216.
1 Luke vi. 23.
1840. j BENEFITS OF A JUSTIFYING FAITH. 119
To this elevated state of mind the believer is ad
vanced by,
IV. A sense of his love shed abroad in the heart 8
[This is a blessing which, though not to be appreciated
or understood by those who have never received it, is yet most
assuredly enjoyed by many of God s chosen people. We
scarcely know how to describe it, because it consists chiefly in
an impression on the mind occasioned by manifestations of
God s love to the soul. Nothing is more certain than that
Christ will " manifest himself to his people, as he does not unto
the world." This he will do by the agency of the Holy Ghost,
who will " take of the things that are Christ s, and will shew
them unto us." As " a spirit of adoption 1 " too, he will give us
views of the Father, as our Father in Christ Jesus : he will
also " witness with our spirits that we are Christ s;" and will
be in us as " an earnest of our everlasting inheritance ;" and
will " seal us unto the day of redemption." By all these ope
rations on our souls, he will "fill us with joy and peace in
believing," yea, with " a joy unspeakable and glorified." This
is in reality a foretaste of heaven itself; and, where this is, a
man, if he had a thousand lives, would be ready to lay them all
down for his Lord and Saviour, accounting nothing dear to
him, so that " Christ might but be magnified in him, whether
by life or death." How persons have been transported with
these manifestations, and been enabled by them to triumph
over their most malignant enemies, ecclesiastical history, yea
the history of our own martyrs, sufficiently informs us. This
sense of the Divine presence and love is not indeed at all times
equally powerful on the soul : but it is the privilege of all who
s This, as it is usually interpreted, is made to sanction the idea,
that a sense of God s love in the soul is of itself a sufficient ground
for an assurance, that our hope is truly scriptural, and shall never be
disappointed. But such an idea would lead to the most fatal delu
sions. A most able and judicious commentator (Mr. Scott), aware
of this danger, endeavours to remove it, by including in " the love of
God shed abroad in the heart," all the fruits resulting from it. But
an easier, and, in the Author s judgment, a better way to get rid of
the difficulty, is, to connect this clause of the text with those words in
ver. 3, " We glory in tribulations also ; " the intermediate parts being
taken parenthetically. Then the proper sense of these words may be
given to them without any danger, and a beautiful light be thrown on
the whole passage : for though the love of God in the heart is not of
itself a sufficient evidence of the soundness of our hope, it is, beyond
every thing in the world, an incentive to despise, or rather to glory in,
sufferings for the Lord s sake. We would read it thus : " We glory
in tribulations also ; (knowing, &c. &c. ;) because the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts, &c."
120 ROMANS, V. 15. [1840.
flee unto the Saviour as their only refuge, and rely upon him
as their only hope.]
We would EXHORT you then, beloved,
1. To hold fast the doctrine of justification by
faith only
[No other doctrine brings such blessings along with it.
Hence, they who impugn this doctrine, pour contempt on all
these effects of it, as fancies that have no reality, and as the
creatures of a heated imagination. But we must discard the
Scriptures themselves, if we discard these things from the ex
perience of God s people : and therefore let none deprive you
of your hope. Believe in Christ : make him " all your salvation,
and all your desire." Dismiss with abhorrence every thought
that tends to lower him in your estimation, or to rob him of his
glory; and to the latest hour of your lives " live altogether by
faith in Him, who has loved you, and given himself for you."]
2. To seek the privileges connected with it
[If any enjoy them not, the fault is utterly their own.
Circumstances may interfere to put a difference between one
and another, so that persons, equally pious, may not be equally
full of peace and joy : and the same persons may sometimes
experience a diversity of frames. But, generally speaking,
these blessed exercises of mind will be found in men in pro
portion to the simplicity of their faith, and the entireness of
their devotion to God. All the persons in the blessed Trinity
are engaged to make you thus blessed. The Father lays his
anger by, and speaks peace to your souls. The Lord Jesus
Christ, as your Advocate with the Father, secures these bless
ings for you, and, as your living Head, imparts them to you.
And the Holy Ghost communicates to you all those exquisite
delights, which the sense of God s love, and a prospect of his
glory, are calculated to inspire. Seek then the peace that
passeth all understanding ; and the joyful " hope that purifieth
the heart :" and seek such an abiding sense of God s presence,
as shall raise you above all the things of time and sense, and
convert tribulation itself into a source of joy and a ground of
glorying. Then will you adorn this doctrine of God our
Saviour ; and will put to shame the enemies of the Gospel, by
the transcendent efficacy of it upon your souls.]
1841.] THE BELIEVER S SECURITY IN CHRIST. 121
MDCCCXLI.
THE BELIEVER S SECURITY IN CHRIST.
Rom. v. 6 10. For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a right
eous man will one die : yetperadventurefor a good man some
ivould even dare to die. But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, ivhile we ivere yet sinners, Christ died for
us. Much more then, being noiv justified by his blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through him. For ^f, when we
were enemies, ice were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life.
IT is pleasing to see with what delight the Apostle
Paul dwells upon the transcendent excellency and
unbounded love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever
he is insisting on, he is sure to introduce the Saviour s
name ; and, when once he has introduced it, he
scarcely knows when to leave the heart-reviving topic:
and, if he have left it for a moment, he is ever eager
to recur to it again. Hence the connexion of his
sentences is frequently remote ; as we apprehend it
to be in the instance before us. We conceive that
the proper connexion of our text is with the two first
verses of the chapter ; in which the Apostle has
spoken of Christ as the true and only source of our
acceptance with God, and of that hope of the glory
of God, which animates our souls. Then, after ex
patiating on the further benefits which we receive
through him, he comes to state more explicitly, How
it was that Christ procured these blessings for us ;
and, Why we may be assured of the ultimate posses
sion of them. In this view of the text we shall be
led to shew,
I. What Christ has done for us, as enemies
Our state by nature is here but too justly de
scribed
[We are " ungodly," we are " sinners," " enemies" to God
and to all vital religion : at the same time, we are also " without
strength," altogether impotent to that which is good -
122 ROMANS, V. 610. [1841.
What a description is this! how humiliating! and yet how
just! ]
Yet, when we were in this state, did the Lord
Jesus Christ undertake our cause
[He assumed our nature, and in that nature died. Nor
was it merely for our benefit that he died, but in our place and
stead. " He bare our sins in his own body on the tree," and
suffered, " he, the Just, for us the unjust a ." We were exposed
to the wrath of God; and that wrath he bore for us: "He
became a curse for us b ." The cup which we must have been
drinking to all eternity, he drank to the very dregs ]
What a stupendous exercise of love was this !
[Well may it be said, that God, in this act of mercy,
" commendeth his love towards us :" for it is indeed such a
display of love as finds no parallel in the whole universe. There
could scarcely be found on earth, one person, who would con
sent to die in the place of another, who was confessedly " a
righteous man," and just in all his dealings : though possibly
there might be some who would lay down their lives for " a
good man c ," who was eminently pious and useful in the world d .
But who ever made such a sacrifice for his enemy? The
utmost stretch of human affection is, " to lay down one s life
for a friend 6 " But such was not the love of Christ: " while
we were yet shiners and enemies, He died for us f ." Truly this
was "a love that passeth knowledge;" a love, the heights and
depths whereof can never be explored g ]
From this love of Christ to his enemies the Apostle
takes occasion to declare,
II. What we may expect from him, as friends
Nothing can be plainer or more conclusive than the
Apostle s argument, that, if Christ has already done
a 1 Pet. ii. 24. and iii. 18. This may be illustrated by the sub
stitution of the ram in the place of Isaac. Gen. xxii. 13.
b Gal. iii. 13.
c For this import of the term ctyaOoc, see Mark x. 18.
d See Rom. xvi. 4. e John xv. 13.
f How different was this from all that ever occurred on earth,
either before or since ! If one man has ever died for another, it has
been from the consideration of his being either peculiarly excellent in
himself, or a great benefactor to others, or from a very high degree of
friendship for him : but when Christ died for us, we, so far from
having any thing to recommend us to him, were ungodly in ourselves,
and enemies to him.
g Eph. iii. 18, 19.
1841.] THE BELIEVER S SECURITY IN CHRIST. 123
so much for us under circumstances so unfavourable,
much more shall, whatever remains to be done for us,
now that we are in a state of friendship with him,
assuredly be completed in due season.
To elucidate the force of this argument, we would
call your attention to the following positions. If
Christ should now abandon the work in which he
has proceeded so far, and should leave his people to
perish at last,
1. He would defeat all his Father s counsels
[The Father from all eternity predestinated unto life a
number of the human race, who therefore are called, " A rem
nant according to the election of grace h :" and these he gave
unto his Son 1 , that he might redeem them by his blood, and
have them as "his portion for ever and ever k ." These in due
time he calls by his word and Spirit ; he adopts them into his
family, transforms them into his image, and will finally exalt
them to a participation of his glory . That this counsel may
be carried into effect, he commits them to his Son, that they
may be kept by his power and grace, and " be preserved
blameless unto his heavenly kingdom." But if Christ should
relinquish his care of them, and leave them ultimately to die
in their sins, all these counsels would be defeated ; and with
respect to those who were so deserted, it would be said,
" Whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom
he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified," them
he left to perish. But shall God s purposes be so frustrated?
Shall this golden chain, which reaches from eternity to eternity,
be so broken? No: " Of those whom his Father gave him, he
never did lose any, nor ever will"." We say not that he will
save them in their sins : God forbid, that such a blasphemous
idea should enter into the mind of any : but/rowz their sins he
will save them ; and " through sanctification of the Spirit P,"
" he will keep them from falling, and present them faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy q ."]
2. He would render void all that he himself had
done
[He has given up his own life a ransom for us, and has
actually reconciled us to God by his own obedience unto
death. Can we conceive, that, after he has done all this, he
h Eph. i. 4, 5, 11. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Rom. ii. 5.
1 John xvii. 2, 6, 9, 11, 24. k Isai. liii. 10.
1 See the 17th Article. m Rom. viii. 2830. n John xvii. 12.
Matt. i. 21. Pi Pet. i. 2. 1 Jude, ver. 2-1.
124 ROMANS, V. G 10. [1841.
should become indifferent to those whom he has thus redeemed?
Will he be satisfied thus to shed his blood in vain ? If he has
" bought us with a price," will he be content to lose what he
has so dearly purchased? After he has actually "justified us
by his blood," will he leave us to be condemned ? Will he,
now that nothing is wanting on his part, but to supply us with
his grace, and to uphold us in his arms, will he, I say, relax
his care of us, and leave us to perish? Having done the
greater for us, when enemies, will he forbear to do the less for
us, as friends? Having done the greater unsolicited, will he
refuse to do the less when entreated night and day ? In the
days of his flesh, notwithstanding all the obstacles in his way,
he ceased not to go forward till he could say, " It is finished."
And will he now leave his work unfinished ? Having been " the
Author of faith" to us, will he decline to be " the Finisher 1 ?"
Justly does David argue, like the Apostle in our text : " Thou
hast delivered my soul from death ; wilt not thou then deliver
my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light
of the living 8 ?" In like manner, we also may be " confident
of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in us,
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ 1 ." Our great
"Zerubbabel hath laid the foundation of his house; and his
hands will finish it"."]
3. He would forget all the ends of his own exalta
tion
[He is " exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour x ," and to
"put under his feet all his own, and his people s enemies y :"
and do we suppose that he will neglect this work? After
" having spoiled principalities and powers, and triumphed
over them openly upon the cross 2 ," will he, now that he is
invested "with all power in heaven and on earth" on purpose
to complete his triumphs, give up the palm of rictory, and
suffer Satan to rescue from his hands those, whom with such
stupendous efforts he has delivered? It is not as a private
person that Jesus has ascended, but as the " Forerunner" of his
people a . Will he then forget those whom he has left behind ?
Will the Head be unmindful of his members b ? And shall the
first-fruits be waved, and no harvest follow ? " Living, as he
does, on purpose to make intercession for us," will he forget
to intercede d ? and having all fulness treasured up in him for
his Church e , will he forget to impart of it to those for whom
r Heb. xii. 2. s Ps. Ivi. 13. * Phil. i. 6.
u Zech. iv. 9. x Acts v. 31. y 1 Cor. xv. 25.
z Col. ii. 15. a Heb. vi. 20. *> Eph. v. 30.
c 1 Cor. xv. 20. with Lev. xxiii. 10, 11. <i Heb. vii. 25.
e Col. i. 19.
1841.] THE BELIEVER S SECURITY IN CHRIST. 125
he has expressly received it f ? As our High Priest, he must
not only enter with his own blood within the vail, and there
make continual intercession for us, but must come forth to
bless his people 3 : and, having fulfilled his office thus far, will
he now abandon it? The Apostle had certainly no such appre
hension, when he laid so great a stress on the resurrection of
our Lord, as to make it more efficacious for the salvation of
men, that even the whole of Christ s obedience unto death h .
We may be sure, therefore, that as he, in his risen state, " is
able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him,"
so he will do it, and " will bring Satan himself shortly under
their feet 1 ."]
4. He would falsify all his own great and precious
promises
[How express is that promise which he has made to all
his sheep, that " none shall ever pluck them out of his hands k !"
Will he be unmindful of this? or is he become so weak that
he is not able to fulfil it ? He said to his Disciples, " Ye have
not chosen me ; but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that
you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain 1 :" but how can this be true, if he suffer them to be
come barren, and to be cut down at last as cumberers of the
ground ? Why did he say, " Believe in God : believe also
in me," if he meant, after all, to disappoint our confidence?
Can we conceive, that, after comforting his Disciples with the
assurance, that he was " going to prepare mansions in his
Father s house for them, and would come again and receive
them to himself" 1 ;" can we conceive, I say, that he should
leave them to take up their abode in the regions of everlasting
darkness and despair ? No : he is " the Amen, the true and
faithful Witness ;" and " every promise that is made to us in
him, is yea and Amen," as immutable as God himself".]
ADDRESS
1. Those who are inquiring after the way of sal
vation
[Nothing can be more plain than the way of salvation, as
it is marked out in our text. How must we " be reconciled
to God ? Through the death of his Son." How must we be
justified and saved from wrath? We must " be justified by
his blood," and " saved from wrath through him." How,
after having been reconciled to God by the death of Christ,
f Ps. Ixviii. 18. s Deut. x. 8. h Rom. viii. 34.
> Rom. xvi. 20. k John x. 27 30. l John xv. 10.
"- John xiv. 2, 3. " 2 Cor. i. 20.
126 ROMANS, V. 610. [1841.
must we finally attain complete salvation ? We must be
" saved by his life ;" that is, we must from first to last live by
faith on the Son of God, looking to his death as the merito
rious ground of our acceptance, and to his renewed life in
heaven as the one source of all our stability, and the surest
pledge of our eternal happiness. But, it may be asked, Am I
among the number for whom these blessings were purchased ?
If you are among the number of those who feel themselves
" ungodly and sinners, and enemies to God, and without
strength," then are you the persons for whom Christ died, and
for whom he is improving every moment of his renewed life.
What, I would ask, can be more plain than this ? What room
is here left for doubt ? Verily, if salvation be not altogether
by Christ Jesus, that is, by the efficacy of his death, and the
operation of his grace, St. Paul must have been the most in
cautious and erroneous writer that ever lived. But, if he was
neither ignorant nor deceitful, then is the way of salvation so
plain, that not any poor " way-faring man, even though he be
a fool, can err therein." We charge you then, brethren, to
flee for refuge to the hope that is set before you ; and to
" determine to know nothing as a ground of hope, but Jesus
Christ and him crucified."]
2. Those who, having sought for reconciliation
through Christ, are afraid of being cast off, and left
to perish
[What is it that fills you with such fears as these ? Is it
on account of Christ that you are distressed ? or on account of
your own weakness and unworthiness ? If you are afraid of
Christ, what is it in Him that you stand in doubt of; his
power, or his willingness to save? Surely there can be no
doubt on either of these points. If your fears arise from a
view of your own weakness and sinfulness, why should that
prove a bar to your acceptance with him, which was, I had
almost said, a reason for his dying for you, and which constantly
calls forth his compassion towards you ? True, if you continue
ungodly, you have no hope: for " the unrighteous cannot
inherit the kingdom of God." But, if you desire truly to be
delivered from all your corruptions, and to receive constant
supplies of grace from him, then you may safely trust in him
to carry on and perfect the work he has begun. He that first
sought you, will not be sought by you in vain. He that bore
your sins in his own body, will carry them all away into the
land of oblivion. He that reconciled you to God, will maintain
your peace with God : and he that has completed every thing
as far as it depended on his death, will much more perfect what
depends upon his life. Be strong then, and of good courage ;
and hold fast your confidence, and the rejoicing of your hope,
firm unto the end.]
1842.] JOY OF THE MORE-ADVANCED BELIEVER. 127
MDCCCXLII.
HAPPINESS OF THE MORE-ADVANCED BELIEVER.
Rom. v. 11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
atonement.
THOSE remarkable words of the prophet, " Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him," are usually inter
preted in reference to the future world : but St. Paul
speaks of them as fulfilled to us under the Christian
dispensation : for, having cited them, he adds, " But
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit 3 ." So
great are the privileges and blessings which we enjoy
under the Christian covenant, that no words can
adequately express them, no imagination can fully
conceive them. We may say respecting them, what
God said to Ezekiel respecting the abominations prac
tised by Israel in the chambers of imagery, that the
oftener we search into them, the more and greater we
shall find b . Truly, " the riches of Christ are un
searchable ." This is strongly intimated by St. Paul
in the passage before us. He had expatiated on the
blessings which we enjoy in, and by, Christ : " We
have peace with God " by him ; and through him are
enabled to " rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Nay more, we are enabled to " glory in tribulations
also," as the appointed means of perfecting the Divine
work within us, and of fitting us for the glory which
God has taught us to expect d . But neither is this
all : for God would have us rise above the mere con
sideration of our own happiness, even though it con
sist in a possession of all the glory of heaven ; and he
would have our minds occupied with the contempla
tion of his infinite perfections, and " filled with all
the fulness" of his communicable felicity 6 . Hence
the Apostle, declaring this to be the actual experience
a Isai. Ixiv. 4. with 1 Cor. ii 9, 10. b Ezek. viii. 3 16.
c Eph. iii. 8. d vcr. 13. e Eph. iii. 19.
128 ROMANS, V. 11. [1842.
of the great body of the Church at Rome, says,
" And not only so," (that is, we not only enjoy the
fore-mentioned blessings,) " but we also joy in God
himself through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement."
In discoursing on these words, we shall be led to
shew,
I. The happy state of believers in general
The believer has now already received reconcilia
tion with God
[The word translated " The atonement" is the same with
that which twice in the preceding verse is translated " Recon
ciled:" and that is its true import here. Reconciliation has
been purchased for men by Christ s obedience unto death : and
it is freely offered to them in the name of Christ, by those
who go forth as his ambassadors to a guilty world : and it is
accepted by those who believe their testimony, and embrace
the proffered salvation. It is on this account that the Gospel
is called, " The ministry of reconciliation f ." Those who receive
the glad tidings have all their iniquities blotted out from the
book of God s remembrance. He is no more angry with them,
as he was in their unbelieving state ; but looks upon them as
dear children, in whose happiness he will be eternally glorified.
They are now privileged to regard him no longer as an angry
Judge, but as a loving Father. Their state is precisely that of
the Prodigal Son, after he had returned to his Father s house :
they are freely forgiven for Christ s sake ; nor shall so much as
one upbraiding word be ever uttered against them. Their
Father rejoices over them as restored to his favour, and delights
to honour them with all suitable expressions of paternal love.
Are not these persons truly blessed 8 ?]
This is the state of every believer without excep
tion
[If a man have lived in sin for ever so many years, and
have at last been led, with deep penitence and contrition, to
the foot of the cross, this mercy is instantly vouchsafed to him.
The long-continuance of his former iniquities is no bar to his
acceptance. The very first moment that he comes weary and
heavy-laden to Christ, he finds rest unto his soul.
Neither does the enormity of a man s transgressions make
any difference in this respect. He may have been as vile as ever
David was ; and yet, on coming truly to Christ, his iniquities
f Deut. xxxiii. 2629. s 2 Cor. v. 1820.
1842.] J Y OF THE MORE ADVANCED BELIEVER. 129
shall all be pardoned, and it shall be said to him, " The Lord
hath put away thy sin ; thou shalt not die." " Though his sins
may have been as crimson, they shall instantly become as white
as snow h ." The healing virtue of the brazen serpent was not
felt by those only whose wounds were of a less dangerous
nature, but by those who were at the very point of death : and
so shall a sight of our crucified Redeemer operate, however
long the wounds of sin have been inflicted, or to whatever
extent they may have, brought death upon the soul.
We may add also, for the encouragement of the young, that,
however weakly their infantine minds have embraced the
truth, yet, if they be really sensible of their lost estate, and
truly look to the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope, he will
" take them up in his arms and bless them," and will " ordain
praise for himself even in the mouth of babes and sucklings."]
But the more immediate object of our text is, to
set before us,
II. The yet happier state of the more advanced be
liever
Every believer without exception receives re
conciliation with God : but the advanced believer is
yet more highly privileged. He has this blessing in
common with others ; but " not only so" No : he
rises higher ; he soars even to God himself ; and
" rejoices" and " glories in" God 1 ,
1. As a God of all grace
[The more we are advanced in the divine life, the more
deeply do we feel our own emptiness and utter helplessness.
This, we might suppose, would rather weaken and interrupt
his joy: and so it would, if his views of God were not also
proportionably enlarged. But he views God as " a God of
all grace k ;" and whatever grace he more particularly needs,
he sees a fulness of it treasured up in his reconciled God for
the supply of his necessities. Does he desire peace ? God
is to him " the God of peace 1 ." Would he abound in hope?
God is to him " the God of hope m ." Would he have an
increase of patience and of consolation to support him under
his diversified afflictions? God is to him " a God of patience
and consolation 11 ." In short, whatever he want, God is a God
of it to him, not only as having an inexhaustible fulness of it
in himself, but as, if we may so speak, made up of it, as if it
were his one only perfection. What a joyful thought is this
h Isai. i. 18. It is the same word as is used in ver. 3.
k 1 Pet. v. 10. > Heb. xiii. 20. m Rom. xv. 13.
n Rom. xv. 5.
VOL. XV. K
130 ROMANS, V. 11. [1842.
to the believer who is accustomed to seek his all in God, and
to " live altogether by faith in the Son of God, who loved him,
and gave himself for him !"]
2. As his covenant God and Father
[God, in the new covenant which he has made with us,
has stated this as an inseparable provision of that covenant,
that he will be " the God of his people," and " a God to
them ." Whatever he is, he will be for them: whatever he
has, he will, as far as they are capable of receiving it, impart
unto them. He will not merely be a Friend, or a Father, to
them : no ; he will be a God : and all that a God can be to
them, or can do for them, he will be, and do. All this he
pledges to them by covenant, and by oath ; " that by two
immutable things, in which it is impossible for him to lie, they
might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold on the hope set before them p ." Well then may they
who have laid hold on this covenant, rejoice in him. The Jews,
on account of their external relation to him, " made their boast
of God q :" and they had reason so to do. But how much
greater reason has the Christian to do so, who has laid hold on
that better covenant, which " is ordered in all things and sure,"
and which shall never wax old, or decay !]
3. As his everlasting portion
[It is not here only that God will be the portion of his
people, but. for ever in the eternal world. Such he was to
Abraham; " I am thy shield, and thy eternal great reward 1 "."
And such he will be to every believer; as it is written, " My
flesh and my heart fail ; but God is the strength of my heart,
and my portion for ever 6 ." In that tabernacle that is above,
God will dwell in the midst of his people, and be their God,
and will wipe away all tears from their eyes 1 . It is his pre
sence that will constitute the felicity of heaven : there will be
no sun or moon there ; for God himself, and the Lamb, will be
the light of that world ; and all created enjoyment will vanish,
like the light of the glow-worm before the meridian sun u .
Justly in this view of his privileges does David say, and justly
may every believer say, " The Lord is the portion of my
inheritance and of my cup : the lines are fallen to me in plea
sant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage 1 ."]
ADDRESS
1. Let all avail themselves of the opportunity now
afforded them
Jer. xxxi. 33. with Heb. viii. 8. p Heb. vi. 17 18.
n Rom. ii. 17. r Gen. xv. 1. s p s . Ixxiii. 26.
1 Rev. xxi. 3, 4. Rev. xxi. 22, 23. * Ps. xvi. 5, 6.
1842.J JOY OF THE MORE-ADVANCED BELIEVER. 131
_ [At^ this hour do " we preach peace to you by Jesus
Christ y ;" and " as ambassadors of God, we beseech you in
Christ s stead, be ye reconciled to God." To all without
exception is this invitation given. For every sinner in the
universe has Christ " purchased reconciliation through the
blood of his cross ;" and to every one does he address those
memorable words, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the
ends of the earth 2 ." Will any of you then be content to
continue at enmity with God, and to have God an enemy to
you? O lay down the weapons of your rebellion, and seek
your happiness in God. Surely " in his favour is life ; and his
loving-kindness is better than life itself." Only begin this day
to rejoice in your God; and " there shall be joy amongst the
angels in the presence of God on your account."]
2. Let all seek the highest attainments in the
divine life
[There is a holy ambition which all should feel. We
should not any of us be content to obtain reconciliation ivith
God : we should seek to rejoice in God. We should say with
David, " I will go unto the altar of God, of God my exceeding
joy a ." It is greatly to be lamented that the generality of
Christians live far below their privileges. If only they have
peace with God, and can rejoice in hope of his glory, and can
glory in tribulations for his sake, they are ready to think, that
they are in as good a state as they need to be. But, brethren,
whilst we rejoice that ye are so far advanced, we would have
you " not only so." we would have you " forget what is behind,
and press forward towards that which is before." We would
have you " covet earnestly the best gifts." It is your privilege
" to rejoice in God all the day," yea, to " rejoice in him with
joy unspeakable and glorified 13 ." Nor is it your privilege only,
but your duty also : for it is said, " In the Lord shall all the
seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory ." I call you then to
live nigh to God, and to " delight yourselves in God," and to
have even now " the earnest" of heaven in your souls d . " Let
Israel then rejoice in Him that made him; and the children of
Zion be joyful in their King 6 ."]
y Acts x. 36. z Isai. xlv. 22. a Ps. xliii. 4.
b 1 Pet. i. 8. c Isai. xlv. 25. d Eph. i. 14.
e Ps. cxlix. 2,
132 ROMANS, V. 18, 19. [1843.
MDCCCXLIII.
DEATH BY ADAM, AND LIFE BY CHRIST.
Rom. v. 18, 19. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment
came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteous
ness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification
of life. For as by one mans disobedience many ivere made
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made
righteous.
THE more we investigate the Gospel of Christ, the
more mysterious it appears in all its parts. To a
superficial observer it seems that the way of salvation
through a crucified Redeemer is plain and simple :
but it is surely an astonishing mystery, that those
who have destroyed themselves should be redeemed
by the blood of God s only dear Son, and be saved by a
righteousness that was wrought out by him. Yet that
is but a small part of the mystery revealed to us in the
Gospel. There we learn, that at the instant of our birth
we are under a sentence of condemnation for the sin
of our first parent ; and that, as we are lost in him, so
we are to be recovered by the Lord Jesus Christ,
inheriting righteousness and life from him, the second
Adam, as we inherit sin and death from the first
Adam. This is the subject of which the Apostle
treats in the passage before us. He had throughout
the preceding part of this epistle declared the way of
salvation through Christ : but now he traces up sin
and death to Adam as our federal head or represen
tative, and righteousness and life to Christ as our
federal head or representative under the new cove
nant. This opens to us a new view of the Gospel,
and leads us farther into the great mystery of redemp
tion than the preceding statements had enabled us to
penetrate.
That we may avail ourselves of the light which is
thus afforded us, we shall,
I. Consider the comparison here instituted
It is here assumed as an acknowledged truth, that
1843.] DEATH BY ADAM, AND LIFE BY CHRIST. 133
by the sin of Adam we all were brought under guilt
and condemnation
[Adam was not a mere private individual, but the head
and representative of all mankind. Hence what he did in
eating the forbidden fruit, is imputed unto us, as though it had
been done by us : and we are subjected to the punishment
that was denounced against transgression, " In the day that
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." This in the pre
ceding context is repeatedly affirmed: " By one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned 3 ." Again, " Through
the offence of one many be dead b :" Again, "The judgment
was by one to condemnation :" And again, "By one man s
offence death reigned by one 1 ." So also it is twice mentioned
in our text. Nor is it merely asserted : it is proved also, and
that too by an argument which all can easily understand. The
death of infants demonstrates the truth in question : for,
nothing is plainer than that God will not inflict punishment,
where no guilt attaches : but he does inflict punishment, even
death itself, on infants, who cannot possibly have committed
sin in their own persons. For whose sin then is this punish
ment inflicted? Surely for the sin of Adam, our first parent;
who was the head and representative of all mankind. The
law which denounced death as the penalty of ti ansgression,
comprehended, not him only, but us also : and therefore,
having transgressed it in him, we are considered as sinners,
and are subjected to all the penalties of transgression. To
account for the agonies and death of new-born infants on any
other supposition than this, is impossible.]
With this is compared our justification to life by
the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ
[Christ is that person " by whose obedience many are
made righteous." He is given to us as a second Covenant-
Head. There is however this difference between him and
Adam: Adam was the head of all his natural seed; and
Christ is the head of all his spiritual seed. They are included
in him ; and all that he did or suffered is put to their account,
as though they had done or suffered it themselves : and his
entire righteousness is imputed to them for justification, pre
cisely as Adam s disobedience is imputed to us for condemna
tion. The parallel indeed holds yet farther still : for as Adam s
guilt is imputed to us before we commit personal sin, so is
Christ s righteousness imputed to us before we perform any
personal obedience. Nevertheless, our obedience is not there-
* ver. 12. b ver. 15. c ver. 16. d ver. 17.
134 ROMANS, V. 18, 19. [1843.
fore rendered either useless or uncertain ; for, as from Adam
we receive a corrupt nature, so from Christ we receive a holy
and divine nature : and as all our personal disobedience aggra
vates the guilt and condemnation which we derived from Adam ;
so our personal obedience, after we have been justified in
Christ Jesus, enhances the degrees of glory to which we are
entitled at the instant of our justification. Now all this is
plainly affirmed in our text : (Read the text .) nay, it is, in the
verses preceding our text, affirmed, that we receive more from
Christ than ever ive lost in Adam: (Read ver. 15 17.) And
this is a striking, and very important, truth. For,
First, we are placed in a safer state than that which we lost
in Adam. Adam was placed in a state of probation, to stand
or fall by his own obedience ; and, notwithstanding all his ad
vantages, he fell, and ruined both himself and all his posterity.
But we, when justified in Christ s righteousness, are given to
him, that we may be kept by his power unto everlasting sal
vation : and he has expressly declared, that " none shall ever
pluck us out of his hands."
Next, we are made to possess a better righteousness than any
which we could ever have inherited from Adam : for if he had
stood, and we had stood in him, and partaken of his righteous
ness for ever, we should still have had only the righteousness
of a creature : but now we have, and shall have to all eternity,
the righteousness of the Creator : yes, " Jehovah himself is
our righteousness :" and whereas, with a creature s righteous
ness, we could have claimed nothing, being only unprofitable
servants, with the Creator s righteousness we may claim on the
footing of justice as well as of mercy, all the glory of heaven.
Once more : Our happiness is infinitely enhanced beyond
any thing it could ever have been, if we had stood in Adam.
The felicity of heaven would doubtless have been inconceivably
great under any circumstances : but who can conceive what
an addition it will receive from the consideration of its being
the purchase of the Redeemer s blood, and the fruit of those
eternal counsels by which the whole work of redemption was
both planned and executed ?
Thus then is the comparison between the first and second
Adam shewn to be strictly just ; except indeed that the scale
preponderates beyond all expression or conception in favour
of the Lord Jesus, who has done " MUCH MORE" for us than
ever we lost in Adam ; or than Adam, though he had con
tinued sinless, ever could have done, either for himself or us.]
But that this subject may produce a suitable im
pression on our minds, we will,
II. Suggest one or two reflections upon it
1843.J DEATH BY ADAM, AND LIFT. BY CHRIST. 135
It is much to be regretted, that the great mysteries
of religion are but too often made the subjects of
mere speculation. But every doctrine of Christianity
should be practically improved, and especially a doc
trine of such vital importance as that before us.
From the doctrine of our fall in Adam and our reco
very in Christ, we cannot but OBSERVE,
1. How deep and unsearchable are the ways of
God!
[That ever our first parent should be constituted a federal
head to his posterity, so that they should stand or fall in him,
is in itself a stupendous mystery. And it may appear to have
been an arbitrary appointment, injurious to the whole race of
mankind. But we do not hesitate to say, that if the whole
race of mankind had been created at once in precisely the
same state and circumstances as Adam was, they would have
been as willing to stand or fall in Adam, as to have their lot
depend upon themselves; because they would have felt, that,
whilst he possessed every advantage that they did, he had a
strong inducement to steadfastness which they could not have
felt, namely, the dependence of all his posterity upon his
fidelity to God : and consequently, that their happiness would
be more secure in his hands than in their own. But if it
could now be put to every human being to determine for him
self this point; if the question were asked of every individual,
Whether do you think it better that your happiness should
depend on Adam, formed as he was in the full possession of all
his faculties; subjected to one only temptation, and that in
fact so small a temptation as scarcely to deserve the name ;
perfect in himself, and his only companion being perfect also,
and no such thing as sin existing in the whole creation ; whe
ther would you prefer, I say, to depend on him, or on yourself,
born into a world that lieth in wickedness, surrounded with
temptations innumerable, and having all your faculties only in
a state of infantine weakness, so as to be scarcely capable of
exercising with propriety either judgment or volition : Would
any one doubt a moment ? Would not every person to whom
such an option was given, account it an unspeakable mercy to
have such a representative as Adam was, and to have his hap
piness depend on him, rather than on his own feeble capacity
and power? There can be no doubt on this subject: for if
Adam, in his more favourable circumstances, fell, much more
should we in circumstances where it was scarcely possible to
stand. Still however, though we acknowledge it to be a gra
cious and merciful appointment, we must nevertheless regard
it as a stupendous mystery.
136 ROMANS, V. 18, 19. [1843.
But what shall we say of the appointment of the Lord Jesus
Christ to be a second Covenant-Head, to deliver us by his
obedience from the fatal efiects of Adam s disobedience ? Here
we are perfectly lost in wonder and amazement. For con
sider, Who Jesus was? He was the co-equal, co-eternal Son
of God Consider, What he undertook to do ? He
undertook to suffer in our place and stead all that was due to
us, and to confer on us his righteousness with all the glory
that was due to him Consider farther, On what terms
he confers this blessing upon us ? He requires only, that we
believe in him : " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the
ends of the earth " - - Consider yet farther, What pro
vision he has made for the final happiness of those who thus
believe in him ? He does not restore them to the state of trial
in which Adam was originally placed, but to a state of com
parative security, inasmuch as he himself undertakes to " per
fect that which concern eth them," and to be " the Finisher
of faith" to those in whom he has been " the Author of it e ."
What an inscrutable mystery is here ! that such a person should
be given ; and such a righteousness be wrought out by him !
that an interest in this righteousness should be conferred on
such easy terms! and lastly, that such security should be pro
vided for all his believing people ! Well might the Apostle
say, " Great is the mystery of godliness :" and well may all the
angels in heaven occupy themselves, as they do continually, in
searching into it with the profoundest adoration 1 . Let us then
contemplate these wonders with holy awe. Let us not make
them a theme for disputation, but a subject of incessant admi
ration, gratitude, and praise g .]
2. How obvious and urgent is the duty of man !
[Here we are in the situation of fellow-creatures, wholly
incapable of saving ourselves, and shut up to the way of salva
tion provided for us in the Gospel. God does not consult us,
or ask our approbation of his plans. He calls us, not to give
our opinion, but to accept his proffered mercy. To dispute, or
sit in judgment on his dispensations, is vain. We are like
shipwrecked persons, ready to perish in the great deep. When
the ship is just on the point of sinking, it is no time to com
plain, that our lives, by the laws of navigation, were made to
e Heb. xii. 2. f 1 Tim. iii. 16.
e With respect to children, we believe that, as they die in Adam,
before they have incurred any personal guilt, so they will be saved in
Christ, though they have not personally believed in him, or obeyed
his commandments. And we think that this is strongly implied in
ver. 15 17. But it is not necessary to enter into that part of the
subject.
1844.] THE ABUNDANT GRACE OF GOD. 137
depend on the skill of the captain ; or that the management of
the vessel had not been committed to ourselves; or that God,
when he formed the world, placed a rock in that particular
situation, notwithstanding he foresaw, from all eternity, that
our ship would be wrecked upon it : all such thoughts at that
time would be vain : our only consideration under such cir
cumstances should be, how shall I be saved from perishing?
And if we saw a ship hastening towards us for our preserva
tion, we should be wholly occupied in contriving how we might
secure the proffered aid. This, I say, is precisely our case :
we are lost in Adam: but that God, who foresaw that we
should be wrecked in him, provided his only dear Son to be a
Saviour to us; and has sent him to save all who feel their
need of mercy, and are willing to enter into this ark of God.
Behold then, brethren, what your duty is : it is to " flee for
refuge to the hope that is set before you." If you feel a
rebellious thought arise, why did God make me thus ? let it be
answered in the way prescribed by the Apostle, " Nay but, O
man, who art thou that repliest against God 11 ?" If you were
not consulted about your dependence on Adam, were you
consulted about the appointment of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the way of recovery by him? No: this was the unsolicited
gift of God, who determined thus to glorify himself in blessing
and exalting you. Embrace then, with all thankfulness, the
salvation offered you in the Gospel. Lay hold on Christ : rely
upon him : place all your hope in his obedience unto death ;
seek for justification solely through his blood and righteous
ness : and expect to receive from him all, yea " exceeding
abundantly above all that ye can either ask or think." 1 ]
h Rom. ix. 20.
1 The corruption that we derive from Adam, is a totally distinct
subject from that treated of in the text ; and on that account is left
unnoticed here.
MDCCCXLIV.
THE ABUNDANT GRACE OF GOD.
Rom. v. 20, 21. Where sin abounded, grace did much more
abound : that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might
grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus
Christ our Lord.
FROM eternity God determined to glorify his
grace : for this end he permitted sin to enter into
the world. The publication of his law also promoted
138 ROMANS, V. 20, 21. [1844.
the same end : it served to shew how awfully sin had
abounded, and consequently to magnify that grace
which destroyed sin. To this effect the Apostle
speaks in the text and the words preceding it.
We shall endeavour to shew,
I. How sin has abounded
The transgression of Adam was of a very malignant
nature.
[In the whole preceding context that sin in particular is
referred to, and it may well be considered as of a crimson dye.
It argued a contempt of God s goodness, which had bestowed
so much upon him a : it argued a doubt of his veracity, which
was engaged to inflict the penalty b : it argued a rejection of
his authority, which forbad the eating of that fruit c : It argued
an attempt to invade the peculiar prerogatives of God d . S urely
in this single transgression sin greatly abounded.]
But sin spread also over the whole world
[Adam begat sons " in his own fallen likeness" All his
descendents inherited his corruption 6 , and cast off the yoke
which their Maker had imposed upon them: there was not so
much as one single exception to be found f . On this very
account God once destroyed all but one family.]
It had moreover prevailed in every heart to an
awful degree
[Every faculty of men s souls was debased by it. The
understanding was blinded, the will made obstinate, the con
science seared : all the " members of their bodies also were
made instruments of unrighteousness." There was not an
imagination of their thoughts that was not evil g .]
It even took occasion from the holy law of God to
rage the more.
[God gave his law to discover and repress sin : but sin
would not endure any restraint : it rose like water against the
dam that obstructs its progress h , and inflamed men both against
the law, and against him who gave it. Thus, in using so good
a law to so vile a purpose, it displayed its own exceeding
sinfulness .]
But God did not altogether abandon our wretched
world
a Gen. ii. 8, 9. b Gen. iii. 4. <= Gen. ii. 17.
d Gen. iii. 5. e j o b x i v> 4 f p s xiy 2 , ^
s Gen. vi. 5. i> Rom. vii. 8. * Rom. vii. 13.
1844.] THE ABUNDANT GRACE OF GOD. 139
II. How grace has much more abounded
God determined that his grace should be victorious,
and that it should establish its throne on the ruins of
the empire which sin had erected. For this purpose
he gave us his Son to be a second Adam k . He laid
on him the curse due to our iniquities : he enabled
him to " bring in an everlasting righteousness :" he
accepted us in him as our new Covenant-Head : he
restores us through him to eternal life. Thus the
superabundance of his grace is manifest,
1. In the object attained
[The destruction of man for sin was certainly tremendous :
yet was it no more than what was to be expected. The fallen
angels had already been banished from heaven. No wonder
then if man was made a partaker of their misery. But how
beyond all expectation was the recovery of man ! How won
derful that he should be restored, whilst a superior order of
beings were left to perish; and be exalted to a throne of
glory from whence they had been cast down ! This was indeed
a manifestation of most abundant grace.]
2. In the method of attaining it
[Sin had reigned unto death by means of Adam, and cer
tainly the destruction of the whole world for one sin argued a
dreadful malignity in sin. Yet was there nothing in this unjust
or unreasonable 1 . But who could have thought that God
should send us his own Son? That he should constitute HIM
our new Covenant-Head and representative ? That he should
remove the curse of sin by HIS death ? That he should accept
sinners through HIS righteousness ? That he should remedy by
a second Adam what had been brought upon us by the first ?
k Rom. v. 14. 1 Cor. xv. 22, 45.
1 If, instead of being represented by Adam, we had all undergone
the same probation for ourselves, we have no reason to think that we
should not have fallen, like him : if we had possessed exactly the same
grace as he, and been subjected to the same temptation, we should
have acted as he did. The constituting of him our representative was
a great advantage to us, because he had much stronger inducements
to fidelity than we could have : we should have been concerned only
about ourselves ; whereas he had the interests of all his posterity de
pending on him. Besides, he met his temptation when all his powers
were in a state of maturity, and when there was no evil example be
fore him ; whereas we should be tempted from our earliest infancy,
and with the additional influence of bad examples.
140 ROMANS, V. 20, 21. [1844.
This was a discovery of grace that infinitely transcends the
comprehension of men or angels.]
3. In the peculiar advantage with which it was
attained
[If Adam had retained his innocence, we also should have
stood in him as our representative. We should however have
possessed only a creature s righteousness ; but in Christ we
possess the righteousness of God himself" 1 . Our reward
therefore may well be augmented in proportion to the excel
lence of that, for which we are accepted : besides, the glory of
God is infinitely more displayed in Christ, than ever it would
have been if Adam had not fallen. Our happiness therefore,
in beholding it, must be greatly increased. Thus our restora
tion through Christ will bring us to the enjoyment of far
greater happiness than ever we lost in Adam". What can
more fully manifest the superabounding grace of God ?]
IMPROVEMENT
1. For caution
[This doctrine seems liable to the imputation of licen
tiousness. St. Paul foresaw the objection, and answered it :
his answer should satisfy every objector: but the reign of
grace consists in destroying every effect of sin ; therefore to
indulge sin would be to counteract, and not to promote, the
grace of God. Let the professors of religion however be
careful to give no room for this objection : let them " put to
silence the ignorance of foolish men by well-doing."]
2. For encouragement
[How strange is it that any should despair of mercy !
The infinite grace of God has been exhibited in many striking
instances 1 ". Let us seek to become monuments of this mercy :
let us not indeed " sin, that grace may abound ;" but let us
freely acknowledge how much sin has abounded in us, and yet
expect through Christ " abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness."]
m 2 Cor. v. 21.
Rom. v. 15. This point is insisted on from ver. 15 to 19.
Rom. vi. 1, 2. P Luke vii. 47. 1 Tim. i. 14, 16.
1845. ] GOSPEL SECURES THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS. 141
MDCCCXLV.
THE GOSPEL SECURES THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS.
Rom. vi. 1 4. What shall we say then ? Shall tve continue
in sin, that grace may abound ? God forbid. How shall
we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ? Know ye
not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into his death ? Therefore tve are buried -with
him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.
WE are told that " the Gospel was to the Jews a
stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness;" whilst
to all who had an experience of it in their souls, it
was both " the power of God, and the wisdom of
God a ." The grounds on which the Jews and Greeks
so greatly inveighed against it were various : its ap
parent contrariety to the revelation given by Moses
rendered it offensive to the one ; and its proposing
to us a Saviour, who appeared unable to save himself,
rendered it contemptible to the other. But there
was one ground of offence which exposed it equally
to the reprobation of all ; and that was, the un
favourable aspect which it had in relation to holiness.
Men of every religion were ready to cry out against
it in this view : and therefore the Apostle, having
stated the plan of the Gospel salvation with all pos
sible clearness, takes up this objection, and gives an
answer to it ; such an answer, indeed, as neither
Jews nor Gentiles could have anticipated ; but such
as must approve itself to all whom God enables to
comprehend it.
From the words of my text, I will take occasion
to shew,
I. The supposed tendency of the Gospel to encourage
sin
The Gospel certainly, when stated as St. Paul stated
it, has, to a superficial observer, this aspect
* 1 Cor. i. 23, 24.
142 ROMANS, VI. 14 [1845.
[It greatly magnifies the grace of God in the salvation of
fallen man. It sets forth that grace, in all its freeness, and in
all its fulness. It offers salvation freely, " without money and
without price." It offers salvation through the righteousness
of another, even the righteousness of our incarnate God and
Saviour. It offers salvation by faith alone, without works;
saying, " To him that worketh not, but believeth in him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousnessV
Nor does it make its offers to the most righteous only ; but to
all, not excepting even the vilest of mankind ; saying, " Where
sin hath abounded, grace shall much more abound ; that as sin
hath reigned unto death, so shall grace reign, through righteous
ness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lordf."]
Hence men in every age have characterized it as
licentious-
fin St. Paul s day, many drew from his statements this
inference, that, supposing his statements to be true, men might
very safely " continue in sin, that so the grace of God," in
pardoning it, " might be the more abundantly displayed." At
this day also, wherever the Gospel is faithfully delivered, men
bring the same objections against it. Because we offer salva
tion to the chief of sinners, saying, " All that believe shall be
justified from all things 1 ," we appear to them to make light of
sin. And because we declare, that the good works of men
make no part of a man s justifying righteousness ; and that the
best work that ever we performed would, if relied upon in ever
so small a degree, not only not add any thing to the work of
Christ, but would invalidate and render void all that he ever
did and suffered for us; we seem to make light of holiness;
since we declare, that the evil we have committed shall never
condemn, nor shall the good that we may do ever justify, the
believing soul. Men cannot imagine what inducement we can
have to practise good works, if they are not to justify us ; or
to abstain from sin, if it may so easily be blotted out by one
simple exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence the
whole Gospel appears to them a strange, unintelligible, and
licentious doctrine ; calculated only to mislead the simple, and
palatable only to hypocrites and fanatics.]
But, in answer to all such objections, I will shew,
II. The security it gives for the practice of universal
holiness-
Doubtless, nothing but divine grace can secure the
practice of holiness : and, to a man destitute of that
b Rom. iv. 5. " Rom. v. 20, 21. d Acts xiii. 39.
1845.] GOSPEL SECURES THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS. 143
sanctifying principle, all sentiments, of whatever kind,
will be ineffectual for the purification of his soul. A
man may profess the greatest regard for good works,
yet not perform them ; or he may profess the greatest
regard for Christ, and not render to him the obedience
of the heart : on the contrary, he may " turn the
grace of God into lasciviousness 6 ." But, so far as
any principles can prevail, those of the Gospel, when
embraced in their purity, will be found to produce
holiness both of heart and life. So the Apostle de
clares, in answer to the objection before stated.
To enter fully into the Apostle s argument, see
what a man professes at his first entrance into the
Church of Christ
[He is " baptized into Christ :" into Christ, " as dying for
his offences, and as raised again for his justification^" To
the Saviour, so dying and so rising, he feels himself bound to
be conformed ; dying to sin, as He died for sin ; and rising,
like him, to a new and heavenly life g . His immersion, at the
time of his baptism, represented this to him : and he, in sub
mitting to it, pledged himself to seek the experience of this
change in his soul, and never to rest till he shall have attained
it. Christ, after his crucifixion, was buried : and in baptism
the believer is " buried with Christ ;" and engages to become
as separate from all his former lusts, as Christ was from all the
concerns of this perishing world. And the same power that
wrought in Christ, to raise him from the dead, works effectually
in his soul, to accomplish in him this wondrous renovation after
the Divine image. " Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father;" and by the same glorious power the
believer is enabled to " walk in newness of life."
Now, all this a man professes in his baptism : he then, in
the sight of God and of the world, acknowledges these to be
his most decided sentiments, and his unalterable obligations.
He declares, before all, that he owes every thing to Christ,
and is bound to employ every faculty of his soul for Christ ;
" living altogether for that Saviour who died for him and rose
again V]
Now mark what aspect this profession must have
on all his future life
[I grant, that he may be drawn aside from the path
of duty, and go back to all the evil courses from which he
e Jude, ver. 4. f Rom. iv. 25.
g ver . 8 11. h Rom. xiv. 7, 8.
144 ROMANS, VI. 14. [1845.
professes to have been delivered . But, in the midst of all he
must say, This course of life does not proceed from my prin
ciples ; nor is it in accordance ivith them. No : it is altogether
in opposition to my avowed sentiments, and is one continued
violation of my most solemn engagements. The Gospel is not
to be blamed for what I do, any more than it was for the sins
of Judas or of Peter, of Ananias or of Demas, or of any other
person that ever dishonoured his Christian calling. In a word,
the man who has been baptized into the faith of Christ bears
in the face of the whole world this unequivocal testimony :
" The grace of God, which bringeth salvation, teaches me, that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, I should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world :" and, if it pro
duce not this effect, the fault is in myself alone.
Now, I look upon this as a complete answer to the objection
in my text. I admit that a person professing the principles
of the Gospel may walk unworthy of them : but I utterly deny
that the Gospel has any thing in it to encourage such a life :
on the contrary, I assert, that a man s entrance into the
Church by baptism is an open acknowledgment that a very
different life becomes him ; and that he cannot depart from
holiness without expressly contravening all his principles and
all his obligations.]
APPLICATION
1. Is there now any one present who entertains
the objection here made against the Gospel ?
[Alas ! there are many who will represent the preachers
of the Gospel as saying to their hearers, " Only believe ; and
you may live as you please." But methinks there is not one,
amongst all this host of objectors, that believes his own state
ment. For it is a notorious fact, that those very persons, who
decry our ministry as encouraging licentiousness, will, with the
very next breath, cry out against us, as making the way to
heaven so strait, that none but a few enthusiasts can walk in
it. But, supposing them to be sincere, they only betray their
own ignorance. St. Paul says in my text, " Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized
into his death?" No: they know nothing of the matter:
they know nothing of the Christian s principles ; nor do they
at all consider his obligations. The Christian never accounts
himself free from the moral government of the law, though he
knows himself free from its condemning sentence. On the
contrary, he feels a thousand motives for obedience, which a
mere self-righteous moralist has no idea of: and if a proposal
1 2 Pet. i. 9. and ii. 20.
1845.] GOSPEL SECURES THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS. 14-5
were made to him to " sin, that grace might abound," he would
reply with indignation and abhorrence, " God forbid ! " To
you, then, I say, be diligent in your inquiries, and candid in
your judgment. Where, amongst the self-righteous moralists,
did you ever find such attainments in holiness as in the Apostle
Paul ? These attainments were the genuine fruit of his prin
ciples; as he himself has told us: "The love of Christ con-
straineth us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all,
then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they who live
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who
died for them, and rose again k ." Only receive the Gospel as
he preached it; and it shall operate in you as it did in the
Churches which were planted by him.]
2. Is there any one here who, by his conduct, gives
occasion for this objection ?
[That there is not any avowed Antinomian amongst us, I
can easily believe : but are there not those who, by their un-
governed tempers, or their covetous practices, or their unholy
lives, " give occasion to the enemies of religion to blaspheme,"
and to " speak evil of the truths" which Paul preached ? Ah!
brethren, if there be one such person in the midst of us, let
him remember what our blessed Lord has said : " Woe unto
the world because of offences ; for it must needs be that offences
will come : but woe unto him by whom they come : for it were
better that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that
he were cast into the midst of the sea, than that he should
offend one of God s little ones 1 ." It is a lamentable fact, that
one man who dishonours the Gospel by an unholy conversation,
does more injury to the souls of men, than ten holy men can
do them good. Every one, however blind to the excellencies
of the godly, has his eyes open to behold the faults of those
who profess godliness ; aye, and his mouth open too, to report
and aggravate all the evil that he has either seen or heard : for
it is by this that worldly men seek to justify themselves in their
contempt of a religion which is so disgraced. I charge you
then, my dear brethren, guard against every thing which can
produce these fatal effects ; and beg of God rather to cut you off
from the earth at once, than to suffer you to become a stumbling-
block to the world, and a scandal to his Church.]
3. I trust there are those present who bear in mind
and exemplify their baptismal vows
[Yes, I hope there are amongst us many who " walk
worthy of their high calling," and " adorn the doctrine of God
our Saviour" by a holy and heavenly conversation. To such
k 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Luke xvii. 1,2.
VOL. XV. L
146 ROMANS, VI. 811. [1846.
persons I would say, be steadfast in your course, and endeavour
to " abound more and more." And, that you may see what
heights are to be attained, set the Lord Jesus Christ before
you both in his death and resurrection ; that, " being planted
in the likeness of the one, ye may be also in the likeness of
the other" 1 ." What had he to do with the cares or pleasures
of this world, when he was " buried" in the grave? Or when
has a moment s intermission of his services to God occurred,
since his resurrection from the dead ? Let this, then, be your
pattern, both in your death unto sin, and in your living unto
righteousness : and, as you acknowledge yourselves to have
" been bought with a price, seek and labour to glorify Him
with your bodies and your spirits, which are his"."]
m ver. 5. n 1 Cor. vi. JO.
MDCCCXLVI.
THE CHRISTIAN RISEN WITH CHRIST IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.
Rom. vi. 8 11. Now if tve be dead with Christ, we believe
that we shall also live with him : knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dielh no more ; death hath no more
dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin
once : but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE Gospel in every age, when freely and faith
fully delivered, has been calumniated as injurious to
morality. But St. Paul, though he well knew how
his doctrines would be misrepresented, did not on
that account mutilate the Gospel, or declare it less
freely than it had been revealed to him : he pro
claimed salvation altogether by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, without any works or deservings on
our part : but at the same time he shewed that good
works, though excluded from any share in justifying
the soul, would of necessity be practised by every
believer ; because the believer, by his very profession,
was, and could not but be, " dead unto sin, and alive
unto righteousness." He shewed, that there would
of necessity be in the believer s soul a conformity to
his Lord and Saviour, since he bound himself to it
in his baptismal engagements, or rather professed
1846.] THE CHRISTIAN RISEN WITH CHRIST. 147
to have the actual experience of it before he was
baptized ; so that he must be a hypocrite, and no
true believer, if he was not holy both in heart and
life. To this effect he speaks in the whole of the
preceding context 3 ; - - and in the words which
we have just read, he confirms the idea, and founds
upon it an animated exhortation.
To elucidate this difficult, but important subject,
we shall consider,
I. The truth he assumes
[He takes it for granted that the believer is "dead with
Christ." The believer, by virtue of his union with Christ,
partakes in all that Christ either did or suffered for him. Was
Christ crucified, dead, and buried ? The believer also is cruci
fied, dead, and buried : only Christ underwent this in his body;
whereas the believer experiences it in his soul. The believer
has what is called " the old man," or " the body of sin :" and
this it is which undergoes a change equivalent to that which
Christ experienced in his mortal body. This old man is
" crucified." Crucifixion was a long protracted punishment :
but though the death of the crucified person was slow and
gradual, it was sure. It is in this way that " the old man,"
or " the body of sin," in the believer, is destroyed : is is not so
instantly slain, as never to move again : but it is nailed to the
cross : it is gradually weakened : and, in the purpose and in
tention and determination of the believer, it is as really dead,
as if it were already altogether annihilated. The believer, at
his baptism, considered this as solemnly engaged for on his
part, and as shadowed forth, yea, and as pledged also to him
on the part of God, in the rite itself: " he was baptized into
Christ s death, and buried, as it were, with Christ by baptism
into death." This was his profession ; and this is his obligation:
and wherever true and saving faith exists in the soul, this pro
fession is realized, and this obligation performed. Hence it
may be assumed as an universal truth, that, as a scion parti
cipates in the state of the stock into which it has been engrafted,
so the believer, engrafted as he is into a crucified Saviour, " is
planted together with him in the likeness of his death," or, in
other words, is " dead with Christ."]
In close connexion with this is,
II. The persuasion he intimates
" We believe," says he, " that w r e shall also live
with him."
a ver. 1 7.
L2
US ROMANS, VI. 811. [1846.
[It is not in his death only that the believer is conformed
to Christ, but in his resurrection also. As the believer has an
" old man," which dies, so he has also " a new man," which
lives : and in the latter, no less than in the former, he resem
bles Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, in his risen and ascended
state, lives with God, and to God, employing for his God and
Father all the power that has been committed to him. Thus
the believer lives in a state of intimate fellowship with God,
consecrating to him all his newly-acquired powers, and im
proving for him every faculty that he possesses. This is his
privilege, no less than his duty : and therefore we may be fully
persuaded that the weakest believer, if truly upright, shall
attain this high and honourable employment.]
This persuasion is founded on a firm and solid
basis
[We " know that Christ dieth no more." Those whom
he raised to life, as Lazarus and others, were constrained at
last to pay the debt which our nature owes, and to yield to
the stroke of death : but " over Christ death hath no more
dominion." He so fully expiated sin, that none of its penal
consequences attach to him any longer. But the life which he
possesses has both perpetuity and perfection, being wholly
and eternally devoted to the care of his people, and the honour
of his heavenly Father. And here is the believer s security :
" Because Christ liveth, he shall live alsoV The believer s
" life is hid with Christ in God ;" yea, " Christ himself is his
life :" and therefore we may be assured, that his believing peo
ple shall be preserved to " appear with him in glory ." We
do live in him : and therefore we shall live with him for ever
more.]
From hence is deduced,
III. The duty he inculcates
[" Reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." This should
be a point fixed and settled in our minds : I am a Christian :
I am dead to sin : I have no more to do with " my former
lusts in my ignorance d ," than Christ himself has with the
" sins which he once bore in his own body on the tree." " The
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," have
no more charms for me e : those " lords which once had domi
nion over me," are now dead ; and I am liberated from then
yoke f . As a Christian, I possess a new and heavenly life : 1
b Johnxiv. 19. e Col Hi. 3,4.
d 1 Pet. i. 14. and iv. 2, 3. e 1 John ii. 15, 16.
f This is the precise idea contained in ver. 7.
1846.] THE CHRISTIAN RISEN WITH CHRIST.
am alive unto God, as Christ himself is ; and must live unto
God, as Christ himself does. There is not an act performed
by Christ either in providence or grace, which has not respect
to the glory of his Father : so, " whether I eat, or drink, or
whatever I do, I must do all to the glory of God&." As for
being satisfied with any lower standard, it is impossible : my
Christian profession utterly forbids it. Those who seek to be
justified by their works, may be satisfied with such a tale of
bricks, as shall, in their apprehension, screen them from punish
ment ; but I can be satisfied with nothing but a perfect con
formity to Christ. My lusts that are crucified, shall never
(God helping me) come down from the cross : there they are
doomed to perish : and the sooner they die, the better. My
new life shall be spent as Christ s is, in executing the office as
signed me, and in glorifying my God. Christians, this is the
state to which you are to aspire ; and if you rest in any thing
short of this, you are not worthy of the Christian name.]
In this subject we may SEE,
1. The proper tendency of the Gospel
[The proper tendency of the Gospel is, to " sanctify us
wholly," and to make us pure, as Christ himself is pure h . And
let the enemies of the Gospel calumniate it ever so much as
tending to licentiousness, they shew that they believe it to be
a doctrine according to godliness, by the excessive offence which
they take at the smallest inconsistency in the Christian s con
duct. If they did not know that his principles required, and
tended to, the highest possible perfection, why are they so
offended, and why do they exult so much, at the smallest
imperfection? The proper tendency of the Gospel then is
holiness, the enemies themselves being judges.]
2. The true criterion whereby to judge of our faith
in Christ
[We will not disparage other parts of Christian expe
rience ; but the only safe test whereby to try ourselves, is, the
degree in which we are dead to sin, and alive to God
" The tree must be known by its fruits" ]
3. The connexion between our duty and our hap
piness
[We have fixed the standard of Christian duty high.
True : but does any one doubt, whether such a conformity to
Christ be not also our truest happiness ? Verily, heaven itself
consists in this : " We shall be like him, when we shall see him
as he is ."]
s 1 Cor. x. 31. h 1 Thess. v. 23. 1 John iii. 3.
1 John iii. 2.
150 ROMANS, VI. 14. [1847.
MDCCCXLVII.
A PROMISE OF VICTORY OVER SIN.
Rom. vi. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are
not under the law, but under grace.
IT is often made a ground of objection against the
Gospel, that it is unfavourable to morality. But the
very reverse of this is true ; for the Gospel not only
inculcates moral duties as strictly as the law itself,
but suggests far stronger motives for the performance
of them, and even provides strength whereby we shall
be enabled to perform them. A great part of this
epistle was written on purpose to establish the doc
trine of justification by faith : and yet here is one
whole chapter devoted entirely to the enforcing of
universal holiness, and to the removing of all ground
for the objection before referred to : and in the text
an express declaration is given, as from God himself,
that sin shall never regain its ascendency over the
hearts of his people. We shall consider,
I. The promise here given us
The promise is express, and relates to our deliver
ance from sin, of whatever kind it be
[Sin of almost every kind has dominion over the unre-
generate man. All persons indeed are not addicted to the same
lusts ; nor do they gratify any one lust in the same degree :
but the seeds of all evil are in the hearts of men ; and if any
person abstain from any particular act of sin, it is rather because
he is not strongly tempted to commit it, than because he has
not a propensity to commit it ; and it is universally found, that
the sins, which are peculiar to our age, our constitution, our
situation and circumstances in life, do habitually get the domi
nion over us. But God promises, that it shall not be so with
his people; that they shall be delivered from this ignominious
bondage ; and be enabled to resist the solicitations of appetite
and passion.
We must not however imagine that this promise extends to
absolute perfection : for, however desirable the attainment of
perfection might be in some points of view, it is not the lot of
any in this world. Even the most eminent of God s saints have
failed, and that too, in those very points wherein their peculiar
eminence consisted : Abraham, Moses, Job, and all others, have
1847.] A PROMISE OF VICTORY OVER SIN. 151
proved sufficiently, " that there is not a just man on earth
that liveth and sinneth not :" and that, " if any say they have
no sin, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them."
Nor does the Apostle mean that sin, even of a grosser kind,
shall never, in any instance, be found in a child of God ; for,
as " in many things we all offend," so, under the influence of
strong temptation, we may act very unsuitably to our holy
calling : Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, afford melancholy proofs
of such weakness and depravity. But this is asserted in the
text, and attested by the universal voice of Scripture, that no
child of God shall ever give himself up to the wilful and habitual
indulgence of any one sin whatever. No : every child of God
will watch against sin in the heart, as well as in the act; and
will pray and fight against it to the latest hour of his life
And the reason why he never can sin in the same wilful and
habitual way that he did before, is, that he has the seed of God,
or a living principle of grace, within him, that constantly
impels him to hate and flee from all iniquity 3 ; and, " because
he is Christ s, he cannot but daily crucify the flesh with its
affections and lusts " ]
The limiting of this promise to believers leads us
to shew,
II. Its connexion with our new-covenant state-
Believers are " no longer under the law but under
grace "-
[Once they were, like others, under a covenant, which
cursed them for disobedience, but afforded them no hope of
pardon for past offences, nor any means of resisting sin in
future : but now they have embraced that better covenant, the
covenant of grace, wherein God offers them a full remission of
all their former sins, and assures them that he himself will
give them grace sufficient in every time of need. On this
promise they rely, knowing by bitter experience that they
have not in themselves a sufficiency even to think a good
thought, and that God alone can give them either to will or to
do any good thing.]
It is on this very account that God guarantees to
them, if we may so speak, the attainment of universal
holiness
[By embracing God s covenant, they become his children,
members of his family, and heirs of his glory. Now God s
honour is concerned that his own children shall not be left in
bondage to the devil Besides, after having made them
a 1 John iii. 9.
152 ROMANS, VI. 14. [1847.
heirs of his glory, he never will leave them under the power of
a corrupt nature; because that would incapacitate them for the
fruition of his glory, even if they were admitted to a partici
pation of it : an unholy nature would utterly unfit them for the
services and enjoyments of heaven But there is yet
another reason why God fulfils this promise to them ; God has
made it a part of his covenant, that he will cleanse his people
from all their filthiness and all their idols b ; and pledged his
word that he will not only forgive all their sins, but cleanse
them from all unrighteousness c Now this promise
they rest upon, and plead as their only hope ; and will God,
who cannot lie, rescind it ? No : he will fulfil it to them in
the time and manner that he judges most conducive to his
own glory.]
To IMPROVE this subject, let us observe that,
1. To lay hold on this covenant should be the first
great object of our lives
[Where else shall we find deliverance from the judgments
denounced against us for our violations of the first covenant, or
obtain strength for our obedience to God s holy will? All
efforts of our own will be utterly in vain ; it is Christ alone that
can effect either the one or the other of these things ; and it is
only by looking to him, and laying hold of his covenant, that
we can obtain these blessings at his hands. But let us once
obtain an interest in him, and all these things are ours ;
pardon, peace, holiness, glory, all are ours, the very instant we
believe in him. What then can be put in competition with
this? Verily all the things of time and sense sink into utter
insignificance, when compared with this : and therefore let us
regard this as the one thing needful, and make it the one
object of our whole lives to be found in Christ, and to secure
the blessings which he has purchased for us.]
2. None, however, can have any interest in the
covenant of grace who do not experience deliverance
from sin
[Though no man is admitted into the covenant of grace
on account of any holiness that there is in him, yet none
are left unholy after that they have been admitted into it.
" That very grace of God which bringeth us salvation, teaches
us to deny every species and degree of ungodliness d ." To fail
in this would be to defeat a principal end of Christ s death 6 .
If there be any allowed sin in us, we deceive ourselves, and our
religion is vain f .]
b Ezek. xxxvi. 25 27. c 1 John i. 9. d Tit. ii. 11, 12.
Tit. ii. 11. f Jam. i. 26.
1848.] CONVERSION A GROUND OF THANKSGIVING. 153
3. But none have any reason to despair on account
of the inveteracy of their lusts
[Were it required of us to purify our hearts by any
exertions of our own, we might well despair. But holiness is
not only enjoined; it is promised ; it is promised by Him, who
is able also to perform. Let none then say, " My wound is
incurable;" for with God all things are possible: and we,
however weak in ourselves, shall be " able to do all things
through Christ who strengthened! us." If we were at this
instant led captive by ten thousand lusts, no sin whatever
should have dominion over us in future, provided only we took
refuge in the covenant of grace
4. Nevertheless, this promise does not supersede
the necessity of prayer and watchfulness on our
part
[God s promises are free; "yet will he be inquired of by
us before he will perform them." Nor are we at liberty to run
into temptation because he has promised to keep us ; for that
would be to tempt him : but, in the exercise of prayer and
watchfulness, he will keep us. If Paul, that chosen vessel, was
obliged to keep his body under, and to bring it into subjection,
lest he himself should be a cast-away, surely the same care and
diligence are necessary on our part. It is our comfort how
ever, that, while we run, " we do not run as uncertainly ;" and
while " we fight, it is not as one who only beats the air g :" for
victory is secured for us, and God himself " will bruise Satan
under our feet," and preserve us blameless to his heavenly
kingdom.]
g 1 Cor. ix. 26.
MDCCCXLVIII.
CONVERSION A GROUND OF THANKSGIVING.
Rom. vi. 17. God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,
but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine
ivhich was delivered you.
EXEMPTION from the punishment of sin is
doubtless an inestimable blessing; but deliverance
from its power is equally precious. The most ad
vanced Christians greatly delight in this part of sal
vation. Hence St. Paul thanks God for bestowing
this mercy on the Church at Rome. We shall con
sider from the text,
154 ROMANS, VI. 17. [1848.
I. The character of all while in an unconverted state-
All are " servants of sin " till they receive convert
ing grace
[All indeed are not slaves to the same sin. Some are led
captive by their lusts and passions: others are drawn away by
the pleasures and vanities of the world: others are under the
dominion of pride and self-righteousness ; but all, without ex
ception, are alienated from the life of God a : all are full of
unbelief and self-sufficiency.]
This, however humiliating, is an indisputable
truth
[The Scriptures every where assert this respecting fallen
man b . The most eminent saints confess it to have been their
own case c : experience proves it with respect to ourselves.
The very excuse which men offer in extenuation of their sins,
viz. " that they cannot live as God requires," establishes this
truth.]
But it does not remain so in regenerate persons ;
as appears from,
II. The change they experience in conversion-
God instructs them in " the form of sound doc
trine "
[There is in Scripture a "form of sound doctrine." This
in all its parts is set before them. They are enlightened by
the Spirit to understand it : they have it applied with divine
efficacy to their souls.]
This form of doctrine they " obey from the heart"
[They yet indeed feel a law of sin in their members ; but
" they no more serve sin" willingly as before: on the contrary,
" they now delight in the law of God." They obey it, not in
appearance only or by constraint, but willingly and without
reserve.]
They are now cast, as it were, into the mould of
the Gospel
[This is the force of the original; and is the marginal
version* 1 : this is also the case, wherever the Gospel takes effect 6 .
The wax has every lineament of the seal, and the coin of the
die : so do they resemble God, who are renewed by the
Gospel f .]
8 Eph. iv. 18. b Johnviii. 34. Rom. vi. 16. with the text.
c Tit. iii. 3. d Etc ov Trapelodtjre TVTTOV
Col. i. 6. f 2 Cor. iii. 18.
1848.] CONVERSION A GROUND OF THANKSGIVING. 155
The blessedness of this change will appear if we
consider,
III. How great a cause of thankfulness such a con
version is
The Apostle thanks God that they were no longer
slaves of sin
[Sin is at all times a ground of shame and sorrow g . Paul
esteemed it so in his own particular case h : every saint of God
views it in the same light: St. Paul therefore did not mean
that their subjection to it was a ground of thankfulness ; but
the subject of his thanksgiving is, that the Romans, who once
were slaves of sin, were now entirely devoted to God.]
This is a ground of unspeakable thankfulness on
many accounts :
1. On account of the moral change in the persons
themselves
[What can be more deplorable than to be a slave of sin ?
What can be more truly blessed than to have all our actions
and affections corresponding with the word of God? Surely
this is a ground of thankfulness.]
2. On account of the effects of this change on
society
[How much better member of society must a child of God
be than a slave of sin ! How much happier would the world
be, if such a change were general ! On this account therefore
it became the Apostle to be thankful.]
3. On account of the eternal consequences that must
follow this change
[They who die slaves of sin must suffer its punishment:
they are now the children of the devil, and must soon be his
companions in misery { ; but the regenerate are children and
heirs of God. Surely eternity will scarcely suffice to thank
God for this.]
We shall conclude with a suitable ADDRESS
1. To the unregenerate
[All who have not been freed from sin are of this number.
Alas ! the friends of such have little cause to thank God for
them: they have rather reason to weep and mourn k : they
may indeed bless God that the stroke of vengeance has been
e Rom. vi. 21. h 1 Tim. i. 13.
i John viii. 44. k Jer. xiii. 17.
156 ROMANS, VJ. 21. [1849.
delayed. O that all such persons might know the day of their
visitation ! Let all cry to God for his converting grace : nor
let any rest in an external or partial change. Nothing but a
cordial compliance with the Gospel, and a real conformity to
it, will avail us in the day of judgment.]
2. To the regenerate
[The foregoing marks have sufficiently characterized these
persons. Such persons will do well to reflect on the mercy
they have received: the recollection of their past guilt will
serve to keep them humble. A consciousness of their remain
ing infirmities will make them watchful: a view of the change
wrought in them will make them thankful. Let the regene
rate then adopt the words of the Psalmist 1 let them beware
of ever returning to their former ways : let them press for
ward for higher degrees of holiness and glory n .]
3. To those who doubt to which class they belong
[Many, from what has been wrought in them, have reason
to hope ; yet, from what still remains to be done, they find
reason to fear. Hence they are long in painful suspense. But
let such remember, that sin, if truly lamented and resisted,
does not prove them unregenerate : on the contrary, their
hatred of it, and opposition to it, are hopeful signs that they
are in part renewed : nevertheless, let them endeavour to put
this matter beyond a doubt p . Let them look to Christ as their
almighty deliverer* 1 : let them pray for, and depend upon, his
promised aid 1 .]
1 Ps. ciii. 13. m 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21. n Phil. iii. 13, 14.
Jam. iii. 2. P 2 Pet. i. 10. 1 John viii. 36.
1 2 Cor. xii. 9.
MDCCCXLIX.
UNPROFITABLENESS AND FOLLY OF SIN.
Rom. vi. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye
are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
AS an appeal to the judgment of men is, when
just, the most powerful mode of silencing the con
tentious, so an appeal to their conscience is the
strongest possible method of convincing the ignorant,
and of humbling the proud. With such kinds of
argumentation the Scripture abounds. God himself
appeals to his apostate people : " What iniquity have
1849.] UNPROFITABLENESS AND FOLLY OF SIN. 157
your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from
me, and have walked after vanity, and become vain?"
" Have I been a wilderness to Israel a ?" Thus, in
the passage before us, St. Paul, labouring to impress
the Christians at Rome with a sense of the indispens
able necessity of renouncing all their former ways,
and devoting themselves wholly to the Lord, puts to
them this pungent question ; " What fruit had ye
then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed ?"
To answer this question, no strength of intellect, no
extent of information, is required : nothing is wanting
but an honest and upright heart. The poor, as well
as the rich, can tell whether they have been happy
in the ways of sin : to the one therefore as well as to
the other, we would address the language of our
text ; entreating every one to consult the records of
his own conscience, and to answer to himself the
question, as in the presence of his God.
The points respecting which we would make our
appeal to all, are,
I. The unprofitableness of sin, as learned by expe
rience
Whether men have drunk deep of the cup of plea
sure, or have followed their earthly inclinations with
more measured steps, we would ask, in reference to
all their former ways,
1 . What fruit of them had ye at the time ?
[Sin, previous to the commission of it, promises much :
but what solid satisfaction has it ever afforded us ? Suppose
a man to have had all the means of gratification that ever
Solomon possessed, and, like him, to have withheld his heart
from no joy ; still, we would ask him, Was your pleasure of any
long duration ? Was it without alloy ? Is not that true which
Solomon has said, " Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful,
and the end of that mirth is heaviness 11 ?" I douht not but
that every man who will faithfully relate his own experience,
will " say of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth
it c ?"
A similar testimony must be given by those who have been
the most sober and discreet. They have not, it is true, the
a Jer. ii. 5, 31. b Prov. xiv. 13. c Eccl. ii. 2.
158 ROMANS, VI. 21. [1849.
same measure of guilt upon their consciences, as they would
have had, if, like the others, they had " run into every excess
of riot " but if, as must be confessed by all, they have lived
to themselves, and not unto the Lord, we must put the same
question to them, Have you found real happiness in your ways?
Have you not, in the midst of all your self-complacency, had a
secret consciousness that you were not prepared for death and
judgment ? and did not that consciousness embitter your lives,
so far at least, that you could not bear to think of the state of
your souls, and the realities of the eternal world? God
had said, that " the wicked are like the troubled sea when it
cannot rest, which casteth up mire and dirt." Whatever peace
therefore you have felt has been a false peace, which in reality
rendered you more miserable, in proportion as it hid your
misery from your view. " There is no peace, saith my God,
to the wicked d ."]
2. What fruit have ye in the retrospect ?
[Supposing sin to have made us ever so happy at the
time, how does it appear when we look back upon it? Is not
that which was " rolled as a sweet morsel under the tongue
become as gall in the stomach ? " Would not the voluptuary
be well pleased on the whole, that the criminal excesses of his
former life had never been committed? Would he not be
well satisfied to have lost the gratifications, if he could ex
punge from his conscience, and from the book of God s
remembrance, the guilt which they have entailed upon him ?
And if the man who has sought his happiness in less
criminal enjoyments, but has wasted in mere earthly pursuits
the time that was given him to prepare for eternity, could
recall his mispent hours, would he not rather that they should
have been spent in seeking the things belonging to his peace ?
Though he may not look with complacency on a pious cha
racter who has given up himself unreservedly to God, does he
not secretly reverence that man, and wish that his latter end
might be like his ? ]
3. What fruit have ye in the prospect of your great
account ?
[If ever we look forward to death and judgment, what do
we think of a sensual or worldly life in reference to those sea
sons ? Will it afford us any pleasure in a dying hour, to reflect,
that we have, on such and such occasions, gratified our cri
minal desires, or indulged in revelling and excess ? Or will a
life of mere external decency afford us comfort, when we con
sider how we have neglected God and our own souls ? Shall
d Tsai. Ivii. 20, 21.
1849.] UNPROFITABLENESS AND FOLLY OF SIN. 159
we not then wish that we had paid more attention to the
Saviour, and lived under the influence of his blessed Spirit ?
Still more, when standing at the judgment-seat of Christ, will
it be any joy to us, that, whilst in this world, we took so little
pains to obtain mercy of the Lord, and to secure his favour ?
Alas ! alas ! How will a carnal or worldly life then
appear ? Would to God, that we would view things now, as
we shall surely view them in that day /]
Instructed by these lessons of experience, let us
proceed to contemplate,
II. The folly of sin, as taught us by grace
The very first effect of grace is to humble us before
God. The more enlarged our views are of our past
transgressions, the more shall we blush and be con
founded in the remembrance of them. Of every true
Christian it may with certainty be affirmed, that, like
Job, he " abhors himself, and repents in dust and
ashes." He is " ashamed,"
1. That he has so requited the goodness of his
God-
fin an unconverted state, men can receive innumerable
blessings at the Lord s hand, and never consider from whence
they flow. Even the great work of salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ is not regarded as any sufficient incentive to love
and serve him. But no sooner does grace enter into the soul,
than all the wonders of God s love and mercy are seen in their
proper colours ; and the man is amazed at his more than
brutish ingratitude. How wonderful does it appear, that God
should so love him as to give his only dear Son to die for him ;
and yet that he should live all his days in an utter contempt
of that stupendous mystery, trampling on that precious blood
that was shed to cleanse him from sin, and doing despite to
that blessed Spirit, who strove to bring him to repentance !
Verily, that expression of Agur is adopted by him, not as an
hyperbole, but as a just representation of his case; "I am
more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of
a man 6 ." The circumstance of his being forgiven is so far
from obliterating this sense of his baseness, that it renders the
feeling of it incomparably more poignant ; according as the
Prophet Ezekiel hath said, " Then shall ye lothe yourselves
for all your iniquities, and for all your abominations, after that
I am pacified towards you, saith the Lord."]
e Prov. xxx. 2.
160 ROMANS, VI. 21. [1849.
2. That he has bartered for such trifles an immor
tal soul
[The loss of the soul is scarcely thought of, when the
fascinations of sin are strongly felt : but after a man is
awakened to see, that " the end of these things is death,"
what folly and madness does a life of sin appear ! Even if the
whole world could have been gained, it would be regarded as
of no value in comparison of the soul : how empty then and
vain do such trifles as he has obtained appear, when for the
enjoyment of them his eternal interests have been sacrificed,
and the everlasting wrath of God incurred ! The folly of
Esau in selling his birthright for a mess of pottage may be
considered as wisdom in comparison of his, in selling heaven
and his immortal soul for the transient pleasures of sin : and,
if an irrevocable sentence of exclusion from the heavenly
inheritance be passed upon him, he is ready to acknowledge
the justice of it, or, like the man without the wedding gar
ment, to confess by silence the equity of God s judgments.]
ADDRESS
1. Those who are yet seeking their happiness in
the creature
[We need not here discriminate between different degrees
of guilt. It is sufficient for our condemnation that we have
lived to ourselves rather than to God. Whatever we may
have had recourse to for consolation, it has proved only like
the husks with which the Prodigal sought to satisfy the
cravings of nature : nothing but the bread that is in our
Father s house can ever satisfy an immortal soul. O let us
think, What must be the consequence of living at a distance
from God f ? Speak not peace to yourselves in such a state !
Well does St. Peter say, " What must the end be of them
that obey not the Gospel of God ?" Only let the end of our
course be kept in view, and we shall see the folly and madness
of every pursuit that has not an immediate tendency to secure
the blessedness of heaven.]
2. Those who are seeking their happiness in God
[You have no reason to be ashamed of the fruit which you
have gathered. At the time that you have been serving God,
you have found " the work of righteousnees to be peace," and,
that "in keeping God s commandments there is great reward."
In the retrospect of a life devoted to God there is the purest
joy. " Our rejoicing," says St. Paul, " is this, the testimony
of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we
f See Jer. vi. 15, 16.
1850.] MAN S DESERT, AND GOlVs MERCV. 1GJ
have had our conversation in the world. And O ! what com
fort is there in the prospect of our great account ! We know
that "if we have our fruit unto holiness, our end will be
everlasting life :" and if in our last hours we can say with
Paul, " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith," we may add with him, " Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord the righteous Judge shall give me." Go on then,
brethren, " strong in the Lord, and in the power of his
might." We congratulate you that you have learned to blush
and to be ashamed of all your former ways : and we would, as
we are specially instructed by God himself, urge you to a
most careful observance of all the commandments of your
God g . This is the way to preserve a good conscience before
him ; and so acting, " you will not be ashamed before him at
his coming V]
8 See Ezek. xliii. 10th verse to the first clause of the 12th.
11 1 John ii. 28.
MDCCCL.
MAN S DESERT, AND GOD s MERCY.
Rom. vi. 23. The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE distribution of rewards and punishments in
the day of judgment will be in perfect agreement with
the works of men ; the righteous will be exalted to
happiness ; the wicked be doomed to misery. The
Gospel makes no difference with respect to this : it
provides relief for the penitent, but rather aggravates
than removes the condemnation of the impenitent.
But it opens to us an important fact : namely, that
the punishment of the ungodly is the proper fruit
and deserved recompence of their own works :
whereas the reward bestowed upon the godly is a
free unmerited gift of God for Christ s sake. The
Apostle has been shewing, throughout this whole
chapter, that the Gospel increases, instead of relaxing,
our obligation to good works ; and that it will avail
for the salvation of those only who " have their fruit
unto holiness :" but in the text he assures us, that
VOL. XV. M
162 ROMANS, VI. 23. [1850.
they who are saved will be saved by mere grace ;
whereas they who perish will perish utterly through
their own demerit.
In the words before us, we have a short, but accu
rate, description of,
I. Man s desert-
By " death," we must understand everlasting mi
sery-
fit is a truth that temporal death was introduced by sin :
but that cannot be the whole that is meant by the Apostle in
the text, because the " death" procured by sin stands in direct
opposition to the "life" which is bestowed by God, which is
expressly said to be "eternal." By "death" therefore we
understand an everlasting banishment from God s presence,
together with a " suffering of his vengeance in eternal fire."]
This is the penalty that is due to sin-
fit is in vain that people endeavour to soften down the
expressions of Scripture upon this subject, and to substitute
annihilation for misery. Our blessed Lord, in his account of
the judgment-day, declares that he himself, as the Judge of
quick and dead, will doom the wicked to a participation of the
misery inflicted on the fallen angels, and that their punishment
shall be of the very same duration with the happiness of the
righteous a .
Nor is this more than the real desert of sin. The word we
translate " wages," means " provisions b ," which in the earlier
part of the Roman empire constituted the only pay of soldiers:
and it must be confessed that a soldier s pay, at the best, is
but a very moderate compensation for the dangers and fa
tigues of war: his wages are certainly no higher than justice
demands. Thus the penal evil of damnation is no more than
a just recompence for the moral evil of sin : it is the " wages "
due to sin.
It is worthy of remark also, that this awful doom is not
spoken of as the penalty of many or of great sins, but of
" sin" of every sin, whether great or small. Every " trans
gression of God s holy law is sin c ;" and, though all sins are
not of equal malignity, there is not any sin which does not
deserve God s wrath and fiery indignation, or against which an
everlasting curse is not denounced* 1 .
How terrible then is the desert of every man, of the more
moral and decent, as well as of the immoral and profane ! for
a Matt. xxv. 41,40. See also Mark ix. 43 48. b o i//mct.
1 John iii. 4. d Gal. iii. 10.
1850.] MAN S DESERT, AND GOD s MERCY. 103
" all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ;" and
therefore all are obnoxious to the punishment of sin.]
Let us now turn our thoughts to a more pleasing
subject, namely,
II. God s mercy
Notwithstanding our ill desert, God has tendered
to us everlasting life
[" He is not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance and live." He has opened the
gates of heaven, and invited sinners of every description to
enter in. Nor has he required any thing to be clone in order
to purchase an admittance into it : he offers it freely, as a
" gift " to all who will accept it. His invitation is to all who
wish for it, to those also who have no money, to come and
receive it at his hands " without money, and without price 6 ."
In this he has strongly marked the different grounds of a
sinner s condemnation, and a saint s acceptance. Misery is
awarded to the one, as " wages " earned ; and happiness is
conferred upon the other, as a gift bestowed. Indeed our
minds must be humbled : and we must be willing to accept
salvation as a gift : for, if we carry any price whatever in our
hands, we cut ourselves off from all hope of obtaining the
desired blessing f .]
This gift however is bestowed only " through the
Lord Jesus Christ "-
[All possibility of regaining happiness by the covenant of
works was prevented by the very terms of that covenant: in
token of which, the way to the tree of life was obstructed by
a fiery sword g . But another, and a better " way, is opened
to it through the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we may have
boldness, and access with confidence" into the presence of our
God h . Through him, as a Mediator, God can exercise mercy
towards us in perfect consistency with his own honour ; and
through him, as the appointed channel, God will convey to us
all the blessings of grace and glory. But then he expects that
we come to him through Christ, and receive his blessings from
Christ : for, as there is no other way unto the Father but
through the Son 1 , so neither is there any way of obtaining
from the Father, but by receiving out of the fulness which he
has treasured up for us in Christ Jesus k .]
ADDRESS
e Isai. lv. 1. f Gal. v. 2, 4. e Gen. Hi. 24.
11 Heb. x. 19, 20. > John xiv. 6. k Col. i. 19. John i. 10.
164 ROMANS, VI. 23. [1850.
1. Those who are living in any allowed sin
[We will suppose you are free from any gross immorali
ties ; but that you are neglecting the great concerns of your
souls, or attending to them with only a divided heart. Con
sider then, I beseech you, what you are doing : you are earning
wages every day, every hour, every moment : whether you
think of it or not, you are earning wages, and the day of
reckoning is near at hand, when they shall be paid you by a
just and holy God. Every act, every word, every thought is
increasing the sum that shall be paid you : and who can calcu
late the amount of a debt which has been increasing with awful
rapidity from the first moment that you began to act ? Yes,
you have been doing nothing throughout your whole lives, but
earning wages that shall be paid you to the full, or, in other
words, " treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath 1 ."
Consider, if the desert of one sin is death, What must be your
desert, whose sins are more in number than the sands upon
the sea-shore ? Reflect on this, while there is an opportunity
of cancelling the debt, and while the mercy of God can be ex
tended to you. But remember, that you must not attempt to
discharge the smallest part, of this debt yourselves : if you take
but one single sin upon you, you must suffer death for ever.
Go therefore to Christ, and through him unto the Father : go
with the guilt of all your sins upon you ; cast yourselves en
tirely upon the mercy of your God ; plead nothing but the
merits of his dear Son ; and " look for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternal life m ."]
2. Those who have obtained mercy, and deliver
ance from sin
[Numberless are the considerations which should excite
your gratitude for the mercies you have received. Consider
the greatness of the guilt that has been forgiven you; the
riches of the glory which has been conferred upon you ; the
freeness with which it has been bestowed ; and, above all, the
means which have been used in order that you might be par
takers of these benefits, even the appointment of God s only-
begotten Son to be your dying Saviour, and your living Head.
Consider these things, I say, and then judge what ought to be
the frame of your minds. What an abhorrence should you
have of sin ! What gratitude should you feel towards that
God who exercised such mercy towards you, and towards
that adorable Jesus, through whose mediation alone it could
ever have been communicated ! Stir up yourselves then to
" render unto God according to these benefits ; " and exert
yourselves to the uttermost to "glorify him with your bodies
and your spirits, which are his"."]
1 Rom. ii. 5. m Jude, ver. 21. "1 Cor. vi. 20.
1851.] DEADNESS TO THE LAW : UNION WITH CHRIST. 165
MDCCCLI.
DEADNESS TO THE LAW, AND UNION WITH CHRIST.
Rom. vii. 4. My brethren, ye also are become dead to the law
by the body of Christ ; that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring
forth fruit unto God.
THAT the Gospel is hostile to the interests of
morality, is an objection that has been raised against
it, from the first promulgation of it by the Apostles,
even to the present age. That the Gospel is a most
wonderful display of grace and mercy, must be ac
knowledged : but it does not therefore encourage
any man to live in sin : on the contrary, it teaches
men, and binds them by every possible tie, to " live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."
To this effect the Apostle speaks throughout the
whole preceding chapter. He begins with stating
the objection urged against the Gospel ; " What shall
we say then ? Shall we continue in sin, that grace
may abound?" And then he answers it at large ; and
affirms, that the covenant of grace, so far from inva
lidating our obligation to good works, absolutely
secures the performance of them a . In the chapter
before us he is continuing the same argument, and
putting it in a new light : he represents men as by
nature married to the law, and bringing forth fruit to
sin and death ; but afterwards, as separated from the
law, and married to Christ, in order to their bringing
forth the fruits of holiness to the praise and glory of
God.
His words will naturally lead us to consider,
I. The state to which we are brought by the death
of Christ
We are all by nature bound to the law
[God gave his law to Adam as a covenant, promising life
to him if he were obedient, and denouncing death against him
as the penalty of disobedience. Under that covenant we all
a Rom. vi. 14 16.
166 ROMANS, VII. 4. [1851.
are born : and on the terms prescribed by it we look for happi
ness or misery in the future world. The connexion between us
and it is indissoluble ; like that of an husband ; our obligations
to whom nothing but death can dissolve.]
But by the death of Christ we are liberated from it
[Christ, our incarnate Lord, has fulfilled every part of
God s law; enduring its penalties, as well as executing its
commands : and this he has done, as our Surety : so that, if we
believe in him, we may plead his obedience unto death in bar
of all the punishment it denounces against us ; and may even
plead it also as having procured for us a title to all its pro
mised blessings. Our blessed Lord, in fulfilling the law, has
abrogated it as a covenant ; and has obtained for us a new and
better covenant, of which he himself is the Surety b . As a rule of
conduct, the law does, and ever must, continue in force; because
it is the transcript of the mind and will of God, and contains a
perfect rule for the conduct of his creatures : but as a covenant
it is dissolved ; and is, in respect of us, dead ; so that we have
no more connexion with it than a woman has with her deceased
husband : our obligations to it, and our expectations from it,
have ceased for ever d . This is a just and beautiful representa
tion of the believer s state : perhaps there is not in all the
Scriptures another image that conveys a complete idea of our
state, in so clear, and so intelligible a way as this. We all see
in a moment the bonds by which a woman is tied to her
husband during his life, and the total dissolution of them all
by his death : we see that the deceased husband has no longer
any authority over her, nor can any longer be to her a source
either of good or evil. Now if we transfer this idea to the law,
and think of the law as a husband that is dead, or as a
covenant that is annulled, then we shall have a just view of a
believer s state respecting it. Throughout the whole context,
St. Paul expatiates so fully upon this point, and explains him
self so clearly, that we cannot possibly mistake his meaning .
The only doubt that can arise is, what law he refers to? But
this doubt is dissipated in a moment : for he speaks of that law
which prohibits inordinate desire ; and consequently it is, and
must be, the moral law f .]
Such being the liberty which Christ has procured
for us, let us consider,
II. The improvement we should make of it
Our blessed Lord offers himself to us as an hus
band
b Heb. viii. 6. 8, 13. c 1 Cor. ix. 21. <* Gal. ii. 19.
e ver. 1 0. f ver. 7.
1851.] DEADNESS TO THE LAW: UNION WITH CHRIST. UI7
[Under this idea he is frequently spoken of in the Old
Testament 8 -The same is also frequently applied to
him in the New Testament 11 In some sense indeed it
is the espousal only that takes place in this world 1
The consummation is deferred till our arrival in the world
above k ]
In this relation we should cordially receive him
[Our former husband being dead, we are at liberty to be
married to another. And where shall we find one who is more
worthy of all our love and obedience ? If Jesus so loved us
when enemies, as to lay down his own life for us, what will he
not do for us, when we become bone of his bone, and flesh of
his flesh; yea, when we become " one spirit with him 1 ?" To
him then let us unite ourselves by faith, and devote ourselves
to him as wholly and exclusively, as the most faithful and
affectionate of women does to her newly-acquired lord.]
We shall then have the honour and happiness of
bringing forth fruit unto God
[By our connexion with the law, we have brought forth
fruit only unto sin and death : but by the mighty operation of
divine grace, we shall be enabled to bring forth fruit unto God,
and holiness, and life" 1 . We shall no longer live under the
influence of a slavish spirit, aiming only at the mere letter of
the commandment, and regarding even that as an irksome ser
vice; but we shall aspire after the utmost spirit of the command
ment, and strive with holy ardour to make the highest possible
attainments, longing, if possible, to be " holy as God is holy,"
and to be " perfect as God is perfect." Our services will
resemble those of the heavenly choir, who look, and watch,
and pant, as it were, for an opportunity to testify their love to
God, and to execute, in all its extent, his holy will.
How should the prospect of such fruit stimulate our desires
after Christ ! Let us bear in mind, that the bringing of us to
such a state was the great object which he sought in giving up
himself for us"; and let it be also the great object of our soli
citude in devoting ourselves to him .]
From hence then it APPEARS,
1. How concerned we are to know the law
g Isai. liv. 5. and Ixii. 5. Ps. xlv. 10 17, is, as it were, a cele
bration of the heavenly nuptials.
h John iii. 19. Eph. v. 2527. { Hos. ii. 19, 20. 2 Cor. xi. 2.
k Rev. xix. 7, 8. and xxi. 9, 10. l Eph. v. 30. 1 Cor. vi. 17.
m Compare Rom. vi. 21, 22. with our text and context.
n 1 Pet. ii. 24. Rom. xiv. 7, 8.
168 ROMANS, VII. 7. [1852.
[It was " to those only who knew the law," that the
Apostle addressed himself in our text?: others could not have
understood his meaning, but would have accounted all his
representations " foolishness C Thus shall we also be incapa
ble of entering into the sublime import of this passage, if we do
not understand the nature of the law, the extent of its require
ments, the awfulnessof its penalties, and the hopeless condition
of all who are yet under it as a covenant of life and death.
But if we have just views of the law, then shall we be prepared
for the Gospel, and be determined, through grace, that we
will not give sleep to our eyes, or slumber to our eye-lids, till
we have obtained an interest in Christ, and been received into
a covenant of grace with him, as our Husband, our Saviour,
and our ALL.]
2. How interested we are in embracing the Gospel
[By this we are brought into a new state : we have new
relations, both to God and man: our spirit is altogether new,
as our attainments also are : our hopes and prospects also are
new : " A beggar taken from a dunghill, and united to the
greatest of earthly princes 1 ," would experience a very small
change in comparison of that which we experience, when we
enter into the marriage covenant with Christ, O let us con
sent to his gracious proposals, and give up ourselves wholly
unto him ; then shall we " know the blessedness of his chosen,"
and comprehend, as far as such imperfect beings can, the
incomprehensible wonders of his love ; and after bringing forth
fruit to his glory here, we shall be partakers of his kingdom
in the world above.]
P ver. 1. <J 1 Cor. ii. 14.
MDCCCLII.
THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW.
Rom. vii. 7. What shall we say then ? Is the law sin ? God
forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law : for I
had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shall not
covet.
THERE is not any thing, however good, which
has not been abused to the vilest purposes. The
blessings of providence are rendered subservient to
intemperance. The Holy Scriptures also are often
wrested to support error. But we must blame not the
1852.] THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 169
things that are perverted, but the persons who pervert
them. We must estimate things by their use, and
not by their abuse. To this effect the Apostle speaks
respecting the law of God a ; and, in his vindication
of it, he opens to us,
I. Its nature
The law here spoken of must be the moral law, be
cause it is that which forbids inordinate desire. Its
spirituality may be seen by considering,
1. The commandments in general
[Our Lord comprises them all in two, namely, love to
God, and love to man b . Our love to God must be supreme,
without intermission or reserve. The smallest defect in the
degree or manner of our love is a violation of our duty towards
him: our love to our neighbour must resemble our love to
ourselves : it must be as extensive, as constant, as uniform, as
influential. This is transgressed, not by overt acts only, but
by secret thoughts. In this extent our Lord himself explains
those very commandments, which we should be most ready to
limit and restrict : hence it appears, that we may be blameless
respecting the outward breach of the law, and yet have trans
gressed every one of the commandments throughout our whole
lives.]
2. The particular commandment before us
[This, in the very letter of it, extends to our inclinations
and desires : it prohibits all dissatisfaction with our own state
or lot ; it prohibits all envy at the prosperity of others ; it
prohibits all desire of any evil or forbidden object; it prohibits
all inordinate love even of good and lawful objects ; it does not
say, that we must not indulge a wrong desire, but that we
must not have it. Well therefore does David say respecting
the law, " Thy commandment is exceeding broad d ."]
It may seem unjust in God to publish such a law,
seeing that man in his present fallen state cannot
keep it one single hour. But God could not, con
sistently with his own honour and our good, publish
a He had spoken of the law as the accidental occasion of sin and
death, ver. 5. From hence he supposes that some would object against
it as the cause of sin and death. But, shuddering at such a blas
phemous thought, he refutes the objection ; and shews that, instead
of being a promoter of sin, it discovered and prohibited sin in its first
and most secret workings.
b Matt. xxii. 3740. c Matt. v. 21, 22, 27, 28.
d Ps. cxix. 96.
170 ROMANS, VII. 7. [1852.
a less spiritual law than this ; and this will be found
both "just and good 6 / if we consider,
II. Its use
Many are the uses of this law both to saints and
sinners, but there is one use in particular mentioned
in the text ; and to that we shall confine our atten
tion. The nature of sin is but little understood
[The generality think that sin consists only in the out
ward act. Hence they suppose themselves in a good and safe
state. This was the case with St. Paul himself before his
conversion. And it is equally the case with every uncon
verted man.]
But the law is intended to discover sin to us in its
true colours
[Like a perfect rule, it leads to a discovery of our smallest
obliquities. When applied to our motives, and principles, and
to the manner and measure of our duties, it shews us that our
very best actions are extremely defective. Thus it plucks up
by the roots all conceit of our own goodness, and causes us to
lie low before God as miserable sinners. It was to a view of
the law that St. Paul owed his knowledge of his own sinful-
ness^ And it is by this light that we must see the evil of
our state.]
APPLICATION
1. What " know " we of " sin ?"
[Have we ever seen the spirituality and extent of the
law ? Have we ever laid the law as a line to our consciences ?
Have we ever discovered by it the obliquity of our best actions ?
Have we ever been bowed down under the weight of our
transgressions ? Have we ever felt the impossibility of being
justified by the law? No attainments in knowledge or good
ness will profit us without this. Paul himself, though he
thought well of his own state, was really dead while he was
ignorant of the law ; and when the spirituality of the law was
revealed to him, then he saw and confessed himself an undone
sinner g . Let us then seek increasing views of the law, that
we may be made truly humble and contrite.]
2. What know we of the Deliverer from sin ?
[There is One who has fulfilled the demands of the law.
His obedience and righteousness will avail for us. Have we
fled to him as the fulfiller of the law for us ? Have we taken
e ver. 12. f The text. ver. 9.
1853.] THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 171
refuge in him who bore its curse for us ? Do we see the need
of him to " bear the iniquity of our holy things ? " Let us
then bless God for such a Saviour, and " cleave to him with
full purpose of heart."]
3. What regard are we yet daily shewing to the
law?
[We are indeed delivered from its penal sanctions ; nor
ought we to regard it any longer as a covenant. But we are
still subject to its commands, and ought to receive it as a rule
of life. If we are sincere, we shall not account even the
strictest of its commandments grievous 11 . Let us then remem
ber that it still says to us, " Thou shalt not covet." Let us, in
obedience to it, mortify all discontent and envy, all improper
and inordinate desire: and let it be the labour of our lives to
glorify God by our professed subjection to it.]
h 1 John v. 3.
MDCCCLIII.
THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW.
Rom. vii. 9. I was alive without the law once : but tvhen the
commandment came, sin revived^ and I died.
WHEN we behold the extreme supineness of those
around us in relation to their eternal concerns, we
are naturally led to inquire, What the reason of it is?
Is it that they imagine there is no God ; or no future
state ; or no connexion between their present life and
their eternal destiny ? No : they acknowledge their
accountableness to God; but they are ignorant of the
rule by which they shall be judged : and hence they
conclude that they are in no danger, when, if they
were apprised of their real state, they would he filled
with alarm and terror. Thus it was with the Apostle
Paul previous to his conversion : whilst ignorant of
the spiritual nature of God s law, he thought himself
secure of acceptance with God : but when he had
juster views of the law, he had juster views of his
own spiritual condition also. Here then, as in a
glass, we see,
I. The apprehensions which ignorant men have of
their state before God
172 ROMANS, VII. 9. [1853.
[None are so blind as to think they have never sinned :
but the generality suppose that they have never sinned in any
great degree, so as to endanger their eternal happiness, or to
justify God in consigning them over to eternal misery. If in
some respects their actions have been incorrect, they have had
no bad intentions: their conduct may have been bad; but their
hearts were good. If they have refrained from gross immo
ralities, and been observant of some outward duties, they will,
like the Pharisee, " thank God that they are not as other men ;"
and will boast before him of the good deeds which they have
done 3 . As for being in any danger of perishing, they cannot
for a moment admit the idea: they think, that if God were to
cast them into hell, he would be unjust ; that they have never
merited such a doom : and it would be quite irreconcileable
with the goodness of God to suppose him capable of proceed
ing with such severity against persons of their description.
Such were Paul s views of himself; " he was alive without the
law once :" having extremely contracted views of his duty, he
thought he had done nothing to deserve punishment, and was
secure of eternal life and salvation. And such is the delusion
by which the whole host of unconverted men are blinded at
this day.]
Hence we perceive,
II. The means by which alone they can be brought
to a juster knowledge of their state
[When God was pleased to arrest Paul in his way to
Damascus, and to reveal himself to him, he discovered to him
the spirituality and extent of the law. Paul had before thought
that the commandments related only to outward acts; whereas
he was now made to see that an inordinate desire was as much
forbidden as the most criminal action ; and that an impure or
angry thought were in God s sight as adultery or murder b : he
saw too that the curse of the law was denounced against every
violation of its commands; and that it as truly condemned
men for a dissatisfied or envious wish, as for the most flagrant
transgression . From this time all his delusions vanished: he
no longer cherished the fond idea of meriting salvation by his
past or future obedience : he saw that he had not in any one
action of his life come up to the full demands of the law ; and
that consequently he must renounce all dependence on the law
for his justification before God.
Thus were his views rectified: and it is in this way alone
that any one can attain a just knowledge of his state. " The
commandment must come" with power to his conscience: he
a Luke xviii. 11, 12. * ver. 7. with Matt. v. 22, 23.
c Gal. iii. 10.
1853.] THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 173
must see the spirituality of the law as extending to every
thought and motion of the heart, and the holiness of the law as
unalterably consigning over to the curse every one who shall
transgress it in the smallest particular. Then his hopes from
it will for ever vanish ; and he will seek for mercy solely through
the atoning blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus.]
But let us more distinctly consider,
III. The view they will have of themselves, when
rightly informed
[Whilst men are ignorant what the law requires, sin
appears to be, as it were, dead, and destitute of power either
to enslave or condemn them : but when they have a discovery
of the law, they will perceive that sin has all along exercised a
tyrannic sway over them, and brought them under the heaviest
condemnation. Their whole life will appear to have been one
uninterrupted course of sin; and to have been spent, unwit
tingly indeed, but truly, in " treasuring up wrath against the
day of wrath." Their best actions now will be viewed as
defiled with sin, and as deserving punishment : and they will
see their need of one to " bear the iniquity of their holy
things," as well as of their more evident transgressions. They
will now confess, that " if God should enter into judgment
with them, they could not answer him" for one act, or word,
or thought, in their whole lives. Hence they lie before him
as sinners under sentence of " death," and cast themselves
wholly on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Instead of
rising against the denunciations of his wrath, as they once did,
they are dumb d ; well knowing that " he will be justified in his
sayings, and be clear when he judgeth 6 ." Thus from thinking
themselves " alive" and pure, " sin revives in them, and they
die."]
IMPROVEMENT
1. How mistaken then are they who imagine that
they have no cause to fear the wrath of God !
[We will grant, that, according to the world s estimate,
they are very worthy characters: but are they more exemplary
than the Apostle Paul was before his conversion ? Let them
hear his own account of himself, and judge f . If then he, when
his eyes were opened, saw that he was a " dead" condemned
sinner, let not any of us delude ourselves with the idea that
we are in any better state
2. How suited is the Gospel to those who feel their
guilt and misery !
d Matt. xxii. 12. e Ps. li. 4. f Phil. Hi. 46.
171- ROMANS, VII. 1823. [1854.
[Are we lost? it was such persons that Christ came to
seek and to save. Have we nothing to present to God in order
to obtain salvation ? He requires nothing at our hands, but
to receive it freely from him " without money, and without
price" Let " the law then be to us as a schoolmaster,
to bring us unto Christ;" and let us look to " Christ as the end
of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."]
MDCCCLIV.
SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS OF BELIEVERS.
Rom. vii. 18 23. I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing : for to will is present with me ; but
how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good
that I ivould I do not : but the evil tuhich I would not, that I
do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, ivhen
I ivould do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man : but I see another law in my
members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
OF all evils that can be mentioned, Antinomianism
is the worst ; because it makes the Lord Jesus Christ
himself a minister of sin, and turns the most glorious
revelation of his grace into an occasion of unrestrained
licentiousness. But whilst we reprobate with utter
abhorrence the idea of sinning that grace may abound,
we dare not, with some, deny or pervert the Gospel
of Christ. We must affirm, that the Gospel offers to
us a free and full salvation through the blood of Christ,
and that they who believe in Christ are altogether
dead to the law, so as to have nothing to hope for
from its promises, or to fear from its threats. If,
from this assertion, any one should infer, that we
think ourselves at liberty to violate the precepts of the
law, he would be much mistaken. There were some
who put this construction on St. Paul s statements;
to whom he replied, " Shall we then continue in sin,
that grace may abound ?" and again, " Shall we then
sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace 8 ?" To each of these questions he answered,
a Rom. vi, 1, 15.
1854.] SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS OP BELIEVERS. 175
" God forbid :" and in like manner we reject with
indignation the remotest idea that we would make
the Gospel an occasion of sin.
But, whilst St. Paul vindicated himself from this
charge, he shewed, that, as a woman who had lost
her husband was at liberty to be married to another
man, so the law to which he once owed allegiance
being dead, he was at liberty to be married to Christ,
and by him to bring forth fruit unto God.
The terms however in which he expressed himself
seemed to criminate the law, as much as he had
before seemed to cast reflections on the Gospel.
" When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins
which were by the law did work in our members to
bring forth fruit unto death V Here, as he had before
denied to the law the office of justifying a sinner, so
now, in appearance, he seemed to accuse it as being
to him the author both of sin and death. But these
representations also he rejects ; and shews, that the
law had only been the occasion of sin, and not the
cause of it ; and that it had also been the occasion
of death, but was by no means the cause of it d . The
proper cause both of sin and of death was the cor
ruption of our nature, which remains with us even
to our dying hour ; as he himself could testify by
bitter experience. This experience of his he then
proceeds to describe. But as commentators have
differed widely from each other in their explanations
of the passage, we will endeavour to shew,
I. Of whom it is to be understood
That we may bring the matter to a fair issue, we
will distinctly inquire,
1. Does the passage relate the experience of an
ungodly man, or of one that is truly pious ?
[Those who explain it of an ungodly man say, that the
whole preceding chapter represents a true Christian as made
free from sin e ; and that to interpret this passage of a true
Christian, would be to make the Apostle contradict himself.
b ver. 5. c ver. 8.
a ver. lo. e Rom. vi. 6, 7, 11, 14, 18.
176 ROMANS, VII. 1823. [1854.
As for the opposition which the person here spoken of makes
to his sinful propensities, it is nothing more (say they) than
the ordinary conflict between reason and passion ; and it
may therefore properly be interpreted as experienced by an
ungodly man.
But to this we answer, that, though an ungodly man may
feel some restraints from his conscience, and consequently
some conflicts between reason and passion, he cannot say that
he really " hates sin," or that " he delights in the law of God
after the inward man f ." The carnal and unrenewed mind
neither is, nor can be, subject to the law of God g ; it is alto
gether enmity against God h : and therefore the character here
drawn cannot possibly be assigned to an ungodly man.]
2. Does St. Paul in this passage personate a godly
man who is in a low state of grace, or does he speak
altogether of himself ?
[That the Apostle does sometimes speak in the person
of another, in order that he may inculcate truth in a more in
offensive manner, is certain 1 : but we conceive it to be clear
that he speaks here in his own person : for it is undeniable
that he speaks in his own person in the preceding part of the
chapter, where he tells us what he was in his unconverted
state k : and now he tells us what he is, at the time of writing
this epistle. In ver. 9. he says " I was alive without the law
once ;" and then afterwards, in ver. 14. he says, " The law is
spiritual, but I am carnal :" and so he proceeds to the very
end of the chapter declaring fully and particularly all the
workings of his mind. This change of the tense shews
clearly, that from stating his former experience he proceeds
to state that which he felt at present. Moreover, in the con
cluding verse of the chapter, where he sums up, as it were,
the substance of his confession in few words, he particularly
declares, that he spake it of himself : " So then with the mind
1 myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin 1 ." And this is yet further evident from what he adds at
the beginning of the next chapter, where he says, " The law
of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law of sin and death m ."
The only thing that can raise a doubt whether the Apostle
speaks in his own person or not, is the strong language which
f ver. 15, 22. * 1 Cor. ii. 14. Rom, viii. T.
1 1 Cor. iv. 6. k ver. 711.
1 To interpret ovroc tyw, " I the same man," i. e. not I myself,
but I that other person, is such a perversion of language as cannot
\vith any propriety be admitted.
m Rom. viii. 2.
1854.] SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS OF BELIEVERS. 177
he uses. It is certainly strong language to say of himself,
" I am carnal, sold under sin." But this differs as widely
from what is said of Ahab, who "sold himself to work iniquity,"
as the motion of a volunteer differs from the motion of a person
who is dragged in chains. To understand the Apostle, we
must consider the subject on which he is writing. He is com
paring himself with the spiritual and perfect law of God. To
fulfil that in its utmost extent, was his continual aim : but by
reason of his indwelling corruption he could not attain his
aim : and this may well account for the strong terms in which
he speaks of his corrupt nature. And, if we compare his
language with that which the holiest men that ever existed
have used in reference to themselves, we shall find that there
is a perfect agreement between them. " Behold, I am vile ! "
says Job ; " I repent and abhor myself in dust and ashes."
David also complains, " My soul cleaveth to the dust." And
the Prophet Isaiah, on being favoured with a vision of the
Deity himself, exclaimed, " Woe is me, I am undone ! I am a
man of unclean lips." And it is a fact, that the most eminent
saints in every age have felt a suitableness in the language of
St. Paul to express their own experience, just as they have
also in those expressions of our Liturgy, " We are tied and
bound with the chain of our sins ; but do thou, O Lord, of
the pitifulness of thy great mercy, loose us !"]
Having shewn that the passage relates the Apostle s
own experience, we will proceed to shew,
II. Its true import
The Apostle is speaking of that corrupt principle,
which, notwithstanding his attainments, still remained
within him, and kept him from that perfect con
formity to the law of God to which he aspired. This
principle he represents as having the force of a law,
which he was not able fully to resist. He had indeed
within himself a principle of grace which kept him
from ever yielding a willing obedience to his indwell
ing corruption ; but it did not so free him from the
workings of corruption, but that he still offended God
in many things ;
1. In a way of occasional aberration
[To conceive of this subject aright, we may suppose the
holy and perfect law of God to be a perfectly straight line on
which we are to walk ; and the corrupt principle within us to
be operating on all our faculties to turn us from it. Sometimes
it blinds the understanding, so that we do not distinctly see
VOL. xv. N
178 ROMANS, VII. 1823. [1854.
the line : sometimes it biasses the judgment, so as to incline us,
without any distinct consciousness on our part, to smaller
deviations from it : sometimes with force and violence it impels
the passions, so that we cannot regulate our steps with perfect
self-command : and sometimes it operates to delude the con
science, and to make us confident that we see the line, when
in reality it is only a semblance of it, which our great adver
sary has presented to our imagination in order to deceive us.
By this principle a continual warfare was kept up in his soul
against his higher and better principle, keeping him from what
was good, and impelling him to what was evil ; so that he
often did what he would not willingly have done, and did not
what he gladly would have done. Thus, as he expresses it,
there was " a law in his members warring against the law of
his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin in
his members." This representation exactly accords with that
which he gives of every child of God, in the Epistle to the
Galatians : " The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the
other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would"."
This is by no means to be understood as though he acknow
ledged that he was driven to any gross violations of God s
law; for with respect to them he had a conscience void of
offence : but in respect of smaller deviations from the exact
line of duty, he could not assert his innocence : he felt, that
however much he longed for perfection, " he had not yet
attained, nor was he already perfect."]
2. In a way of constant defect
[The law of God requires that we should love God with
all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our
strength ; and that every action, every word, every thought, be
in perfect accordance with this rule. But who has not reason
to confess that his very best duties are defective, in extent,
in intensity, and in continuance ? Who comprehends in any one
action all that assemblage of nicely-balanced motives, and pur
poses, and affections, that were combined in the heart of our
Lord Jesus Christ ? Who at any time feels all that ardour in
the service of his God which the angels in heaven feel ? Or,
supposing he did at some highly-favoured season serve God on
earth precisely as the glorified saints are serving him in heaven,
who must not confess that it is not always thus with him ?
However " willing his spirit may be, he will find that his flesh
is weak." Indeed, in proportion as any man aspires after per
fection, he will lament his imperfections ; and in proportion
as he sees the beauty of holiness, he will lothe himself for his
n Gal. v. 17-
1854.] SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS OF BELIEVERS. 179
defects : and we doubt not but that St. Paul s spirituality of
mind led him to complain more bitterly of the defects, which,
with all his exertions, he was not able to prevent, than he
would have done in his unconverted state of more plain and
palpable transgressions. It might be supposed that the more
holy any man was, the more free he would be from such com
plaints : but the very reverse of this is true : the persons " who
have received the first-fruits of the Spirit, are they who groan
most within themselves for their complete redemption ;" yea
Paul himself, as long as he was in the body, did " groan,
being burthened p :" to his dving hour he resumed at times
that piteous moan, " O wretched man that I am ! who shall
deliver me* 1 ?"
St. Paul indeed makes a wide distinction between these sins
of infirmity, and wilful sins. Of these (these sins of infirmity)
he twice says, " If I do that I would not, it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me r ;" that is, my new nature
in no respects consents to these sins ; nay, the full bent and
purpose of my soul is against them ; but the remainder of my
in-dwelling corruption, which I hate and oppose to the utter
most, keeps me from attaining that full perfection that I pant
after : and therefore I hope that God will accept my services,
notwithstanding the imperfection that attends them. In like
manner, we, if we have the testimony of our consciences that
we allow no sin, but fight against it universally, and with all
our might, may rest assured, that " God will not be extreme
to mark what is done amiss," but that our services, notwith
standing their imperfection, shall come up with acceptance
before him.]
In considering this experience of the Apostle, we
must especially attend to,
III. The improvement to be made of it
We may LEARN from it,
1. How constantly we need the atonement and
intercession of Christ
[It is not for the sins only of our unconverted state that
we need a Saviour, but for those of daily incursion, even for
those which attend our very best services. As Aaron of old
was to bear the iniquity of the people of Israel, even of " their
holy things 8 ," so our great High-Priest must bear ours: nor can
the best service we ever offered unto God be accepted of him, till
it has been washed in the Redeemer s blood, and perfumed with
Rom. viii. 23. P 2 Cor. v. 2, 4. 1 ver. 24.
r Compare ver. 17, 20. Exod. xxviii. 38.
180 ROMANS, VII. 1823. [1854.
the incense of his intercession*. Guard then against all conceit
of meriting any thing at the hands of God : guard also against
self-complacency, as though you had wrought some good work
in which no flaw can be found. If God were to lay a line and
plummet to your best deeds, there would be found inconceivable
obliquities and defects in them". Be sensible of this, and then
you will learn how to value the Pearl of great price, even the
Lord Jesus Christ, for whom you will gladly part with all
that you have, that you may obtain an interest in him and in
his salvation.]
2. What reason we have to watch over our own
hearts
[Carrying about with us such a corrupt nature, and know
ing, as we do, that even St. Paul himself could not altogether
cast off its influence, how jealous should we be, lest we be led
into the commission of iniquity, even whilst we imagine
that we are doing God service ! Even the Apostles of our
Lord, on more occasions than one, " knew not what spirit they
were of:" and we, if we will look back on many transactions
of our former lives, shall view them very differently from what
we once did : and no doubt God at this moment forms a very
different estimate of us from what we are disposed to form of
ourselves. How blinded men are by pride, or prejudice, or
interest, or passion, we all see in those around us. Let us be
aware of it in ourselves : let us remember, that we too have a
subtle adversary, and a deceitful heart: let us never forget,
that Satan, who beguiled Eve in Paradise, can now " transform
himself into an angel of light" to deceive us, and to " corrupt
us from the simplicity that is in Christ." Let us pray earnestly
to God to keep us from his wiles, to disappoint his devices,
and to bruise him under our feet. If God keep us, we shall
stand ; but, if he withdraw his gracious influences for one
moment, we shall fall.]
3. What comfort is provided for us, if only we are
upright before God
[If we wish to make the Apostle s experience a cloak for
our sins, we shall eternally ruin our own souls. His experience
can be of no comfort to us, unless we have the testimony of our
own consciences that we " hate evil," of whatsoever kind it be,
and " delight in the law of God," even in its most refined and
elevated requirements, " after our inward man." But, if we
can appeal to God, that we do not regard or retain willingly
any iniquity in our hearts, but that we unfeignedly endeavour
to pluck out the right eye that offends our God, then may we
1 1 Pet. ii. 5. Isai. xxviii. 17. Ps. cxxx. 3.
1855.] PAUL S SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS. 181
take comfort in our severest conflicts. We may console our
selves with the thought that " no temptation has taken us but
what is common to man," and that " God will, with the tempta
tion, make for us also a way to escape." We may go on with
confidence, assured of final victory ; and may look forward
with delight to that blessed day, when sin and sorrow shall
depart from us, and death itself be swallowed up in everlasting
victory.]
MDCCCLV.
PAUL S SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS.
Rom. vii. 24, 25. O wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE Epistle to the Romans, as a clear, full, argu
mentative, and convincing statement of the Gospel
salvation, far exceeds every other part of Holy Writ.
And the seventh chapter of that epistle equally excels
every other part of Scripture, as a complete delinea
tion of Christian experience. The Psalms contain
the breathings of a devout soul, both in seasons of
trouble and under the impressions of joy. But in the
passage before us the Apostle states the operation of
the two principles which were within him, and shews
how divine grace and his corrupt nature counteracted
each other. The good principle did indeed liberate
him from all allowed subjection to sin : but the cor
rupt principle within him yet exerted such power,
that, in spite of all his endeavours to resist it, he
could not utterly overcome it. Having opened thus
all the secret motions of his heart, he gives vent to
the feelings which had been alternately excited by a
review of his own experience, and of the provision
which was made for him in Jesus Christ.
In discoursing upon his words we shall shew,
I. The Apostle s experience
We shall not enter into the general contents of
this chapter, but confine ourselves to the workings
of the Apostle s mind, in,
182 ROMANS, VII. 24, 25. [1855.
1. His views of his sin
[He considered sin as the most lothesome of all objects. In
calling his indwelling corruption " a body of death," he seems
to allude to the practice of some tyrants, who fastened a dead
body to a captive whom they had doomed to death, and com
pelled him to bear it about with him till he was killed by the
offensive smell. Such a nauseous and hateful thing was sin in
the Apostle s estimation. He felt that he could not get loose
from it, but was constrained to bear it about with him where-
ever he went : and it was more lothesome to him than a dead
body, more intolerable than a putrid carcass.
The bearing of this about with him was an occasion of the
deepest sorrow. Whatever other tribulations he was called to
endure, he could rejoice and glory in them, yea, and thank
God who had counted him worthy to bear them. But under
the burthen of his indwelling corruptions he cried, " O wretched
man that I am ! "
Nor was there any thing he so much desired as to be deli
vered from it. When he had been unjustly imprisoned by the
magistrates, he was in no haste to get rid of his confinement:
instead of availing himself of the discharge they had sent him,
he said, " Nay, but let them come themselves and fetch me
out." But from his indwelling sin he was impatient to be
released ; and cried, " Who shall deliver me from the body
of this death ? " Not that he was at a loss where to look for
deliverance ; but he spake as one impatient to obtain it.]
2. His views of his Saviour
[If his afflictions abounded, so did his consolations abound
also. He knew that there was a sufficiency in Christ both of
merit to justify the guilty, and of grace to sanctify the polluted.
He knew, moreover, that God for Christ s sake had engaged
to pardon all his sins, and to subdue all his iniquities. Hence,
with an emotion of gratitude, more easy to be conceived than
expressed, he breaks off from his desponding strains, and
exclaims, " I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord ;" I
thank him for Christ, as an all-sufficient Saviour; and I thank
him through Christ, as my all-prevailing Advocate and Me
diator. While he saw in himself nothing but what tended to
humble him in the dust, he beheld in Christ and in God as
reconciled to him through Christ, enough to turn his sorrow
into joy, and his desponding complaints into triumphant
exultation.]
That we may not imagine these things to be pe
culiar to St. Paul, we proceed to shew,
II. Wherein our experience must resemble his
1855.] PAUL S SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS. 183
" As face answers to face in a glass, so doth the
heart of man to man :" and every one who is con
verted to God will resemble the Apostle,
1 . In an utter abhorrence of all sin
[Sin is really hateful to all who see it in its true colours ;
it is properly called, " filthiness of the flesh and spirit 3 :" and
all who feel its workings within them, will " lothe both it,
and themselves on account of it, notwithstanding God is paci
fied towards them b . Ungodly men may indeed hate sin in
others,- as Judah did, when he sentenced his daughter Tamar
to death for the crime in which he himself had borne a share ;
and as David did, when he condemned a man to die for an
act, which was but a very faint shadow of the enormities which
he himself had committed d . Ungodly men may go so far as
to hate sin in themselves, as Judas did when he confessed it with
so much bitterness and anguish of spirit; and as a woman
may who has brought herself to shame ; or a gamester, who has
reduced his family to ruin. But it is not sin that they hate,
so much as the consequences of their sin. The true Christian
is distinguished from all such persons in that he hates sin
itself, independent of any shame or loss he may sustain by
means of it in this world, or any punishment he may suffer in
the world to come. The Apostle did not refer to any act that
had exposed him to shame before men, or that had destroyed
his hopes of acceptance with God, but to the inward corrup
tion of which he could not altogether divest himself: and
every one that is upright before God will resemble him in this
respect, and hold in abhorrence those remains of depravity
which he cannot wholly extirpate.
Nor will the true Christian justify himself from the consi
deration that he cannot put off his corrupt nature : no; he will
grieve from his inmost soul that he is so depraved a creature.
When he sees how defective he is in every grace, how weak
his faith, how faint his hope, how cold his love ; when he sees
that the seeds of pride and envy, of anger and resentment, of
worldliness and sensuality, yet abide in his heart ; he weeps
over his wretched state, and " groans in this tabernacle, being
burthened." Not that this grief arises from fear of perishing,
but simply from the consideration that these corruptions defile
his soul, and displease his God, and rob him of that sweet
fellowship with the Deity, which, if he were more purified from
them, it would be his privilege to enjoy.
Under these impressions he will desire a deliverance from
sin as much as from hell itself: not like a merchant who casts
a 2 Cor. vii. 1. b Ezek. xvi. 63.
c Gen. xxxviii. 24 26. d 2 Sam. xii. 5 7.
184 ROMANS, VII. 24, 25. [1855.
his goods out of his ship merely to keep it from sinking, and
wishes for them again as soon as he is safe on shore ; but like
one racked with pain and agony by reason of an abscess, who
not only parts with the corrupt matter with gladness, but be
holds it afterwards with horror and disgust, and accounts its
separation from him as his truest felicity.
Let every one then examine himself with respect to these
things, and ask himself distinctly, " Am I like Paul in lothing
sin of every kind, and of every degree ? Does my grief for the
secret remains of sin within me swallow up every other grief?
And am I using every means in my power, and especially
calling upon God, to destroy sin root and branch ?"]
2. In a thankful reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ
[The hope of every true Christian arises from Christ
alone : if he had no other prospect than what he derived from
his own inherent goodness, he would despair as much as those
who are gone beyond a possibility of redemption. But there is
in Christ such a fulness of all spiritual blessings treasured up for
his people, that the most guilty cannot doubt of pardon, nor
can the weakest doubt of victory, provided he rely on that
adorable Saviour, and seek his blessings with penitence and
contrition. In him the Apostle found an abundance to supply
his want ; and from the same inexhaustible fountain does
every saint draw water with joy.
And what must be the feelings of the Christian when he is
enabled to say of Christ, " This is my friend, this is my be
loved ?" Must he not immediately exclaim, " Thanks be unto
God for his unspeakable gift ! " Must not the very stones cry
out against him, if he withhold his acclamations and hosannas?
Yes ; " to every one that believes, Christ is, and must be, pre
cious." " All that are of the true circumcision will rejoice in
him, having no confidence in the flesh." And the deeper sense
any man has of his own extreme vileness, the more fervently
will he express his gratitude to God for providing a Saviour
so suited to his necessities.]
Let us then LEARN from this subject,
1. The nature of vital godliness
[Religion, as it is experienced in the soul, is not as some
imagine, a state of continual sorrow, nor, as others fondly
hope, a state of uninterrupted joy. It is rather a mixture of joy
and sorrow, or, if we may so speak, it is a joy springing out
of sorrow. It is a conflict between the fleshly and spiritual
principle 6 , continually humbling us on account of what is in
ourselves, and filling us with joy on account of what is in
e Gal. v. 17.
1856.] THE PRIVILEGE OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 185
Christ Jesus. As for those who dream of sinless perfection, I
marvel at them. Let them explain their notions as they will,
they put away from themselves one-half of the Apostle s
experience, and suffer incalculable loss, in exchanging true
scriptural humility for Pharisaic pride, and unscriptural self-
complacency. The being emptied of all our own imaginary
goodness, and being made truly thankful to God for the
blessings we receive in and through Christ, is that which
constitutes the Christian warfare, and that which alone will
issue in final victory.]
2. How little true religion there is in the world
[We hear every living man complaining at times of troubles,
civil, domestic, or personal : and we find every man at times
exhilarated on some occasion or other. But we might live
years with the generality of men, and never once hear them
crying, " O my inward corruptions : what a burthen they are
to my distressed soul ! " Nor should we see them ever once
rejoicing in Christ as their suitable and all-sufficient Saviour.
Yea, if we were only to suggest such a thought to them, they
would turn away from us in disgust. Can we need any further
pi oof of the prevalence, the general prevalence, of irreligion ?
May God make use of this indisputable fact for the bringing
home of conviction upon all our souls !]
3. What consolation is provided for them who
have ever so small a portion of true religion in their
hearts
[Many experience the sorrows of religion without its
joys; and they refuse to be comforted because of the ground
they have for weeping and lamentation. But if their sins are
a just occasion of sorrow, their sorrow on account of sin is a
just occasion of joy : and the more they cry, O wretched man
that I am, the more reason they have to add, " Thanks be to
God for Jesus Christ." Let this ascription of praise be our
alternate effusion now ; and ere long it shall be our only, and
uninterrupted, song for ever.]
MDCCCLVI.
THE PRIVILEGE OF TRUE CHRISTIANS.
Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit.
TO establish that fundamental doctrine of our
religion, the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is
186 ROMANS, VIII. 1. [1856.
the main scope of this epistle. Having argued the
point, and shewn that the objection of its encourag
ing men to sin, is without any real foundation, the
Apostle sums up the whole in the words before us ;
and declares, as the just inference from his preceding
arguments, that the believer in Christ, who acts agree
ably to his profession, has nothing to fear from the
condemnation of the law.
From this inspired declaration we learn the state,
the character, and the privilege of every true Chris
tian
I. His state
He is " in Christ Jesus." This is altogether a
term peculiar to the New Testament : but it expresses
admirably the condition into which the Christian is
brought, as soon as he believes in Christ.
He is interested in Christ as his all-sufficient Sa
viour
[He has fled to Christ for refuge from the curses of the
broken law and has obtained peace with God by faith
in his atoning sacrifice Though in himself he deserves
nothing but condemnation, he is " accepted in the beloved,"
and " made an heir of God through Christ."]
He is united to Christ as his living Head
[Christ is "made Head over all things to the Church."
" He is the vine, of which believers are the branches." Every
one knows how it is that the branch is nourished and enabled
to bear fruit, namely, by its union with the stock, and by sap
derived from the root. Thus it is that the believer " receives
continually out of the fulness that is in Christ," being, in fact,
not only " one body," but also " one spirit, with him"
In a word, the person that is in Christ is one who can say,
" In the Lord have I righteousness and strength."]
In strict accordance with this is,
II. His character
" A tree is known by its fruit," as the Christian is
by his.
" He walks not after the flesh."
[Notwithstanding he is in Christ, he still carries about with
him a corrupt nature, " a body of sin and death." He has yet
" the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and incapacitating him to
1856.] THE PRIVILEGE OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 187
serve God so well as he could wish. But " he does not walk
after the flesh ;" nor will he " obey it in the lusts thereof." In
this respect he is widely different from the ungodly world.
They affect nothing but the things of time and sense. He is
not satisfied with any thing which has not a direct reference
to eternity ]
" He walks after the Spirit "
[He possesses a new and heavenly principle, under the
influence of which he lives : and his conversation is in heaven,"
" where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God :" nor can any
thing please him which does not advance his eternal interests,
and tend to the honour of that Saviour who bought him with
his blood ]
Viewing thus his state and character, we shall not
wonder at what is here declared to be,
III. His privilege
" There is no condemnation to him." We say not,
that there is no desert of condemnation in him : for
he is still a weak and corrupt creature ; and there is
much " iniquity even in his holiest acts." But " there
is no condemnation now remaining to him."
[The law curses those only who are under the law. But
the believer is " no longer under the law, but under grace ;"
and consequently, so far as he is concerned, the law is disarmed
of its power, and is incapable of inflicting upon him its penal
ties. As a woman, when her husband is dead, is no longer
under his power ; so the Christian, now that the law is abro
gated, is no longer obnoxious to its sentence 3 . He stands
before God perfect in Christ Jesus, yea, "without spot or
blemish :" and he has nothing to fear on account of his past
infirmities or his present conflicts : for God will carry on the
work begun in his soul, and will " perfect it until the day of
Jesus Christ" ]
ADDRESS
1. The mere nominal Christian
[Think not that your observance of a round of duties
is any evidence of your acceptance with God. You must
be "in Christ" by a living faith, if ever you would be ac
cepted of him ; and by virtue derived from him, must be
bringing forth to the glory of his name. And, if this be not
your state and character, deceive not yourselves, for the text
itself intimates, that there is condemnation for you, and that
a Rom. vii. 4 6.
188 ROMANS, VIII. 2. [1857.
you have no part or lot with God s believing people. I pray
you, lay this matter to heart, and seek, ere it be too late,
the blessings purchased for you by the Redeemer of the
world ]
2. The over-confident professor
[Some there are who will pronounce the words of our
text with the same unhallowed confidence, as if there were no
condemnation awaiting any child of man. But, brethren, your
state and character should be tried, before you claim the
privilege belonging to God s faithful people. " If ye walk
after the flesh, ye shall die," whatever ye may imagine to the
contrary : " If ye be Christ s, ye will surely crucify the flesh
with its affections and lusts "- ]
3. The timid and doubting Christian
[Some, because they still feel within themselves the work
ings of corruption, will doubt whether they can by any means
belong to Christ. But the very text intimates, that there
will yet be the flesh stirring within us ; only, that, if we be
Christ s, we shall not " walk after it." Say then, my dear
brethren, do you Jind your pleasure in earthly things? Is it
not, rather, painful to you that you cannot more entirely
mortify all earthly desires, and find all your comfort in the
things of God ? I say not this, to encourage or sanction a
slothful habit ; but I say it in order to " strengthen your hands
that hang down," and to shew you, that, if, with Paul, you are
constrained to cry, " O wretched man that I am ! Who shall
deliver me?" you should also add with him, "I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord."]
MDCCCLVII.
THE GOSPEL FREES MEN FROM SIN AND DEATH.
Rom. viii. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
THE world in general account it liberty to give
loose to their passions. But such freedom is indeed the
sorest bondage to sin and Satan a . None possess
true liberty but those who are freed by Christ b . The
state of the demoniacs when healed by Christ re
sembled theirs c . Paul was made a glorious example
of it to all ages. He was once under condemnation,
3 Rom. vi. 10. b John viii. 36. c Luke viii. 35.
1857.] THE GOSPEL FREES FROM SIN AND DEATH. 189
both because he adhered to the covenant of works,
and was governed by his own impetuous will : he
now rejoiced in a freedom from the sin that he had
indulged, and from the curse to which he had sub
jected himself. " The law of," &c.
We shall first explain, and then improve the text
I. Explain it
It is not needful to state the various interpretations
given of the text. We shall adopt that which seems
most easy, and agreeable to the context. We will
begin with explaining the terms. " The law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus " is the Gospel covenant,
as confirmed to us in Christ, and revealed to us by
the Spirit
[The " Spirit of life " is the Holy Ghost, who is the
author and preserver of spiritual life d . The "law" of the
Spirit is the Gospel as revealed and applied by him : it is
called a law because it has all the essential properties of a
law 6 : it is often spoken of as a law both by prophets and
Apostles f : it is said to be the law of the Spirit "in Christ
Jesus," because the blessings of the Gospel are treasured up
in Christ, confirmed to us through Christ, and received by us
from Christ -.]
" The law of sin and death " may be understood
either of the covenant of works or of our indwelling
corruption
[The covenant of works is a " law " to which all are by
nature subject : it is called the " law of sin and death," be
cause both sin and death come by that law h . Our indwelling
corruption also operates as "a law" within us s ; it invariably
hurries us on to "sin and death V]
d John iii. 5. Eph. iii. 16.
e A law is a precept enforced with sanctions : and such is the
Gospel : it is a precept, 1 John iii. 23 ; and it is enforced with the
most encouraging and awful sanctions, Mark xvi. 16.
f Isai. ii. 3. Rom. iii. 27.
g Col. i. 19. 2 Cor. i. 20. John i. 16.
h Without that law there had been no transgression, and, conse
quently, no sin (which is the transgression of a law) ; nor death
(which is the penalty inflicted for transgression). Compare 1 John
iii. 4. Rom. v. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 56. Hence it is called "the minis
tration of death and of condemnation." 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9.
Rom. vii. 23. * Rom. vii. 5.
190 ROMANS, VIII. 2. [1857.
We shall next explain the proposition contained in
the terms. The proposition is, that " the Gospel
frees us from the curse of the law, and from the
dominion of sin "-
[When we embrace the Gospel we cease to be under the
covenant of works 1 ; we then partake of all the blessings which
Christ has purchased for us; we are liberated from the con
demnation due to sin m ; we are freed, through the aid of the
Spirit, from the power of sin".]
This proposition is to be understood as extending
to all believers
[It is not true with respect to the .Apostles only ; it was
exemplified in all the first converts , and is experienced still
by every sincere Christian.]
The text thus explained is capable of most useful
improvement
II. Improve it-
It is replete with very important INSTRUCTION
It shews us the wretched state of every unregene-
rate man
[We are all in bondage to " the law of sin and death ;"
we are justly subjected to the curses of the broken law p ; we
are also led captive by our own corrupt appetites ; even
St. Paul himself was in this very state q . Let us then humble
ourselves under a conviction of this truth.]
It declares to us the only method of deliverance
from that state
[It was the Gospel which freed the Apostle. The same
will avail for every other person. We must however " obey the
Gospel," and receive it as our " law of faith ;" we must look
for its blessings from Christ through the Spirit. In this way
we may all adopt the language of the text in reference to our
own happy experience.]
It affords also abundant matter of REPROOF
It reproves those who despond as though there
were no hope for them
1 Rom. vi. 14. latter part. m Rom. viii. 1.
n Rom. viii. 13. and vi. 14. former part.
One hour they were full of guilt and wickedness ; the next they
were rejoicing in the pardon of their sins, and in the practice of all
holy duties. Acts ii. 46, 47.
P Gal. iii. 10. q Rom. vii. 9.
1858.] CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF OUR SANCTIFICATION. 191
[Many think their guilt too great to be pardoned, and their
lusts too strong to be subdued ; but Paul s case was intended
to prevent such desponding fears r . Let none therefore any
more complain like those of old 5 : every one may find en
couragement in the power and mercy of God 4 .]
It reproves also those who speak against an assur
ance of faith
[It would indeed be presumptuous in some to profess an
assurance of faith; but God is desirous that all his people
should enjoy it u ; let not any one therefore reprobate it as
presumption; let every one rather seek the assurance ex
pressed in the text.]
It may administer COMFORT also to many sincere
Christians
[Many are yet fighting against their manifold corruptions,
and because they obtain not a perfect deliverance, they tremble
under apprehensions of the divine wrath. But Paul himself
bewailed bitterly his indwelling corruption x : yet that did not
prevent him from rejoicing in the partial freedom he expe
rienced. Let upright souls take comfort from this reflection.]
r 1 Tim. i. 16. " iv e/xot Trpwrw, in me the chief."
s Ezek. xxxvii. 11. 4 Isai. lix. 1.
u 1 John v. 13. x Rom. vii. 24.
MDCCCLVIII.
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF OUR SANCTIFICATION.
Rom viii. 3, 4. What the laiv could not do, in that it ivas weak
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh : that the
righteousness of the laiu might be fulfilled in us, who ivalk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
THE necessity of holiness is allowed by all : the
means of attaining it are known to few. Christ is
regarded as the meritorious cause of our justification
before God ; but he is not sufficiently viewed as the
instrumental cause of our deliverance from sin. He
is represented in the Scriptures as " our sanctifica-
tion," no less than " our wisdom arid our righteous
ness 3 r" and we should do well to direct our attention
* 1 Cor. i. 30.
192 ROMANS, VIII. 3, 4. [1858.
to him more in that view. In the preceding context
he is spoken of as delivering his people from con
demnation, and many judicious commentators under
stand the text as referring to the same point : yet,
on the whole, it appears more agreeable both to the
words of the text, and to the scope of the passage, to
understand it in reference to the work of sanctifica-
tion b . St. Paul had just said that " the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," that is, the Gospel,
" had made him free from the law of sin, as well as
of death." He then adds, that on account of the
insufficiency of the law to condemn and destroy sin,
God had sent his own Son to effect it ; and that
through his incarnation and death its power should
be effectually broken.
From this view of the text, we are led to consider,
I. The end and design of Christ s Mission-
God s desire and purpose was to restore his people
to true holiness
[Sin was the object of his utter abhorrence: it had marred
the whole creation: it had entered into heaven itself, and
defiled the mansions of the Most High : it had desolated the
earth also, and all that dwelt upon it. To remedy the miseries
introduced by it, and to root it out from his people s hearts,
was a design worthy of the Deity; since, if once they could be
brought to " fulfil the righteousness of the law," by walking, in
their habitual course of life, no longer after the flesh, but after
the Spirit, eternal honour would accrue to him, and everlasting
happiness to them.]
The law was not sufficient to effect this
[The law was indeed perfectly sufficient to direct man,
while he remained in innocence : and it was well adapted to
reclaim him when he had fallen; because it denounced the
wrath of God against every transgression of its precepts, and
set forth a perfect rule of duty. But " it was weak through the
flesh :" man was deaf, and could not hear its threatenings ;
dead, and could not execute its commands. Hence, as to any
practical effects, it spake in vain.]
God therefore, in order that his purpose might not
fail, sent his only dear Son
b See Doddridge on the place.
1858.] CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF OUR SANCTIFICATION. 193
[He sent his co-equal, co-eternal Son, " in the likeness of
sinful flesh," and to be a sacrifice " for sin c ;" that, through his
obedience unto death, he might " deliver those who had been,
and must for ever have continued, subject to bondage." How
this expedient was to succeed, will come under our considera
tion presently: we therefore only observe at present, that it
was a plan which nothing but Infinite Wisdom could have
devised. It could not have entered into the mind of any finite
being, to subject God s only dear Son to such humiliation ;
to make him a partaker of our nature, with all its sinless in
firmities ; to substitute him in our place, and, by his vicarious
sacrifice, to restore us to the image and favour of God : this
does, and must for ever, surpass all finite comprehension.]
But though we cannot fathom all the depths of
this mystery, we may shew
II. In what way it is effectual for the end proposed
We speak not of the way in which the death of
Christ obtains our justification, but of the way in
which it is instrumental to our sanctification. In
reference to this, we say,
1. It displays the evil and malignity of sin
[The evil of sin had been seen in a measure by the miseries
which it had introduced, and by the punishment denounced
against it in the eternal world. But in what light did it appear,
when nothing less than the incarnation and death of Christ
was able to expiate its guilt or destroy its power ! Let any
person behold the agonies of Christ in the garden, or his dere
liction and death upon the cross, and then go and think lightly
of sin if he can. Surely if men were more habituated to look
at sin in this view, they would be filled with indignation against
it, and seek incessantly its utter destruction.]
2. It obtains for us power to subdue sin
[Though man is in himself so weak that he cannot, of him
self, even think a good thought, yet through the influence of
the Holy Spirit he can " fulfil the righteousness of the law,"
not perfectly indeed, but so as to walk altogether in newness
of life d . Now, by the death of Christ the promise of the Spirit
is obtained for us ; and all who seek his gracious influences,
shall obtain them. Thus the axe is laid to the root of sin.
c This is the meaning of wepi ap.apriaQ. See Heb. x. 6. and 2 Cor.
v. 21.
d There is a two-fold fulfilling of the law mentioned in the Scrip
tures ; the one legal, the other evangelical. Compare Matt. v. 17.
with Rom. xiii. 8. and Gal. v. 14.
VOL. XV. O
194 ROMANS, VIII. 3, 4. [1858.
" The weak is enabled to say, I am strong :" and he, who
just before was in bondage to his lusts, now casts off the
yoke, and " runs the way of God s commandments with an
enlarged heart."]
3. It suggests motives sufficient to call forth our
utmost exertions
[The hope of heaven and the fear of hell are certainly
very powerful motives ; yet, of themselves, they never operate
with sufficient force to produce a willing and unreserved obe
dience. While the mind is wrought upon by merely selfish
principles, it will always grudge the price which it pays for
future happiness. But let the soul be warmed with the love
of Christ, and it will no longer measure out obedience with a
parsimonious hand : it will be anxious to display its gratitude
by every effort within its reach. " The love of Christ will
constrain it" to put forth all its powers; to " crucify the flesh
with its affections and lusts," and to " perfect holiness in the
fear of God."]
INFER
1. How vain is it to expect salvation while we live
in sin !
[If we could have been saved in our sins, can it be con
ceived that God would ever have sent his own Son into the
world to deliver us from them ; or that, having sent his Son to
accomplish this end, he would himself defeat it, by saving us
in our iniquities ? Let careless sinners well consider this : and
let the professors of religion too, especially those in whom sin
of any kind lives and reigns, lay it to heart : for if sin be not
" condemned in our flesh," our bodies, and souls too, shall be
condemned for ever.]
2. How foolish is it to attack sin in our own
strength !
[A bowl, with whatever force it be sent, and however
long it may proceed in a right direction, will follow at last the
inclination of its bias, and deviate from the line in which it was
first impelled. Thus it will be with us under the influence of
legal principles : we shall certainly decline from the path of
duty, when pur corrupt propensities begin to exert their force.
Our resolutions can never hold out against them. We must
have a new bias ; " a new heart must be given us, and a new
spirit be put within us," if we would persevere unto the end.
Let us not then expect to prevail by legal considerations, or
legal endeavours. Let us indeed condemn sin in the purpose
of our minds, and sentence it to death : but let us look to
1859.] CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL MAN COMPARED. 195
Christ for strength, and maintain the conflict in dependence on
his power and grace. Then, though unable to do any thing of
ourselves, we shall be enabled to " do all things."]
3. How are we indebted to God for sending his
only Son into the world !
[If Christ had never come, we had remained for ever the
bond-slaves of sin and Satan. We had still continued, like
the fallen angels, without either inclination or ability to renew
ourselves : whereas, through him, many of us can say, that we
are " made free from the law of sin and death." Let us then
trace our deliverance to its proper source ; to the Father s
love, the Saviour s merit, and the Spirit s influence. And let
us with unfeigned gratitude adore that God, who " sent his
Son to bless us, in turning away every one of us from our
iniquities 6 ."]
e Acts iii. 26.
MDCCCLIX.
THE CARNAL AND THE SPIRITUAL MAN COMPARED.
Rom. viii. 5. They that are after the flesh do mind the things
of the flesh ; but they that are after the Spirit the things of
the Spirit.
IT is a certain and blessed truth, that all who be
lieve in Christ are delivered from the condemnation
due to their sins. But it is no less true, that all who
believe in Christ are delivered also from the dominion
of sin, and are enabled to walk in the paths of right
eousness and holiness : and it is only by men s attain
ment of this latter state that their attainment of the
former can be ascertained. At the time that men
believe in Christ, they have a new and spiritual prin
ciple infused into them by the Spirit of God : and
where that principle exists, it will of necessity mani
fest itself by its appropriate operations. Hence the
carnal and the spiritual man may be clearly dis
tinguished from each other. Each will follow the
predominant principle by which he is actuated :
" They that are after the flesh, will mind the things
of the flesh ; and they that are after the Spirit, the
things of the Spirit."
o 2
196 ROMANS. VIII. 5. [1859.
That the two characters may the more clearly
appear, I will set them before you,
I. In a distinct and separate view
The carnal man will follow carnal things
[There is in man, by nature, a carnal principle only.
Whatever be his feelings, or whatever his pursuits, he is in
fluenced by no other principle than that which he has in
common with the whole human race: and the objects of his
pursuit are such only as that principle affects. In a word, he
seeks nothing beyond the things of time and sense. Pleasure,
riches, honour, are, in his estimation, the great sources of
happiness to man ; and they alone are deemed worthy of his
attention. His pleasures may be more or less refined; but,
whether they be of an intellectual or corporeal nature, his end
in pursuing them is the gratification of his own taste. As in
the animal creation there is a diversity of pursuit, but the same
end : so in men one may affect the sports of the field, another
the indulgence of his appetites and passions, and another the
investigations of science ; but still self-pleasing is alike the prin
ciple of all. So also, in the pursuit of riches or honour, the
immediate efforts of men will be suited to the sphere in which
they move : but the king upon a throne, and the beggar upon
a dunghill, however wide asunder the objects of their pursuit
may be, will be wrought upon in the same way by the things
which appear to be within their reach, and will shew that they
are alike under the influence of a principle that is purely carnal.
Even in the things which have respect to religion, a carnal man
will still feel no higher principle than self: self-seeking, self-
pleasing, self-righteousness, and self-dependence, will be found
at the root of all that he does in waiting upon God. He has
no real delight in any religious exercise ; and all his conformity
to religious observances is a mere tribute to self, rather than
to God : it is a price paid for self-esteem, and for the esteem
of those around him.]
The spiritual man, on the other hand, will follow
spiritual things
[There is in him, as we have said, a principle infused into
his soul by the Spirit of God, and operating to the production
of a new and spiritual life. The person who has received this
new nature will affect objects and employments suited to it.
Acceptance with God will be the first great object of his
pursuit. In comparison of this, nothing under heaven will be
of any value. The care of the soul will be, in his estimation,
the one thing needful. Hence he will devote much time to
reading the Scriptures and to prayer. The great work of
1859.] CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL MAN COMPARED. 197
repentance will now occupy his mind ; and the Lord Jesus Christ
will be endeared to him as the Saviour of the world. There
will be between him and the carnal man the same difference
as existed between the whole and the sick in the days of our
Lord. The whole beheld him with mere curiosity : the sick
flocked around him with a determination to obtain, if possible,
the healing of their diseases. The spiritual man is in pursuit
of heaven, as begun on earth, and perfected in glory : and,
like a man in a race, or in a conflict, he engages with all his
might, if by any means he may obtain the prize of his high
calling. Even in his earthly engagements he bears in mind his
great object, and endeavours to make even temporal pursuits
subservient to his attainment of it. He considers his responsi
bility to God, and acts in every thing with a reference to his
great account.]
But, that we may render the distinction between
the two characters more clear, it will be proper to
consider them,
II. In a combined and contrasted view-
Take both the characters, and consider them,
1. In their judgment
[A carnal man may feel a general approbation of religion ;
but he does not regard it as of paramount importance. What
he allows to religion, he rather concedes from necessity, than
claims as its unquestionable due. He will conform to religion
so far as his temporal interests will admit of it : but where the
two come seriously in competition with each other, the world
will have a decided preponderance in its favour. The good
opinion of men will limit his exertions for God ; and the attain
ment of some earthly object be prosecuted in preference to the
best interests of his soul. To attend to the interests of time
and sense will be esteemed by him as of the first necessity ;
and his spiritual welfare will be subordinated to it.
The spiritual man, on the other hand, will decidedly declare
himself on the side of God and of religion. He will not neglect
his earthly duties ; for he considers them as a part of his duty
to God : but if any thing earthly stand in competition with
what is heavenly, he hesitates not to which he shall give the
preference. The things of time and sense are in his eyes but
as the dust upon the balance, in comparison of the things which
are invisible and eternal : and in the contemplation of his God
and Saviour, he gives this as the deliberate judgment of his
mind, " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none
upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee."]
2. In their will
[The will of man, for the most part, is determined by his
198 ROMANS, VIII. 5. [1859.
judgment : for though he may see a better path, and pursue a
worse, yet, at the time, he wills that which he thinks will,
under the existing circumstances, contribute most to his hap
piness. Hence the carnal man, though he may feel some good
desires after religion, and some purpose of heart to seek after it
at some future period, determines that he will, for the present,
give himself to the prosecution of his earthly objects. Hence,
too, he chooses as his associates those who are like-minded
with himself, and who can participate with him in his enjoy
ments. He may know of persons capable of advancing his
spiritual welfare : but he has no sympathy with them, nor any
desire after their company, Any excess in worldly-minded-
ness he can forgive and palliate : but any thing that approxi
mates to excess in religious matters is deemed by him an
unpardonable offence : and one instance of it will do more to
repel him from religion, than ten thousand instances of the
opposite habit to deter him from a conformity to the world.
The spiritual man, on the contrary, chooses, with deliberate
purpose, his spiritual pursuits ; nor will he be deterred from
them by any regard to the things of this world. His heart is
fixed; and though he finds that the world has yet too great an
ascendant over him, he maintains his conflicts with vigour, and
becomes daily more dead to the world and more alive to God.
He uses diligently, too, the means of spiritual advancement;
and takes for his friends and associates those who will help him
forward in his heavenly way.]
3. Their affections
[These invariably are most called forth by the things which
most preponderate in the soul. The carnal man accordingly
betrays his indifference to spiritual objects by his total want
of feeling in relation to them. He may go through his
religious observances with constancy ; but he rests in them,
and never thinks of the way in which his duties have been
performed. But, in reference to earthly things, he is alive:
his hopes and fears, his joys and sorrows, are called forth,
according as he succeeds or fails in the objects of his pursuit.
The spiritual man, on the contrary, though not regardless of
earthly pursuits, is comparatively unmoved by them ; because
he is chiefly solicitous that his soul may prosper, and that he
may advance in a meetness for his heavenly inheritance. You
may find him dejected or happy, without any visible cause :
but when you inquire into the reasons of his experience, you
will find that some change has taken place in his conflicts with
sin, or in his sense of the Divine presence, or in his prospects
in the eternal world ; and, according as these are favourable or
not, his soul becomes elevated or depressed ; by which he
shew? that his chief treasure is in heaven.]
I860.] CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL MIND CONTRASTED. 199
APPLICATION
Take this portion of Holy Writ,
1. As a test whereby to try your state
[Hitherto I have left unnoticed the peculiar force of the
word which the Apostle uses to designate the regard which
we feel towards the different objects here spoken of. But the
question is, not so much what our external conduct is in rela
tion to them, as what the disposition of our minds is. Which
of the two objects do we savour ? to which does our taste lead
us ? and in which do we find most enjoyment ? Now, if we
will only take notice whither our thoughts lead us, at those
seasons when nothing particular has occurred to determine
their course, we shall infallibly discover the real bias of our
minds : if they run out after any thing that relates to this
vain, transient world, we are carnal : if after things spiritual
and eternal, we may rank ourselves amongst the number of
those who are truly spiritual. The same judgment we may
form, by noticing what subjects we most delight to converse
about, whether on those which pertain to this life only, or
those which relate to the kingdom of our Lord and the in
terests of our souls. Whatever it be that we most relish and
and most delight in, that is the thing which occupies the chief
place in our hearts, and determines us to be either spiritual or
carnal, as the case may be. Take, then, this test ; and "judge
yourselves, that ye be not judged of the Lord."]
2. As a rule whereby to regulate your conduct
[It is clear, from this passage, what ought to be the con
stant habit of our lives. We should be growing continually
in a deadness to the world, and in a superiority to every thing
here below. The great concerns of eternity should more and
more occupy our minds ; and the whole course of our life
should be such as to bear witness to us that we are candidates
for heaven. As to this present world, we should consider
ourselves as mere pilgrims and sojourners, that have but little
interest in any thing around us, and whose chief concern is to
pass through it in safety to our destined home.]
MDCCCLX.
THE CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL MIND CONTRASTED.
Rom. viii. 6. To be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace.
THE world in general are much mistaken with
respect to the means of solid happiness. They seek
200 ROMANS, VIII. 6. [i860.
the vanities of time and sense in hopes of finding satis
faction; and they shun religion under the idea that it
would make them melancholy : but the " way of
transgressors is hard a ." On the contrary, the ways
of religion afford both peace and pleasure 15 . The
testimony of St. Paul respecting this is clear and
decisive. His words naturally lead us to consider the
difference between the carnal and the spiritual mind,
I. In their operations
By " the carnal mind " we understand that prin
ciple of our fallen nature which affects and idolizes
carnal things. The spiritual mind imports that prin
ciple which leads the soul to spiritual objects, and is
implanted by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the
regenerate. The difference between these two prin
ciples is discoverable in our thoughts
[The thoughts will naturally be fixed on the objects that
are best suited to the reigning principle : to these objects they
recur with frequency, fervour, and complacency. If we be
under the dominion of a carnal principle, we shall be thinking
of some pleasure, profit, honour, or other worldly vanity : if we
be led by a spiritual principle, God, and Christ, and the con
cerns of the soul, will occupy the mind.]
The principles will also operate on the affections
[Whatever we most esteem, we desire it when absent, hope
for if it be attainable, love the means of attaining it, and rejoice
in it when secured. If there be danger of losing it, we fear ;
we hate the means that would deprive us of it ; and if it be
lost, we grieve. The carnal mind is thus exercised about carnal
objects : the spiritual mind is thus exercised about spiritual
objects. Hence that caution given us with respect to the
affections 1 ]
The principles will yet further influence our aims
and ends of action
a Prov. xiii. 15. b p rov . iii. 17.
c Our occupations in life indeed will give a direction to our minds :
a carnal mind may from necessity be conversant about spiritual
things, and a spiritual mind about carnal things. Particular occasions
also may fix the attention much either on spiritual or carnal objects.
But we speak of those seasons only, when the mind is free from
pressing engagements, and can fix on the things which it most affects.
d Col. iii. 2.
I860.] CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL MIND CONTRASTED. 201
[A carnal man can only act from carnal motives : he will
have carnal aims even in spiritual employments 6 . A spiritual
man, on the contrary, will act from spiritual motives : he will
act with spiritual views even in his temporal concerns. The
one will seek his own interest or honour, and the other God s
glory f .]
This difference in the operation of the two prin
ciples causes a corresponding difference,
II. In their effects
The effect of the carnal principle is beyond mea
sure awful
[This principle reigning in us proves us destitute of life ;
yea, rather, the reign of it is itself a state of spiritual " death:"
it must moreover terminate in everlasting death. This is
irreversibly decreed by God&; and it must be so in the very
nature of things 11 .]
The effect of the spiritual principle is inexpressibly
glorious
[Wherever it prevails, it is a proof of spiritual life : it is
also invariably the means of filling the soul with " peace."
Nor can it issue otherwise than in eternal life and peace. This
also is according to the express constitution of God 1 ; and it
must be so in the very nature of things k .]
ADDRESS
1. The carnal-minded
[la what a lamentable state are they whose consciences
testify that their thoughts, affections, and aims, are altogether
carnal! Let it be remembered that it is God who declares
this. Who would dare to continue in such a state another
day? Let those who feel their misery plead that promise 1
There is the same grace for them as has been effectual for
others.]
2. The spiritual-minded
[Happy they who are of this description! Let such
adore the grace that has caused them to differ from others.
e Zech. vii. 5, 6. f 1 Cor. x. 31. e Gal. vi. 7.
h What comfort could a carnal person have in heaven ? there are
no objects there suited to his inclination ; nor has he any delight in
the employments of the celestial spirits.
1 Gal. vi. 8.
k Spiritual-mindedness constitutes our meetness for heaven, while
it is also an anticipation and foretaste of heaven.
1 Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
202 ROMANS, VIII. 7,8. [1861.
Let them endeavour to improve in spirituality of mind ; let
them guard against relapses, which will destroy their peace ;
and let their eyes be fixed upon the eternal state, where their
present bliss shall be consummated in glory.]
MDCCCLXI.
VILENESS AND IMPOTENCY OF THE NATURAL MAN.
Rom. viii. 7, 8. The carnal mind is enmity against God : for
it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So
then they that are in the flesh cannot -please God.
TO those who know not what is in the heart of
man, it must appear strange that persons not very
dissimilar in their outward conduct should be ad
judged to widely different states in the eternal world.
But in the most imperfect of the regenerate, there is
a predominant principle of love to God ; whereas in
the best of unregenerate men there is a rooted enmity
against him : and this alone places their characters
as far asunder as heaven and hell.
St. Paul has been speaking of the final issues to
which a carnal and a spiritual mind will lead : and
because it may seem unaccountable that the one
should terminate in death, while the other is produc
tive of eternal life and peace, he assigns the reason of
it, and shews that the carnal mind is enmity against
God, and that a person under its influence is inca
pable of rendering him any acceptable service.
In the Apostle s words there are three things to be
considered ;
I. His assertion
The mind here spoken of, is that which actuates
every unregenerate man
[" The carnal mind" does not necessarily imply a dis
position grossly sensual ; it is (as it is explained in ver. 5) a
savouring of earthly and carnal things in preference to things
spiritual and heavenly. And this is the disposition that rules
in the heart of every child of man ]
This "mind is enmity against God"
1861.] VILENESS OF THE NATURAL MAN. 203
[There is not one of God s perfections, to which this dis
position is not averse. It deems his holiness too strict, his
justice too severe, his truth too inflexible ; and even his mercy
itself is hateful to them, on account of the humiliating way in
which it is dispensed. Even the very existence of God is so
odious to them, that they say in their hearts, " I wish there
were no God a ." He did once put himself into their power;
and they shewed what was the desire of their hearts by
destroying his life: and, if they could have annihilated his
very being, they would, no doubt, have gladly done it.
This mind is not merely inimical to God, for then it might
be reconciled; but it is " enmity" itself against him, and must
therefore be slain, before the soul can ever be brought to the
service and enjoyment of God.]
This assertion, though strong, will not be thought
too strong, when we consider,
II. His proof
The carnal mind "is not subject to the law of
God"
[The law requires that we should love God supremely, and
our neighbour as ourselves. But the carnal mind prefers the
world before God, and self before his neighbour. There are
different degrees indeed, in which a worldly and selfish spirit
may prevail ; but it has more or less the ascendant over every
natural man ; nor is there an unregenerate person in the uni
verse who cordially and unreservedly submits to this law.]
It not only is not subject to God s law, but " it
cannot be "-
[There is the same contrariety between the carnal mind
and the law of God, as there is between darkness and light.
It has been shewn before, that the carnal mind is enmity itself
against God ; and that the very first principle of obedience to
the law is love. Now how is it possible that enmity should
produce love ? " We may sooner expect to gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles."
This incapacity to obey the law of God is justly adduced
as a proof of our enmity against him : for if we loved him, we
should love his will ; and if we hate his will, whatever we may
pretend, we in reality hate him.]
A due consideration of the Apostle s argument will
secure our assent to,
III. His inference
* Ps. xiv. 1.
204 ROMANS, VIII. 7, 8. [1861.
[We cannot please God but by obeying his law. All ex
ternal compliances are worthless in his eyes, if not accompanied
with the love and devotion of the soul. But such obedience
cannot be rendered by the carnal mind ; and consequently they
who are in the flesh, that is, are under the influence of a carnal
mind, " cannot please God :" they may be admired by their
fellow-creatures ; but whatever they do will be an abomination
in the sight of God.
This is so plain, that it scarcely admits of any confirmation :
yet it may be confirmed by the Articles of our Church, which
plainly and unequivocally speak the same language b .]
On the whole then we may LEARN, from this subject,
1. The grounds and reasons of the Gospel
[The principal doctrines of the Gospel have their founda
tion, not in any arbitrary appointment of the Deity, but in the
nature and necessities of man. We must seek reconciliation
with God through Christ, because we are " enemies to him in
our minds by wicked works." We must seek the renewing
influences of the Spirit, because our nature is altogether cor
rupt, and incapable of either serving or enjoying God. When
therefore we hear of the indispensable necessity of being born
again, and of the impossibility of being saved except by faith
in Christ, let us remember that these are not the dogmas of
a party, but doctrines consequent upon our fallen state, and
therefore of universal and infinite importance : and that, if we
were to be silent on these subjects, we should be unfaithful to
our trust, and betray your souls to everlasting ruin.]
2. The suitableness and excellence of its provi
sions
[If man were commanded to reconcile himself to God,
or to renovate his own nature, he must sit down in despair.
Darkness could as soon generate light, as fallen man could
effect either of these things. But we are not left without
hope : God has provided such a Saviour as we want, to mediate
between him and us : and such an Agent as we want, to form
us anew after the Divine image. Let us then embrace this
Gospel, and seek to experience its blessings. Let us, as guilty
creatures, implore remission through the blood of Jesus ; and,
as corrupt creatures, beg the Holy Spirit to work effectually in
us, and to render us meet for a heavenly inheritance.]
b Art. X. & XIII.
1862.] THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST NECESSARY.
MDCCCLXII.
THE NECESSITY OF HAVING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST.
Rom. viii. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his a .
MAN at his first creation was made in the Divine
image ; God communed with him as a friend, and
dwelt in him as a temple : but this harmony was not
of long continuance : man sinned ; and God in right
eous judgment departed from him. Not willing how
ever that his apostate creatures should irrecoverably
perish, God sent his Son to make atonement for their
sins, and his Spirit to renew their natures, that so
they might be restored to his favour, and rendered
meet for the inheritance they had forfeited. It is of
this Spirit that the Apostle speaks in the text, and
declares that we must have him dwelling in us if we
would belong to Christ. We might understand the
Spirit as referring to the disposition of Christ ; but
that the context evidently confines its import to that
blessed Spirit, who " raised up Christ from the dead,
and will in due time raise up us also." He is called
"the Spirit of God," and "the Spirit of Christ," be
cause Christ is God, and the Spirit acts as his deputy.
We propose to shew,
I. That we may have the Spirit
By " having the Spirit " we do not mean, that we
are to have those common operations of the Spirit,
which the most ungodly men both experience and
resist b (for then the Apostle s assertion would be
frivolous in the extreme ;) nor do we mean those
miraculous powers, which were given in the apostolic
age (for many, who were Christ s, never received
those powers ; and many exercised those powers who
never belonged to Christ ;) but we mean those special
influences of the Spirit, whereby men are enlightened,
a This is retained as being totally different from those which fol
low, and as being useful to any one who may wish to see a more
concise view of the subject.
b Gen. vi. 3. Isai. Ixiii. 10. c Matt. vii. 22, 23.
206 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1862.
and transformed into the Divine image. In this sense
we affirm that we may have the Spirit of Christ
[In the first ages of Christianity, not afeiv individuals only,
but whole Churches received the influences of which we speak.
St. Paul prayed that the whole Church at Ephesus might have
" the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
Christ;" and that they might be " renewed by the Spirit in
their inward man d :" and, speaking of the Christian Church at
large, he especially ascribes their attainments to the operations
of the Holy Ghost ; " Not by works of righteousness which we
have done," says he, " but according to his mercy God hath
saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the
Holy Ghost e ." Now if the whole Christian Church received
the Spirit of Christ formerly, why should not we at this day ?
Is our strength so much greater than theirs, or the work of
sanctification so much easier, that we do not need the same
Divine assistance ? or, when the Apostle said, " The promise
of the Spirit is to you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call f ,"
did he mean to limit the gift of the Spirit to the apostolic age ?
But why do the Scriptures speak so much respecting our having
the Spirit ? They teach us to pray for it g ; they promise it to
us h ; they require us to make use of it and depend upon it in
all holy exercises, " to live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit,
pray in the Spirit 1 ." Would all this be spoken if we were not
to expect the Holy Spirit? Why, in the Liturgy of our Church,
do we so often pray for " the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that
we may think those things that be good, and for his merciful
guidance that we may perform the same k ?" Did those holy
men who compiled our Liturgy think that we had no just reason
to expect the influences of God s Spirit? Is it enthusiasm for
us to expect what all the first Christians had, what the Scrip
tures require us to have, and what we ourselves continually
pray for? If we use these prayers with sincerity, the world
will call us enthusiasts; but we had better be accounted en
thusiasts by man, than hypocrites by God.
We should need to apologize for arguing so plain a point,
if the daring infidelity of the age did not render it, alas ! too
necessary.]
We must carry our assertion still further, and say,
II. That we must have the Spirit
d Eph. i. 17. and iii. 16 e Tit. iii. 5, 6.
f Actsii. 38, 39. e Luke xi. 13. h John vii. 37 39.
1 Gal. v. 25. Jude, ver. 20.
k See the Collect for the fifth Sunday after Easter ; and for Whit
sunday ; and the first in the Communion Service.
1862.] THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST NECESSARY. 207
The aid of God s Spirit is necessary in order to
our being Christ s : without it,
We cannot know Christ
[By nature, we are altogether blind to spiritual things.
We are assured on most unquestionable authority, that " the
natural man accounts the things of the Spirit to be foolishness,
and that he not only does not receive, but cannot know them,
because they are spiritually discerned 1 ." And, with respect
to the knowledge of Christ in particular, our Lord tells us that,
as no man knoweth the Father but the Son, so no man knoweth
the Son but the Father, and he to whom God shall be pleased
to reveal him m . The Spirit of God must " take of the things
that are Christ s and shew them unto us ;" he must " open our
understandings to understand them ;" and unless he " guide
us into all truth," we shall wander in the mazes of ignorance
and error to the latest period of our lives, and " perish at last
through lack of knowledge."]
We cannot resemble Christ
[We have altogether lost the image of God; nor can we
ever recover it by any power of our own. That image consists
in righteousness and true holiness, not the smallest part of
which we can obtain without the Spirit. If we would not go
on fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, we must walk in the Spirit" :
if we would mortify the deeds of the body, it must be through
the Spirit : if we would have our trials sanctified, it must be
through a supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ 1 ": if we would
" wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, it must be through
the Spirit q ." There is not any single grace which can be pro
duced by any other means; they are all fruits of the Spirit 1 :
and as long as any man continues destitute of the Spirit, he
must of necessity continue earthly and sensual 8 . He, and he
alone, can give us either to will or to do any good thing*.
Now is holiness necessary in order that we may resemble
Christ ; and is every part of holiness, both root and branch,
the produce of God s Spirit ; and can any one doubt whether it
be necessary for us to have the Spirit ?]
We cannot enjoy Christ
[We have not naturally any taste for spiritual enjoyments;
we affect the things of time and sense, and those only. Indeed,
how is it possible that we should enjoy him whom we do not
know ? Or how can his love be shed abroad in our hearts but
1 1 Cor. ii. 14. m Matt. xi. 27. n Gal. v. 16.
Rom. viii. 13. P Phil. i. 19. 1 Gal. v. 5.
r Gal. v. 22,23. s Jude, ver. 19. < Phil. ii. 13.
208 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1862.
by the Spirit"? If any one think he can enjoy Christ by any
power of his own, let him only make the experiment; let him
retire to his closet for one hour, and say, I will spend this
hour in the enjoyment of Christ; I will delight myself in him
with my whole heart : let him make the attempt, and he
shall soon be undeceived by the most convincing of all argu
ments, his own experience: nor are we afraid to rest the
whole argument upon the issue of such a trial. Nor can we
enjoy Christ hereafter any more than we can in this world, if
we be not prepared for it by the Spirit of God. There is a
" meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light" which
we must have, before we can find comfort in the presence
of our Lord. What pleasure could we take in him whom we
do not at all resemble? " What communion could light have
with darkness, or Christ with Belial x ?" We find that even
now, when our corruptions are so restrained, one single hour
is irksome, if spent in spiritual exercises ; and we may be sure
we could not bear to be occupied without intermission to all
eternity in those duties, for which we have no inclination, yea,
from which we are most exceedingly averse.
But let one asseveration of the true and faithful Witness
stand in lieu of ten thousand arguments ; Ye MUST be born
again, says our Lord ; and that, not of water only, but of the
Spirit; or else ye can never enter into the kingdom of God 5 .]
We shall endeavour to IMPROVE this subject,
1. By a general inquiry
[Have we the Spirit ; or are we yet destitute of his gra
cious influences ? Some think this a needless inquiry, and
one which cannot be satisfactorily resolved. But can we " be
brought out of darkness into marvellous light," and be " turned
from the power of Satan unto God," without knowing that
we have experienced some change ? St. Paul supposes such
ignorance to be inconsistent with saving conversion to God :
he asks, " Know ye not that your bodies are the temple of the
Holy Ghost 2 ?" and again, " Know ye not how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates a ?" Now here he
not only declares that we are reprobates if we have not the
Spirit of God, but considers this truth as known and acknow
ledged by all true Christians. Inquire then, whether you
have been enlightened, renewed and sanctified by the Spirit
of God, and whether you are yet daily experiencing his
powerful operations ? Let not this matter hang in suspense,
lest you be found reprobates and sons of perdition, when you
are fancying yourselves saints, and heirs of glory.]
" Rom. v. 5. x 2 Cor. vi. 14, lf>. y John iii. 57.
1 1 Cor. vi. 19. a 2 Cor. xiii. 5.
1863.] TIIE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 209
2. By a particular address
[Let those, tvhose consciences testify that they have not the
Spirit, stand convicted and condemned. The text speaks of
all such without exception ; "if any man" &c. Let it be
remembered that, however cultivated our minds may be with
human literature, and however amiable our natural dispositions,
we must have the Spirit of Christ, or we can be none of his. And
what a dreadful state is this ! for if we be not Christ s, whose
are we ? It must be said to us, as our Lord said to the Jews,
" Ye are of your Father, the devil." And are any of us willing
to be disclaimed by Jesus in the day of judgment? Would
we that he should then say to us, " Ye are none of mine ? " If
not, let us now seek his good Spirit, and live henceforth under
his influence and direction.
But let those, who have reason to believe that they have the
Spirit, rejoice. They are Christ s : they are his friends ; they
are the very members of his body ; they are " his portion, the
lot of his inheritance." O happy, happy souls, how highly
privileged even now! and how unspeakably blessed in the
future world ! Be not afraid then of the scoffs of an ungodly
world ; let them curse, if God do but bless. Improve your
present privileges : be careful lest by any means ye " grieve
the Holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed :" look to him more and
more to comfort and transform your souls ; and expect with
patience that blessed period, when Christ shall acknowledge
you before the assembled universe, and number you among
his jewels in the day that he shall count them up b .]
b Mai. Hi. 17.
MDCCCLXIII.
THE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Rom. viii. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.
ON a remote occasion, similar to the present, I
endeavoured to set forth in this place, the law ; and,
on a subsequent occasion, the Gospel. These two
subjects, taken together, form a whole, so far as re
lates to Christianity as a system. But for the full
developement of our holy religion in its spiritual
operations and practical results, the office of the Holy
Spirit should be separately and distinctly considered.
This part, therefore, it is now my intention to supply.*
But, in entering on a subject so deeply mysterious as
* Preached before the University of Cambridge, in November, 1831.
VOL. XV. P
210 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863.
this, I may well ask, " Who is sufficient for these
things?" Besides, in reference to it, there is a still
further ground of discouragement, arising from the
opposition which the subject itself meets with in the
human mind. To a person who has never expe
rienced any thing of a work of grace upon his own
heart, the work of the Spirit appears to be little better
than an enthusiastic conceit ; and when pressed upon
his conscience as a matter to be experienced at the
peril of his soul, it excites, I had almost said, a feeling
of indignation, inasmuch as it requires of him a greater
degree of submission to God than he is willing to
yield, and a closer intercourse with God than he has
any inclination to attain.
I think this admits of an easy illustration. It is an
indisputable fact, that we are, by nature, altogether
alienated from the life of God. Now we all feel, that,
when alienated from a fellow-creature, however we
may bear with him in a crowd, we are indisposed to
have much personal intercourse with him alone. So,
also we feel in reference to God. We can hear of
him at a distance, and not be disturbed ; but, by
reason of our alienation from him, we are averse to
be brought into very near communion with him. We
can bear with a display of his perfections in the uni
verse, because, though we see him as our Creator, he
is not sufficiently near us to exercise any material
controul over us : but when he is brought nigh to us
in the law, as our Governor, we feel somewhat of a
painful constraint, because of our responsibility to
him, and the account we must one day give of our
selves to him at his tribunal. Let him then be
brought still nearer to us in the Gospel, as our incar
nate and suffering God, and our inquietude is propor-
tionably increased ; because we are made to realize
more deeply the terrors of his wrath, which demanded
such a sacrifice, and the personal obligation which
lies upon us to surrender up ourselves unreservedly
to him. But, in the offices and operations of the
Holy Spirit, we are led to view him, not merely as
God, in the universe, displaying himself around us ; or
1863.] THE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 211
as God, in his Church, declaring his will to us ; or as
God, in our nature, interposing for us ; but as God,
in our hearts, dwelling and operating in us : and this
brings him into such immediate contact with us, and
requires of us such a minute attention to all our
ways, that we shrink back from every part of the
subject, and, for the pacifying of our own minds, cast
reflections upon it as visionary, unintelligible, absurd.
I do not mean to say that there is in the minds of
men a distinct consciousness of such a process, but
only that there is in reality such a process in the
human mind, though men are not exactly aware of it.
Men do not like to have God too near to them ; and
the nearer he is brought to them, the more they
shew their aversion to that which is the means of
presenting him to their minds. Under such circum
stances, I scarcely know how to enter upon the work
which I have undertaken. Indeed I am strongly
reminded of the feelings of St. Paul himself, when, in
reference to his ministrations at Corinth, he said, " I
was among you in weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling a ." Yet, from so interesting a subject, espe
cially whilst I judge it necessary to complete the plan
which I had originally proposed, I dare not draw back.
The importance of it will plead my apology, if any
apology be required for " declaring to you the whole
counsel of God." Indeed, we need go no further
than to the words of my text, to see the inconceivable
importance of the subject which I am bringing before
you. What! If any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his!" What can this mean?
Who is this " Spirit?" What is it to "have" him?
Why is the having him so indispensable to my wel
fare ? What must I do in order that I may get pos
session of him ? And what must become of me, if I
possess him not ? I say, to any man that has the
least concern about his soul, these thoughts must
force themselves with an overwhelming power upon
his mind. And it is in the hope that God may in his
tender mercy make use of me, for the exciting and
a 1 Cor. ii. 3.
ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863.
the satisfying of these inquiries, that I now address
myself to this deep and comprehensive subject. But
let me entreat, not only your candour, (for of that I
am, from long and uniform experience, well assured,)
but your prayers, also, that God may enable me so to
speak, as to approve myself to him ; and enable you
so to hear, that you may derive eternal benefit to your
souls ; so that both " I who sow, and you who reap,
may rejoice together in heaven for evermore."
For the unfolding of the subject I shall endeavour
to shew, distinctly and separately in my four dis
courses,
I. Who is that Spirit whom all of us as Christians are
expected to possess.
II. Why the possessing of that Spirit is indispensable
to our being Christ s accepted followers.
III. What that Spirit will work in us in order that
we may be Christ s.
IV. What he will work in us when we are Christ s.
And, whilst I speak, may " the word go forth with
the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven," and " come
in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" to the
hearts of all who hear me b !
I. Who is that Spirit whom all of us as Christians
are expected to possess. The Holy Spirit here
spoken of is the Third Person of the ever-blessed
Trinity. As such he is set forth in the ordinance of
baptism, which is administered in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost c .
And as such he is addressed in that benediction ut
tered by St. Paul, " The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of
the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen d ." In both
these passages his distinct personality is recognised,
and his proper deity acknowledged. Had he been a
mere quality, as some have imagined, it is not to be
b 1 Pet. i. 12. 1 Cor. ii. 4. c Matt, xxviii. 19.
d 2 Cor. xiii 14.
1863.] THE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
conceived that his name would have been united with
that of the Father and of the Son in these solemn
acts of worship. But, in fact, the whole Scriptures
bear witness to him as God, equally with the Father
and the Son. Ananias, " in lying to the Holy Ghost,
lied unto God e " And we, in being his temples, are
the temples of the living God f . But, whilst in his
essential Godhead he is equal with the Father and
the Son, in his office he is inferior to them both, and
acts, if I may so say, a subordinate part under the
Gospel dispensation. And this accounts for his being
called The Spirit of the Father g , and The Spirit of the
Son* 1 , under which latter designation we are this time
called more particularly to consider him.
My text says, " If any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his." Now it is of importance
to ascertain, why this name is given to the Holy
Spirit. I conceive that the following reasons may
fitly be assigned for it. He is so called, I apprehend,
1. Because of his peculiar agency in reference to
Christ himself.
2. Because of his subserviency to Christ in the
economy of redemption.
3. Because of its being his special office to glorify
Christ.
He is called The Spirit of Christ, 1st, because of his
peculiar agency in reference to Christ himself. It was
he who formed the human nature of Christ in the
Virgin s womb. Mary was told by the angel Gabriel,
that she should conceive in her womb, and bring
forth a son, and call his name Jesus : and, on her
inquiring of him how that saying of his should be
accomplished, seeing that she was a virgin, the angel
answered her, saying, " The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over
shadow thee : therefore, also, that holy thing which
shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of
God 1 ."
8 Acts v. 3, 4. f 1 Cor. iii. 17. with vi. 19.
R Matt. x. 20. John xv. 2(i. h Gal. iv. (i.
Luke i. 35.
214 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863.
The endowments of the Lord Jesus for his hea
venly commission were also communicated to him
from the same source ; as the Prophet Isaiah very
distinctly foretold : " The Spirit of the Lord God
shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under
standing, the spirit of counsel and of might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and
shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of
the LordV Indeed our Lord himself, when enter
ing upon his ministerial office, purposely referred to
another passage in the same prophet, expressive of
the same truth, and declared to his audience, that
that very Scripture was then fulfilled in their ears :
" The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor ; he
hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind ; to set at liberty them that are bruised, to
preach the acceptable year of the Lord 1 ."
The solemn consecration also of the Lord Jesus
to his office at the time of his baptism, was visibly
attested and confirmed by this same divine Agent :
" The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like
a dove upon him ; and a voice came from heaven,
which said, Thou art my beloved Son ; in thee I am
well pleased" 1 ."
Further, it was " by the Spirit that he was led into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil";" and by
that same Spirit, was enabled to vanquish that mighty
foe ; as our Lord himself declared : " If I cast out
devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God
is come unto you ." By the same divine Agent also
was he assisted in offering himself a sacrifice upon
the cross ; for " through the eternal Spirit, he offered
himself without spot to God p :" by him also was he
afterwards raised up from the grave, to which his
crucified body had been consigned : " He was put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit*"
k Isai. xi. 2, 3. Luke iv. 18, 19. with Isai. Ixi. 1, 2.
m Lukeiii. 22. " Matt. iv. 1. o Matt. xii. 28.
P Heb. ix. 14. <i 1 Pet. iii. 18.
1863.] THE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 215
Now, as ministering thus to the Lord Jesus, from
the first moment of his existence to the period of his
restoration from the grave, the Holy Ghost is pecu
liarly entitled to the name given him in my text,
" The Spirit of Christ."
But this name further pertains to him on account
of his subserviency to Christ in the economy of redemp
tion. Christ, as Mediator, was sent by the Father,
and acted in all things as a servant to his Father 1 ,
doing nothing, and speaking nothing, hut in accord
ance with the Father s will, and in obedience to the
Father s commands. He himself says, " I have not
spoken of myself ; but the Father who sent me, he
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and
what I should speak 8 ." And precisely thus did the
Lord Jesus Christ send the Holy Ghost to effect his
will. It was by the Holy Ghost that Christ spake in
the ministry of Noah to the antediluvian world 1 , and
instructed all his people in the wilderness". It was
by the Holy Ghost that he moved the prophets in
succeeding ages to declare future events x , and espe
cially to predict " his sufferings, and the glory that
should follow." And in reference to this very thing,
St. Peter calls the Holy Ghost, " The Spirit of
Christ*" On all these occasions, Christ acted by the
instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, who, according to
the plan fixed in the Divine counsels, was deputed to
fulfil the will of Christ. This was made manifest by
our blessed Lord whilst he was yet on earth : for on
many different occasions, he promised to his Disciples
to "send them the Holy Ghost 2 ." He told them
also that the Father would send them the Holy Ghost
in his name*: yea, in an authoritative manner, " he
breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy
Ghost b :" and on the day of Pentecost, he, according
to his promise, sent forth the Holy Ghost on all his
Disciples, as it is said : " Being by the right hand of
r Isai. xlii. 1. and liii. 11. * John xii. 49.
1 1 Pet. iii. 1820. u Neh. ix. 20. x 2 Pet. i. 21.
> 1 Pet. i. 11. a John xvi. 7. * John xiv. 2(5.
b John xx. 22.
216 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863
God exalted, and having received of the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this
which ye both see and hear c ." In every thing which
from that period the Holy Ghost enabled the Apostles
to do and teach, he acted as the deputy of Christ, not
himself originating what he revealed, or speaking it of
himself, but declaring to them what Christ himself
had heard and received from the Father d , and what
he, the Holy Spirit, had heard and received from
Christ. Our Lord himself says, in one place, " The
words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself;
but the Father that dvvelleth in me, he doeth the
works 6 :" and agslin, " The word which ye hear, is not
mine, but the Father s who sent me f :" and then
afterwards, respecting the Holy Spirit, he says,
" When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth : for he shall not speak of himself ;
but, whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak;
and he will shew you things to come. He shall glo
rify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it
unto you*"
But there is a yet further reason for the Holy Spirit
being called " the Spirit of Christ," viz. that to him
was delegated the express office of glorifying Christ.
Our Lord, as you have just heard, said, " He shall
glorify me ; for he shall take of mine, and shall shew
it unto you." Accordingly we find, that all the mi
racles which were wrought by the Apostles for the
confirming of the doctrines which they preached,
were wrought by the agency of the Holy Ghost 11 , and
that, too, for the express purpose of bearing witness
to Christ as the true Messiah 1 . It was " that one and
the self-same Spirit who wrought all in allV The dif
ferent graces also which were exercised by the saints
for the honouring of Christ, were formed in them by
this same divine Agent ; on which account they are
called " the fruits of the Spirit 1 ." In fact, as Christ
c Acts ii. 33. d John xvi. 13. e John xiv. 10.
f John xiv. 24. John xvi. 13 15.
h Heb. ii. 4. and xiv. 3. John xv. 26.
* 1 Cor. xii. 711. Gal. v. 22.
1863.] THE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 217
was the fountain from which, in all cases,, the living
water flowed 1 ", and the reservoir from whence the
holy oil descended through the golden pipes of divine
ordinances upon all God s waiting and obedient peo
ple 11 , so in every thing which the Holy Spirit either
then did, or at the present moment does, impart to
men, in a way either of gifts or graces, his object has
ever been the same, viz. to bear testimony to Christ,
and to fix our regards on Christ, as our only and all-
sufficient Saviour.
See this exemplified at the time of Peter s mission
to Cornelius. Peter commending to Cornelius the
Lord Jesus as the only Saviour, whether of Jews or
Gentiles, says, " To him give all the prophets witness,
that through his name, whosoever believeth in him
shall receive remission of sins." Then we are told,
that instantly, " while Peter yet spake these words, the
Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word,"
precisely as he had done on the Apostles at the day
of Pentecost . Thus, in all that is now revealed to
the souls of men respecting Christ, or that is im
parted to them as the purchase of his blood, it is
communicated to them by the Spirit ; so that all,
without exception, must say, " We have received not
the spirit of the woild, but the Spirit which is of
God ; that we might know the things that are freely
given to us of God 1 ."
In this mode of speaking of the Holy Spirit, we
may possibly be thought to have made him inferior
to the Father and the Son. But the inferiority is not
personal, but official; not as the Sacred Three sub
sist in themselves, but as they sustain and execute
their respective offices in the economy of redemption.
As bearing, what may be called a subordinate part in
the mysterious work of man s salvation, a disparity
may be ascribed to him ; and he may be called "the
Spirit of the Father," and " the Spirit of Christ :"
but, in himself, he is equal both with the Father and
111 John.vii, 37 39. n Zech. iv. C, 11, 12.
" Acts*. 43, 44. and x.i. 15. P 1 Cor. ii. 10, 12.
218 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863.
the Son, and is in every way entitled to the same
respect, and "love," and confidence, as they q .
Be it then remembered, that this is He, whom
every Christian must have dwelling and abiding in
him. St. Paul expressly calls him, " The Holy Ghost
which dwelleth in us*." And if we mark carefully the
whole passage from whence my text is taken, we shall
find him designated by those different names, The
Spirit of God, and The Spirit of Christ, and Christ
himself. Hear the Apostle s words : " Ye are not in
the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit oj
God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be
in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit
is life because of righteousness ; (i. e. if Christ be in
you, though your bodies shall suffer the penalty of
death, your souls shall never die) : "but if the Spirit
of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that
dwelleth in you*"
Now then this Spirit we must all "have;" and if
we have him not, we cannot belong to Christ.
But here it will be asked, What is meant by
" having" the Spirit ? Are we all to possess the power
of " working miracles, and speaking divers kinds of
tongues 1 ?" No: the time for such things is long
since passed. That they may be renewed at the
time when God s ancient people shall be restored to
his favour, and the whole Gentile world shall be con
verted to the faith of Christ, is probable enough : but
no such power exists at this day, except in the con
ceit of a few brain-sick enthusiasts ; nor, if it did,
would it have any bearing upon the subject before us.
The possession of that power would not constitute us
Christ s : for we have reason to think that Judas
wrought miracles, as well as the other Apostles ; and
yet, as our Lord tells us, he was no better than a
devil all the while u . That possession of the Spirit
i Rom. xv. 30. i- 2 Tim. i. 14. s Rom. viii. 9 11.
1 Cor. xii. 10. u Johnvi. 70.
1863.J THE OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 219
of which my text speaks, is of such a discriminating
nature, that no man who has it can fail to belong to
Christ, and no man who has it not can have any part
or lot with him. The Spirit of God is promised to
us, to dwell in us as in his temple ; for we are to be
" the habitation of God through the Spirit x ;" and he
is further to operate in us effectually for all the ends
and purposes of our salvation, producing in us all
" the fruits of goodness, and righteousness, and
truth y ." His motions may not unfitly be compared
with the operations of the soul in the human body.
Without the soul, the body cannot perform any vital
function whatever : but when that spiritual inha
bitant is present with us, and discharges its proper
offices, we shew, by the various exercises of our mind
and body, that it really dwelleth in us. Now the
Spirit of God performs in the soul an office somewhat
analogous to this. The soul by itself has respect
only to things visible and temporal ; but, when filled
by the Spirit of God, it occupies itself about things
invisible and eternal. And precisely as the body
needs the presence and operation of the soul for the
discharge of its offices in relation to this world, so
does the soul need the influences of the Holy Spirit
for the discharge of its duties in reference to the
world to come.
To a carnal mind, this may appear strange. But
it corresponds exactly with what St. Paul says : " I
am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me 2 " And again, he says,
" When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then
shall ye also appear with him in glory a ."
The particular operations of the Spirit of Christ
will come under our consideration hereafter. My
present object is merely to shew who that blessed
Spirit is, whom we are to have dwelling in us, and
for what ends and purposes he is promised to us.
He is none other than God himself: and, as I have
said, he operates as really and effectually in our
souls, as our souls operate in our bodies.
* Eph. ii. 22. y Eph. v. 9. z Gal. ii. 20. a Col. iii. 1.
Z20 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863.
I am aware that this is a truth but little considered ;
a truth, the very mention of which is, by the gene
rality of Christians, accounted visionary at least, if
not impious and profane. But if this truth be not
admitted, yea, and admitted too as a matter of primary
importance, all that we shall have to advance, in our
remaining discourses, will only create disgust. I beg,
therefore, that this be duly weighed ; that the text,
in conjunction with the context, be diligently studied ;
and that prayer be offered by us all to Almighty God,
who has promised to "give wisdom to those who
ask it at his hands b ;" that so our minds may be led
to receive the word with candour, and our hearts be
opened to embrace it. If we enter not into a candid
investigation of this subject, the word will only prove
a stumbling-block to our feet, and " become a savour
of death unto death," instead of being, as I would
wish it, " a savour of life unto life c ." Verily there is
a great fault, both amongst Christian ministers and
Christian hearers, in relation to it. Ministers in
general enter not, by any means, with sufficient clear
ness and fulness into this part of divine truth. Many,
who, at the time of their ordination, have professed
that they were " moved by the Holy Ghost" to take
upon them the ministerial office, and have joined in
that heavenly anthem
" Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire ;
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart ;
Thy blessed unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love ; "
I say, many who have thus, in the presence of the
whole Church, professed their faith as in perfect
accordance with our subject, in their ministrations
altogether overlook it, except at the time appointed
by the Church for the special consideration of it ;
and even then they touch it but superficially, and
bring it forward only lest the expectation of the
people, who look for some instruction respecting it,
b Jam. i. 5. c 2 Cor. ii. 16.
18G3.J THE OFFICES OF THE IIOI.Y SPIRIT. 221
should be disappointed. And Christian hearers feel
no lack, though they pass the whole remainder of the
year, without ever being reminded of the truth of
which my text speaks ; i. e. of the necessity of having
the Holy Ghost imparted to us in order to our final
salvation. Nay, even " Masters of Israel," of whom
better things might be hoped, are yet ignorant of
these things ; and, when told that they must be born
again of the Spirit, too often reply, with Nicodemus,
"How can these things be d ?" In fact, we of the
Church of England, having a season consecrated to
the special consideration of this subject, have, from
this very circumstance, our guilt greatly aggravated.
We have heard, from year to year, the declaration in
my text ; and yet perhaps have never once put the
question to ourselves, " Have I received the Holy
Ghost ? have I the Spirit of Christ dwelling in me ?
have I ever sought this gift, and earnestly implored
of God to bestow it on me ? have I, in the course of
my whole life, so much as once felt any solicitude about
it ?" Let this whole assembly put these questions to
themselves ; and then let them see in what a perilous
state they are, and with what a disposition of mind
they ought to come to the further consideration of
this all-important subject. Indeed, indeed, I must
declare, from Almighty God, that, whatever any man
may think of his attainments or his virtues, he is not
a Christian truly, if his soul be not a temple of the
Holy Ghost. He may have many amiable qualities,
but he does not belong to Christ ; nor can he ever
dwell with Christ in the eternal world, if Christ do
not dwell in him, and abide with him, in this world.
Whence the necessity for this heavenly gift arises
will be opened in our next. But I must, in the mean
time, warn all, that the subject is a matter of life and
death. It is not to be listened to with mere curiosity,
but as a point which at our peril we must understand,
and at our peril must experience. If it is of import
ance whether we belong to Christ or not, it is of
importance to ascertain whether we have this evidence
d John iii. 9, 10.
ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1863.
of our belonging to him : for the declaration of God
is unquestionable, and his decision is irreversible ;
nor is there any exception whatever made : "If any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his"
He may be in a high and dignified station ; but he is
not therefore Christ s. He may be greatly distinguished
for the variety and extent of his intellectual attainments :
but he is not therefore Christ s. He may be looked up
to as a pattern of moral excellence and virtue ; but
neither will that be any decisive evidence of his belong
ing to Christ. Whoever, or whatever he may be, if
he have not the Holy Ghost abiding in him, he is none
of Christ s. He may now make light of this truth ;
he may explain it away ; he may " puff at it e " (as the
Scripture speaks), with contemptuous indignation ;
but he shall find it true to his cost. Let me, how
ever, hope that the minds of all shall " be opened, as
Lydia s was, to attend to what shall be spoken f ;" and
that " the word being received with meekness as an
engrafted word, shall prove as effectual, as it is able,
to save your souls 5 ."
But, whilst I would impress on all a sense of the
absolute and indispensable necessity which exists for
our possessing this heavenly gift, I must not close
my subject without declaring, for the comfort of my
audience, the willingness of Almighty God to bestow
it upon all without exception. He has told us, that
if an earthly parent will not refuse bread to his
famished child, much less will He refuse his Holy
Spirit unto them that ask him h . Nor let any be dis
couraged on account of their unworthiness. A more
unworthy character can scarcely be conceived than
that of the Samaritan woman, whose guilt, it should
seem, was not a little aggravated by refusing to our
Lord a draught of water ; yet to her did he say, " If
thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith
unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked
of him, and he would have given thee living water 1 ."
Let all of us then come thirsting for this water of
e Ps. x. 5. f Acts xvi. 14. e Jam. i. 21.
h Luke xi. 13. * John iv. 10, 14.
18(54. ~\ OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 223
life. Nor let any erroneous presumption be harboured
in our minds, as though there were nothing peculiar
in this gift ; but let every one of us seek it, yea, seek
it earnestly, " with strong crying and tears," that so
we may be heard and answered, and " the Saviour be
magnified in the midst of us k ," and " our souls be
saved in the great day of the Lord Jesus 1 ."
k Acts xix. 17. 1 Cor. v. 5.
MDCCCLXIV.
OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Rom. viii. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.
THE Jewish religion, by the express command of
its Divine Author, would not admit of any relaxation
of its principles, or any departure from its established
ordinances. Not only did it prohibit any connexion
with idolaters, but it forbade even the mention of
the name of any false god. In all its appointments,
it formed so broad a line of separation between the
Jews and the rest of the world, that it was considered
by the Gentiles as inspiring its followers with an
utter hatred of all the human race. The New Tes
tament has, to a certain degree, shared amongst the
heathen the same universal antipathy, and upon the
same grounds. If the religion of the Lord Jesus
would have admitted of any union with idolatry, he
would have been readily received amongst the objects
of worship which the Romans venerated ; and his
religion, instead of being universally proscribed,
would have been judged worthy of general respect.
But the Apostles were commanded to preach the
Gospel every where, as requiring an exclusive regard ;
and to enforce it with this authoritative declaration,
that " all who believed and embraced it should be
saved, but that all who embraced it not should be
damned 3 ." Its doctrines were inculcated as so sacred,
that "if even an angel from heaven should attempt
a Mark xvi. 10.
224- ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1864.
to establish any position contrary to them, he should
be held accursed V This inflexible spirit pervades
the whole of our religion, so far as it relates to its
fundamental truths. Every man must yield to it at
his peril : and not to those parts only which are
commended to us by our reason, but to those parts
also which depend entirely on revelation, and to
which reason is constrained to bow. Not to mention
innumerable other passages which partake of this
unbending character, I will take that which forms
the subject of our present series : " If any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Here is
a declaration so broad, so explicit, so determinate, as
to admit of no qualification, no exception whatever.
To it every child of man must submit ; and " who
ever shall stumble over it as a rock of offence, shall
be broken ; and on whomsoever it shall fall, it will
grind him to powder ." Taking for granted that you
have, agreeably to my request, examined carefully
for yourselves rny text in connexion with the context,
and that you see my interpretation of it to be cor
rect (for " the Spirit of Christ," mentioned in my
text, cannot by any possibility be understood as
meaning the disposition of Christ), I proceed, with all
humility, to the further consideration of the awful
truth which I have undertaken to develope.
Now, whether we could shew the reasonableness
of this declaration or not, it would be our bounden
duty to receive it with implicit confidence, and to
regard it as the avowed and unalterable determination
of the Most High. But I think it may be clearly
shewn, that this is by no means an arbitrary appoint
ment, resulting merely from the sovereign will of
God. It appears to be rather a declaration founded
on the actual state of man as a fallen creature. When
man was in his primeval state of holiness, in himself
complete, he needed neither a Saviour to work out a
redemption for him, nor the Holy Spirit to apply that
redemption to him. But, as a fallen creature, he
stands in need of both. A Redeemer is necessary for
b Gal. i. 8, 9. e Matt. xxi. 44.
1864.1 OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
him, that he may be brought back to God ; and the
gift of the Holy Spirit is necessary for him, in order
that he may come to Christ aright, and find accept
ance with God through Christ. This need of the
Spirit s influence is the part of my subject which I am
now called to unfold ; and I pray God, that, whilst I
address myself to it with all Christian fidelity, " the
word may come to every soul amongst you, not in
word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and
in much assurance* 1 .
Let me however first, in few words, repeat what we
mean, when we say, that men must " have" the Spirit
of Christ: for, unless we have definite ideas upon that
subject, we can never fully comprehend the point
which we are endeavouring to set before you.
It is obvious that the possession of the Spirit, which
is here spoken of, must be somewhat very different
from any natural or acquired endowment, since we
may possess every thing which constitutes us rational
and accountable beings, and yet not be Christ s ;
whilst, on the other hand, however defective we may,
in other respects, be, the possession of it will infallibly
prove us to belong to Christ. If it be asked, What
does this possession of the Spirit import ? I answer,
It is, as I shewed in my last, the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit in our souls, as his temple, and his operating
in us, as a quickening and influential principle of life.
That point being determined, we shall proceed,
agreeably to the plan before laid down, to shew,
II. Why the possession of that Spirit is necessary
to our being Christ s accepted followers. For the
elucidation of this, there are three points to be esta
blished ; namely -.first, That all our faculties are
impaired by sin ; next, That, without an entire reno
vation of them, Christ can never accept or acknow
ledge us as his ; and, lastly, That none but the Spirit
of Christ can ever accomplish in us this necessary
work. These points being established, the reason
ableness, no less than the certainty, of God s declara
tion in my text, will appear, to the conviction of every
a 1 Thess. i. 5.
VOL. XV. Q
226 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1864.
gainsay er, and to the satisfaction of every unprejudiced
mind.
First, then, let it be remembered, That all our
faculties are impaired by sin.
It is clear, that we are not now such as we were
when we first came out of our Creator s hands. We
were created, originally, "after God s own image 6 ."
Our mind was in perfect accordance with his mind,
and our will with his will. There was not so much
as a thought of our hearts which did not emanate
from him, and had not respect to his glory. Our
bodies were every way fitted to aid the soul in all its
operations. Not an inclination, affection, or appetite,
existed in us, but in perfect unison with the proper
offices of the soul, and in subserviency to its dictates.
Man s whole delight was in God alone. As far as his
happiness was in any respect derived from the crea
ture, it was God in the creature, and not the creature
itself, that was the real source of that happiness : the
creature was only the medium of communication
between him and his God. The goodness of God
was seen and tasted by him in every thing : and every
object around him afforded him an occasion of admi
ration, and gratitude, and love. To dwell in the
presence of God, to commune with him, to receive
and execute every intimation of his will ; in a word,
to admire God in every thing, to adore him for every
thing, and to glorify him ly every thing, this was the
constant employment of man in his state of innocence,
and the one uniform occupation both of his soul and
body.
But what of all this is now left to us ? We are
altogether departed from God. Every faculty of our
souls, and every member of our bodies, is become
depraved, so that there remains in us no part of the
moral image of our God. As beings of a superior
order, we still are the lords of this lower creation ;
and, in the exercise of this authority, we, to a certain
degree, resemble Him who is the governor of the
universe f . But in righteousness and true holiness,
e Gen. i. 26. f l Cor. xi. 7.
1864.] OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 227
which I call his moral image, we bear no resemblance
to him whatever. Our understanding is blinded, so
that, instead of approving God s revealed will, we
turn away from it with dislike. His law, as contained
in the Ten Commandments, is deemed by us unne
cessarily strict ; and the sanctions by which it is
enforced are regarded as needlessly severe. His very
Gospel, which is the result of his eternal counsels,
and contains in it " all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge 8 ^" is treated by us as a cunningly devised
fable. To the self-righteous amongst us, it is a
stumbling-block ; and to those who are wise in their
own conceit, it is mere foolishness. We are, both in
heart and life, altogether opposed to it. In our eyes
sin has no deformity, and holiness no beauty. Com
munion with God affords us no pleasure. Prayer and
praise are exercises which are a burthen to us, rather
than a delight ; and instead of walking in constant
and familiar intercourse with God, as Adam did before
the fall, we flee from him, as Adam did after his
transgression, and rather hide ourselves from him as
an enemy, than go forth to meet him as a friend.
But " is it I who say this ; or saith not the Scrip
ture the same also h ?" God s own account of us is,
that " when he looked down from heaven upon men,
to see if there were any that did understand and seek
after God, they were all gone aside, they were all
together become filthy, there was not one that did
good, no, not one 1 ." He further adds, that " every
imagination of the thoughts of men s hearts was only
evil continually 14 ." Nor let it be supposed that this
was descriptive only of some more flagrant trans
gressors who lived at one particular age or place : for
the Apostles themselves, previous to their conversion,
were of this very character, as St. Paul most candidly
confesses. Speaking of those " who walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
all the children of disobedience," he says, " Among
s Col. ii. 3. h 1 Cor. ix. 8.
Ps. xiv. 2, 3. with Rom. iii. 10 18. k Gen. vi. 5.
228 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1864.
whom we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind ; and were by nature children of wrath,
even as others 1 ." And again, " We ourselves also
were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful, and hating one another" 1 ."
But, together with the Scripture, let me appeal to
personal "experience. What have been our own
habits even from our youth? Have we delighted
ourselves in God ? Has it been the joy of our hearts
to draw nigh to him in the exercise of prayer and
praise ? And have we sought after the communica
tions of his grace and the testimonies of his love,
as our supreme happiness ? When the question has
occurred to our minds, " Who will shew us any
good ?" has the reply of David instantly been made,
"Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance
upon us"?" Must we not rather confess, that every
vanity has been regarded by us with a deeper interest
than our God, and every base lust been served in
preference to him ? Yes, we have, as the Scripture
asserts, " worshipped and served the creature more
than the Creator, who is blessed for evermore ." And
if at any time we have been reproved for this, our
heart has risen up against the will of God, in the
very spirit of Pharaoh, when he said, " Who is the
Lord, that I should obey his voice ? I know not the
Lord, neither will I let Israel go p ." And now I
make my appeal to you. Is this overstated ? If any
think that it is, tell me who is there amongst us
whose body has at all times been in perfect subjec
tion to his soul, so as to render a prompt and uniform
obedience to its holy motions ? With whom has it
not rather been in a constant state of rebellion against
the soul; and in whom, unless he have been renewed
by divine grace, does it not, with insatiable avidity,
follow yet daily its own corrupt desires ? It is true
1 Eph. ii. 2, 3. Tit. iii. 3. Ps. iv. G.
Rom. i. 25. P Exod. v. 2.
1864.] OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 229
in all of us, though not exactly in the same way,
that the body, which was ordained to serve, exercises
a tyrannic sway over, the soul ; and the soul, which
was ordained to regulate all the motions of the body,
is made a very pander to its corrupt appetites.
Now then, agreeably to what I mentioned as the
second point to be considered, I beg you to inquire with
care, and to judge with candour, whether, whilst we are
in such a state, Christ can receive us, and acknowledge
us as his ? I think it clear, that he cannot : for it would
counteract all the purposes of God in the redemption
of the world. If we trace up, as we must, the whole
work of redemption to the eternal counsels of God,
I ask, To what has he predestinated his people ? Is
it not that they should be " conformed to the image
of his Son q ?" To what has he chosen them ? Is it
not that they may be "holy and without blame before
him in love 1 ?" Yes: to no one soul amongst us
shall salvation ever be vouchsafed, but "through
sanctification of the Spirit," as well as through
"belief of the truth 8 ." But how would these pur
poses be accomplished if men were saved with all
their corruptions unmortified and unsubdued ? Be
sides, it would defeat all the ends of our Saviour s
mission. " He came to destroy the works of the
devil*;" to "redeem us from all iniquity, and to
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works u ." Even at the time of his conception in the
womb, his name Jesus was given him as declarative
of this very thing, that he should " save his people,"
not in their sins, but from them x . But he might as
well have never come at all, if these ends are to be set
aside, and mankind are to be saved without any
respect to their moral character. Further, the office
of the Holy Spirit, as a sanctifier, would be altogether
frustrated and superseded : yea, and the whole word of
of God would be invalidated and made void. God has
declared, that " the unrighteous shall not inherit the
i Rom. viii. 29. r Eph. i. 4. s 2 Thess. ii. 13.
* 1 John iii. 8. u Tit. ii. 14. x Matt i. 21.
ROMANS, VIII. 9, [1804.
kingdom of God y :" and that " no unclean thing shall
enter into his presence 2 ." But what truth would
there be in these declarations, if an unrenewed man
could stand with acceptance in the sight of God ?
But, in fact, an unregenerate man could not be happy
in the presence of God, even if he were admitted to it.
For, how could so corrupt a creature endure the pre
sence of a holy God ; and a creature so full of enmity
against God, be happy in immediate communion with
him ? How could a person who has never found any
pleasure in holy exercises, bear to spend an eternity
in duties, for which he has no taste, no fitness, no
capacity ? He has no meetness for heaven. He would
be altogether out of his element there : heaven would
be no heaven to him, for want of the dispositions ne
cessary for the enjoyment of it. If " two cannot
walk together on earth, except they be agreed a ," much
less could the glorified saints and angels, all formed
after the perfect image of their God, admit to their
converse, and associate themselves with, those who
bear upon their souls nothing but the image and
deformity of Satan. St. Paul puts this in a very
striking point of view, and appeals to us for the just
ness of his sentiments : " What fellowship," says he,
" hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what
communion hath light with darkness? and what con
cord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he
that belie veth with an infidel b ?"
If then Christ will not make void the eternal pur
poses of his Father, and the ends of his own incarnation
and death, if he will not render nugatory the office
of the Holy Spirit as the sanctifier of God s elect,
and if he will not so dishonour himself as to number
amongst his people those who have spent their whole
lives in " treading under foot his blood, and doing
despite to the Spirit of his grace c " in a word, if he
will not exalt to his glory those who have no taste,
no capacity for the enjoyment of it, I think it clear,
that Christ neither will nor can acknowledge any
y 1 Cor. vi. 9. z Rev. xxi. 27. a Amos iii. 3.
b 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. c Hcb. x. 29.
1864.1 OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. <>3l
people as his, till they have received an entire renova
tion of their nature, and a meetness for that glory
to which he would exalt them.
Let me not, however, be misunderstood. I am far
from saying that our fallen nature renders us incapable
of enjoying heaven, provided we be washed from our
guilt in the blood of Christ, and be renewed by his
Spirit in our inward man. On the contrary, not only
will the Lord Jesus Christ, in that case, receive and
acknowledge us as his, but " God the Father also will
rejoice over us with joy, and rest in his love, and joy
over us with singing d ;" and both the Father and the
Son will be eternally glorified in us. But this I say,
that, till we are restored to the Divine image, the Lord
Jesus can never have pleasure in us, nor can God the
Father ever recognise us as his peculiar and redeemed
people ; for our Lord has repeatedly, and in the most
authoritative manner, asserted, that, " Except we be
born again, we cannot enter into the kingdom of
heaven 6 ." If ever we would belong to Christ, we must
be so renewed, as to be made, if not in act, yet in
desire and endeavour at least, " pure, as Christ him
self is pure f ," and " perfect, as our Father which is
in heaven is perfect 8 ."
But here arises the question, By what power can
this change be effected ? And I answer, (as I under
took, in the third place, to shew,) it is by the Spirit
of Christ alone that this change ever was, or ever
can be, wrought.
To imagine that this change is of necessity wrought
in baptism, is a very fatal error. I presume not to
say that God cannot accomplish it then as well as at
any other time. Nor do I deny but that God does,
on some occasions, make that ordinance the means
of peculiar benefit to the soul. But the mere admi
nistration of the baptismal rite can no more sanc
tify a man, than the administration of the Lord s
supper can. And if a man at the Lord s supper
may, by receiving it amiss, " eat and drink his own
d Zeph. iii. 17. e John iii. 3.
f 1 John iii. 3. Matt. v. 48.
ROMANS, VIII. 9, [1864.
damnation 1 ;" so, by receiving baptism amiss, he may
receive a curse rather than a blessing. This was
actually the case with Simon Magus, who, though
baptized by Philip the Evangelist, remained in the
very " gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity V
There is, doubtless, (and I wish the avowal of it to
be distinctly noticed,) a great change effected in bap
tism. But it is a change of state, and not of nature.
By baptism a person is admitted into covenant with
God, and obtains a TITLE to all the blessings of the
Christian covenant, exactly as a Jew by circumcision
became entitled to all the blessings of the Jewish
covenant. St. Paul says, " To them, as Israelites)
(who have been admitted into covenant with God by
circumcision,) to them " pertaineth the adoption, and
the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the
law, and the service of God, and the promises 1 "." But
were they therefore renewed, and sanctified, and
saved ? Surely not : for the Apostle " appealed to
God, that, notwithstanding their title to these bless
ings, he had " great heaviness and continual sorrow
in his heart" on their account 1 . So then it is with
those who have been baptized : they have a title to
all the blessings of salvation ; a title which, in an
unbaptized state, they did not possess. But the
actual possession of those blessings can only be ob
tained by the exercise of faith in Christ for the justi
fication of their souls, and by the influence of the
Holy Spirit for their restoration to the Divine image.
To regard it in any other view, is to assimilate it to
the extreme unction of the Papists, and to lead men
into the most fatal error.
If, then, we do not of necessity receive a new
nature in baptism, when and how are we to receive
it ? Can we, by any efforts of our own, form it in
ourselves ? I answer, No. It is called in Scripture
"a new creation" 1 ;" and a man can no more create
himself anew, than he could create himself at first.
If any think that he has within himself a power to
h 1 Cor. xi. 29. * Acts viii. 23. k Rom. ix. 4.
1 Rom. ix. 2. 2 Cor. v. 17.
1864.] OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 233
renew himself after the Divine image, he has, within
his own reach, the means of proving it to demon
stration. Let him set about it, and accomplish it, and
he will at once disprove every word which the Scrip
ture speaks respecting this matter. Our Lord says,
"Without me ye can do nothing";" and St. Paul
says, that " God alone can give us either to will or
to do any thing that is good ;" yea, that of our
selves " we are not sufficient even to think a good
thought as of ourselves : our sufficiency for it must
be of God p ." If any man think this not true, let
him try it. I readily acknowledge, that a man
may correct some outward vices, and practise some
outward duties ; but can he bring himself to hate
every kind and degree of sin, and to lothe and abhor
himself on account of his indwelling corruptions ?
Can he, without the Spirit s influence, so " mortify
the deeds of the body q ," as no longer to live after the
flesh ? And can he sit loose to all the things of time
and sense, and " set his affections" wholly and exclu
sively " on things above 1 ?" Can he, in a word, bring
himself to love God supremely, and to delight him
self truly in all holy exercises ? Can he further so
form his soul after the likeness of Christ, as, under
the heaviest trials, to indulge no other tempers than
those which he manifested, and willingly to lay down
his life, as he did, and as every follower of Christ
must be ready to do 8 , for the honour and glory of his
God ? Let him do these things by any power of his
own, and we will at once acknowledge the erro-
neousness of our present statement. But the more
diligently the attempt be made, the more deeply will
any man be convinced, that he must have the Spirit
of Christ ; and that, without the renovating influences
of that Divine Agent, he can never become one of
Christ s peculiar and approved people. The Spirit of
Christ must "open the eyes of our understanding 1 ."
The Spirit of Christ must " renew us in our inward
" John xv. 5. Phil. ii. 13. . P 2 Cor. iii. 5.
<i Rom. viii. 13. r Co], iii. 2. ! Luke xiv. 26.
1 Luke xxiv. 45
234 ROMANS,., VIII. 9. [1864.
man u ." The Spirit of Christ alone can so reveal the
Saviour to us, that, with any measure of true affiance,
we should " call him Lord*." No other power than
his can ever assimilate us to the risen Saviour,
enabling us to die unto sin, and to rise again unto
righteousness y . Nothing, I say, but the mighty
working of that power that raised Christ himself from
the dead, can effect this change in us : and, conse
quently, the assertion in my text is clearly proved,
" If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none
of his."
Let it then be borne in mind, that, as this is not a
mere arbitrary appointment of the Deity, so neither
is it an enthusiastic conceit. It is a decision of the
Most High, arising out of the necessities of our
nature, and proceeding from the boundless riches of
his grace, which has made such an astonishing provi
sion for us.
I hope I may now consider this point as proved,
and may henceforth assume it as an acknowledged
truth, that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit s influence
is founded on the state and character of every living
man. Indeed, if my statement upon this part of my
subject have failed to carry conviction along with it,
all that I shall have to bring forward in my two
remaining discourses will appear destitute of any
solid foundation, and unworthy of any serious atten
tion. It is on this account that I have devoted one
entire discourse to this part of my subject. I know
whom I address, and that they will justly expect to
see every step of my argument made clear and un
questionable. I have great and important truths to
bring before you in my remaining discourses ; and,
if I shew you not to your satisfaction the foundation
on which they stand, I cannot hope, or even wish, at
any time, and least of all in these days of fanaticism
and folly, that they should be favourably received
by you. " I speak as unto wise men ; and I call
upon you to judge what I say 2 ." But I do hope that
u 2 Cor. iv. 16. * 1 Cor. xii. 8.
y Eph. i. 1721. 1 Cor. x. 15.
1864.] OUR NEED OF THE 6OLY SPIRIT. 235
the words which I have delivered have carried con
viction along with them. And if any doubt remain
on the mind of a single individual, I call upon him
to study well the state of his own soul before God.
If any one of you think himself not so fallen as I
have represented, let him examine well the Scrip
tures, and compare them with the whole of his past
life. Or, if he think he can restore himself to God s
image by any power of his own, let it be seen that
he can do so, and let him prove it by an actual
appeal to fact. Or if, in the failure of these endea
vours, he is disposed to maintain that he has no need
of such a transformation of soul as I have spoken of,
then let him inquire diligently, and see, whether
there be not on God s part an insurmountable obstacle
to his admission into heaven in an unrenewed state;
and also, whether, if admitted into those blissful
mansions, there would not be on his part an insuper
able impediment to his enjoyment of them ; and
whether that be not true, which our Lord declared to
the obstinate and unbelieving Jews, " Whither I go,
ye cannot come 3 ."
But none of you will ever be able to satisfy your
selves on any one of these points. If you could
establish any one of them, you would set aside the
authority of the inspired volume, and disprove at once
the whole of Christianity. But if you acknowledge,
as you must, the truth of our preceding statement,
then set yourselves immediately to make a due im
provement of all that you have heard. Beg of God,
especially, that you may be impressed with a deep
sense of your exceeding sinfulness, and of your need
of the Holy Spirit s influence to renovate your souls.
And do not rest in a mere outward acknowledgment
of your guilt and helplessness, but cry mightily to
God, and " give him no rest 1 " till he bestow his Holy
Spirit upon you. Nor harbour a thought of delaying
this work to " a more convenient season :" for, who
can tell whether that more convenient season shall
a John viii. 21. b Isai. Ixii. 7. c Acts xxiv. 25.
236 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1864.
ever arrive? More especially now that God s judg
ments are so visibly, and with such rapid strides,
traversing the earth, and may, for aught we know, be
even already at our doors ; who can tell, whether
even a single day may be allowed you for repairing
your present neglect, and for acquiring that renova
tion of soul which you so greatly need. Indeed, this
is no time d for any of us to delay our preparation for
death and judgment. On the contrary, the very
circumstance of the proximity of danger, should give
tenfold energy to our endeavours ; since, in the event
of any sudden seizure, a consciousness of having
experienced this change, would tend to tranquillize
our minds, and, by disarming death of its terrors, to
counteract the effect of disease itself, which would
otherwise gather strength from the fears that were
excited by it.
I mean not, however, to be an alarmist on these
matters : but on the matters of eternity I am an
alarmist, even as the Apostle Paul was ; and " know
ing," as he did, " the terrors of the Lord, I would
persuade men 6 :" yes, I would persuade every one
amongst you, old and young, rich and poor, learned
and unlearned, to " flee from the wrath to come f ,"
and to " lay hold on eternal life g ." I ask every one
here present, Is my text true, or is it not ? If it be
true, what is it less than madness to waste the time
now afforded you for obtaining the gift of God s Holy
Spirit, and securing thereby the salvation of your
souls ? It will be too late to repent, when we are
taken hence, or to " ask for even a drop of water to
cool our tongues 11 ;" when now, if we would but cry
to God, we might obtain " rivers of living water 1 ."
Were we but in earnest, no soul amongst us should
be suffered to seek this gift in vain. Our blessed
Lord has promised his Holy Spirit to us ; yea, he
has himself received this heavenly gift on purpose
d Nov. 13, 1831, when the cholera had actually begun to shew
itself at Sunderland.
e 2 Cor. v. 11. t Matt. iii. 7. * 1 Tim. vi. 12.
h Luke xvi. 24. > John vii. 38.
1864.] OUR NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 237
that he may bestow it upon us k . But, however free
his promises be, " he will be inquired of by us," before
he will perform them 1 . The promise runs, "Ask,
and ye shall have ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you m ." Let us then, in
dependence on this promise, entreat of God to give
us, in the first place, his Holy Spirit as a " spirit of
grace and supplication 11 ;" and then, in answer to our
prayers, to " pour out his Spirit, even, as it were, in
rivers and floods upon us ;" that so there might be
accomplished in us that good work, which it is the
Spirit s office to perform, by renovating our souls, and
" causing us to walk in God s statutes, and to keep
his judgments, and do them p ." Then, having ob
tained this inestimable gift, let us be careful to improve
it aright, never "resisting his holy motions q ," lest we
provoke God to " withdraw his Spirit from us r ," and
with holy indignation to swear, that " his Spirit shall
strive with us no more 8 ;" and that "we shall never
enter into his rest 1 ."
The most important parts of my subject must of
necessity be deferred to the remaining opportunities
of addressing you. This, which I may call only a
prefatory part, I will conclude with that beautiful
Collect of our Church, in which the whole that has
been brought before you is thus briefly and piously
expressed : " O God, forasmuch as without thee we
are not able to please thee, grant that thy Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenV
k In Ps. Ixviii. 18. it is, "he received ;" but in Eph. iv. 8. " he
gave." He received in order that he might give.
1 Ezek. xxxvi. 37. m Matt. vii. 7. " Zech. xii. 10.
Isai. xliv. 3. P Ezek. xxxvi. 27. * Acts vii. 51.
Ps. li. 11. s Gen. vi. 3. * Heh. iii. 11.
u Collect for Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
238 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1805.
MDCCCLXV.
THE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS.
Rom. viii. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.
IN our two preceding discourses, we touched on
points necessary to be considered in order to a just
apprehension of our subject ; but they were rather of
an introductory nature, than a direct unfolding of
the subject itself. We now come to that which is of
prime importance, and in which our present and
eternal interests are most deeply involved, namely,
the work which the Holy Spirit accomplishes in men,
in order to their becoming the people and the pro
perty of Christ. And in our statements we will
exercise all imaginable caution not, on the one
hand, to fall short of what the Scripture indis
pensably requires ; nor, on the other hand, to strain
any requirement of Scripture beyond what it plainly
and incontrovertibly imports : for if, on the one hand,
we are bound, at the peril of our souls, not to with
hold any thing that can be profitable to you ; so we
are extremely anxious, on the other hand, not by
carrying any part of our subject to excess, to " make
sad the heart of any whom God would not have
made sad a ."
In prosecution of the plan before laid down, I now
come to state,
III. What the Holy Spirit will work in us in order
to our being Christ s. And here I shall comprehend
the whole in those three acknowledged duties,
repentance, faith, and obedience. I say then, that,
in order to bring us to Christ, the Holy Spirit will,
first, Convince us of sin ; secondly, He will reveal
Christ to us, as the appointed and only Saviour; and,
thirdly, He will lead us to an unreserved surrender of
ourselves to God, in a way of holy obedience.
First, He will convince us of sin. This is the
first work of the Spirit in bringing us to Christ ; and
a Ezek. xiii. 22.
1865.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS. 239
till this is accomplished, we neither are, nor can be,
Christ s. Of this work, there is not any real expe
rience in the natural man. He may have, as we
often see, a spirit of bondage ; which appears from
the apprehensions which men betray in the prospect
of death and judgment : but as for any real humilia
tion, he has it not ; nor can he form it in himself by
any power of his own. It is only when Christ sends
his Holy Spirit into our souls, that this great pre
paratory work is accomplished in us. It is that
heavenly Agent alone, that can " take away from us
the heart of stone, and give us an heart of flesh 11 ."
Hence our blessed Lord has promised to send his
Holy Spirit for this very end : " I will send the
Comforter unto you ; and when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin c ."
Now, the Holy Spirit will convince us, not of the
mere existence of sin, for nobody can be ignorant of
that ; but of the extent and heinonsness of our trans
gressions. In order to this, he will discover to us the
spiritual import of the law. Whilst in a natural and
unconverted state, we have little notion of the law,
except as it appears in the mere letter. But the Holy
Spirit will shew us, that it extends to every motion
of the heart ; that an angry wish is murder ; and an
impure look, adultery d ; and an inordinate desire after
any thing whatever, is a violation of the tenth com
mandment 6 . Thus he shews us that our sins, which
to the generality appear only as the stars in a cloudy
night, few, and at a great distance from each other,
are, in reality, like the stars in the brightest hemis
phere ; or, rather, like the stars in the clearest night,
viewed through a telescope of the largest power,
when their numbers (the number of our sins) exceed
all that we could ever have imagined ; forming, as it
were, one continuous mass through the whole space
of our lives f . The various aggravations of our sins
are then, also, brought to light, and are revealed
to us as the vilest ingratitude towards our heavenly
b Ezek. xi. 19. <= John xvi. 7, 8. (1 Matt. v. 21, 2 2, 27, 28.
e Rom. vii. 7. f Ps. xl. 12.
240 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1865.
Benefactor; the most injurious rebellion against our
almighty Creator; and the most inconceivable folly, as
destructive of our eternal welfare.
We are apt, for the pacifying of our own minds, to
balance our virtues against our faults. But the Holy
Spirit, by applying the law to our consciences, and
shewing us the extent of its demands, makes us to see
that our brightest virtues are, in fact, but splendid
sins, falling, as they do, infinitely short of that per
fection which the law requires of us. Thus the Holy
Spirit shews us, not only the depth of our guilt, but
the awfulness of our desert ; and that, if we die in an
unpardoned state, we have nothing to expect at God s
hands, but wrath and fiery indignation.
But, in addition to all this, there is one sin in par
ticular of which the Holy Spirit will convince us, and
which is especially referred to by our Lord, the sin
of unbelief. Our Lord says, " I will send the Com
forter, to reprove the world of sin, because they believe
not on me s ." Now this is a sin of which the uncon
verted man makes no account. If he think of it at
all, it is rather in extenuation than in aggravation of
his other sins. He considers unbelief rather as his
misfortune than his fault. He never once suspects
that there is in him a corrupt bias, and an evil heart
of unbelief; and that these are the main causes of
his departing from the living God h . Nor is he at all
aware that his unbelief owes its origin to the corrup
tion of his heart, and not to any want of clearness in
the things revealed.
God has sent his only dear Son into the world, to
reconcile sinners unto him, by his own obedience unto
death. He has, also, given most abundant evidence
of this, such as must of necessity convince any dis
passionate and candid mind. And he invites all the
children of men to accept of mercy in this his ap
pointed way. The heathen, who have never heard
of this merciful provision made for them, are not
accountable for their neglect of it ; but we, who
have been instructed in the knowledge of Christ, and
K John xvi. 7 9. h Heb. iii. 12.
1865.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS. 24-1
who profess to be followers of that Divine Saviour,
have "made light of these things," and are utterly
inexcusable for not having inquired more fully into
the mystery of redeeming love, and for having prac
tically said, " We will not have this man to reign over
us 1 ." Now, when the Spirit of God brings this to our
view, it appears the very summit of our guilt and
folly ; for, in fact, instead of requiting the Saviour s
love as we ought, with all imaginable gratitude and
self-devotion, we have done nothing, throughout our
whole lives, but " crucify to ourselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame k ."
Thus the Spirit of God brings to our view a sense
of our guilt and danger. But this is not all. He
breaks the heart, and humbles it in the dust, and
makes us cry out, with the converts on the day of
Pentecost, "Men and brethren, what shall we do 1 ?"
This effect is absolutely universal. There may be a
difference in the degrees with which these feelings are
produced in different people : but in quality, and
effect, they are the same in all. In all do they pro
duce that " broken and contrite spirit, which God
will not despise m ."
Now let not this work be mistaken. Where it
exists, whether the person have been more or less
moral, it discovers to the mind such a total alienation
from God, such an entire want of the Divine image,
and such an hateful depravity of heart, as makes a
man to say, with the prophet, " W^oe is me ! I am
undone":" yea, and to exclaim with Job, "Behold I
am vile ; I repent and abhor myself in dust and
ashes ." These may be thought to be merely parti
cular instances, peculiar to some distinguished saints,
and that they are not to be realized or expected
amongst us. But the Prophet Ezekiel tells us, that
all of us without exception must " lothe ourselves for
our iniquities and abominations, and that not only
before, but after, that God is pacified towards us p .
1 Luke xix. 14. k Heb. vi. 6. Acts ii. 37.
m Ps. li. 17. n Isai. vi. 5. Job xl. 4. and xlii. 6.
P Ezek. xvi. G3. and xxxvi. 31.
VOL. XV. K
242 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1865.
This is the very state which our Lord describes, when
he says, that " he came to seek and to save that
which was lost*:" and, till we know ourselves to be
thus lost, we never shall come to Christ aright. We
must feel ourselves, like Peter, actually sinking in the
waves, and, under a sense of our perishing condition,
must stretch out our hands, crying, " Save, Lord, or
I perish 1 ."
The next, the second work of the Holy Spirit is, to
reveal the Lord Jesus to us as the appointed and only
Saviour of the world. For this also a divine agency
is wanted, as much as for the humbling of our souls
before God. We may indeed acknowledge, that the
Lord Jesus Christ is the appointed Saviour. We may
even contend for it as an article of our creed, and
write learned dissertations upon it ; but all this is
widely different from that kind of view which the
Spirit of Christ gives to the believing soul. It is not
as a speculative truth that the Holy Spirit brings this
to the mind, but as a matter of indispensable import
ance to every soul of man ; like that of pointing out
the city of refuge to a man, who, hearing the pursuer
of blood rapidly gaining ground upon him, feels that
he must flee with all his might, if by any means he
may attain the wished-for gate of safety, before the
avenger shall have overtaken him.
The Spirit of God, as our Lord himself has ex
pressed it, " takes of the things that are Christ s, and
shews them to the inquiring soul." He shews to us
what Christ has done and suffered for a ruined world :
that he has left "the bosom of his Father 3 ," and
assumed our nature, and " borne our sins in his own
body on the tree 1 ." He shews us, that Christ is also
a living Saviour, sitting at the right hand of God to
complete in heaven the work which he began on
earth ; and that he is coming again in due season to
receive us to himself, that where he is we may be
also u . He shews us, that our blessed Lord has, in all
this work, accomplished every thing that was either
! Matt, xviii. 11. r Matt. viii. 25. s John i. 18.
1 i Pet. ii. 24. John xiv. 3.
1865.]] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS.
predicted concerning him in the prophecies, or sha
dowed forth in the Mosaic ritual. He shews us, that
by that one offering of himself upon the cross, he has
made an ample satisfaction " for the sins of the whole
world x ," and effected a perfect reconciliation between
God and man y , so that now God can be "just, and
yet a Saviour 2 ;" yea, he may be "just, and yet a jus-
tifier of them that believe in Christ*." He shews us,
that, "if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the
ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth
to the purifying of the flesh, much more shall the
blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit,
offered himself without spot to God, purge our con
science from dead works to serve the living GodV
Convincing us, I say, of these things, he assures us,
that, if only we " live by faith on this Saviour," and
" receive out of his fulness " our daily " supplies of
his Spirit" and grace, we have nothing to fear ; for
that work that is now begun in us, shall assuredly be
carried on and perfected "until the day of Christ ."
From this time the sinner builds on " Christ as the
only true foundation d ," and glories in him as "all his
salvation and all his desire 6 ." Even a full assurance
of faith he is now enabled to exercise, under a full
conviction that " there is no condemnation to them
that are in Christ Jesus f ;" and that "all who believe
in him are justified from all things g ."
A full assurance of hope, indeed, a true believer
may want ; but a full assurance of faith he must
have, and should never lose. Faith, being founded
simply on the truth of God, should never vary, under
any circumstances whatever ; but hope is founded partly
on the promises of God, and partly on a conscious
ness that we are in that state to which the promises
are made, and, therefore, it may vary, yea, and should
vary, according to the progress we have made in the
divine life, and the meetness we have attained for the
* 1 John ii. 2. y Col. i. 20. z Isai. xlv. 21.
a Rom. iii. 26. b Heb. ix. 13, 14. c Phil. i. 6.
d 1 Cor. iii. 11. e 2 Sam. xxiii. . r >. f Rom. viii. 1.
e Acts xiii. 3!>.
244 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1865.
heavenly inheritance. Faith is a duty, and can never
be too strong ; hope is a privilege, and should rise or
fall according to circumstances. The want of an
assured faith is sin: the want of an assured hope
may indeed argue a low, or even a sinful, state; but
it is in itself rather a duty than a sin, provided we
are not in a state that warrants such a hope. Strong
faith will, doubtless, for the most part, generate a
lively hope, and render it as influential for our
safety, as it is conducive to our comfort. Hope is, in
fact, the daughter of faith ; and, when grown to
maturity, will perform the same offices as faith,
"purifying the heart after the Saviour s image h ," and
" saving the soul," both with a present and an ever
lasting salvation 1 . This distinction between faith and
hope is necessary for our comfort, and should be
particularly borne in mind by those who minister in
holy things ; for many, from confounding the two,
are adverse to the doctrine of a full assurance of
faith ; whilst many, from the very same cause, are
induced to write bitter things against themselves
without any just occasion for their disquietude,
apprehending that their weakness of hope argues, of
necessity, a want of faith. But a person may have
strong faith, whilst yet he is very far from an assured
hope. The Canaanitish woman, who was repeatedly
rejected by our Lord as an unfit person to enjoy the
blessing which she solicited, (" I am not sent but to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel k ;" "I cannot
take the children s bread, and cast it unto dogs 1 ,")
shewed, by her persevering importunity, that her faith
in Christ was strong ; and, therefore, our Lord com
mended her, saying, " O woman, great is thy faith :
be it unto thee even as thou wilt" 1 ." This, then, I
have spoken, lest any, because they have not an
assured hope, should think themselves destitute of a
saving faith. If our faith in Christ be simple and
entire, " we shall be saved by him with an everlasting
salvation"."
h Acts ix. 15. with 1 John v.3. Rom. viii. 24. k Matt. xv. 24.
1 Matt. xv. 26. m Matt. xv. 28. n Isai. xlv. 17.
1865. J THE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS. 245
If it be thought this knowledge of Christ is attain
able by any human efforts, let the Apostle s declaration
be borne in mind : " By grace ye are saved, through
faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of
God ." And he elsewhere tells us, that " it is given
to us to believe in Christ p ." It was " by the Spirit of
wisdom and revelation that any of old attained the
knowledge of Christ q :" and it is by the same divine
Teacher that we must all be brought to him at this
time ; as it is said, "All thy children shall be taught
of God r :" and again, " No man can come unto me,
except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him 8 ."
But I observed, that the Spirit of Christ yet further
(in the third place) enables the believer to devote
himself wholly and unreservedly to God. This is as
necessary as either of the former. In fact, without
this, where it can be effected, the others, even if
they could exist, would be of no saving benefit to
the soul. An entire surrender of the soul to God is
that for which the graces of penitence and faith are
given. But this also is the work of the Spirit, and
can never be wrought by any finite power. The man
now possesses " a divine nature 1 ," totally distinct from
that which he brought into the world with him. He
is altogether "a new creature";" made so by him
who created him at first, and " breathed into him a
living soul x ." And can there be any doubt by whom
this change is wrought ? Let the Apostle s testimony
determine this point : " We are God s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus y ." And again, " He that hath
wrought us for the self-same thing is God; who also
hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit 2 ."
I have said that the Spirit of God makes known to
the believing soul the mercies of God in Christ Jesus;
and by this manifestation of God s love, he constrains
the believer to " give himself up, a living sacrifice to
God 3 ;" and, from a consciousness, that "he has been
Epli. ii. 8. P Phil. i. 29. * Eph. i. 17.
John vi. 45. s John vi. 44. 1 2 Pet. i. 4.
II Gal. vi. 15. x Gen. ii. 7. y Eph. ii. 10.
7 - 2 Cor. v. 5. a Rom. xii. 1.
246 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1865.
bought with a price, to glorify God with his body and
his spirit, which are his b ." From this time, the man
enters on a new course, mortifying the whole body of
sin, and crucifying all his corrupt affections ; as it is
written, " They that are Christ s, have crucified the
flesh, with the affections and lusts c ." From this time,
also, all the fruits of the Spirit are brought forth by
him, and he progressively abounds in all the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory
and praise of God d ." Holiness, in all its branches, is
now the chief desire and delight of his soul. " By
walking in the Spirit, he is kept from any desire to fulfil
the lusts of the flesh 6 ." " He can no longer commit sin,
as he once did, because he is born of God f ." Were it
possible, he would become " holy, as God himself is
holy g ." His continual prayer is, that " the God of peace
would sanctify him wholly; and that his whole body,
soul, and spirit, may be preserved blameless unto God s
heavenly kingdom 11 ." As for the world, and all its
vanities, he is crucified to it " by the cross of Christ ;
and the world, even in all its most attractive graces, is
as a crucified object to him 1 ." The relation between
him and the world, like the tie of a departed relative, is
dissolved 11 ; and though in the world, " he is no more
of the world, than Christ himself was of the world 1 ."
To walk before God, and with God, and to " maintain
continual fellowship with the Father and the Son" 1 /
is now his one ambition, his one pursuit. And it is
only in proportion as he has attained this change,
that he has any evidence that he belongs to Christ.
In this way, allowing only for circumstantial varieties
in different cases, the Holy Spirit completes in men
the three different works which I mentioned, as
necessary in order to our becoming Christ s.
I know that there are some who would call this a
legal statement. But I have no hesitation in saying,
that it is the statement which is found in every page
b 1 Cor. vi. 20. c Gal. v. 24. d Phil. i. 11.
e Gal. v. 10. f 1 John iii. 9. s Lev. xix. 2.
h 1 Thess. v. 2:5. i Gal. vi. 14. k Rom. vii. 4.
1 John xvii. 10. m ] J ] 1U j 3
1865.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS. 247
of the inspired volume ; and that no part of it can,
by any means, be dispensed with. If we be not
penitent, we can never come to Christ aright ; if we
rely on any thing but his meritorious blood and right
eousness, we can never be accepted of him ; and, if
we yield not ourselves up to him in a way of holy
obedience, he will never acknowledge us as his. The
same Scripture which says, " Except ye repent, ye
shall all perish 11 ," says also, " He that believeth not
the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God
abideth on him ;" and still further adds, " Without
holiness, no man shall see the Lord p ." Now no true
Disciple of Christ would wish any one of these de
mands to be waved, or softened down in any respect.
He would most gladly comply with them all. He
would assign no measure to his penitence, no bounds
to his faith, no limits to his obedience. In actual
attainment, it is true, he has many defects, and much
that affords him occasion for grief and shame : but,
in heart and mind, he is like-minded with God; and he
can appeal to God, that he would regard a perfect con
formity to his revealed will as a very heaven upon earth.
Now comes the question which it behoves every one
of us to put to himself with all sincerity ; WHAT EVI
DENCE HAVE I THAT I AM CHRIST S ? Has the Spirit of
Christ actually wrought these things in me ? Does
my conscience bear me witness that I am deeply
penitent before God : and that not merely on account
of some flagrant transgression which I may have
committed, but for the indwelling corruptions of my
heart, and for the defectiveness of my very best
duties ? Do I take the law as my rule of judgment,
and feel that I have need, in reference to every one
of the commandments, to pray from my inmost soul,
" Lord, have mercy upon me for my past violations
of this law, and incline my rebellious heart to keep it
in future ?" Can I also appeal to God that I do flee
to Christ for refuge, renouncing utterly every other
ground of hope, and " determining to know nothing,
and rely on nothing, for my acceptance with God, but
11 Luke xiii. 5. John iii. 36. P Heb. xii. 14.
21-8 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1865.
Jesus Christ and him crucified" ?" Do I look with a
holy jealousy and indignation on every thing that
would divide with him the honour of my salvation;
and is this the most rooted and habitual sentiment
of my heart, " God forbid that I should glory save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 ?" Further, does
" the love of Christ constrain me to live, not to my
self, but to Him who died for me and rose again s ;"
and does my whole walk, both in public and private,
bear witness for me, that I live only for God and for
eternity ; and that all my other pursuits, of whatsoever
kind they be, are subordinated to this, and made sub
servient to it ? Let it be remembered, I am not now
asking whether we do these things perfectly; but
whether we do them sincerely and habitually ; and
whether every deviation from this heavenly course be
a source of grief and shame to us ; yea, whether we
are " labouring after perfection 1 ," though we know
we are not able to attain it ? Moreover, is all this
manifest to those around us, and especially to those
who are most conversant with us in our daily walk ?
Do they see, and can they testify in our behalf, that
this is indeed the constant habit of our minds, and
the uniform tenour of our life ? Do they see a marked
difference between us and the world around us ; and
that we are, in fact, " lights in a dark world, holding
forth in our conversation the word of life u ;" and
proving to every beholder the truth of our profession
by the consistency of our conduct ? Let us not put
away from us these searching inquiries ; let us not turn
away from them as though this change were unattain
able, or as though we could be saved without it. Let
us remember what is at issue, and how deeply we are
interested in it. / want to know whether I am Christ s;
I want to know whether, if I were to die this day,
Christ would acknowledge me as his ; or whether I
have not reason rather to fear, that he would say to
me, " Depart from me ; I never knew you x ."
I am aware that some will endeavour to evade these
4 1 Cor. ii. 2. Gal. vi. 14. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.
1 2 Cor. xiii. 9. u Phil. ii. 10. * Matt. vii. 23.
1865.] TIIE SPIRIT S WORK IN UNBELIEVERS. 219
things, by saying that we require too much. Then I
demand, which of these things can be dispensed with ?
Can repentance ? Can faith ? Can obedience ? There
is not a person here who does not know, that not one
of these things can be neglected, but to the certain
destruction of our souls. Again, I ask, which of
these things can be wrought in us by our own power;
or for which of them is not the operation of the Holy
Spirit necessary ? If repentance can be wrought
effectually in you by any power of your own, prove
it. If faith in Christ can, prove it. If obedience to
his commandments can, prove it. But be careful not
to mistake the shadow for the substance. Think not
that the saying that you possess these things, or that
you intend hereafter to attain them, will suffice. You
must possess them; you must possess them in reality ;
you must possess them now, if you would have any
scriptural evidence that you are Christ s, or any well-
founded hope of dwelling with Christ in the eternal
world. I charge you before God that you examine,
every one of you, your present state, and that you
defer not any longer the attainment of the things on
which your everlasting salvation depends. Think, I
pray you, if ye are not Christ s, whose are ye? Fearful
thought ! I pray God that no one amongst you may
ever have to learn this by bitter experience ; but that
all of you may, from this moment, lay it to heart, and
improve, whilst yet ye may, this day of your salvation !
I tremble, lest in any of you this day of grace be ter
minated by death ; and, when ye are vainly hoping
for acceptance with Christ as his peculiar people,
Satan should lay claim to you as his vassals, and pos
sess you for ever, sad trophies of his victorious power,
and wretched monuments of his malignant sway.
And now, in conclusion, may God send down his
Holy Spirit upon you all " to bear testimony to the
word of his grace y ," which has been delivered to you,
and render it " the power of God to the salvation of
your souls 2 !" Amen and Amen.
y Acts xiv. 3. 7 Rom. i. 10.
itfO ROMANS, V1IL 9. [1866.
MDCCCLXVI.
THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS.
Rom. viii. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.
IN entering on this closing part of our subject, I
feel peculiar difficulty, not from any want of scriptural
and incontrovertible materials, but from the very
nature of those materials which, being wholly of
an experimental nature, can only commend them
selves to those who, by actual experience, are qualified
to judge of them. There are, as we all know, different
kinds of life vegetable, animal, and rational each
rising above the other, and each, in its order, evincing
a manifest superiority above that which is below it.
But there is a fourth kind of life, of which the Scrip
ture speaks ; viz. a spiritual life, which rises as far
above the rest, as any one of them does above another.
All have their proper powers, which, however, they
cannot exceed. The vegetable life has productive
ness, but no consciousness nor activity. The animal
life has feeling, but no perception of the deductions
of reason. The rational life apprehends moral truth ;
but forms no just conception of things which are
spiritual. The spiritual life is exercised on things
that are matters of pure revelation, which reason is
not of itself able to apprehend.
But I wish to guard against a common misappre
hension respecting this spiritual life. It is by no means
correct to speak of it as constituting a new sense ; for
then it would be a man s misfortune only, and not
his fault, if he did not possess it. But it is correct
to say, that the spiritual man has a spiritual percep
tion, which the natural man does not possess. The
merely rational man has a film before his eyes ; he
views things through the medium of sense, and not of
faith ; and the medium through which he looks at
objects, distorts them, if it do not altogether hide
them from his sight. But in the spiritual man, the
Holy Spirit, as "eye-salve," clears away the film%
a Rev. iii. 18.
1866.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 251
and enables him to discern things as they really are.
Faith also assists him, by bringing remote objects
with greater clearness to his mind. The power of
the telescope to bring to our view things that are
invisible to the naked eye, is well known. Now this
is the office and effect of faith, which enables us, if I
may so speak, to behold both God himself, and the
hidden mysteries of God b , and to obtain a clear per
ception of things which are altogether beyond the
reach of the eye of sense. Hence it appears that the
merely rational man labours under a twofold disad
vantage in comparison of the spiritual man : he looks
through a dense medium of sense, which distorts, or
altogether conceals., the objects before him ; and he
wants that peculiar glass of faith, which would present
them truly, and bring them, if I may so say, directly
upon the retina of his mind. This is what St. John
means, when he says, " The light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness comprehendeth it not ;" and this
is, in very explicit terms, declared by St. Paul to be
a matter of universal experience 1 . "The natural
man (whoever he may be) receiveth not the things
of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto
him (being seen by him only in a distorted view) :
neither can he know them, because they are spiri
tually discerned (and he wants that spiritual perception,
whereby alone he can truly apprehend them). But
he that is spiritual, judgeth all things (having a clear
and just perception of them) ; yet he himself is
judged of no man (for it were a downright absurdity
for a blind man to sit in judgment on one who sees) ;
For who (i.e. what merely natural man) hath known
the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him
(the spiritual man) ? But we (we who are spiritual)
have the mind of Christ" (and are, therefore, able to
judge both ourselves and others).
But whilst, in order to guard against misapprehen
sion, I speak thus, I well know that there are many,
very many, in the midst of us, who can form the most
accurate judgment of all we say, and who, if not in
b Heb. xi. 27. c John i. 5. d 1 Cor. ii. 1-1 Hi.
252 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [18(>(>.
relation to every word, will yet, as a whole, set their
seal to the truth of it ; and, therefore, I hesitate not
to lay before you what I verily believe to be in perfect
accordance with God s revealed will, though on a
subject so recondite and mysterious.
I am not, however, without a consciousness, and
with deep grief I utter it, that, under a profession of
bringing forth only scriptural truth, some give vent
to the veriest absurdities, talking about dreams and
visions, and arrogating to themselves I know not
what claims of preternatural endowments. But
against all such fancies and conceits I would enter
my most solemn protest. The truth of God, though
elevated above reason, is in perfect accordance with
reason ; and by its reasonableness as a part of divine
revelation would I wish every word that I utter to be
tried. I ask nothing more than this ; that as God,
of his own sovereign will and pleasure, bestows on
some greater natural gifts than on others, so he may
act in reference to spiritual gifts : and that, as all our
natural faculties are called forth into action by things
visible, our hopes and fears, and joys and sorrows,
being excited by them according to the interest we
have in them, so our spiritual faculties may be called
into action by things invisible, even by all the wonders
of redeeming love, according as the blessings of
redemption are manifested to the soul, and our
interest in them is made the one subject of our pre
sent and prospective happiness.
Having premised thus much, I now come to shew,
in the fourth and last place,
IV. What the Holy Spirit will work in us when we
are Christ s. We must never forget that the Holy
Spirit unites with the Lord Jesus Christ in the whole
of his mediatorial office, though each sustains and
executes in a more appropriate way that part which
has been assigned him by the Father : and, if any of
us be " washed, and justified, and sanctified, it is in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God e ." But it is the Spirit s office to which I must
e 1 Cor. vi. 11.
1866.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 253
confine myself : and whilst I address myself to this
arduous and momentous subject, may the Lord Jesus
Christ himself " be with us," as he has promised f , and
" baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire g ," to
consume the dross that is within us u , and to kindle in
our hearts an inextinguishable flame of love towards
his blessed name!
The Holy Spirit then will perform in us the offices
of a Teacher, a Sanctifier, and a Comforter.
Let us view him first as a Teacher.
The young convert knows little beyond " the first
principles of the oracles of God 1 ." He is like a per
son just landed on a newly-discovered country, the
beauty and riches of which he has yet to learn. But
the Holy Spirit of Christ will open things to us, even
as the Lord Jesus himself did when on earth to his
Disciples, gradually, as we are able to bear them ;
and with increased knowledge, he will give us " senses
proportionally exercised to discern good and evil k ,"
and thus will " lead us on to perfection 1 ." The fun
damental doctrine of salvation by faith is known by
us when we first come to Christ. But there is much
which as yet is very indistinctly seen. For instance,
the nature and difficulty of the Christian warfare is
yet but very partially discovered. The deceitfulness
and desperate wickedness of the human heart is but
little known ; (in fact, who but God can know it to
its full extent" 1 ) " the deceitfulness of sin 11 " also is by
no means clearly discerned. As for " the devices of
Satan ," the young believer is still " ignorant of
them" to a great extent ; and of " the wiles" whereby
that subtle adversary deludes the souls of men, he has
scarcely any conception 1 ". Little does he imagine
what power that old serpent has to " beguile the
minds of the simple q ," and " to corrupt them, even as
he deceived our mother Eve, from the simplicity that
is in Christ 1 ." Armour is provided for him against
f Matt, xxviii. 20. e Matt. iii. 11. h Isai. iv. 4.
5 Heb. v. 12. fc Heb. v. 14. l Heb. vi. 1.
m Jer. xvii. 9. n Heb. iii. 13. 2 Cor. ii. 11.
P Eph. vi. 11. <i Rom. xvi. 18, r 2 Cor. xi. 3.
i?54 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1866.
that great enemy of souls 5 ; but he knows not yet
how to use it, so as to defeat him, who is but too
justly called ApollyonV He has in his hand "the
word, which is the sword of the Spirit";" but he
knows not how to use it with effect : " he is unskilful
in the word of righteousness V It is not till after
many conflicts that he learns, what are the parts on
which he is most open to assault, what are the stra
tagems whereby that wily adversary most successfully
ensnares him, and what are the means by which he
is to ensure the victory over all his assailants. In the
spiritual warfare, as in that which is temporal, expe
rience can be gained only by active service. There is
however this difference between them : in temporal
warfare, proficiency is the result of human ingenuity;
whereas, in the spiritual warfare, it is the Spirit of
God alone that can inspire us with the knowledge and
address, whereby we are to vanquish the legions of
spirits that are combined against us y .
But, further, the Holy Spirit will also discover to
us the fulness and excellency of the Gospel salvation.
The plan of salvation is, as I have already acknow
ledged, understood by the veriest babe in Christ.
But the excellency of it will be more and more de-
loped to him, till, from the obscurity of the morning
dawn, he attains the fuller light of the meridian sun ;
according as it is written by the prophet ; " Then
shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord :
his goings fortli are prepared as the morning 2 ;" and
as Solomon also has assured us, " The path of the
just is as the shining light, which shineth more and
more unto the perfect day a ." The young Christian
knows little of that covenant to which all our sal
vation must ultimately be traced ; the covenant
entered into between the Father and the Son for the
redemption of our fallen race ; the covenant, wherein
Christ, on the one part, undertook to stand in our
place and stead, and to endure, in his own person,
s Eph. vi. 13. t Rev. ix. 11. u E p h. v i. 17.
x Heh. v. l:J. y Eph. vi. 17, 18. z Hos. vi. 3.
a Prov. iv. 18.
1866.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 255
the penalty which he had incurred ; and the Father,
on the other part, both gave unto him a chosen
people b , and engaged to accept them as righteous, on
account of what he should do and suffer for them.
" This covenant is ordered in all things, and sure:"
and the blessings of it are all treasured up for us in
Christ, our great head and representative , and are
thus secured to us for ever : as it is written, " Our
life is hid with Christ in God : and therefore, when
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also shall
appear with him in glory* 1 . These blessings, too, are
to be received from him 6 simply " through the exer
cise of faith, that thus they may be sure to all the
seed 1 ;" for no human being could ever have hoped
to possess them, if they had been committed to any
other depository, or if the attainment of them had
been suspended on the strength and fidelity of man.
To unfold these things to the soul is the Holy
Spirit s office. For this end he is given to us as
" an unction that shall abide with us," and that shall,
to a certain degree, by the clearness of his commu
nications, supersede the necessity for human instruc
tion 8 ; and, being given to us for this end, he enables
the believer gradually to dive more and more deeply
into this mystery, which the human eye cannot pene
trate, at least not so penetrate as to behold its ex
cellency 1 . These are among " the deep things of
God, which the Spirit alone searches," even the
things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor
heart conceived, but which are revealed to the soul
by the Spirit of God 1 , and can be known in no other
way k . True, these things are written plainly in the
inspired volume, even as the figures are engraven
with the utmost possible plainness on the sun-dial :
but both in the one case, and in the other, are they
written in vain, till light is vouchsafed from heaven
to shine upon them : then only does the gnomon
b John xvii. 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24. c Col. ii. 9.
d Col. iii. 3, 4. e John i. 16. f Rom. iv. 16.
g 1 John ii. 27. h Eph. i. 17, 18. 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10.
k 1 Cor. ii. 11, 12.
256 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [i860.
perform its office in the one ; and then only is the
end answered for the illumination of the soul in the
other. Till that take place, " the natural man, how
learned soever he be in other respects, will never
discern aright the things of the Spirit of God : they
will be no better than foolishness unto him."
The believer, thus taught of God, has a knowledge
of the Deity, of which he had scarcely the slightest
notion before. What astonishing views has he of the
wisdom of God in devising such a plan, whereby
God s own justice might be duly satisfied, and his
mercy flow down to man in perfect consistency with
all his other attributes ! When he contemplates the
goodness of God, thus exercised; the holiness of God,
thus honoured; and the truth of God, thus kept
inviolate ; and all the perfections of God, thus har
monizing and glorified; and all this for HIM; he is
perfectly astounded ; he knows not how to believe it;
it seems to him all as "a mere parable 1 ." But seeing
how suited all this is to his necessities, and how
sufficient for his wants, and that, in any other way
than this, he could find no more ground of hope for
himself than for the fallen angels, he is forced to
believe it ; he sees that it is revealed in the Bible as
with a sun-beam, and established by evidence that
admits not of the slightest doubt : and when he sees
further, that it has a transforming efficacy upon all
who receive it, he is constrained to receive it as the
very truth of God, and to say, " Lord, to whom else
shall we go ? Thou, even thou only, hast the words
of eternal life;" and "we believe and are sure, that
thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God m ."
I merely give these things as samples only of what
the Holy Spirit will effect in the believing soul as a
Teacher; for the same powerful agency is extended
to every part of divine truth, and every part, also, of
Christian experience, seeing that he is expressly pro
mised to "guide us into all truth"," that so, by his
effectual teaching, " we may know all things ."
1 Ezek. xx. 49. m j h n v i. 68, 69.
n Johnxvi. 13. 1 John ii. 20.
1866.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 257
But we will next consider his operations, under the
office of a Sanctifier. In this view we speak of him
in our catechism, as " sanctifying the elect people of
God." In fact, all that he does as a Teacher, is in
order to his work as a Sanctifier. Does he " reveal
Christ in us," so as to give us brighter views of his
person, and a more comprehensive knowledge of his
work and offices ? it is, that " we, beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, may be changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord p ." Does he further enable us to
" comprehend the breadth and length, and depth
and height, and to know with progressive clearness
and certainty the love of Christ which passeth know
ledge ? it is, that we may be thereby " filled with all
the fulness of God q ." With increasing knowledge he
gives an increase of spiritual perception ; and with
that perception, a spiritual appetite ; and with that
appetite, a spiritual attainment ; and this continues to
advance, till " the soul with all its powers is brought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ 1 ." I think
the whole process, though above the conception of
the highest archangel, may, for all practical purposes,
be brought down to the apprehension of a child. Our
blessed Lord compares it to the wind, which is mighty
in operation, but visible only in its effects. " It blows
when and where it listeth., but we cannot tell either
whence it comes, or whither it goes 8 ;" yet of its
agency we have no doubt whatever. The veriest
child acknowledges it, whilst the wisest philosopher
is unable adequately to explain it. The magnet
would furnish us with a similar illustration of this
truth ; for its influence, if not rendered visible by
actual experience, would not be credited. But there
is another natural process which will give us a fuller,
and, perhaps I may say, a more distinct, apprehension
of this mysterious subject. A river flowing from its
source in one current to the ocean, may serve to shew
us the natural man, with all his faculties, both of
P 2 Cor. iii. 18. 1 Eph. iii. 18, 19.
r 2 Cor. x. 5. 8 John iii. 8.
VOL. XV.
258 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [l8(>6.
body and mind, departing from God, and proceeding
with fatal indifference and perseverance, till he is
finally lost in that abyss from whence there is no
return. But, within a certain distance from the sea,
we may behold that same river arrested in its course
by the tide, and returning with equal rapidity towards
its fountain-head : and in that we may behold the
sinner returning to his God. Even from the partial
back-currents which are occasioned by local obsta
cles, we may behold the parallel yet more strikingly
illustrated : for in either case, these may serve to
shew, that, as in man s departure from God there
are some risings of compunction, and some little,
though ineffectual, restraints, from the remonstrances
of an accusing conscience ; so, in the believer s
return to God, there are some remnants of corrup
tion, which betray a want of that completeness of
soul, which he will enjoy in a better world. But
the point particularly to be noticed is, How is this
change effected ? How is it effected in the river ? Is
it through the power and instrumentality of man ?
No : it is by the invisible, but powerful, attraction of
the moon. The operation of the moon is not seen
but in its effects : yet it is not on that account
denied : the effects are unquestionable ; nor can they
reasonably be traced to any other cause ; at all events
they cannot in the smallest possible degree be ascribed
to man. And how is the change effected upon the
souls of men ? It is the Holy Spirit who operates
upon them to bring them back to God. True, his
operations are not seen, except in the effects pro
duced by them : but those effects infinitely exceed
all human power : and in the unerring word of God
they are ascribed to the Holy Spirit, whose peculiar
office it is, not only to regenerate us at first, but pro
gressively to form us after the Divine image, and to
lender us meet for our heavenly inheritance*. That
there are defects in the best of men is certain ; but
that only makes the analogy more complete. There
are, and will be, intervening obstacles, that will, at
* Tit. iii. 3, 5.
1866.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 259
some times, and under peculiar circumstances, inter
fere with the believer s progress": but these do not
interrupt his general course, or give any just cause
for questioning the influence under which he moves x .
His habitual " walk is, not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit y ." We have said, that the work is pro
gressive. He goes from grace to grace 2 , from victory
to victory, " growing up into Christ in all things, till
he arrive at the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ 3 ." At first he is represented in the Scrip
tures as " a child, then as a young man, and then as
a father b :" and the work in his soul is compared to
the corn, which appears first in " the blade, then in
the ear, and then as the full corn in the ear c ." These
very comparisons shew, that the believer is not at first
all that he will be at a future period : his heart will
be more and more weaned from earthly things, and
with more and more intensity be fixed on things
above, till he is altogether " changed into the image
of his God in righteousness and true holiness*."
This advance towards maturity will be more or less
visible to all around him. There will be in him
more solidity, more uniformity, more consistency.
His principles will be more and more commended to
all around him by their efficacy to " beautify his
soul 6 ," and to adorn his life f . In a word, he will be
renewed, not in his mind only, but " in the- spirit of
his mind 8 " and will become " an epistle of Christ
known and read of all men," an epistle not " written
by any human hand, but by the Spirit of the living
GodV He will be in himself, and will constrain all
who know him to acknowledge that he is, what the
Scriptures emphatically call, " A MAN OF GOD ."
And what is the result of all this ? What, but
that in and by the whole of this work, the Holy Spirit
performs the office of a Comforter? Under this
u Rom. vii. 18, 19. x Rom. vii. 21 24. y Rom. viii. 1, 5.
* 2 Pet. iii. 18. a Eph. iv. 7, 13. b 1 Johnii. 1214.
c Mark iv. 28. d Eph. iv. 24. e Ps. cxlix. 4.
f 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4. * Eph. iv. 23. h 2 Cor. iii. 2, S.
j 2 Tim. iii. 17.
ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1866.
character, " the world know him not, neither can re
ceive him: but believers do know him; for he dwelleth
with them, and shall be in them*" throughout the
whole of their earthly pilgrimage. Even at their first
coming to Christ, the Holy Spirit, in some measure,
dischargeth this office, speaking peace to their trou
bled consciences, and enabling them to rejoice in
their unseen, but beloved Saviour 1 . This was emi
nently conspicuous on the day of Pentecost, when
the whole multitude of believers, who had just before
been filled with terror, " ate their bread with gladness
and singleness of heart, blessing and praising God m ."
But through the whole course of their future life, he
carries on this work, revealing Christ more and more
clearly to them, and applying the promises with sweet
assurance to their souls. Hence the word so applied
is said to " work by the power of the Spirit of God n ,"
and to "come to men, not in word only, but also in
power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assu
rance ;" and the Holy Ghost himself is called " the
Holy Spirit of promise p ," because in this way he makes
use of the promises for their good. Thus he per
forms the office of a Comforter towards Christ s re
deemed people : he gives them near " access to God"
in prayer q ; and in their supplications "helps their
infirmities 1 ," and " makes intercession for them, and
in them, according to the will of God s ." He is in
them a Spirit of adoption, enabling them to go to
God with confidence, crying, Abba, Father 1 ; and,
" shedding abroad God s love in their hearts"/ he
" witnesses with their spirits, that they are children
of God x ." In this way, also, he establishes them in
Christ y , and " seals them unto the day of redemp
tion 2 ," and " is within them an earnest of their hea
venly inheritance V "An earnest" is a part of a
k John xiv. 16, 17. ! 1 Pet. i. 8. Acts ii. 46.
n Rom. xv. 19. 1 Thess. i. 5. P Eph. i. 13.
i Eph. ii. 18. r Rom. viii. 26. and Jude, ver. 20.
s Rom. viii. 27. * Rom. viii. 15. u Rom. v. 5.
x Rom. viii. 16. > 2 Cor. i. 21.
z 2 Cor. i. 22. with Eph. i. 17. a Eph. i. 14.
1866.]] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 261
payment, and a pledge of the remainder ; and such is
the Holy Spirit in the believer s soul, giving him
already, in possession, a measure of the heavenly
felicity, and assuring to him, in due season, the full
and everlasting possession of it. In a season of
affliction especially do the communications of his
grace abound. We read of those who " received the
word with much affliction, and joy of the Holy
Ghost b ;" and "in proportion as any person s afflic
tions abound, the Holy Ghost will make his con
solations to abound" with still greater and more
transcendent efficacy .
It is worthy, however, of observation, that the
comforts which he administers at an earlier, and at a
more advanced period, are, for the most part, widely
different ; the one being rather of a tumultuous na
ture, the other more serene ; the one more transient,
the other more abiding ; the one elevating the spirits
of a man on account of the good that has accrued
to him ; the other humbling and abasing his soul,
on account of his great unworthiness : the one is
a fire recently kindled, in which there is a consi
derable mixture of flame and smoke ; the other like
a fire that has become bright and solid, and burns
with an unobtrusive, but mighty, efficacy. In con
firmation of what I have said, I need only add, that
this is the very description which God himself has
given us of his kingdom : that it " consists not in
externals of any kind, but in righteousness, and peace,
and joy in the Holy Ghost d ."
And now, will any one say that these blessings
were peculiar to the apostolic age, and are not to be
expected by us ? What then is the meaning of that
interrogation, which St. Paul addressed to the whole
Corinthian Church, " Know ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you e ?" And, again, " Know ye not your ownselves,
how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be repro
bates^" Hence it is evident, that this is a truth, of
15 1 Thess. i. G. c 2 Cor. i. 5. d Rom. xiv. 17.
e 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. f 2 Cor. xiii. 5.
JR.OMANS, VIII. 9. [1866.
which we must not only have the actual experience,
but a consciousness also, that it is realized in us :
and the man who questions it as a matter of Christian
experience, has yet to learn the very first principles
of the Christian faith : for even to the murderers of
our Lord did St. Peter on the day of Pentecost an
nounce, that this blessing should be theirs ; and that
too even to their latest posterity : " Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost : for the promise is to you and
to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall calK" In fact, this
is the promise which was originally made to Abraham
for himself and all his believing posterity, whether of
the Jewish or Gentile world, even " the promise of
the Spirit through faith 11 ."
This objection therefore being set aside, I con
fidently ask whether I have carried any one of these
matters to excess, either requiring more than the
Scriptures require, or promising more than the Scrip
tures promise ? I can truly say, that I have exercised
all possible caution on this head. I know and lament,
that there are crude and enthusiastic conceits enter
tained by some, who would have us believe that they
are actuated by certain divine impulses, irrespective
of the word as the medium of conveying them, and
in despite of the vanity and folly which they them
selves betray as their invariable result. But I trust,
that not one word that I have spoken can be thought
to have countenanced any such conceits as these.
The written word is the medium by which the Spirit
works, and the standard by which his agency must be
tried : and, if his operations do not produce holiness,
as well as light and comfort, they are no better than a
delusion, a desperate and a fatal delusion. The offices
of the Holy Spirit cannot be separated from each
other. He is a Teacher, a Sanctifier, and a Com
forter : and 1 advisedly place the office of a Sanctifier
between the other two, because it is equally connected
* Acts ii. 38, 39. > Gal. iii. 14.
1866.] THE SPIRIT S WORK IN BELIEVERS. 263
both with that which precedes, and with that which
follows ; with that which precedes, as the end for
which divine teaching is administered, and with that
which follows, as that without which no true comfort
can possibly exist. I entreat, then, that you will all
look for the gift of the Holy Spirit, to impart to you
these blessings : and, I declare before God, that no
one of you will ever behold the face of God in peace,
if you do not both desire and obtain the Holy Spirit for
these ends. The word of God is immutable ; " If any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
If any be disposed to deride the sacred influences
of the Spirit, imputing to Satan, as it were, what is
wrought by the Holy Ghost, let them beware of the
sin against the Holy Ghost ; for they tread close upon
it, if they do not actually commit it. I would have
them remember, that, in proportion to the light against
which they offend, and the malignity with which they
utter their scoffs, they approach this fatal sin: and, if
once they do commit it, our blessed Lord declares,
that " they shall never have forgiveness, either in
this world, or in the world to come ; and that they
are therefore in danger of eternal damnation 1 ."
On the other hand, if any have experienced the
workings of the Holy Spirit to bring them to Christ,
let them watch and pray against temptation and sin
of every kind, lest by any open or secret declension
from the ways of God, they " grieve k " and " vex the
Holy Spirit 1 ," and " quench" his sacred motions" 1 ,
and thus " their last end become worse than their
beginning 11 ."
But "I hope better things of this assembly, though
I thus speak ." Scoffers do not abound at this day
as once they did. The truths of the Gospel are
better understood, and its mysteries are more justly
appreciated : and, provided only the deep things of
God be stated with modesty and sobriety, they find
a favourable acceptance now, where once, perhaps,
i Matt. xii. 32, and Mark iii. 28, 29. k Eph. iv. 30.
i Isai. Ixiii. 10. m 1 Thess. v. 19.
" 2 Pet. ii. 20. Heb. vi. 9.
264 ROMANS, VIII. 9. [1866.
they would only have provoked a smile. On that
head, therefore, I feel no occasion to dwell. But
this very circumstance, which renders a profession
of piety more easy, makes the danger of departing
from it more imminent ; since, as in the case of the
stony-ground hearers, that which is hastily received,
is but too often as hastily relinquished 11 . To every
one of you then I say, " Hold fast that thou hast,
that no man take thy crown q ;" or rather, look to the
Lord Jesus Christ for more enlarged " supplies of his
Spirit 1 :" for " He has received this gift for men, even
for the most rebellious" : and as " God has not given
the Spirit by measure unto him*" so is there no
measure fixed for the dispensation of it to us. It is
our privilege, not only to " have the Spirit," but to
" befitted with the Spirit 11 ." Many of you, I would
hope, " have already received the first-fruits of the
Spirit x :" but be not satisfied with these. " Christ
came, not only that you might have life, but that you
might have it more abundantly y ." He has promised
to " pour floods upon those who are thirsty 2 ." Yes,
he would have you to " live in the Spirit a ," and
" walk in the Spirit b ," and " purify your souls by the
Spirit ," and "abound in hope through the Spirit d :"
and be filled with " joy in the Holy Ghost 6 ." See
to it, then, that you avail yourselves of these immense
advantages ; and beg of God to " pour out his Spirit
more and more abundantly upon you through Jesus
Christ f ," that, being " led in all things by the Spirit,
ye may be, and give decisive evidence that ye are,
the children of God g ." And may " the Holy Spirit
be so richly poured out upon us from on high, that
this our wilderness may become a fruitful field, and
the fruitful field be so luxuriant as to be counted for
a forest 11 !"
P Matt. xii. 20, 21. <J Rev. iii. 11. r Phil. i. 19.
s Ps. Ixviii. 18. t John iii. 34. Eph. v. 18.
x Rom. viii. 23, y John x. 10. z Isai. xliv. 3.
a Gal. v. 25. b Gal. v. 25. c 1 Pet. i. 22.
(1 Rom. xv. 13. e Acts xii. 52. t Tit. iii. 6.
Rom. viii. 14. h Isai. xxxii. 15.
1867.] A MOTIVE TO HOLINESS. 2G5
MDCCCLXVII.
GOD S DWELLING IN US IS A MOTIVE TO HOLINESS.
Rom. viii. 12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the
flesh, to live after the flesh.
IN the Scriptures, privilege and duty are insepa
rably connected. By this means we are kept at an
equal distance from presumptuous confidence and
painful servility ; and the best feelings of the soul are
rendered subservient to our eternal welfare. This
observation is verified, as in many other passages 3 , so
particularly in that before us ; which is a conclusion
from very important premises.
We propose to consider,
I. The grounds of the conclusion
Believers have God himself dwelling in them
[God is here represented as a Triune God b ; and he dwells
in all his believing people . This is a most inestimable privilege
to them d .]
By means of this they enjoy the richest blessings
[Their souls are quickened from their death in trespasses
and sins, and, by a new principle of life infused into them, are
enabled to live unto God : and this " life they have because of
Christ s righteousness" wrought out for them, and imputed to
them. Their bodies also, though doomed to " death, as the
penalty of sin," " will be raised again by that very Spirit who
now dwelleth in them :" and these shall participate with the
soul the glory and felicity of the heavenly world.]
a Rom. xii. 1. and 1 Cor. vi. 20. with the two verses preceding
the text.
b The Father raised Christ : Christ dwells in all believers at the
same instant : and the Holy Ghost will raise the saints at the last
day. Can any one of these be less than God ? Their distinction and
equality may be further proved from Matt, xxviii. 19. It is observ
able also that in ver. 9. the Spirit of Christ is called the Spirit of God.
2 Cor. vi. 16. 1 John i. 3. and 2 Cor. xiii. 14. They do not
indeed pretend to distinguish the agency of one of these divine per
sons from that of another (for indeed no one of these persons acts
separately from the others) but they exercise faith on the Father, as
their protector and governor; on the Son, as their mediator and advo
cate ; and on the Spirit, as their guide and comforter.
d Far greater than that mentioned 1 Kings viii. 27.
266 ROMANS, VIII. 12. [1867.
Such being the premises from which the conclusion
is drawn, we proceed to consider,
II. The conclusion itself
We certainly are "debtors to the flesh" to a cer
tain degree
[The flesh cannot subsist without care and labour; and
whatever is necessary for the preservation of life, or the restora
tion of our health, it is our bounden duty to do.]
But we are not debtors to obey its dictates
[To " live after" the flesh, must import a consulting of
its ease, a complying with its solicitations, a devoting of our
selves to its interests : to this extent we certainly are not
debtors to the flesh.]
This may plainly be concluded, as from many other
topics, so especially from the foregoing statement
[The privileges vouchsafed to us strongly prohibit a carnal
life. Can the Triune God, who dwells in us, be pleased with
our living after the flesh ? Is not the very intent of his mercies
to bring us rather to live after the Spirit ? The mercies too
which we enjoy by means of those privileges, teach us the same
divine lesson. The quickening of our spirit should lead us to
" mind the things of the Spirit." And the prospect of endless
felicity and glory for the body should keep us from seeking its
present gratifications to the destruction of its eternal interests.
To whomsoever we are debtors, we are not (in this extent at
least) debtors to the flesh.]
INFER
1. How mistaken are the world in their course of
life !
[The generality live as if they had nothing to do but to
consult the flesh ; and when exhorted to mind the concerns of
their souls, reply immediately, " I must attend to the interests
of my body." But in thus opposing the declaration in the text,
they will ruin their bodies as well as their souls for ever.]
2. How unmindful are even good people of their
duty and interest !
[The best of men find it difficult to " keep under their
bodies ;" and there are seasons when they are apt to yield to
sloth or sensual indulgence : but let all remember their obliga
tions and professions, and labour rather to pay what they owe
to the Spirit.]
1868.] MORTIFICATION OF SIN.
MDCCCLXVIII.
MORTIFICATION OF SIN.
Rom. viii. 13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if
ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live.
IT is of infinite importance to know our state as it
is before God, and to ascertain on scriptural grounds,
what our condition will be in the eternal world.
Numberless are the passages of God s word which
will afford us the desired information ; but there is
not in the whole inspired volume one declaration
more explicit than that before us. It presents to our
view two momentous truths, which, as they admit not
of any clearer division or arrangement, we shall con
sider in their order.
I. A carnal life will terminate in everlasting misery
To " live after the flesh" is to make the gratifying
of our corrupt nature the great scope and end of our
lives
[The " flesh " does not relate merely to the body, but to
the whole of our corrupt nature. It is used to signify that
innate principle of sin, which governs the unregenerate, and
continually fights against the spiritual principle in those that
are regenerate a . And its fruits comprehend the actings of
the mind, no less than those of the body b . To " live after"
this corrupt principle, is, to be governed by it in all our deli
berations and pursuits. It signifies nothing what may be the
immediate path which we choose for ourselves, provided our
main object be to gratify ourselves. One may seek pleasure,
another riches, another honour, another the knowledge of arts
and sciences ; but if they have no higher end of life than to
attain these things, they all equally live after the flesh c .]
The consequence of such a life will be eternal
death
[The death mentioned in the text cannot relate to the
mere death of the body, because that must be experienced by
the spiritual, no less than by the carnal man. It must import
that death of the soul, which is emphatically called the second
a Johniii. 6. Gal. v. 17. b Gal. v. 19, 20.
c Compare ver. 5. with Phil. iii. 19.
268 ROMANS, VIII. 13. [1868.
death d . Nor can there be a doubt but that this will be the fruit
and consequence of a carnal life. And shall this be thought
an hard saying? Surely not: for such a sentence is only a
repetition of what the person has before passed upon himself:
he has practically said to God, " Depart from me ; I desire
not the knowledge of thy ways 6 ; I will be a god to myself,
and make myself happy in my own way." God replies to him,
" Thou wouldest none of me ; and thou shalt have none of me;
depart from me for evermore 5 ." The very state in which they
lived, was a state of spiritual death 11 ; no wonder therefore that
it terminates in everlasting death.]
As a counterpoise to the apparent severity of this
truth, the Apostle adds, that,
II. A life of mortification and self-denial shall ter
minate in everlasting happiness
To mortify our corrupt nature ought to be the
continual aim of our lives
[The " deeds of the body" are of the same import with
" the flesh" in the preceding clause. Our corrupt nature is
often represented as a body, because it has many parts or
members whereby it acts . This we should endeavour to
mortify in its outward actings, and in its inmost motions.
As it consists principally in making SELF our idol, we must
watch against it, and labour to bring it into subjection, that
God in all things may be glorified by us. If we search our
own hearts, we shall see a continual proneness to self-seeking,
self-pleasing, and self-dependence. But instead of gratifying
this propensity, we should make God s will the rule, and his
honour the end, of our actions. We must therefore main
tain a warfare against it, and resist it manfully, till it be
subdued k .]
This however cannot be done effectually but by
the assistance of the Holy Spirit
[We can walk after the flesh without any difficulty : it is
natural to us, as it is to a stone to run down a precipice. But
to mortify the flesh, is impossible to man : it can be effected
only by the mighty working of that power, which raised Christ
himself from the dead 1 : yea, the inclination, as well as the
ability, to mortify it is the gift of God m . This however is no
d Rev. xx. 14. e Job xxi. 14, 15,, f Ps. xii. 4.
e Compare Ps. Ixxxi. 11. with Matt. xxv. 41. h ver. 6.
1 Rom. vii. 24. Col. ii. 11. k 1 Cor. j x> 27.
1 Eph. i. 19, 20. and 1 Pet. i. 22. with the text.
In Phil. ii. 13.
1868.] MORTIFICATION OF SIN. 269
excuse for our subjection to the flesh, since the Holy Spirit
shall be given to all that ask it at God s hands".]
The consequence of successfully combating the
flesh shall be unspeakably blessed
[If eternal death be the fruit of self-indulgence, eternal
life shall be the fruit of self-denial. There is this difference
indeed ; that whereas the former is the wages due to sin, the
latter is the gift of God through Christ . We may well
wonder at this marvellous grace of God, who has annexed
such glorious consequences to our poor and feeble endeavours.
But he delighteth in mercy, and will not suffer us to exert
ourselves in vain.]
By way of IMPROVEMENT we shall add a word,
1. Of reproof
[Suppose it had been written, " If ye live after the flesh,
ye shall go to heaven ," could the generality take any surer
way to obtain the blessing, than that which they now pursue ?
And whence is it that, in direct opposition to the word of God,
they can go on so confidently and so securely ? The reason is,
that Satan suggests to them, as he did to our first parents,
" Ye shall not surely die." But shall we believe Satan in
opposition to God ? Did not the crediting of Satan ruin the
whole world? and will it not eventually ruin us also? Be it
known then that we have but this alternative, mortification, or
damnation. Either sin must be our enemy, or God will. If
therefore we would not perish for ever, let us immediately
begin, in dependence on God s Spirit, to " mortify our earthly
members 5 :" for it is an eternal truth, that, " if we live after
the flesh, we shall die."]
2. Of caution
[We are in great danger of mistaking the nature and
extent of that mortification which is required of us in the
text. We may be restrained from sin by the influence of
education, as Joash q ; or put away many sins, as Herod 1 ; or
set ourselves for a time against our besetting sin, as Judas
under the terrors of a guilty conscience s ; (as a mariner may
cast all his goods out of his ship to save the vessel, without
any aversion to the goods themselves) or may exchange our
sins, prodigality for avarice, sensuality for self-righteousness,
or the love of vanity for sloth and indifference. But all this
falls very far short of our duty : we must not be lopping off
branches ; but must lay our axe to the root. The besetting
n Luke xi. 13. Rom. vi. 23. P Col. iii. a.
<i 2 Chron. xxiv. 2. r Mark vi. 17, 20, 27. s Matt, xxvii. 3, 4.
270 ROMANS, VIII. 14. [1869.
sin, though dear as a right eye, or needful as a right hand,
must be cut off; at least, its dominion must be destroyed, and
its motions be incessantly resisted*. In short, to root out sin,
and to serve, honour, and enjoy God, must be our daily busi
ness, our unintermitted employment. Nor must we ever think
that we belong to Christ, till we have the testimony of our
conscience, that we are thus crucifying the flesh with its
affections and lusts u .]
3. Of encouragement
[As we have ruined ourselves, God might well leave us
to restore ourselves : and then indeed would our condition be
most pitiable. But he graciously offers us the assistance of
his Spirit ; so that none need despair : none need to decline
the work of mortification for want of strength to accomplish
it ; seeing that " the grace of Christ is sufficient for us," and
through the aids of his Spirit we can do all things x : yea, " his
strength shall be perfected in our weakness." Let every one
then address himself to the work : " Have not I commanded
thee ? saith the Lord : be strong, therefore, and of a good
courage; for the Lord thy God is with thee y :" "Be strong,
and let not your hands be weak ; for your work shall be
rewarded 2 ."]
* Mark ix. 4348. Gal. v. 24.
* Gal. v. 16. and Phil. iv. 13. y Josh. i. 9.
z 2 Chron. xv. 7.
MDCCCLXIX.
THE LEADINGS OF THE SPIRIT.
Rom. viii. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God.
THOUGH Christ s obedience unto death is the
only meritorious ground of our salvation, yet it is
certain that heaven is held forth to us as a prize
which we are to attain by running, and as " a recom-
pence of reward" which we are to gain by labour.
Many shrink back at this idea, on account of the vast
disproportion between the work and the reward : and
well they may shrink back, if nothing be taken into
the consideration but the intrinsic excellence of our
works. But there is one point of view in which the
disproportion will not appear so great, or perhaps
1869.] THE LEADINGS OF THE SPIRIT. 271
will altogether vanish. We know that a poor man
thinks himself liberally paid for his labour, if, after
toiling a whole week, he receive a pound or two for
his trouble : but the child of a monarch would account
himself very ill rewarded for such work, though he
should be paid at a much higher rate. It is thus with
respect to the point before us : if we be considered as
men, the reward of eternal glory infinitely exceeds
the labour of a few years of obedience : but, if we be
considered as children of the living God, and as per
forming our works through the agency of his Spirit, the
recompence of heaven is no more than what is suited
to our rank and dignity. This seems to be the idea
of the Apostle in the text : he has observed, that " if
through the Spirit we mortify the deeds of the body,
we shall live :" but, lest we should think it incredible
that such a reward should follow a life of mortifica
tion, he assigns the reason of it ; " For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God ;" and consequently, they may expect a reward
suited to their high character, and to the dignity of
the Spirit who worketh in them.
In discoursing on these words, we shall shew,
I. Who they are that are led by the Spirit
It is obvious and undeniable that all are not ; and
indeed the very text intimates that their number is
limited to a part only of mankind. To distinguish
accurately who these are, is a matter of some diffi
culty : for though we may easily shew, what the
Spirit will lead us from, or what he will lead us to,
we shall speak to no purpose, unless we take such
discriminating marks as are found in none but true
Christians. To make the matter as clear as possible,
1. We will propose some marks, which, though
found in all true Christians, are insufficient to distin
guish them
[A person is not necessarily led by the Spirit, because he
follows the dictates of his natural conscience. Every true Chris
tian consults his conscience, and obeys its voice : but others may
do so as well as he. Cornelius was evidently a conscientious
man: but did not become a Christian till St. Peter set before
272 ROMANS, VIII. 14. [1869.
him " words, whereby he and all his household should be
saved 3 ." If that instance be thought doubtful, we will adduce
two others that admit of no doubt. The Rich Youth in the
Gospel thought he had " kept all the commandments from his
earliest youth :" and Paul, while he was a Jew, " had walked
before God in all good conscience," and had been, " touching
the righteousness of the law, blameless." But neither the one
nor the other of these was led by the Spirit: the one renounced
Christ rather than his riches b ; and the other was converted
only by a miraculous interposition of the Lord Jesus c . From
hence it is evident that men may be honest, and upright, and
conscientious, and yet have no just reason to conclude them
selves children of God.
Again, a person is not necessarily led by the Spirit because
he has experienced a change in his views and affections. Doubt
less, every Christian has experienced such a change : but the
like is said of " the stony-ground hearers ;" who not only
received the word so as to inform their understanding, but so
as to kindle in their hearts a lively joy d . Though therefore we
may be moved under a sermon, and find as much pleasure in it
as Ezekiel s hearers 6 , yet this is no satisfactory evidence of our
conversion to God.
Further, a person is not necessarily led by the Spirit, because
he makes an open profession of religion. For though every true
Christian will confess Christ openly, yet " the thorny-ground
hearers" also do the same; and it is worthy of notice, that
they are represented as never relinquishing their profession f .
Though therefore we may openly join ourselves to the Lord s
people, and be numbered amongst them by others, and bear
reproach for our attachment to them, and bring forth fruit
which resembles theirs, yet all this will be no decisive proof
that we are led by the Spirit, or that we have any part in the
Christian s salvation.]
2. We will propose some marks which will distin
guish the true Christian from every other person
under heaven
[We may be sure that we are led by the Spirit, if we come
daily to Christ as perishing sinners. No formalist or hypocrite
can do this : he may talk about it, but he cannot do it : he has
not that brokenness of heart, that contrition, that sense of his
extreme need of mercy, which are necessary to bring him thus
to Christ. There is in all unconverted persons an insuperable
reluctance to come to him in such an humiliating way, a re
luctance that nothing but an Almighty power can overcome.
a Acts. xi. 14. b Matt. xix. 20 22. c Acts ix. 1 6.
d Matt. xiii. 20. e Ezek. xxxiii. 32. f Matt. xiii. 22.
1869.] THE LEADINGS OF THE SPIRIT. 273
Our Lord himself says, " No man can come unto me, except
the Father, who hath sent me, draw him&." If therefore we
are daily coming to Christ with self-lothing and self-abhorrence,
and building all our hopes of salvation on the merit of his
blood, we can affirm, on the testimony of Christ himself, that
we are of those who are under the leadings of his Spirit.
Another mark whereby this point may be ascertained, is our
being willing to receive Christ as our Lord and Governor. The
unregenerate, however desirous of being saved from misery,
cannot be prevailed on cordially to submit to the yoke of Christ.
The declaration of St. Paul is, that " no man can say that Jesus
is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost h ." By this expression we
must understand, not an incapacity to utter these words, but
an incapacity to utter them cordially in reference to oneself.
If therefore we be enabled cheerfully to sacrifice our own will,
and if we seek unfeignedly to have " the very thoughts of our
hearts brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," we
have another indisputable evidence that we are under the Spirit s
influence and guidance.
A still further mark, which is also decisive on the point, is,
our mortifying of all sin without reserve. The most specious
hypocrite in the universe has some secret lust which he will
not part with, and which he cannot, by any power of his own,
subdue : " It is through the Spirit alone that we can mortify
the deeds of the body 1 ." If, then, there be no sin which we
plead for; no sin, though dear as a right eye, or useful as a
right hand, which we are not watching and labouring to
destroy ; it is evident, beyond all controversy, that we are led
and strengthened by the Spirit of God.]
This point being ascertained, we proceed to notice,
II. The glorious state to which they are exalted
It is almost incredible that sinners, like us, should
ever become children of the Most High God ; yet is
it certain, that all who are led by the Spirit of God,
are exalted to this state
1. They are brought into the relation of children
[Once they were " children of wrath," and " children of
the wicked one :" but now they are adopted into God s family,
and numbered amongst his children. Nor is it by adoption
only that they stand thus related to him, but by regeneration
also : for they are " begotten of God, even by the incorruptible
seed, the word of God," and are made " partakers of a divine
nature." Once they regarded God only as a Governor and a
* John vi. 44. h 1 Cor. xii. 3. ! ver. 13.
VOL. XV. T
<274 ROMANS, VIII. 14. [1869.
Judge ; but now they have " a spirit of adoption given to them,
whereby they can call him, Abba, Father." What an unspeak
able honour is this ! If David thought it " no light matter to
be called the son-in-law of such a king" as Saul, what is it to
be called the sons of the Most High God, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords ! ]
2. They enjoy all the privileges of children
[What are the privileges which are annexed to that relation
among men ? Think of them ; comprehend them all ; and they
will fall infinitely short of those which it is your happiness to
enjoy, both in this world, and in the world to come.
In this world you have every temporal blessing secured to
you, to the utmost extent of your necessities, by the express
promise of your heavenly Father. The children of men may
say, of their respective possessions, this estate, or that king
dom, is mine: but of the children of God it may be said,
" All things are yours." As far as it can conduce to your real
happiness, the whole world is yours, yea, all things, whether
present or future k . As for spiritual blessings, there is nothing
which the Lord Jesus Christ himself enjoyed when on earth,
that is not made over to you also. You may have constant
access to your Father s presence ; you may ask of him whatever
you will; you shall have his continual guidance in difficulties,
support in trials, and consolation in troubles : every thing shall
be ordered and over-ruled for your good; and you shall be
carried on through all your destined labours, till you can say,
" It is finished." Of none but God s children can this be said ;
but of them it may be said without one single exception.
You may carry your views yet farther, even to the world to
come ; and there also shall your happiness extend. There is
reserved for all the Lord s children " an inheritance, which
is incorruptible and undefiled, and never-fading." If we are
children, then are we heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ. Think then of all that God the Father has in heaven
to bestow ; think of all that the Lord Jesus Christ, as your
living Head, now enjoys there ; and you will then have some
faint idea of the inheritance reserved for you. Amongst men,
if an eldest son should inherit all his father s property, the rest
of the family would be unprovided for : but in heaven it is not
so : every one has all that he could have, though there should
be none but himself to possess the inheritance. Even here
every man has all the light of the sun, notwithstanding millions
of his fellow-creatures enjoy it together with him : and in like
manner in heaven, all the glory and felicity of it is the portion
of every saint around the throne of God.
k 1 Cor. iii. 2123.
1869.] THE LEADINGS OF THE SPIRIT. 275
Are you then really under the leadings of the Holy Spirit?
Rejoice and adore your God, who has called you into so near
a relation to him, and invested you with honours higher than
even the highest archangel is privileged to possess.]
From this subject we may further LEARN,
1. The importance of discovering by what spirit we
are led
[Many are not led by the Spirit of God, but by the spirit
of the world; which, as St. Paul tells us 1 , and as experience
too fatally proves, is contrary to the Spirit of God in all its
actings. What spirit, I would ask, is that which leads the
young into all manner of pleasure and gaiety ; and causes those
of middle age to be so immersed in cares, as scarcely to leave
them a single hour to serve their God ? What spirit is that
which even in advanced life engages the thoughts and affections
still on the side of the world, when time has worn away almost
all capacity to enjoy it ? Yet this is the spirit by which the
generality are actuated to their dying hour.
But even where religion appears to occupy the mind, many,
alas ! are led only by their own spirit. The very manner in
which they speak and act shews, that pride and conceit and
vanity are the predominant dispositions of their hearts. They
have a zeal perhaps for some favourite tenets, or for their own
particular party ; but they want the humility, the meekness,
and the love which are the distinguishing features of all who
are born of God.
It is not easy for persons to discern what spirit they them
selves are of, even when all around them see how awfully they
are deluded. But it concerns us all to examine carefully our
own hearts and ways, that we may not deceive our own souls:
for whatever we may imagine, they only are children of God,
who bear the image of their Father : and they who fulfil the
will of Satan, are, as God himself testifies, the children of
the wicked one m . Surely we should guard against so fatal a
delusion as this, lest, when we enter into the eternal world,
expecting to behold the face of our God in peace, we meet
only an accusing God, and an avenging Judge.]
2. The importance of honouring him whose motions
we profess to follow
[In professing to be led by the Spirit of God, you claim^
of course, the honour of being the children of God. And if
you claim this honour, O think what manner of conversation
yours should be ; how holy, how spiritual, how heavenly ! It
should not be thought sufficient to maintain what may be called
1 1 Cor. ii. 12. m John viii. 44. and 1 John iii. 10,
276 ROMANS, VIII. 13. [1870.
a blameless conduct ; you should shine as lights in the midst of
a dark world", and " walk worthy of him who hath called you
to his kingdom and glory." Would you see the particulars
wherein such conduct consists ? read it in that direction which
St. Paul gives to the Colossian Church; " Put on, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humble
ness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against
any ; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all
these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness ."
Here is living Christianity : this is to walk as Christ walked :
and by this shall all men know that ye are the^ disciples of
Christ, " the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty."]
n Phil. ii. 15, 16. Col. iii. 1214.
MDCCCLXX.
THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION.
Rom. viii. 15. Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again
to fear , but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father.
OUR blessed Lord in his last discourse with his
Disciples, promised to send down from heaven the
Holy Spirit, who should " convince the world of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment:" and accordingly,
on the day of Pentecost he did send down the Holy
Spirit, who instantly wrought in the most powerful
manner on the minds of thousands, filling them with
the deepest convictions, and with the richest conso
lations. From that time the Holy Spirit has continued
so to work on the minds of men, in some as a Spirit
of bondage, and in others as a Spirit of adoption. The
nature of the Holy Spirit s operations is the same in
both cases ; their use and tendency being to bring
men to God: the difference which is found in the
effects, is occasioned by the state of the persons on
whom the Spirit works : in those whose minds are
yet blinded by Satan, and enslaved by sin, he pro
duces only bondage and fear but those who are
deeply penitent, and unfeignedly desirous of fulfilling
the word of God, he introduces into a state of light
and liberty and joy.
1870. SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION. 277
Corresponding with these different states of men
was the difference between the Jewish and the Chris
tian dispensations ; the one of which was intended to
introduce the other : and it was good, as far as it an
swered that end: but, as an ultimate state to rest in,
it was bad : it consisted only of " weak and beggarly
elements," and imposed an insupportable yoke, from
which it is our happy privilege to be released. It is
in reference to that dispensation chiefly that the
Apostle uses the word "again;" because the Jewish
converts at Rome had, previous to their embracing
of Christianity, groaned under that yoke : but the
others also, in their heathen state, had experienced
a bondage not very dissimilar ; and therefore the
same expression may not improperly be applied to
them also.
That we may have a distinct view of the whole of
the Spirit s operations, we shall consider them,
I. In reference to the dispensation under which we
live
The Christian dispensation, as contrasted with the
Jewish, is called " The ministration of the Spirit*,"
because under that dispensation the Spirit is poured
forth far more abundantly than before.
The Jewish economy tended only to bondage
[The terrific manner in which the law was given, gene
rated nothing but fear in all who heard it: even Moses himself
said on the occasion, " I exceedingly fear and quake." And
the strict prohibition to all the people not so much as to touch
the border of the mount, clearly shewed to them that it was
not a dispensation whereby they were ever to obtain a near
access to God.
The two tables of the law, which were then given to Moses,
were so holy, that though in the letter they might be observed,
in the spirit they could not be kept by any child of man : and
yet they were enforced with the most awful sanctions, the
smallest violation of any one command subjecting the offender
to death, even eternal death. What but fear could result
from such a dispensation as this?
The very sacrifices prescribed for the relief of those con
sciences which were oppressed with guilt, tended, in fact, to
2 Cor. iii. 8.
278 ROMANS, VIII. 15. [1870.
confirm, rather than relieve, the bondage of their minds. For
how could they imagine that " the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sin?" Hence " the offerers were never made
perfect, as pertaining to the conscience ;" _ and the annual
repetition of the same sacrifices confirmed their apprehensions,
that their sins, so imperfectly atoned for, were not effectually
removed. The sacrifices were to them only " a remembrance
of sins from year to yearV Moreover, the people in their own
persons could not approach unto their God : they must deliver
their offerings to the priests and Levites : nay, not even the
priests could enter within the vail, nor even the high-priest
himself, except on one day in the year, and then only in the
precise manner that was prescribed to him. In all this, the
Holy Ghost, who even under that dispensation was not alto
gether withheld from men, " signified to the Jewish nation that
the way into the holy of holies was not yet manifest ."
Even the promises that were given for their encouragement
were, for the most part, only such as were calculated to work
upon an earthly mind, and in no respect to bring them to a
state of peace and joy. Hence, except those few favoured
saints who had an insight into the Gospel, and were enabled to
look through the shadows of the law to Christ as the substance
of them, all were in bondage, serving God from fear, rather
than from love ; and rendering to him rather the reluctant ser
vices of the body, than the willing devotion of the soul.]
The Christian dispensation, on the contrary, tends
to produce in us a happy childlike disposition
[The new covenant, which it holds forth to us, offers life
and salvation on far different terms than were prescribed by the
old covenant. The old covenant said, " Do this and live :" the
new covenant says, " Believe and be saved d ." The Gospel
reveals unto us a sacrifice, that is, " a propitiation for the sins
of the whole world ;" and offers us a Saviour, who is " able to
save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." Under
this dispensation every one is privileged to enjoy the most inti
mate access to God, to " come with boldness into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus, to draw near to God with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having his heart altogether sprinkled
and purged from an evil conscience 6 ." Further, these rich
blessings are revealed to us as the fruits of God s everlasting
love, no less than as the purchase of the Redeemer s blood ; and
to the blessings of time are added all the glory and felicity of
heaven, as the assured portion of all God s chosen people.
But, besides this clearer revelation of God s grace and
b Ileb. x. 14. c Heb. ix. 68.
d Rom. x. 59. e Heb. x. 19, 22.
1870.] SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION. 279
mercy, there is a manifestation of it made to the souls of the
faithful by the Spirit of God, who " sheds abroad in their
hearts the love of God" the Father, and " takes of the things
that are Christ s to shew unto them," and by his own sancti
fying operations " delivers them from the bondage of corrup
tion into the glorious liberty of the children of God."]
With this contrasted view of the two dispensations
agree the express declarations of God himself
[The nature of the two dispensations is thus distinctly
marked by a very striking allegory; in which the Spirit gene
rated in those who were under them is contrasted by that of a
servant and a child f : moreover, the transition from the one to
the other is illustrated by the very same images as have been
already noticed 8 : and the final issue of our adherence to the one
or to the other is declared to be precisely such as might be
expected ; to the servant, banishment ; and to the son, an
everlasting inheritance 11 .]
But, to enter fully into the subject, we must con
sider it,
II. In reference to the experience of individual be
lievers
The Holy Spirit strives in a greater or less degree
with all :
In the unconverted, he works as " a spirit of
bondage"
[He is the true Author of every good desire. The least
disposition towards what is good is as much his work as the
most spiritual exercises of God s dearest children. His ope
ration therefore must be traced as well in the hearts of the
unconverted, as of the converted. In the commencement, he
operates in a way of legal hopes : in the progress, he impels
to slavish fears : and, with those who are not the subjects of
saving grace, he terminates his operations by instigating to
self-righteous endeavours. A person first beginning to think
about his soul, (for which thought he is wholly indebted to the
Spirit of God,) is desirous of putting the most favourable
construction on all his former ways, and of dissipating all
apprehensions about his eternal state. Hence he persuades
himself, that he has never committed any great sins ; or, if he
has, that they were committed under such circumstances as
greatly to palliate their guilt : that, at all events, God is too
merciful ever to visit his offences with such a terrible punish
ment as the Scriptures speak of: and that his good deeds, which
he either has performed, or hopes to perform, will counter-
f Gal. iv. 16. 8 Heb. xii. 1824. Gal. iv. 24, 25, 30.
280 ROMANS, V11I. 15. [1870.
balance all the evil he has done. By degrees his mind becomes
more enlightened, and he sees that his sins have been neither
so few, nor so venial, as he had imagined. And now his legal
hopes vanish, and are succeeded by slavish fears. The declara
tions of God respecting the final condemnation of the wicked
are credited by him; and his claims of innocence or good
desert are seen to be destitute of any solid foundation. Now
the thoughts of death and judgment are terrible to him; and,
as St. Paul says, He, " through fear of death, is all his life
time subject to bondage." To such an extent do " these
terrors of the Lord" operate on many, that they hate their
very existence, and would gladly surrender it up, if they could
but perish like the beasts, and never be called to any future
account. These apprehensions lead, as may be expected, to
self-righteous endeavours. The person who is under their
influence, sets himself to read, and pray, and attend the ordi
nances : he dispenses alms to the poor ; he renounces many
practices which he once justified, and performs many duties
which he once neglected ; hoping, if possible, to make up for
all the time that he has lost, and to conciliate the favour of his
offended God. As his light increases, and the insufficiency of
human merit is discovered by him, he looks to the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ, to atone for his faults, and to supply his
defects. Perhaps in time the folly of depending on human
righteousness is seen by him; and he is willing to seek for
salvation through Christ, provided he may but recommend
himself to Christ by some obedience of his own, and have in
himself the warrant for embracing the Saviour, and for ex
pecting his salvation. Thus he founds his hopes, if not entirely,
yet in some measure, on his own good works; and though
doing well, as far as respects the ardour of his exertions, he
fatally errs in making self the ground of his dependence, and
perishes for want of a better righteousness than his own. This
was the progress of the Spirit s work in the unconverted Jews ;
and such it is also in thousands at the present day.]
In those who are converted, he works as a Spirit
of adoption
[To these he imparts sublimer gifts, enabling them to look
up with confidence to God, crying, " Abba, Father." He
gives them an assured testimony of their acceptance with God
as a reconciled God and Father ; setting, as it were, upon their
hearts the Father s seal k , and witnessing with their spirits that
they are the children of God 1 . Thus, drawing them by his
gracious influences, he brings them into a state of holy " fel
lowship with the Father and the Son," causing them to walk
Rom. ix. .31, 32. k 2 Cor. i. 21. 22. ver. 16.
1870.] SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION. 281
with God as dear children, and to live habitually as in his
presence; they " dwelling in God, and God in them;" yea,
being " one with God, and God with them." As brought into
the family of God, they now, through the power of that same
blessed Spirit, live in a humble dependence upon God for all
that they stand in need of for body and for soul, for time and
for eternity. " All their care is cast on Him who careth for
them ;" and the life which they live in the flesh they live by
the faith of the Son of God, " receiving every thing out of his
fulness," in the time and measure that Infinite Wisdom seeth
best for them. Nor are these heavenly gifts uninfluential on
their conduct. They now walk in the habit of grateful obedience
to God, desiring and striving to be " perfect, even as their
Father which is in heaven is perfect." They serve their God
no longer from fear, as slaves, but from love, as obedient
children, whose ambition is to do their Father s will on earth,
as it is done in heaven. Elevated thus, and sanctified by the
Spirit s influence, they are filled with a joyful expectation of
dwelling speedily, and to all eternity, in the immediate pre
sence of that Saviour, " whom unseen they loved, and in
whom even here they rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full
of glory." They " look for, and haste unto, the coming of that
blessed day," when they shall behold him face to face : the
time seems long till they shall enjoy that bliss ; and, with a
holy impatience, they are ready to cry, " Come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly." They know that, as children, they are heirs:
they have already, in the consolations of the Spirit, had " an
earnest of their inheritance;" and they long for the full pos
session of it, " desiring to depart, that they may be with
Christ." Thus does the Spirit work, though certainly in
different degrees, on all the children of God, inspiring them
with filial joys, as he fills the unregenerate with slavish fears.]
In conclusion, we would entreat all of you to INQUIRE,
What spirit you have received ?
1. Have you received the Spirit of God at all?
[Many, alas! have scarcely so much as " heard whether
there be any Holy Ghost :" or, if they have, they regard all
idea of his agency upon the soul as visionary and delusive.
But let such persons know, that they are altogether dead in
trespasses and sins. If the Spirit of God have not so far
wrought upon our minds as to convince us of our lost estate,
we have not as yet taken one single step towards heaven.
The declaration of St. Paul in the preceding context is, " If
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."]
2. Have you received the Spirit as a spirit of
bondage ?
282 ROMANS, VIII. 15. [1870.
[Despise it not : the fears and terrors with which he has
filled your minds, may be introductory to your final liberty,
and your complete salvation. It is thus that the Spirit usually,
if not invariably, works in those who are " translated from the
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God s dear Son."
He first wounds, and then heals, the soul : he " convinces us
first of sin," and then " of righteousness and of judgment:" he
causes us to feel ourselves lost, and makes use of that feeling to
lead us to Him who came into the world to seek and save us.
" Despise not then the day of small things :" for " then shall
you know if you follow on to know the Lord."
On the other hand, we must say, Do not rest in it. The
spirit of bondage will generate fear ; but it will not produce
either love or holiness, both of which are necessary to your
everlasting salvation. If we have no better principle than
slavish fear to make us obedient to our God, what are we
better than the heathen? The Christian must regard God,
not merely as a Judge, but as a Father. He must obey, not
through fear of the lash, but from a real love to his name, and
an unfeigned delight in his holy will. The truth, if it enter
into our hearts, will make us free : and it will " deliver us
from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of
the children of God."]
3. Have you received the Spirit as a Spirit of
adoption ?
[Then be thankful for it, and adore your God for the
exceeding riches of his grace towards you. But take care that
you do not deceive your own souls respecting it. It is possible
to mistake in this matter, and to refer to God s agency the
delusions of Satan and of your own hearts. Many indulge a
very unhallowed confidence in God. But, though it is our
privilege to put away slavish fear, it is our duty to cherish to
the uttermost a filial fear of offending God. We must " walk
in the fear of the Lord all the day long." If we are on our
guard in this particular, then our confidence cannot be too
strong ; since there is nothing which a loving father can bestow
on his obedient child, which our God will not confer on us.
Know then your privilege, and rejoice in it ; and with all the
confidence which the repetition of the word implies, go into
the presence of your God from time to time, crying, " Abba,
Father." But take care that you do not lose it. Take care
that you " grieve not the Holy Spirit of promise, whereby
you are sealed unto the day of redemption" 1 ." Watch over
your every action, word, and thought ; endeavouring to walk
ra Eph. iv. 30.
1871.] THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 283
" as obedient children," yea, " as dear children," worthy of
the relation in which you stand to God ; " being holy, as He
who hath called you is holy"."]
n 1 Pet. i. 14, 15.
MDCCCLXXI.
THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.
Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God.
THERE is a tribunal before wbich we must all
appear at the last day : but we need not wait till
that time to ascertain our true character. Every
man has a tribunal erected in his own bosom. The
conscience, according to the light it has received,
accuses or excuses, those who will listen to its voice.
This is common to heathens as well as Christians*.
But God s people are favoured with the additional
testimony of the Holy Spirit. Of this the Apostle
speaks in the passage before us.
We shall endeavour to shew,
I. What is the witness here spoken of
Witnesses imply a doubt of the thing which is to
be confirmed. The thing to be ascertained here is,
" That we are the children of God." Respecting this,
many are in suspense all their days ; but God has
provided means for the removal of these doubts.
He has been pleased to give us the witness of his
Spirit.
1 . Through the medium of rational deduction
[We may judge of our state by comparing it with the
declarations of Scripture : God has given many marks and
characters of his own people b ; we may examine by these how
far our practice corresponds with our duty, and know from the
testimony of an enlightened conscience our real state. This is
a scriptural way of judging: St. Paul used it c ; and exhorts us
a Rom. ii. 15. b e. g. 1 John iii. 10.
c He knew that God required real integrity of heart, Ps. li. 6. He
therefore laboured to attain it, Acts xxiv. 16. He had the testimony
284 ROMANS, VIII. 16. [1871
to use it d . St. Peter represents the attainment of this as a
principal part of our baptismal engagement 6 ; St. John also
assures us, that this is the way in which God would have us to
know our stated]
2. In a way of immediate impression
[The Spirit, as a " Spirit of adoption," testifies to the
believer s soul, that he belongs to God. Not that this testi
mony is given without any reference to the Scripture ; yet it
is imparted in a more instantaneous manner, and in a far higher
degree, at some times than at others. God by his Spirit some
times " sheds abroad his love in the heart " in such a measure,
and shines so clearly on the work he has already wrought there,
as to convey immediately a full persuasion and assurance of an
interest in his favour. As by " the sealing of the Spirit" he
stamps his own image on his children for the conviction of
others, so by " the witness of the Spirit " he testifies of their
adoption for the more immediate comfort of their own souls.
These manifestations are vouchsafed, for the most part, to pre
pare the soul for trials, to support it under them, or to comfort
it after them : but they cannot be explained for the satisfaction
of others 5 ; yet may they be sufficiently proved from Scripture
to be the privilege and portion of true believers 11 .]
To guard the doctrine against every species of
delusion, we shall shew,
II. How to distinguish it from all false and enthu
siastic pretensions
Many, it must be confessed, have pretended to this
witness on false grounds , and Satan is ready enough
of his conscience that he had attained it, Heb. xiii. 18. And this tes
timony was to him a ground of joy before God, 2 Cor. i. 12.
a 2 Cor. xiii. 5. e 1 Pet. iii. 21. f 1 John iii. 20, 21.
s We cannot convey to any man a just idea of sensations which
he has never felt ; they must be experienced in order to be under
stood. The work of the Spirit in regeneration is not fully understood
even by those who are the subjects of it, notwithstanding its effects
are as visible as those of the wind, John iii. 8. We cannot expect,
therefore, that his less visible operations should be more intelligible
to those who have never experienced them at all. See Rev. ii. 17.
h See Rom. viii. 15 ; 2 Cor. i. 21, 22 ; and Eph. iv. 30 ; which
clearly shew, that the Holy Spirit does operate on the souls of God s
people, and perform towards them the office both of a sanctifier and
a comforter.
1 Some have fancied that the Spirit witnessed their adoption be
cause they have had a singular dream, or a portion of scripture has
been suddenly and strongly impressed upon their minds, or they have
enjoyed peculiar comfort in their souls.
1871.] THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 285
to help forward such delusions. But the witness of
the Spirit may be distinguished from all enthusiastic
pretensions to it, if we consider attentively,
1. What precedes it
[Conviction of our lost estate, faith in the Redeemer, and
devotedness to God as our rightful Sovereign, must precede it.
If we have not these things, we cannot be God s children ; and
we may be sure the Spirit will never attest a falsehood.]
2. What accompanies it
[Humility of mind, a jealous fear of ourselves, and a love to
the weakest of God s people, attend these divine communi
cations ; whereas pride and conceit, with a presumptuous
confidence, and a contempt of others, are ever found in deluded
enthusiasts.]
3. What follows it
[Manifestations of God to the soul always produce zeal in
his service ; victory over sin ; and a longing for the enjoyment
of him in heaven ; but supineness, subjection to evil tempers,
and a forgetfulness of the eternal world, generally characterize
the self-deceiving professor. Let every one therefore examine
his pretensions by these marks ]
ADDRESS
1. Those who know nothing of this testimony of
the Spirit
[You probably do not understand the regenerating in
fluences of the Spirit ; and yet you see them manifested in
the lives of many around you. Do not then condemn the
witness of the Spirit merely because you cannot comprehend
it : rather pray to God that you yourselves maybe his children,
and that the Spirit may testify to you of your adoption.]
2. Those who profess to have received it
[A delusion in this is above all things to be guarded
against: if your dispositions be habitually bad, your preten
sions are all a delusion : where the witness of the Spirit is,
there will the fruits also of the Spirit be.]
3. Those who long to receive it
[To have the full witness of the Spirit is desirable, but
not necessary : it is a great mercy if we enjoy his lower attes
tations in a good conscience. Let us labour to serve God, and
leave to him the time, manner, and degree, in which he shall
reveal himself to us.]
4. Those who now enjoy this witness
286 ROMANS, VIII. 17. [1872.
[The manifestations of God to the soul are a very heaven
upon earth ; let them therefore be duly esteemed and diligently
improved ; but beware lest you " grieve the Spirit by whom
you are sealed : " be looking forward with increasing earnestness
to your inheritance ; and while you enjoy the inward witness
that you are the children of God, let the world have an outward
evidence of it in your lives k .]
k In confirmation of this view of a very difficult subject, the
reader is referred to an elaborate and judicious discussion of it in
Edwards oil the Affections, page 168 185 ; at the close of which
that most penetrating author gives a summary of the whole in these
words : When the Apostle Paul speaks of the Spirit of God bearing
witness with our spirit, he is not to be understood of two spirits, that
are two separate, collateral, independent witnesses ; but it is by one,
that we receive the witness of the other : the Spirit of God gives the
evidence, by infusing and shedding abroad the love of God, the spirit
of a child, in the heart ; and our spirit, or our conscience, receives
and declares this evidence of our rejoicing.
To obviate any objection that may seem to arise from the term
el, see how the same word is used, Rom. ix. 1.
MDCCCLXXII.
THE PRIVILEGES OF GOD s CHILDREN.
Rom. viii. 17. If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-
heirs with Christ ; if so be that we suffer with him, that ive
may be also glorified together.
THERE are many high-sounding titles among
men, which are no otherwise profitable to the pos
sessors of them, than as they please their fancy, and
gratify their pride. But the honourable appellations
given to the true Christian, are connected with real
and substantial benefits, which every one who is
counted worthy of them shall infallibly enjoy. Be
lievers are called in Scripture, " Children of God."
Now this name is not a mere Hebraism, or figure of
speech peculiar to Scripture : for though it is true
that the Scriptures speak of children of promise,
children of disobedience, children of the curse, im
porting only that the persons so called are of such or
such a character; yet the term " Children of God"
is of a more determinate meaning: it imports a
1872.] PRIVILEGES OF GOD*S CHILDREN. 287
relation to God as a Father ; and includes all that is
comprehended in that relation. Hence the Apostle,
having spoken of believers under this term, imme
diately draws this inference from it; " If children, then
heirs ; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ."
In considering these words, we shall set before you,
I. The privileges of believers
It is here taken for granted, that believers are
children of God: we therefore pass over that, and
notice only the privileges attached to that relation.
And here we find them,
1. Briefly stated
[We know what is usually understood by the term " heir."
An heir is one who has a title to an estate, not as having earned
or merited it, but simply by right of primogeniture. He comes
to the full possession of it as soon as he is of age ; and in the
mean time he is supported out of it agreeably to the rank of
life he is hereafter to sustain.
Now from hence we may see what is implied in the term,
when applied to the children of God. They have a claim to
heaven itself as their inheritance 3 . But their right does not
at all arise from any thing they have done to deserve or pur
chase it : it is founded solely on their having been born of God
through the operations of the Holy Spirit upon their souls b .
They come to the full possession of it at the time appointed of
the Father: but, while they continue minors, they are educated,
and maintained, in a manner suited to their high and heavenly
birth: they have the Holy Ghost himself for their teacher ;
they have manna from heaven, even " angels food," for their
support* 1 ; they have the garments of salvation for their cloth
ing 6 ; and angels for their attendants to minister unto them f .
In some respects indeed the parallel does not hold : for,
amongst men, the eldest only is the heir, and the younger have
smaller portions allotted to them : but, of the children of God,
every one has an equal right to the whole inheritance. Besides,
the heirs of men may die, or be defrauded of their inheritance :
but the children of God have their inheritance reserved for
them; and they are kept for it g . Moreover, the heirs of men
retain their possessions but a little time, and lose them entirely
at death : but the children of God come to the full enjoyment
of their inheritance, when they die; and then possess it for
ever and ever.]
a 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. b John i. 13. c 1 John ii. 27.
(i John vi. 53 55. Ps. Ixxviii. 25. e Isai. Ixi. 10.
f Heb. i. 14. e 1 Pet. i. 4, 5.
288 ROMANS, VIII. 17. [1872.
2. Strongly amplified
[When the Apostle says, " heirs ; heirs of God," he does
not intend merely to repeat the idea, but to enlarge and amplify
it by a very important addition. The children of men, though
denominated heirs of such or such a person, can only inherit
the substance belonging to that person : but the children of
God inherit all that God has, and, if we may so speak, all that
he is. To them belong " all things" whether present or future,
whether temporal or eternal 11 . To them belong also all the
perfections of the Deity, so far at least as they need to have
them exercised for their good in this world, and for their happi
ness in the next : they can say with David, " The Lord himself
is the portion of mine inheritance 1 ."
Further light is thrown upon this subject by the additional
expression, " joint-heirs with Christ." Christ is the Lord and
" Heir of all thingsV But " he is not ashamed to call us
brethren 1 ." By virtue of this relation to him, we are par
takers of all that he inherits. Has " his Father appointed unto
him a kingdom? Such is appointed to us" also m . Has his
Father called him to a throne? We also are seated on it
together with him". Does he, agreeably to his Father s will,
possess a glory and felicity infinitely surpassing our highest
conceptions ? The same also is given to us for our everlasting
portion .
But, whatever be the means of bringing us to the enjoyment
of this portion, our right and title to it arises wholly from our
relation to God the Father as his children ; " If children, then
heirs; " if a son, then an heir of God through Christ p ."]
We must not however forget,
II. The condition on which they are bestowed
Though we are not required to do any thing in
order to earn these privileges, or to render an equi
valent for them when bestowed upon us, yet are
conditions imposed upon us ; and we must submit to
those conditions, if ever we would participate the
blessedness of God s children.
For the sake of perspicuity, we will shew,
1. What the condition is
[Christ, our elder Brother, was a sufferer, " a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief q ." In this respect all the
h 1 Cor. iii. 2123. i Ps. xvi. 5. * Heb. i. 2.
1 Heb. ii. 11. " Luke xxii. 29. n Rev. iii. 21.
.)nl-n xvii. 22. P Gal. iv. 7~ 1 Isai. liii. 3.
1872.] PRIVILEGES OF GOD s CHILDREN. 289
family must resemble him : every one of them must learn obe
dience in the same way r , and be perfected by the same means .
It is appointed to all the disciples of Jesus to " take up their
cross, and follow him." They must expect the same treatment
from an ungodly world as he experienced : they must be hated,
reviled, persecuted : " the disciple cannot be above his Lord ;
it is sufficient for him to be as his Lord :" " if they have called
the Master of the house Beelzebub, much more will they those
of his household."
Now it is not easy for flesh and blood to endure these things:
we are ever ready, through pride and anger, to resent such
treatment; or, through shame and cowardice, to shun it. But
the condition is plain and absolute, No cross, no croivn: "We
must suffer with him, if ever we would be glorified together."]
2. The equity of it
[Our sufferings are intended as a test of our love to Christ.
There was no necessity for our blessed Lord to submit to suffer
ings, unless he chose to undertake our cause, and put himself
in the place of sinners : yet, purely for our sakes, he endured
even death itself, yea, the painful and accursed death of the
cross. If our trials then were a thousand times more severe
than they are, would it not become us cheerfully to sustain
them in proof of our regard for him ? If he voluntarily bore
so much for our good, it is surely reasonable that we should,
when called to it, endure somewhat for his glory.
But our sufferings are also intended to secure to us, and
augment, the inheritance itself. Nothing tends more to wean
us from the world, than the opposition we meet from worldly
men. Our " tribulation also worketh patience ;" yea, it both
exercises and confirms our every grace 4 . Strange as it may
appear, the enduring of trials for Christ s sake tends greatly to
the advancement even of our present happiness, inasmuch as it
" turns to us for a testimony 11 ," and puts honour upon us x , and
is, for the most part, attended with the richest consolations of
the Spirit y . And, beyond all doubt, it will hereafter be re
compensed " with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory 2 ."
Can we then complain of a condition, which at once conduces
to God s glory, and to our happiness ? We should rather re
joice that we are counted worthy to suffer in so good a cause a ;
and be contented to obtain the inheritance in the way which
our heavenly Father has ordained 15 ."]
1 Heb. v. 8. s Heb. ii. 10. * Rom. v. 3, 4.
u Luke xxi. 13. x Phil. xxi. 29. 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14.
y 2 Cor. i. 5. z 2 Cor. iv. 17. a Acts v. 41.
b 2 Tim. iii. 12. Acts xiv. 22.
VOL. XV. U
290 ROMANS, VIII. 18. [1873.
ADDRESS
1. Those who are afraid of the cross
[Hope not ever to alter the condition which God has
imposed: that is absolutely irreversible ." Consider the time
when our Lord imposed the condition; and blush for your
timidity d . Consider how little it is in the power of man to
do against you, and what a sad alternative you prefer 6 ; and
let your cowardice humble you in the dust. Think what a
worm it is that you are afraid of, and what an omnipotent
Being you displease f : and lastly, consider whether the inhe
ritance will not abundantly repay all that you can endure in
the way to it. Let such reflections as these occupy your
minds. Count the cost at once, and learn to " sell all for this
invaluable peai l g ."]
2. The suffering children of God
[Think it not strange that ye meet with fiery trials 11 : you
have often been forewarned respecting it 1 : and they are all
working for your good k . If you were to suffer for evil-doing,
there would be reason for shame : but to suffer for well-doing
is honourable, and acceptable with God 1 . While the heir feels
the restraints of his minority, he comforts himself with the
prospect that he shall ere long be of age, and launch into the
complete fruition of all his wishes. Your trials are, as it were,
a needful discipline, to which you must submit for a little time :
but soon they will for ever end, and all the felicity of heaven be
yours. " Be patient therefore till the coming of you Lord" 1 ;"
consoling yourselves with that delightful promise, " He that
overcometh, shall inherit all things"."]
2 Tim. ii. 12, 13. d Matt. xvi. 21, 24. " Then."
e Luke xii. 4, 5. Matt. xvi. 25. f Isai. li. 7, 8, 12, 13.
s Matt. xiii. 44 46. h 1 Pet. iv. 12. 1 Thess. iii. 4.
k 1 Pet. i. 7. l 1 Pet. ii. 19, 20. & iv. 15, 16.
m Jam. v. 7, 10, 11. n Rev. xxi. 7.
MDCCCLXXIII.
PRESENT TROUBLES AND FUTURE GLORY.
Rom. viii. 18. / reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared unth the glory which shall be
revealed in us.
AN expectation of ultimate advantage is that,
which gives activity to men in every situation of life.
But, while it operates with full force in things relating
to this world, its influence is scarcely felt by the
1873.] PRESENT TROUBLES AND FUTURE GLORY. 291
generality of mankind in relation to things spiritual
and eternal. Hence they are easily drawn aside from
the path of duty by the allurements of time and
sense, or driven from it by the terrors of persecution :
whereas, if they would duly estimate the pleasures
or pains of this present life, and weigh them in a
balance against the glory and felicity of the world to
come, they would be stimulated to patience and
diligence in well-doing, since they could not but see
with the Apostle, that the one were not worthy to be
named in comparison of the other.
That we may judge of the Apostle s estimate, I will
endeavour to set before you the trials of the saint in
this life, and the glory that awaits him in the life to
come.
I. Distinctly
The trials of a saint in this life are great
[" Man is born to trouble," and every man must expect
his share of it in this world : but the saints have a greater por
tion of it than others.
In common with others, they are called to endure pain of
body, distress of mind, loss of friends, embarrassment of cir
cumstances, and every other evil incident to this mortal state.
But besides all this, they have many trials peculiar to them
selves. From within, they are often bowed down under a
sense of guilt, or under their indwelling corruptions : they are
sometimes harassed with temptations, which, as fiery darts,
wound and inflame their inmost souls: and sometimes they
are overwhelmed with the hidings of their Father s face, and
ready to sink in utter despair. How grievous these sensations
are, no words can adequately express. They are also not a
little tried from without. The contempt, the hatred, the
persecutions they endure, are often grievous to be borne ;
and would shake their fidelity, if they were not upheld and
strengthened by their God.
Let this accumulated load be weighed as in a balance, and
it will be found exceeding heavy, insomuch that, "if in this
life only they had hope," the saints would be of all men in the
most pitiable condition.]
But the glory that awaits him is also great
[There is a glory that shall be revealed to us, and a glory
that shall be revealed in us : both of these are included in the
u 2
ROMANS, VIII. 18. [1873.
words before us a ; and, taken together, they comprise all the
glory and felicity of heaven.
The very place to which we shall be admitted, is described
by all the powers of language, in order to convey to us some
faint idea of its beauty b . There we shall behold all the angelic
hosts with the spirits of just men made perfect (how bright
and blessed an assembly must that be !) yea, we shall see the
Lamb of God, that very Jesus who was crucified for us,
seated on his throne ; and we shall behold the Father also face
to face : we shall see him as he is, in all the brightness of his
glory.
Together with this, we ourselves shall be fully changed into
the image of our God : we shall resemble him both in body
and soul, as far as finite creatures can resemble the infinite
Jehovah. We shall also participate the blessedness of the
Deity : and every vessel, according to its capacity, shall be
filled with joy.
But it is in vain to estimate what is so infinitely above our
comprehension ; for " we know not yet what we shall be."
Even our present privileges surpass all that the carnal eye, or
ear, or heart, has ever seen, or heard, or conceived ; much
more therefore must the happiness of heaven infinitely exceed
all that language can express, or imagination conceive.]
Such being the two states of suffering and of glory
as viewed distinctly, let us now bring them under
our review,
II. In a way of comparison
[Sufferings, of whatever kind, are painful to flesh and
blood; but when estimated according to the word of God,
they are light, mixed, and momentary. How light are they in
comparison of what thay might be or of what we
deserve or of what Jesus endured for us or of
what myriads of our fellow-creatures are now enduring in hell !
- Besides, amidst them all, we have innumerable mer
cies for which to be thankful and, if they were con
tinued throughout our whole lives, they would be short as the
twinkling of an eye, in comparison of the state to which we
are hastening
But ^the glory that awaits us is exceeding great, even " a
weight" as great as the soul with its most enlarged powers is
able to support - It is also unmixed with any alloy of
sin, or sorrow - and its duration will be eternal, even
co-existent with the soul itself -
What comparison then is there between them ? So infinitely
K C Vc- b Rev xxi. 10 23. c 2 Cor. ii. 9.
1873.] PRESENT TROUBLES AND FUTURE GLORY. 293
does the glory exceed all the sufferings that we can endure in
this life, that if we add hyperbole to hyperbole, and strain all
the powers of language and of thought, to express the diffe
rence 11 , we never can do justice to the subject, or declare a
thousandth part of that which really exists. The Apostle s
estimate was formed as the result of a minute and accurate
computation*; and therefore the accuracy of it is past a doubt.
In fact, the Apostle does not institute a comparison between
them (for they will rjot admit of any comparison) ; but he
says that the sufferings are " not worthy f " (not worthy of any
consideration, no, not of a thought}, when the glory that shall
follow them is kept in view.]
IMPROVEMENT
We may learn from hence,
1. How to judge of God s dispensations
[To those who look no farther than to the present life,
" the ways of God appear unequal :" since the godly are
oppressed, and the wicked triumph. But let eternity be taken
into the account, and all the seeming inequalities will vanish :
the godly will be recompensed for their sufferings ; and the
wicked will receive the due reward of their impieties. The
Judge of all the earth will not only do right, but will manifest
the equity of all his dispensations.]
2. How to comfort the afflicted mind
[When persons are complaining that their trials are ex
ceeding heavy, and that they are ready to faint because of them,
we should lead them to view their sufferings in a way of com
parison, or in a way of contrast. We should compare the good
they lose or the evil they sustain, with the good and evil that
are beyond the grave : or we should contrast the good to be
enjoyed in a life of sin, with the evil which sin will hereafter
bring upon us ; or the evil to be sustained in this life, with
the good with which it shall hereafter be compensated. In
either of these methods % we may, with God s help, put an
end to their murmuring ; and make them willing to bear their
present afflictions in expectation of the benefit that will result
from them.]
3. How to regulate our own conduct
d See 2 Cor. iv. 17. in the Greek. e \oyiopai. f cifra.
e The Scriptures point out these distinctly : they compare present
with future good, Heb. xi. 16. and present evil with future, Luke xii. o.
So also they contrast present good with future evil, Eccl. xi.9. and
present evil with future good, Heb. x. 34. And the effect of both
these methods in composing the mind is intimated in 2 Cor. iv. 18.
ROMANS, VIII. 23. [1874.
[Are we under trials ? we should view our sufferings as
ordered by God himself in number, weight, and duration, and
consider them as means appointed by him for the perfecting
of his work within us. Then, whatever our trials be, we shall
not give way to an undue depression of mind ; but shall commit
ourselves to God in silent resignation, and wait for our recom-
pence in the eternal world.]
MDCCCLXXIV.
THE STATE OF GOD s CHILDREN.
Rom. viii. 23. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have
the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of
our body.
MUCH is spoken in Scripture respecting the hap
piness of the saints. And doubtless they are on many
accounts the most blessed people upon earth. But
they also experience in a great degree the sorrows
that pervade the universe. It is not in this, but in
the future world, that they are to attain perfect unin
terrupted felicity.
The Apostle is here encouraging the afflicted
Christians to endure their trials patiently, in expec
tation of a rich eternal recompence. He tells them
that the whole creation were supported under their
present sufferings by a hope of some happier state :
and that he himself, notwithstanding the privileges
he enjoyed, participated with them in the common lot.
From his words we are led to consider,
I. The state of the creation at large
This is fully developed in the four verses preceding
our text. There are however considerable difficulties
in those verses; but chiefly arising from the inaccu
racy of the translation. Read them thus, and the
main difficulties will be overcome : " The earnest
expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifes
tation of the sons of God : (for the creation was made
subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him
who hath subjected the same ;) in hope that the
creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage
1874.] THE STATE OF GOD s CHILDREN. <*)i)
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children
of God. For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."
Thus, by translating the word KTiais, creation, and
the word OTL, that, and by inclosing a part in a paren
thesis, the whole will be made clear, and to a certain
degree easy.
[The whole creation was reduced to a very deplorable con
dition by the fall of man. The material world underwent a
most awful change : cursed was the ground for man s sake :
the earth rendered barren without continual and laborious
culture, or fruitful only in briers and thorns, which, if left
unrestrained, would speedly overrun it : and the atmosphere
rendered the fatal source of storms, and tempests, and pestilen
tial vapours for the destruction of man a . The animal world,
first subjected to man s controul, and innoxious in all their
habits, had such a change wrought within them, that they all
of various orders prey one upon another, and are more or less
arrayed in hostility to man. The rational world partook more
largely still of this fatal change : for man universally, and
without exception, was despoiled of the Divine image, and
corrupted in all his faculties, whether of mind or body, and
subjected to innumerable diseases, and miseries, and death.]
But things shall not always continue thus
[There is a time coming, when God will manifest himself
in a more especial manner to his own people ; and it is there
fore called, " The manifestation of the sons of God :" and then
shall the sentence denounced against the whole creation be
reversed, in order that every creature, according to its capacity,
may partake of that universal blessedness. The material world
will become again what it was at first, beautiful in all its parts,
fertile to the utmost extent of man s necessities, and salubrious
throughout every place and every clime. The animal world
shall have all their venomous propensities removed, and the
prophet s description shall be fully realized among them, " the
wolf dwelling with the lamb, and theleopard lyingdown with the
kid; and the calf and the young lion, and the fading together;
and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the
weaned child shall put his hand upon the cockatrice den :
they shall not hurt nor destroy throughout God s holy moun
tain b ." The whole rational world shall then be converted unto
God ; " for the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth,
as the waters cover the sea."
* Gen. iii. 17, 18. b Isai. xi. 69.
296 ROMANS, VIII. 23. [1874.
Thus throughout the whole creation shall, to a certain
extent, the paradisiacal state be restored.]
Now, as this will be a state of inconceivable blessed
ness, the whole creation is represented as looking and
longing for it
[It will be remembered that our blessed Lord was foretold
as " the person whom all nations desired." Now he was fore
told under that character, not because all nations did desire
him, but because all nations, if they had known him, would
have desired him. So here the whole creation is said to look
and wait for the day spoken of in rny text, not because they do
indeed expect it with suck solicitude, but because they would
expect it in that way, if they were fully apprised of the bless
edness attendant on it. And, as in other passages of Holy
Writ, the woods and the hills are often spoken of as participat
ing in, and expressing, the joys of God s people; so here, by
a very strong figure, the whole creation is represented as
stretching forth the neck c , with eagerness, in looking for it,
and yroaning with impatience^ for its arrival; yea, and as
experiencing the pangs of parturition till they shall be liberated
from their present burthen 6 . Nor are these expressions at
all too strong, if the different parts of the creation were capable
of discerning and appreciating the blessedness of the change
that shall await each in its proper sphere, and to the full
extent of its capacity. Every part is at this time " under the
bondage of corruption," that is, under the curse introduced by
sin ; and every part, according to its capacity, shall be delivered
from that bondage, and be brought, so far as it is capable of
it, into a participation of the " liberty that shall then be
accorded to the children of God." These were the feelings
assigned to the inanimate creation at the first advent of our
Lord in his abased state f ; and the same creatures may well be
said to pant for a renewal of their joys, when our Lord shall
come again to establish his kingdom over the face of the whole
earth.]
But all this may, almost without a figure, be uttered
as descriptive of,
II. The state of God s children in particular
These have already the foretaste of these joys in
their own souls
[The " first-fruits " were a part of any produce, devoted
to God as an acknowledgment that the whole was from him :
f Ps. xcvi. 11 13. and xcviii. 4 9.
1874.] THE STATE OF GOD s CHILDREN*. 297
and whilst they sanctified the whole harvest, they assured to
the possessor the full enjoyment of it g . Now the harvest of
" the Spirit " is that abundant effusion of holiness and happi
ness which God will pour forth on his people in the latter day,
not unlike to what they enjoyed on the day of Pentecost, or
to that which our first parents possessed in Paradise. And
" of this Spirit God s people have now the first-fruits." They
are renewed in the spirit of their mind after the very image of
their God in righteousness and true holiness : and, with this
renewal of their nature, they are also " filled with joy of the
Holy Ghost ;" even with a " joy that is unspeakable and
glorified." Now it might be supposed that these, by reason of
their present attainments, would be less anxious for the pro
mised period before referred to, when the whole creation shall
be restored, as it were, to its primeval purity and happiness.
But the very reverse of this is the case: for in every age these
are the persons who most pant and long for the promised felicity.
Yes, says the Apostle, " ourselves who have the first-fruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption, even the redemption of our body."]
Of the joys they now experience they look forward
to the everlasting consummation
[" Believers are now the children of God h ," his children
both by adoption and grace. Now adoption, amongst the
Romans, was two-fold ; first, private, in the house, and after
wards public, in the forum. The former of these every believer
has received already through the operation of the Spirit of God
upon his soul 1 : but for the latter he waits till that period when
God shall come to gather together his elect from every quarter
of the world, to restore to every soul its long mouldered body,
and to make the whole man, in body and soul, eternally
blessed in his presence. That is the period when " the body
will enjoy the redemption " that has been long since possessed
by the soul; and a blessedness will be then imparted to the
whole man, of which his present most exalted happiness is but
an earnest and foretaste. Now the believer knows that that
period shall arrive : and he longs for it, and " groans within
himself," through the ardour of his desires after it. Even here
his anticipations of it have been sweet, infinitely beyond the
powers of language to express, ("a joy unspeakable;"} what
then shall the full possession be in the complete enjoyment of
his God ? From the private adoption, by the testimony of the
Spirit, he has been almost wrapt at times into the third heaven,
notwithstanding the clog which his body has imposed upon his
R Deut. xxvi. 2, 10, 11. Prov. iii. 9. h 1 John iii. 1.
ver. 15, 16.
298 ROMANS, VIII. 23. [1874.
soul. What then shall the public manifestation of this honour
in the presence of the whole assembled universe be, when his
" redeemed body " shall possess all the purity and perfection
of his soul, and not only partake of all the joys of his soul, but
aid the soul in its everlasting possession of them? I wonder
not that " St. Paul groaned in this body, being burthened ;
yea, that he groaned, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
with his heavenly house, namely, with his body in its reno
vated and perfect state k . This ought to be the state of every
true believer ; and it will be in proportion as he lives nigh to
God, and has " his conversation in heaven."
By some the period referred to in my text is supposed to
commence at the Millennium, of which time St. Peter speaks
when he says, " We look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness 1 ." And, if any find comfort \n
that view of the subject, I would not move a finger to rob them
of it. I have no objection to persons following their own
views of Scripture truth : every man has the same right to do
it as I myself have. But, when these uncertain matters are
made the subject of disputation in the Church of God, to the
creating of dissensions and divisions, and to the turning of the
minds of pious persons from the more clear and fundamental
truths of the Gospel, then I bitterly regret it, and am ready
to weep over it as " a device of Satan to turn men from the
simplicity that is in Christ." If any choose to apply this
passage to the Millennium, and to look for its accomplishment
then, let them : but let them bear with those who cannot see
with their eyes, or feel that there is any advantage in their
views. Let all agree in this, to look and groan inwardly for
the time of their consummate felicity, whether it occur at a
little earlier or a little later period : for this is the point in
which all are to agree ; and in this consists the highest attain
ment of the Christian life : " We come behind in no gift,
whilst we are waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ 111 " to perfect our felicity; and we are sure, that "to
those who so look for him, he will appear a second time unto
their everlasting salvation 11 ." My prayer therefore for all of you,
my brethren, is, " The Lord direct your hearts into the love of
God, and into a patient waiting for Christ ."]
That I may bring this subject home more power
fully to men s business and bosoms, I would add,
1. Let us not take up our rest in this world
[This world is but a passage to a better, a wilderness
which we must pass through in our way to the heavenly
k 2 Cor. v. 25. 2 Pet. iii. 13. n i Cor. i. 7.
" Hub. ix. 28. " 2 Thess. iii. a.
1874.] THE STATE OF GOD s CHILDREN. 299
Canaan. As to our present accommodations, we need not be
much concerned, whether they be a little more or less suited
to our present convenience. We are but " pilgrims and
sojourners here," hoping in due season to attain our rest here
after. Let us then look forward to " that rest which remaineth
for us," and under all existing difficulties derive our consola
tions from the prospect of the happiness that awaits us. This
is, not the duty merely, but the high privilege, of the Christian.
This it is which raises the Christian above all the world besides.
What are crowns and kingdoms, if a man have no prospect
beyond the grave ? On the other hand, What is martyrdom
itself to one who sees it as the very door of heaven, and knows
that the body which agonized for a few moments, shall reign
in glory for evermore ? I say then to every one amongst you,
" Set not your affection on things below, but on things above,
where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God," and where " all
who suffer with him now, shall be glorified together with
him " to all eternity.]
2. Let us press forward more earnestly after the
happiness reserved for us
[Who can conceive the blessedness of that state to which
we are hastening ? If " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor
heart conceived the things which are enjoyed by God s people
in this present world," how much less can any just conception
be formed of their future state? If the possession of the
fii st-fruits be so glorious, what must the harvest be ! If the
privilege of being God s children be so delightful now, that the
very hope of it raises us above all the joys or sorrows of this
present world, what shall the full manifestation of it be when
all the interests of time and sense are for ever passed away?
Let us then survey more and more the blessedness of heaven,
where we shall behold face to face that Saviour who died for
us, and be with him for ever, possessing, according to their
capacity, all the fulness of his beauty, his felicity, and his
glory. Dear brethren, let this prospect swallow up every
inferior consideration, and animate us to run with ever in
creasing diligence the race that is set before us. Let us
" forget all that is behind, and reach forward to that which is
before, and press on with all imaginable ardour for the prize of
our high calling in Christ Jesus." And, in the desire of that
full blessedness, let us cry continually with the beloved Apostle,
" Come, Lord, and take me to thyself; yea, come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly."]
300 ROMANS, VIII. 24, 25. [1875.
MDCCCLXXV.
THE OFFICE OF HOPE.
Rom. viii. 24, 25. We are saved by hope: but hope that is
seen is not hope : for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope
for ? But if we hope for that we see not, then do ive with
patience wait for it.
IF it be asked, What is that feeling of the mind,
which, beyond all others, gives life arid activity to
rational agents? we answer, It is hope. Influenced
by this, all persons in every department of life put
forth their energies : the merchant braves the storms ;
the soldier encounters his enemies ; the student con
sumes the midnight oil in his laborious researches.
To this also is chiefly to be referred the Christian s
exertions in the service of his God. True it is, that
love and gratitude have a constraining influence upon
him : but it is also true, that these principles would
be ineffectual to carry his soul through all its trials,
if they were not confirmed and animated by the yet
more powerful operation of hope. Great, no doubt,
are the privileges and enjoyments of the Christian
in this present world : he is a child of the Most High
God; and has "a spirit of adoption within him,
enabling him to cry, Abba, Father." He has also
" the witness of the Spirit testifying both in and by
his own spirit, that he is a child of God." But, after
all, little solid comfort would he derive from these
reflections, if he did not look forward to an inhe
ritance, to which, by virtue of his relation to God, he
is entitled. Hence the Apostle represents the Lord s
people as deriving their chief consolation from the
prospect which they have beyond the grave a , yea,
and " as being saved by hope," through the operation
of which upon their minds "they patiently wait for"
the termination and issue of all their present trials.
We propose on the present occasion to consider
the nature and effects of the Christian s hope :
I. Its nature
a ver. 23.
1875.] THE OFFICE OF HOPE. ,301
We are most generally said to be saved by fait h b :
but here salvation is ascribed to hope. There is, in
fact, a near affinity between the two : and we cannot
adopt any better method of illustrating the nature
and operations of hope than by instituting a compa
rison between it and faith. That faith and hope are
very nearly allied, appears from this, that in St. Paul s
account of Abraham, he represents the two principles
as concurring with each other, and having an united
influence on his obedience : " Against hope," says he,
Abraham " believed in hope c ."
In some things the two principles agree
[They agree in their origin : both of them are the gift of
God, and the fruits of the Holy Spirit s operation on the soul.
Have we faith ? it is the gift of God d , the fruit of a divine
operation 6 , a work of grace f : and if we have hope, we have
been begotten to it by God himself 8 , even by his gracious in
fluence on our souls h : and to his Holy Spirit must be ascribed
all its increase in the soul, together with all the peace and joy
that flow from it 1 .
They agree also in their use : both the one and the other
being intended to further the salvation of our souls. As we
are saved by faith k , so are we by hope also 1 .
They agree yet further in their duration: they have no scope
for exercise beyond this present life. Faith is by St. Paul
opposed to sight m ; and as in heaven " we shall see God face
to face, and know him even as we are known," the dark and
enigmatical visions of faith will cease". In like manner we
are told in our text, that " hope that is seen, is not hope :
for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? " We shall
have in heaven the actual possession of what is now the object
of our hope. Then faith will be lost in sight, and hope in
enjoyment.]
In other things the two principles materially differ
[They differ in their foundation. Faith is founded solely
on the veracity of God. Hope is founded, partly, on the word
of God, and, partly on our conformity to that word. The
word of God reveals a dispensation of mercy to sinful man.
But what hope does that generate in the minds of the fallen
b Rom. v. 1. c Rom, iv. 18. d Eph. ii. 8. Phil. i. 29.
e Col. ii. 12. Acts xviii. 27. 1 Pet. i. 3.
11 2 Thess. ii. 16. Rom. xv. 13. k Rom. x. 9.
1 Rom. viii. 24. m 2 Cor. v. 7.
n 1 Cor. xiii. 12. See the Greek.
302 ROMANS, VIII. 24, 25. [1875.
angels ? They believe it, as much as we do : but, having no
evidence in themselves that they comply with the terms on
which that mercy is vouchsafed, they do not hope in it : " they
believe and tremble ." It is the penitent alone that has hope
in God: and his hope arises from his consciousness, that he
does embrace the mercy offered him, and conform to the terms
which God in his wisdom has prescribed to all who shall ulti
mately be saved by it.
They differ also in their qualities. Faith is properly a virtue ;
and the want of it under all circumstances is a sin. As a virtue,
there is no other so frequently or so highly commended ; (where
that has been exercised, humility, and love, and every other
grace that has been exercised with it, has been overlooked, and
\hat alone commended 1 *:) and as a sin, no other is so strongly
reprobated as unbelief q . Hope, on the other hand, may rather
be called a privilege than a virtue ; and despondency, a curse,
rather than a sin. So far indeed as hope agrees with faith in
its foundation, so far it agrees with it in its moral qualities :
but as far as it is founded, not on the word of God, but in a
man s own conformity to that word, so far its moral qualities
differ from those of faith : for instead of its being a sin for an
ungodly man to despair of salvation in his present state, it is a
sin for him to indulge a hope : it is the vilest presumption in
him to think that he can ever be saved in an impenitent and
unbelieving state : and to despair of salvation in such a state is
his very first step towards heaven.
They differ yet further in their objects. Faith is incom
parably more extensive than hope. Faith has respect to both
good and evil : it embraces in its view both heaven and hell :
but hope has good alone for its object. Faith comprehends
every thing that God has revealed, whether past, present, or
future : hope looks only to what is future. Faith regards every
declaration of God, whether historical or prophetic, promissory
or menacing, hortatory or preceptive : but hope has respect to
the promises alone. It invariably terminates on some good,
which is yet future, and which God has promised.
Lastly, They differ also in their offices. Though both of
them agree in their general use, to promote the salvation of
men, they have exceedingly distinct offices. Faith apprehends
the Lord Jesus Christ, and, by uniting us to him, interests us
in all that he has done and suffered for us : it also receives out
of his fulness all those graces and blessings which the Father
has been pleased to treasure up in him for the benefit of his
Church. Hope merely expects those blessings : and, by pre
senting future good to our view, stimulates us to diligence in
the pursuit of it. Both of these principles " save us ;" but
Jam. ii. 19. P Luke vii. 50. <i Mark xvi. 16.
1875.] THE OFFICE OF HOPE.
faith brings that good into the soul which hope had only anti
cipated ; and, by presenting invisible realities to our view,
gives to hope a more ample scope for exercise. Faith is the
parent of hope : but hope, once formed in the soul, becomes an
active helper to faith. Neither can operate to any good effect
without the other. Faith without hope is paralysed; and
hope without faith is dead : but, when faith duly apprehends
Christ, and hope leads us to wait patiently for his full salvation,
then the work of God goes on prosperously within us, and we
are in the sure way to everlasting life.]
Such being the nature of the Christian s hope, we
proceed to inquire into,
II. Its effects
These are represented under the general term,
Salvation ; " We are saved by it." But how does it
effect salvation for us ? We answer, By it,
1. We are comforted in our afflictions
[Afflictions are the lot of all, but especially of the Lord s
people. All of them have a cross to bear; and tribulation is
their appointed way to the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, so
painful are the trials which they have to endure for the Lord s
sake, that, " if in this life only they had hope, they would be
of all men most miserable," or, at least, most to be pi tied r .
But the prospect of eternal glory so lightens their burthen, as
to make it quite easy to be borne 8 . To this effect the Apostle
speaks in the chapter before us ; (and he delivers the sentiment
as the result of his own most careful investigation :) " I reckon
(I compute by accurate calculation) that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
that shall be revealed in us 1 ." In another epistle he gives a
full and accurate description of his views and feelings on this
subject. " He was continually delivered unto death for Jesus
sake:" but he was perfectly satisfied with his condition, because
" he knew, that He who had raised up the Lord Jesus, would
raise him up also by Jesus, and present him, together with his
beloved converts"," " faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy x ." The prospect of that blessed event
made all his "afflictions light," yea, lightness itself y . It may
be thought, perhaps, that this superabundant grace was given
to him as an Apostle, and is not to be expected by us. But
it is to be expected by every saint whom " God hath begotten
to a lively hope:" for our blessed Lord tells all his followers,
r eXteir orspoi, 1 Cor. xv. 19. s Acts xx. 24. * ver. 18.
u 2 Cor. iv. 11 14. x Jucle, ver. 24.
y 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. Sec the Greek.
ROMANS, VIII. 24, 25. [1875.
not merely to bear their persecutions with patience, but to make
them a ground of joy and exultation, because of the glorious
recompence that awaits them in the eternal world 2 . And who
that has ever suffered much for righteousness sake, has not
found this to be the effect of his hope towards God ? Many
amongst us may say with David, " I should have fainted, unless
I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the
living 3 ." But under the influence of this hope their consola
tions have abounded in proportion to, yea, and far above, all
their accumulated afflictions b .]
2. We are supported in our conflicts
[To all true Christians there are, on some occasions,
" fightings without, and fears within." But the grace of which
we are speaking, serves them as an helmet, that will resist the
stroke of their most potent adversary. In the panoply of God,
this piece of armour yields to none in point of efficacy and
importance: salvation is pre-eminently ascribed to it: it is
called, "The helmet of salvation ." It is well known, that
persons clothed with armour from head to foot, especially if
contending with persons not so protected, enter into the com
bat with peculiar confidence d . And thus especially does the
Christian whose mind is well established by hope : he is
" strong and very courageous," not doubting but that God is
with him, and that he shall be "more than conqueror through
Him that loved him." The assaults which he has to sustain
may indeed be violent and very terrible, even like the waves of
the sea, that threaten to overwhelm the tempest-tossed bark.
But his " hope, like an anchor sure and steadfast, enables him
to out-ride the storm 6 ." That " anchor cast within the vail,"
keeps his mind composed f , and assures him, that he is safe,
though earth and hell should combine their efforts to destroy
him g . How this grace operated on the saints of old, we may
see at large in St. Paul s Epistle to the Hebrews. Many, under
its influence, " took joyfully the spoiling of their goods 11 :" and
many, even of the weaker sex, when called to endure the
severest torments that could be inflicted on them, " would not
so much as accept the deliverance" that was offered them, be
cause " they hoped assuredly to obtain a better resurrection 1 ."
Thus will it operate on us also. Precisely as the expectation
of a future harvest leads the husbandman to encounter all dif-
z Matt. v. 1012. a Ps. xxvii. 13. b 2 Cor, i. 5.
c 1 Thess. v. 8. with Eph. vi. 17.
d This was particularly observable in the French cuirassiers at the
memorable battle of Waterloo.
e Heb. vi. 19. f Isai. xxvi. 3. s 2 Tim. i. 12.
h Heb. x. 34. i Heb. xi. 35.
1875.J THE OFFICE OF HOPE. 305
ficulties, and cheers his mind during the long continuance of
an inclement winter, so the prospect of reaping in due season
enables the Christian to endure unto the end k . He has never
seen the felicity which he pants after ; but he expects assuredly
the ultimate possession of it; and therefore "patiently waits
for" the final consummation of all his hopes 1 .]
3. We are encouraged in our exertions
[To a man who has heaven in his eye, nothing is impossi
ble. Behold Moses, when at the summit of human grandeur
and power : an alternative was before him, " to suffer affliction
with the people of God, or to enjoy the pleasures" and honours
of the court of Pharaoh : and which did he prefer ? He chose
" the reproach of Christ, esteeming it to be greater riches than
all the treasures of Egypt." And what guided him to this
strange decision? it was hope; "he had respect unto the
recompence of the reward 1 "." In like manner St. Paul
" pressed forward with incessant ardour in his heavenly course,
forgetting what was behind, and reaching forward to what was
before." And, if we inquire into the principle which animated
him to such exertions, we shall find that it was precisely that
which is mentioned in our text, the hope and prospect of
securing " the prize of his high calling." We may even say
that our blessed Lord himself, as a man, was actuated by the
same divine principle ; since it was " for the joy that was set
before him, that he endured the cross and despised the shame,
and rested not till he sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God n ." And we too, if we would " run our race with
patience," must imitate him in this respect ; we must keep our
eye steadily fixed on him, and continue without intermission
" looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ p ." Then shall we
" be steadfast, unmoveable, and always abounding in the work
of the Lord," when we are convinced in our mind, " that our
labour shall not be in vain in the Lord q ."]
ADDRESS
1. Those whose hopes are presumptuous
[There is no man who does not hope that he shall be
saved at last. But we ought to be " able to give a reason of
the hope that is in us r ." If we cannot do this, and a satisfac
tory reason too, our hope is altogether vain and delusive. We
have before said, that hope, as well as faith, must, in part at
least, be founded on the word of God. Look to it then, that
your hope is truly scriptural, and that you seek with all
* Jam. v. 7, 8. Rom. viii. 25. m Heb. xi. 2-1 26.
" Heb. xii. 2. Heb. xii. 1. P Tit. ii. 1113.
i 1 Cor. xv. 58. r 1 Pet. iii. 15.
VOL. XV. X
306 ROMANS, VIII. 24, 25. [1875.
diligence that humility and contrition, that faith and love, that
purity and holiness, that zeal and devotedness to God, which
are the distinguishing characters of all who shall ultimately
attain the kingdom of heaven. If you are " without Christ,
you are without hope 3 :" but if you flee to him for refuge, you
may be perfectly assured of acceptance with him 1 .]
2. Those who are harassed with doubts and fears
[There are many, of whom there is reason to hope well,
who yet do not enjoy that comfort in their minds which the
religion of Christ is calculated to impart. In some this dis
quietude arises from imperfect views of the Gospel : they do
not see the freeness and fulness of that salvation that is pro
vided for them in the Gospel ; and they are looking for some
qualifications in themselves to warrant their confidence in the
Saviour. They do not distinguish aright between the offices
of faith and hope : they do not see that the vilest creatures
under heaven are warranted to believe in Christ for salvation,
and to hope for acceptance with him in his appointed way of
penitence and faith ; but that to hope for heaven as persons
actually brought into a state of salvation, requires an evidence
in our own souls, that we are, in a measure at least, trans
formed into the Divine image. To such persons then we
would say, Do not look for qualifications in yourselves to
warrant your application to Christ, or your affiance in him ;
but, whilst you accept salvation freely through his blood and
righteousness, look to him also for the communications of his
grace to renew and sanctify your hearts, and to make you meet
for his inheritance. With some indeed these doubts and fears
originate rather in a consciousness of some unmortified lust, or
of habitual negligence in the divine life : and where this is the
case, we must declare, that peace and confidence would be a
curse to them. We must " awake to righteousness, and not
sin," if we would have any comfortable evidence that we are
the Lord s people, or any happiness in looking forward to the
eternal world. But, from whatever cause men s doubts arise,
we would address to them that encouraging exhortation, "Turn
ye to your strong hold, ye prisoners of hope u ."]
3. Those who have a good hope through grace
[Rejoice in the exalted privilege to which God has called
you; and endeavour to render to the Lord according to the
benefits he has conferred upon you. It is said by St. John,
that, " he that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as
Christ is pure x ." Take care then that your hope operate in this
way : let it stir you up to the utmost possible exertions in the
8 Eph. ii. 12. t p s . cxxx . 7,3. John vi. ,37.
u Zech. ix. 12. * 1 John iii. 3.
1876.] THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT. 307
way of holiness. Rest not in low attainments : think nothing
yet attained, whilst any thing remains to be attained. Keep
your evidences clear : let them not be clouded by any unnior-
tified lust, or secret neglect: and then shall you "hold fast the
rejoicing of your hope firm unto the end y ." This is the way
to be both holy and happy : and, thus living, you may be well
assured, that your " hope shall never make you ashamed 2 ."]
y Heb. iii. 6. z Rom. v. 5.
MDCCCLXXVI.
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN STRENGTHENING MEN FOR
SUFFERING OR DUTY.
Rom. viii. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for ive know not what we should pray for as we ought : but
the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered.
A HOPE of eternal happiness is as an anchor to
the troubled soul ; it enables a person to bear up
under the heaviest afflictions ; but the mind of a
believer would soon faint, if it were not strengthened
from above. God therefore communicates his Spirit
to his people under their trials. By his Spirit he
enables them to go forward in the way of duty.
St. Paul has been speaking of sufferings as the Chris
tian s portion here 3 . He has mentioned "hope" as a
principal support to the soul under them b . He now
specifies the Holy Spirit s agency as another mean of
confirming and establishing the soul.
This agency of the Spirit we may consider,
I. In seasons of suffering
Men are, in themselves, too weak to sustain many
or severe trials
[There is much impatience in the heart of every man. It
too often discovers itself even in those who are, on the whole,
pious. Sometimes it is called forth by small and trifling occa
sions. How passionately did Jonah resent the loss of his
gourd c ! How bitterly would the Disciples have revenged an
act of unkindness d ! There is no trial so small but it would
a ver. 17, 18. b ver. 24. c Jonah iv. 8, 9.
d Luke ix. 54.
308 ROMANS, VIII. 2G. [1870.
overcome us, if we were left to ourselves ; and they who have
endured heavy trials, often faint under small ones.]
But God sends his Spirit to help the infirmities of
his people
[We cannot exactly discriminate between the Spirit s
agency and theirs. Indeed the Spirit acts in and by their
endeavours 6 . He leads them to see the source and tendency
of their trials. He strengthens the natural vigour of their
minds. He suggests to them many consolatory thoughts.
Thus he fulfils to them that gracious declaration f ]
These operations of the Spirit are yet more manifest,
II. In seasons of prayer
God s people " know not even what to pray for"
[A great variety of passions may agitate their minds.
When this is the case, their petitions may be unbecoming and
sinful. Even a sense of guilt will often stop the mouth before
God g . Sometimes also trouble itself will utterly overwhelm
the soul, and incapacitate it for prayer h . Our Lord himself
seems to have experienced such a perturbation of mind 1 ; nor
are there any praying persons who have not often found them
selves straitened in the exercise of prayer.]
It yet oftener happens that they know not how to
pray " as they ought "-
[We may easily utter good and suitable words before
God : but it is by no means easy to pray with fervent impor
tunity. An insurmountable languor or obduracy will some
times come upon the soul. Nor though we were ever so
fervent can we always exercise faith. Many have felt the same
workings of mind with David k At such seasons they cannot
pray as they ought.]
But the Holy Spirit will "make intercession for
them"
[Christ is properly our Advocate and Intercessor 1 : but
the Spirit also may be said to " intercede for us." The Spirit
intercedes in us at the throne of grace, while Christ intercedes
e This is implied in the term (rvvavTikapfiaveTai " Metaphora ab
oneribus sumpta, quse, utrinque admotis manibus, sublevantur." Beza
in Luc. x. 40. Feeble therefore as our strength is, we must exert it :
and if we cheerfully put our hands to the work, the Holy Spirit will
always afford us effectual succour.
f Ps. cxlvii. 3. g Compare Ps. xxxii. 3, 5.
h Ps. Ixxvii. 4. i John xii. 27.
k Ps. Ixxvii. 7 10. i 1 John ii. 1.
1876.] THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT. 309
for us at the throne of glory. He sometimes enables us to
pour out our hearts with fluency. This he does by discovering
to us our wants, quickening our affections, and testifying to us
God s willingness to answer prayer. He does not, however,
always operate in this way.]
He will make intercession " with unutterable
groans "-
[The joy of Christians is represented as being sometimes
inexpressible" 1 : but frequently a sense of sin overwhelms them.
Then sighs and groans are the natural language of their hearts.
Nor are such inarticulate prayers unacceptable to God. We
have a remarkable instance of their success in the history of our
Lord" Perhaps no prayers are more pleasing to God than
these .]
INFER
1. How many are there who live all their days
without prayer !
[Those in whom the Spirit intercedes are often made to
feel their inability to pray aright. Under a sense of their in
firmities they are constrained to cry to God for the help of his
Spirit : but many pass all their days without any painful sense
of their weakness. They satisfy themselves with a formal
performance of their duties. Such persons never pray in an
acceptable manner p . Real prayer implies fervour and impor
tunity q ; and it is in vain to think that we have the spirit of
grace, if we have not also the spirit of supplication 1 . May WE
therefore never be found of the number of those, whom the
prophet and our blessed Lord have, on account of their for
mality in prayer, condemned as hypocrites 3 ]
2. What comfort may this passage afford to pray
ing people !
[Many are discouraged by the difficulties which they
experience in the duty of prayer. If they feel not an enlarge
ment of heart, they doubt whether their prayer will be
accepted. But God will notice the groaning of his people 1 .
Such inward desires may often be more pleasing to him than
the most fluent petitions : they are, in fact, the voice of God s
Spirit within us. Let not any then be dejected on account^of
occasional deadness. Let every one rather follow the advice
of the prophet u God, in due time, will assuredly fulfil his
promise x ]
" 1 Pet. i. 8. John xi. 33, 38, 41. Ps. li. 17.
P John iv. 23. <i Isai. Ixiv. 7. r Zech. xii. 10.
5 Matt. xv. 7, 8. Ps. xxxviii. 8, 9. " Hab. ii. 3.
* Ps. bcxxi. 10.
310 ROMANS, VIII. 28. [1877.
MDCCCLXXVII.
ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD.
Rom. viii. 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.
TRUE believers have the greatest encouragement
to draw nigh to God ; they have supernatural assist
ance when pouring out their hearts before him, and are
assured by God himself that their prayers shall be
heard; yet, sometimes, like the Israelites in Egypt,
the more they renew their requests, the more they
find their burthens increased 3 : hence, like them,
they are also sometimes ready to murmur and de
spond 13 ; but, by grace they are enabled to wait
patiently the Lord s leisure, and invariably, in the
issue, the clouds which they so much dreaded, burst
in blessings on their heads.
This St. Paul declares to be the experience of all
true believers. In his words I wish you to notice,
I. The description he gives of true Christians
Christians are sometimes described in the Scriptures
by their regard for God, and sometimes by God s
regard for them. The text leads us to speak of them
in both points of view :
1. Their regard to God
[The " loving of God" is a character peculiar to true
Christians: others are represented rather as " haters of God,"
and enemies to him in their minds ; but they who are par
takers of his grace, have their natural enmity removed : they
behold his excellency, and are sensible of their obligations to
him : hence they love him, and strive to love him with their
whole hearts.]
2. God s regard for them
[Their regard for him sprang not from any good disposi
tions in themselves ; it resulted purely from the manifestations
of God s love to them : he formed " purposes" of love to them
from all eternity d . In due time he " called" them by his grace,
a Exod. v. 6 8. > Exod. v. 20, 21.
Rom. i. 30. Col. i. 21. * Jer. xxxi. 3.
1877.] ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD. ,31 1
and made them his people; and this distinguishing favour is
the true source of their love to him. To this effect both our
Lord and his beloved Apostle testify 6 To the eternal pur
poses of God, therefore, and not to the inclinations of our carnal
minds, must all the good that is in us be traced.]
To persons of this description the Apostle an
nounces,
II. His strange yet assured confidence respecting
them
It is under sufferings that the superiority of the
Christian s state is to be seen to the greatest advantage.
Of them the Apostle speaks ; and declares that, of
whatever kind they be, they shall work for the good
of them that love God
[The Christian may be called to bear the heaviest afflic
tions ; but they shall bring him to consideration, stir him up to
prayer, wean him from the world, and lead him to seek his rest
above He may be assaulted also with the most dis
tressing temptations; but these will shew him the evil of his
heart, and the faithfulness of his God : they will also teach him
to sympathize with his tempted brethren: even death itself
will be among the number of the things that shall prove bene
ficial to him. This is the most formidable enemy to fallen man :
it cuts him off from all means and opportunities of salvation,
and seals him up under endless and irremediable misery ; but
to a true Christian it is a most invaluable treasured It puts a
period to all his sorrows and temptations, and introduces him
to the immediate, everlasting enjoyment of his God.]
Nor can we doubt of this blessed truth
[The Apostle speaks of it not as a matter of conjecture,
but of certainty: as he knew it, so may " we know" it, from
the declarations and promises of God g . Both David and Paul
have attested it also from their own experience 11 : nor is there
any Christian in whom it has not been realized. It is not how
ever singly or separately that all things work for good, but as
taken " together" in a collective view. Separately considered,
many things may have wrought for evil, by producing sinful
tempers or actions; but when viewed as connected with all
their effects and consequences, the most untoward circumstances
will be found to have wrought for good.]
This subject naturally SUGGESTS,
e John xv. 16. 1 John iv. 19. f 1 Cor. iii. 22.
e Ps. xxv. 10. h Ps. cxix. 71. Phil. i. 19.
312 ROMANS, VIII. 29, 30. [1878.
1. A rule whereby to judge of God s electing love
[Our election of God can be known only by its effects 5 .
To ascertain it, we must inquire whether we have been called
by his grace, and whether, in consequence of that call, we love
God supremely ? If we experience these effects, we may safely
conclude, that God has entertained eternal purposes of love
towards us ; but if we trace not these effects, our pretensions
to an interest in his electing love is a fatal delusion. Let them,
in whom these evidences are found, rejoice ; but rejoice with
trembling.]
2. A ground of comfort under his apparent frowns
[Afflictions are not at the present joyous, but grievous;
and because they are his rod, we are ready to say, " All these
things are against me." But the Scripture tells us, that " the
trial of our faith is precious k ." Let the afflicted then consider
what "good" may be accruing to them. Their troubles may
be working so as to discover, prevent, punish, or destroy sin;
or they may be working to impart, exercise, strengthen,
or perfect grace What reason, in either case, have the
afflicted to take comfort! We think little of inconveniences
if they do but promote our temporal interest. Should we then
be averse to any trials that may tend to our spiritual advantage?
Let us wait to see " the end of the Lord," and be solicitou*
rather about our future benefit, than our present ease.]
3. A motive to love and serve God with our whole
hearts
[Things are never represented as working for the good of
the wicked ; on the contrary, their temporal " blessings are
often cursed" to them ; yea, even spiritual blessings only aggra
vate their guilt and condemnation 1 . Christ himself proves, not
a Saviour, but a stumbling-block to them" 1 . But for God s
people, all things, sin excepted, work for good. Should they
not then love him for such distinguishing mercy ? Can they
ever do enough for him, who so marvellously overrules all
events for them ?]
1 1 Thess. i. 4, 5. * 1 Pet. i. 7.
1 "2 Cor. ii. 10. 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8.
MDCCCLXXVIII.
PREDESTINATION CONSIDERED.
Rom. yiii. 29, 30. Whom he did foreknow, he also did pre
destinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover
1878.] PREDESTINATION CONSIDERED. 313
ic.hom he did predestinate, them he also called : and whom
he called, them he also justified : and ivhom he justified, them
he also glorified.
THE subject of predestination is confessedly very
deep and mysterious : nor should it be entered upon
without extreme caution, both as to the mode of
stating it, and to the persons before whom it is stated.
It is much to be lamented, that there exists in the
minds of many a strong prejudice against it ; insomuch
that the very mention of it is deemed by them little
short of heresy ; I had almost said, of blasphemy.
But this surely is not a way in which any part of
God s revealed will is to be treated. That the inspired
writers do speak of it, is undeniable : and that our
o\Vn Church also has made it an Article of faith, which
all her ministers and members are to receive, is also
certain. On these accounts we must not discard the
doctrine through fear of offending any who may be
hostile to it ; though on the other hand we ought
not so frequently or so strongly to insist upon it as
unnecessarily to wound and grieve them. The true
medium which a minister should aim at, is, to give to
this doctrine, as well as to every other, as precisely as
possible that measure of prominence and importance
which it bears in ,the sacred writings. To be bringing
it forward on every occasion, just as if it were among
the first principles of religion, we consider as very
injudicious, and detrimental to the best interests of
religion : but to omit it altogether, we deem unworthy
of a faithful servant of Christ. To the doctrines which
have an opposite aspect, we give all due weight ; and
therefore we may be allowed to put this also before
you, according as it is plainly declared in the passage
which is now under our consideration.
The Apostle having designated " those who love
God" as persons " who have been called according
to God s purpose," proceeds to shew, that from first
to last God is the author of their salvation : he fore
knew, and predestinated them from all eternity to the
privileges which they enjoy ; and will infallibly com
plete his purpose respecting them, in their effectual
314- ROMANS, VIII. 29, 30. [1878.
calling, their free justification from all their sins, and
their final glorification at his right hand for ever.
In the Apostle s statement we may see,
I. The principal ends of predestination-
God acts in all things according to his own sove
reign will and pleasure : yet is that will regulated by
the counsels of infallible wisdom 3 . Whilst therefore
in all things he consults primarily his own glory, he
has respect to such ends and objects as are most suited
to promote his glory. The ends he has proposed to
himself, in predestinating men to life, were two-fold :
the immediate end respected us; and the ultimate end
respected his beloved Son, through whom all his pur
poses were to be accomplished.
1. The immediate end respected us
[He decreed that all the objects of his choice " should be
conformed to the image of his Son." But how were they to
be conformed to him? We answer, In holiness, in sufferings,
and in glory.
We are to be conformed to Christ in holiness. Our blessed
Lord was altogether without spot or blemish, a perfect exem
plar of universal holiness : his bitterest enemies could not find
any imperfection in him ; and St. John s testimony concerning
him is, " In him was no sin b ." Such, "according to the mea
sure of the gift of Christ," are we to be also . Like him we
must live, not unto ourselves, but unto our God alone ; making
it " our meat and our drink to do his holy will." Though in
the world, we must not be of the world, any more than he
was d : we must rise superior to all its concerns, resist all its
temptations, mortify all its lusts, and " walk in all things as
Christ walked 6 ." The same mind altogether that was in him,
must be in us also f . And to this we are predestinated. We
were not chosen of God from eternity, or made the subjects of
his new-creating grace in time, because we were holy, or be
cause he foresaw that we should be holy; but that we " might
be holy :" " we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them g ."
We are to be conformed to Christ in sufferings. Through
out his whole life our Saviour was " a man of sorrows, and
a Eph. i. 5, 11. h 1 John iii. 5. c Eph. iv. 7.
<* Johnxvii. 14, 16. e 1 John ii. G. f Phil. ii. 5.
Eph. i. 4. and ii. 10. These two passages deserve the most at
tentive consideration in this view.
1878.] PREDESTINATION CONSIDERED. 315
acquainted with grief." " Though he was a Son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered :" and " he was
made perfect through sufferings." In like manner we also
must be " a poor and afflicted people 11 ." We must " take up
our cross daily, and follow him :" we must be " hated of all
men for his sake." " If they called the Master of the house
Beelzebub, much more will they those of his household."
" The servant cannot expect to be above his Master." We
must " follow him without the camp, bearing his reproach."
To this also we are predestinated. So St. Paul expressly
affirmed respecting himself 1 ; and so he affirms respecting us
also : " All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution k ."
We are to be conformed to Christ also in glory. " He is
now seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high :" and
there shall we also in due time be seated. Yes, " having suf
fered with him, we shall also reign with him," and " be glorified
together 1 ." We shall be like him in glory : " our vile body
will be fashioned like unto his glorious body" 1 : our soul also
will be changed into his perfect image"; and our blessedness
be altogether assimilated to his . And to all of this also our
predestination extends. It is not to the means of grace only
that " we are chosen, but to salvation itself, and to the obtain
ing of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ p ."]
2. The ultimate end respected our Lord Jesus Christ
himself
[The first-born were entitled to many privileges : to them
belonged dominion, and the priesthood, and a double portion
of the inheritance. In respect of all the rest of the creation,
not excepting even the angels themselves, we may be styled
the first-born q . The whole family of believers are " kings
and priests unto God," and are entitled to inherit the kingdom
of our heavenly Father r . But in respect of us, Christ is the
First-born; for "He in all things must have the pre-eminence 3 ."
He is to be the Head of all his Church and people*: and to
this He is predestinated ; yea, it is in order to this that they
also are predestinated to the attainment of his glory. It was
decreed in the eternal counsels of his Father, that " if he would
make his soul an offering for sin," he should have " a seed to
serve him," and should assuredly " be satisfied with the travail
h Zeph. iii. 12. * 1 Thess. iii. 3, 4. k 2 Tim. iii. 12.
1 ver. 17. with 2 Tim. ii. 12. m Phil. iii. 21.
n 1 John iii. 2. Rev. iii. 21.
v 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. See also Acts xiii. 48. and 1 Thess. v. 9.
i Exod. iv. 22. Heb. xii. 23. r Rev. i. 0. Matt. xxv. 21.
Col. i. 18. l Eph. i. 21, 22.
316 ROMANS, VIII. 29, 30. [1878.
of his soul u ." Had not this been absolutely decreed, it might
have happened, that not so much as one might ever have been
saved, and that, consequently, Christ might have shed his blood
in vain. For, if every thing had been left entirely dependent
on the free will of man, all might have used their free will
precisely in the same way ; and every child of man might have
rejected him, exactly as the great mass of mankind are actually
doing. But can we conceive that God would have given his
Son to bear the iniquities of a ruined world, and have left it
to mere chance, whether any single individual should ever
obtain mercy through him, or become a jewel in his crown ?
We cannot conceive this ; in fact, we know that it was not
thus left to chance : we are sure, that there is a chosen people,
who were from eternity given to Christ, to be redeemed by
his blood, and to be saved by his grace : and that of those
who were so given him, he neither has lost, nor ever will lose,
so much as one x . How many these are, God alone knows :
but we are sure they are " many," even " a multitude, whom
no man can number, out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation V
It will probably be objected, that, if there be any who are
thus predestinated unto life, the remainder must of necessity
be ordained to death. But this we by no means admit. We
grant that it is a difficulty which we are not able to explain :
and we are contented to be ignorant of those things which it
has not pleased God to reveal : and, whether men maintain or
deny the doctrine in question, they will find themselves equally
at a loss to make every thing intelligible to our finite capacities.
It is Scripture, and Scripture alone, that must determine what
is truth : and, as long as God declares with an oath that " he
has no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he turn
from his wickedness and live," so long we may rest assured,
that, notwithstanding he has predestinated many to life, he has
not predestinated one single soul to death ; nor is the doctrine
of absolute reprobation a just and necessary consequence of
predestination. To draw the line, we again acknowledge to
be beyond the power of any finite capacity : nor are we so
much concerned to draw it as some may imagine : for, whether
we admit or reject the doctrine of predestination, the same
number will be saved at last. The man who denies that doc
trine, will admit, that all who repent and believe in Christ,
shall be saved, and that all the impenitent and unbelieving
shall perish : and the same is admitted by those who maintain
the doctrine of predestination : so that an equal number are
saved on either plan. The only difference lies in this : that
" Ps. xxii. 30. with Isai. liii. 10, 11.
1 Johnxvii. 2, 6, 912, 24. y Rev. v. 9. and vii. 9.
1878.] PREDESTINATION CONSIDERED. 317
they who maintain this doctrine refer all the glory of man s
salvation to God alone, making him the Author and the Finisher
of it, from first to last : whilst those who deny the doctrine,
give a great measure of the glory to the creature : for, how
ever they may acknowledge that salvation through Christ is a
gift to mankind at large, they make every individual the first
moving cause of his own salvation : and exactly in proportion
as they ascribe salvation either to human merit, or human
agency as independent of God s grace, in that proportion
they give to man a ground of glorying before God. Whatever
they may say, according to them, it is man " who maketh him
self to differ ;" and his salvation must ultimately be ascribed
to him as its true, proper, original, and moving cause. It is
in this view that we are anxious to have the doctrine of pre
destination properly understood. As a mere abstract and
speculative point, we could very contentedly wave the discus
sion of it : but, as involving the honour of God, we cannot but
consider it as deserving our most serious attention. Never
theless, if any man cannot receive it, we are not disposed to
contend with him, but are contented with pressing on his
consideration such matters only as are of primary and funda
mental importance.]
Hoping however that the truth of the doctrine has
approved itself to you, we shall proceed to state,
II. The way in which those ends are accomplished
The order and method of God s dispensations, from
eternity to eternity, are here clearly marked :
1. He " foreknows" men as objects of his love
[As far as relates to mere prescience, all things are equally
exposed to the view of the omnipresent God ; and they who
shall ultimately perish, are as much "foreknown" by him, as
those that shall be saved. Many in this sense are foreknown
by him, who are not predestinated, or called, or justified, nor
ever will be glorified. But the word here used imports more
than mere prescience, and includes an affectionate regard to
the persons foreknown. In this sense it is elsewhere used";
and in this sense it must be understood in the passage before
us. It is equivalent to that expression of the prophet Jeremiah,
" He has loved us with an everlasting love a ." And if we
inquire into the reason of this love, we can assign no other than
that which our blessed Lord has assigned, " Even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in thy sight V]
z John x. 14. Rom. xi. 2. and in 1 Pet. i. 20. the same word is
rendered, by a far stronger term, " fore-ordained."
* Jer. xxxi. 3. b Matt. xi. 26.
318 ROMANS, VIII. 29, 30. [1878.
2. He then " predestinates" them unto life
[We speak of this, as though it succeeded the former in
point of time : but with God there is no interval between his
foreknowledge and fore-ordination. The inward affection,
and the decree consequent upon it, are perfectly co-existent.
But in God s predestination, he has respect both to the end
and to the means; or rather to the end by the means. He
does not ordain men to life in a way of sin, but, as we have
already shewn, in a way of holiness. This is strongly asserted
by St. Paul, in a fore-cited passage ; " God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the
Spirit, and belief of the truth c ." And St. Peter to the same
effect says, We are " elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ A ."~\
3. In due time he " calls" them by his word and
Spirit
[The calling here spoken of, is not the mere external call
of the Gospel : for many are so called, who, rejecting the call,
are never justified or glorified. It is the internal call, whereby
they are " made willing in the day of God s power." " The
word comes to them in demonstration of the Spirit and of
power," and they are " turned from darkness unto light, and
from the power of Satan unto God e ." This is the call which
they experience, and which is the combined result of God s
eternal purpose, and his effectual grace f .]
4. These, as soon as they helieve, he "justifies"
[Whatever sins a man may have committed, they are all
blotted out of the book of God s remembrance, the very instant
that he obeys the Gospel call: "All that believe," says the
Apostle, " are justified from all things g :" nor shall so much as
one of " his sins and iniquities ever be remembered against
him any moreV]
5. These, in due time, he glorifies
[Yes, blessed be God, the chain of God s purposes reaches
from eternity to eternity ; nor shall one link of it be broken.
The glorification of the saints is in part effected, even in this
life ; inasmuch as " the Spirit of glory and of God resteth
upon them 1 ;" and "they are changed into Christ s image,
from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the LordV But in
c 2 Thess. ii. 13. d 1 Pet. i. 2.
e 1 Cor. ii. 4. Acts xxvi. 18. f 2 Tim. i. 9.
8 Acts xiii. 39. > Heb. viii. 12. 1 Pet. iv. 14.
k 2 Cor. iii. 18.
1878.] PREDESTINATION CONSIDERED. #19
heaven their felicity will be perfect: there "all that was iu
part will be done away :" they will " see as they are seen, and
know as they are known ;" and will be like, and with, their
God, for ever and ever.
Here, it may be observed, is no distinct mention made of
sanctification ; and this may be supposed to give some counte
nance to those who imagine that sanctification is unnecessary
to our final salvation. But sanctification is not omitted here :
on the contrary, it is interwoven with the whole statement.
For respecting whom are all these things spoken ? Respect
ing those " who love God." Now love to God is the root and
summit of all holiness : and therefore it is plain, that the per
sons spoken of as called, and justified, and glorified, must be
holy. Moreover, the thing to which they are predestinated is,
"to be conformed to the image of Christ :" but how can that
be if they be not holy ? Again ; sanctification is yet further
implied in their justification, from which it must of necessity
spring, as an effect from a cause ; as also in their glorification,
to which it is necessary as a means to an end : for without a
" meetness for their inheritance" they could not possibly enjoy
it. We see therefore that the omission is in appearance only,
and not in reality ; and that there is no ground whatever
afforded for antinomian licentiousness.]
Many who do not in their hearts disapprove of
this doctrine, yet think of it as affording matter for
speculation only, and as of little, if any, use with re
spect to practice.
But, in fact, it is a doctrine of great PRACTICAL IM
PORTANCE ; for it lays the axe to the root of,
1. All boasting
[If any man be disposed to boast, he must, in his own
opinion at least, either have merited salvation in some mea
sure by his own goodness, or effected it by his own power.
They who deny the doctrine of predestination do unavoidably
give some occasion for men to boast : for whether they make
God s predestination to be influenced by something done, or
something foreseen, still it is the inherent and independent
goodness of man that is made the determining ground of God s
choice, and the original cause of man s salvation. But the
doctrine of predestination plucks up all such conceits by the
very root : it makes God s sovereign choice the primary source
of man s happiness, and God s immutable purpose the means
of its final consummation. If it be asked, Why did God love
him? it must be answered, " Because he would love him 1 ." If
1 Deut. vii. 7, 8. and ix. 4, 5.
320 ROMANS, VIII. 29, 30. [1878.
it be further asked, Who "hath wrought all his works in
him?" it must be answered, God m . It is God who laid the
foundation, and who carries on the spiritual building even to
the end : and when the top-stone is brought forth, every sinner
in the universe must " cry, Grace, grace unto it"."]
2. All presumption
[The doctrine of predestination is objected to by many,
under the idea that it authorizes and encourages persons to
say, " I am elected, and have therefore no cause to fear, or
even to take heed of my ways." But, if any man were so to
abuse the doctrine, we would immediately ask him this ques
tion ; Are you conformed to the image of Christ ? Here is a
test whereby to try our pretensions : and it will instantly dis
cover of what value they are in the sight of God. If a man
have an evidence in his own soul, that a work of grace has been
begun within him, and that he has been enabled, in a consider
able degree, to " put off the old man, and put on the new,"
then, in proportion as that change is manifest, he may infer
from it his election of God : but, if that change do not appear
in his life and conversation, then he may know infallibly, that,
in speaking of himself as one whom God has predestinated
unto life, he deceives his own soul, and gives advantage to his
great adversary to destroy him. Let this then be well known,
that we must try ourselves whether we be in the faith : and we
must determine the matter, not by any groundless conceits
of our own, but by our proficiency in righteousness and true
holiness.]
3. All despondency
[The doctrine of predestination, if abused, may generate
both presumption and despondency : as our Church, in her
17th Article, has told us. But this does not militate against
the doctrine itself; for on the same ground, we might decry
every other doctrine of Christianity. Be it so : a man has not
at present any evidence that he is one of God s elect : Does
this warrant him to conclude that he is given over to a state of
reprobation ? Surely not : for, if he look into the Scriptures,
he will find that even the Apostles themselves were once in a
carnal unconverted state, yea, " were children of wrath, even
as others ." But as the Apostles were in God s own time
delivered from that state, so may we be, notwithstanding we
are at this moment in a state which is most unpromising. God
did not choose the Apostles for any good that was in them, or
that he foresaw would be in them : and therefore he may
magnify his grace towards us, even as he did towards them.
m Isai. xxvi. 12. 2 Cor. v. 5. n Zech. iv. 6 9. Eph. ii. 3.
1879.] GOD S GOODNESS TOWARDS MAN. 321
His grace is his own, and he may confer it on whomsoever he
will : and it is a most consolatory thought, that, as he may, so
he often does, cause his grace to abound where sin has most
abounded. This we are sure is the doctrine of our Church ;
and we cannot do better than refer you to her Article upon
this subject Nevertheless, if any man be not able to
receive this doctrine, we would on no account press it upon his
mind : we would rather say to him, Discard it from your mind:
and take the broad promises of Scripture, wherein it is de
clared, that " the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin," and
that he " will save to the uttermost all who come unto God by
him." Take, I say, these promises, not with any reference
whatever to God s eternal counsels towards you personally,
but with a perfect confidence that he will fulfil them to all who
rely upon him ; and that no sinner in the universe, who comes
to him in his Son s name, shall ever be cast out.]
MDCCCLXXIX.
GOD S GIFT OF HIS SON A GROUND FOR EXPECTING EVERY
OTHER BLESSING.
Rom. viii. 32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things ?
IF we contemplate the mysterious work of redemp
tion, and the grace of God as displayed in it, we shall
be filled with wonder and amazement 3 ; and in the
view of it we shall defy all the enemies of our salva
tion 15 : but if we contemplate the means by which
redemption has been effected, even by the gift of
God s only dear Son, our exultation will rise to the
highest summit of confidence and triumph. We may
then assure ourselves, as the Apostle does in the text,
that God s past goodness to us is a just ground for
expecting every other blessing at his hands.
In these words we notice,
I. What God has done for us
The state of fallen man was desperate : no possible
way was left whereby we might restore ourselves to
;i ver. 30. b ver. 31.
VOL. XV. Y
322 ROMANS, VIII. 32. [1879.
God s favour. God, in compassion to us, " spared
not his own Son c ."
[Nothing less than the incarnation and death of the Son of
God could remedy the miseries which mankind had brought
upon themselves; yet, such was God s regard for our sinful
race, that, rather than they should perish, he would not with
hold his only Son.]
He even " delivered him up" to death
[God sent not his Son merely to instruct us : he gave him
to make atonement for our sins : he sent him to die even the
accursed death of the cross.]
We "all" were the persons for whose sake God
thus delivered him
[All indeed are not alike benefited by this gift ; but it was
designed alike for all, and there is a sufficiency in the death of
Christ to expiate the sins of all. If any receive not salvation
through him, they owe it, not to any want of love and mercy
in the bosom of Jehovah, (for he willeth not the death of any
sinner,) nor to any want of merit in the Saviour, (for his blood
can cleanse from all sin,) but altogether to their own obstinate
unbelief. Every one, who desires acceptance through him,
may confidently say, He was delivered up for me.~\
This manifestation of Divine goodness affords
abundant ground for,
II. The inference drawn from it
God will "give us all things" that are needful
[The general expression " all things" must be understood
in a limited sense. God will not give worldly riches and
honours to his people ; but all things that are good for them
he will bestow, whatever they need for body or soul, for time
or eternity.]
He will give us all things " freely"
[He does not need to have blessings extorted from him by
importunity : he is far more willing to give than we are to ask ;
nor does he give because we ask, but stirs us up to ask, because
he before determined to give : he will bestow every thing on
his people as a father on his own children.]
This may be inferred from what he has already
done
c OVK tyfiffaro may either mean that he spared him not in a way
of justice, i.e. that he exacted of him the utmost farthing of our debt
(see 2 Pet.ii.4.) or that he spared him not in a way of bounty, i. e.
withheld him not. The latter seems to be the sense in this place.
1879.] GOD S GOODNESS TOWARDS MAN.
[Will not he, who has given his own Son, give smaller
things ? Will he, who was so gracious to his enemies, forget
his friends ? Will he, who did so much unsolicited, refuse
those who cry day and night unto him ? This inference is so
obvious, that the Apostle appeals to the reason of every man
to judge of it. He insinuates that to doubt it would be the
height of absurdity : he seems to think that God could not act
otherwise.]
By way of IMPROVEMENT,
1. Let us endeavour to estimate aright this gift of
God-
[God s own Son is infinitely above all creatures : all the
hosts of angels and all the glory of heaven were nothing in
comparison of him. Had he been a mere creature, the Apostle s
inference had been inconclusive d . He, against whom the
sword of vengeance was put forth, was Jehovah s fellow 6 . Let
our gratitude rise in proportion to the excellency of this gift :
let us contemplate its excellency, till we exclaim with the
Apostle f ]
2. Let us avail ourselves of the encouragement
given us to ask for more
[We daily need many things both for our bodies and souls,
and we have the fullest assurance that God will grant us what
we need. Let not any one then say, " I am too unworthy to
ask." What worthiness was there in man to obtain the gift of
God s own Son ? After HIM, can there be any thing too great
for God to bestow ? Surely then the weakest and the vilest
may enlarge their petitions. If we " open our mouths wide,
God will fill them."]
3. Let us be chiefly solicitous to receive Christ
himself
[God will bestow every thing " with Christ :" we cannot
receive his blessings without HIM, nor him without his blessings.
Let us then in every state labour most to secure our interest
in Christ. If he be ours, we cannot but have every thing
in, and with him g .]
d If our Lord were only a creature, the reasoning would be to this
e ff ec t : If God delivered up one creature to endure temporal pain,
how shall he not deliver millions of creatures from enduring eternal
misery ? If he gave one creature, who was infinitely below himself,
to be deprived of life for a time, how shall he not give himself, who
is infinitely above all creatures, to be our everlasting portion ? What
force or propriety would there be in such reasoning as this ?
Zech. xiii. 7. 1 Tim. iii. 16. f 2 Cor. ix. 15.
g 1 Cor. iii. 2123.
321 ROMANS, VIII. 33, 34. [1880.
MDCCCLXXX.
PAUL S CONFIDENCE.
Rom. viii. 33, 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of
God s elect ? It is God that justifteth. Who is he that con-
demneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
OF all the systems that mankind have devised for
reconciling themselves to God, there is not any that
will afford solid confidence to the soul : they have
never been able to fix a standard that should be a
sufficient test of men s attainments, or to draw a line
of distinction between those who should attain salva
tion, and those who should fall short of it. Hence,
after all their labours, they are left in a painful un
certainty about their eternal state. But the Gospel
removes all suspense on this subject ; and gives to
those who cordially embrace it, a full assurance of
their acceptance with God. In the New Testament
we find scarcely any intimation of believers being
harassed with doubts and fears : but there are many
instances wherein they express the most assured ex
pectation of happiness and glory. In confirmation of
this, we need look no further than to the words before
us ; wherein St. Paul speaks of them as having com
munion with Christ in his most exalted privileges,
and as possessing the very same confidence as the
Messiah himself enjoyed": he, not in his own person
only, but in the behalf of all God s people, challenges
the whole universe to lay any thing to their charge,
so as ultimately to condemn them.
We shall consider,
I. His confident challenge
The name by which he characterizes God s people
is most appropriate
[Among the ungodly world, there is scarcely a more
sarcastic or contemptuous expression ever used, than that by
which God himself designates his own people. When they
a Compare Isai. 1. 7 9. with the text.
1880.] PAUL S CONFIDENCE. 325
say, " There is one of the elect" they mean by it, " There is
a sanctimonious hypocrite, and a contemptible fanatic." But,
whatever opprobrium they may attach to the word " elect" be
it known, that there is an elect people, whom " God has
chosen in Christ Jesus from before the foundation of the
world ," and that too, irrespective of any works that they
should afterwards perform . He chose them because he would
choose them, and loved them because he would love them d .
And if any are disposed to quarrel with this exercise of sove
reign grace, let them tell us, who made the distinction between
the Jews and the rest of the world ; and why he did so : let
them also tell us, why he, who in that sovereign way chose
nations, may not also choose individuals : and why he, who
chose some to enjoy the means of salvation, may not choose
others to salvation itself. Proud man may frame distinctions,
if he pleases : but if the exercise of God s sovereignty be unjust
in the one case, it must be unjust also in the other; and if it
be admitted in the one case, it must be also in the other.
Ignorant men are ready to think, that this is a proud title :
but it is the most humiliating title that can be imagined ;
because it acknowledges that no man on earth would ever have
chosen God, if God had not first chosen him : and it is the
rejection of this title, not the assumption of it, that argues
pride ; inasmuch as it implies, that some have within them
selves an excellence, which has attracted the notice of Almighty
God, and induced him to confer on them the most dis
tinguished privileges.]
In behalf of these he expresses the most assured
confidence of their salvation
[No assertion, however strong, could so fully declare his
confidence, as the challenge does which he gives to the whole
universe.
We are not to understand him as saying, that there is no
ground for accusing and condemning the elect ; but, that they
are brought into such a state that nothing ever shall be laid to
their charge so as finally to effect their ruin.
Let us then, with him, give the challenge to all who may be
supposed most likely to prevail against us ; to the law, to
Satan, to conscience, yea, with reverence be it spoken, even
to God himself.
The law indeed may accuse us of having violated every com
mandment in ten thousand thousand instances: yet will we
defy it to condemn us. Satan may affirm with truth, that we
have been his vassals far the greater part of our lives : yet
shall not he prevail against us. As for conscience, that will
b Eph. i. 4. c 2 Tim. i. 9. Rom. ix. 11. d Deut. vii. t> 8.
326 ROMANS, VIII. 33, 34. [1880.
testify against us, that we have indulged many secret lusts,
and been guilty of innumerable transgressions : yet shall not
its allegations be heard to our confusion. It is needless to say
what the omniscient God might lay to our charge, what rebel
lion against his Majesty, what neglect of his dear Son, what
opposition to his Holy Spirit : but yet, notwithstanding all, so
is the believer circumstanced, that God himself can find
nothing for which to condemn him.
Doubtless these are strong assertions ; and we may perhaps
be ready to question the truth of them. But, if there were
the smallest room for doubt, would the Apostle have been so
confident in his challenge? Would he have repeated the
challenge in such unqualified terms, if he could have been an
swered in so easy and obvious a manner as some imagine ?]
Arrogant as the Apostle may appear, we shall cease
to think him so, if we consider,
II. The grounds of his confidence
His answers might be read, like the questions them
selves, in the form of interrogatories ; and they would
derive much additional spirit and force from this con
struction, which indeed both the preceding and fol
lowing context seem to countenance. But in whatever
way his words are pointed, the import of them is
much the same. He grounds his confidence on,
1. The sovereignty of the Father s grace
[The elect, having believed in Jesus, are actually brought
into a justified state. Now justification implies a free, a full,
an everlasting remission of all our sins. It is a free gift
bestowed upon us, not as saints, but as sinners : we are not
first made godly, and then justified ; but are first justified, and
then made godly. St. Paul expressly gives this title to God,
The justifier of the ungodly 6 ." When God of his infinite
mercy vouchsafes to justify a sinner, he does not put away
some sins, and retain others; but " blots them all out as a
morning cloud f ," and " puts them from us as far as the east is
from the west g ." It is a blessed and a certain truth, that " all
who believe are justified from all things V Nor does God
cancel our debt for a time only, intending to call us to account
for it at a future period : for he covenants with us, that " our
sins and iniquities he will remember no more 1 ;" and he assures
us, that " his gifts and calling are without repentance*."
Now if God thus justify his elect, we may well ask, "who
e Rom. iv. 5. f Isai. xliv. 22. & Ps. ciii. 12.
h Acts xiii. 39. Heb. x. 17. k Rom. xi. 29.
1880.] PAUL S CONFIDENCE. 327
shall condemn them ?" If he " cast all our sins into the very
depths of the sea 1 ," who shall bring them up again from thence
and lay them to our charge ? He " beholdeth not iniquity
in Jacob 111 ," but views us as " complete in Christ" :" and has
formed a chain that shall not be broken : " whom from eter
nity he foreknew and predestinated, them, in his appointed
time, he called and justified ; and them he will also glorify "
for evermore .]
2. The perfection of the Redeemer s work
[Every part of Christ s work was considered by the Apostle
as a security for the salvation of God s elect. His death, his
resurrection, his ascension, his intercession are so many pledges,
that no one shall ever trust in him in vain.
For what end was it that Christ died, but to procure eternal
redemption" for his people p ? " He gave his own life to be a
ransom for them q ;" "he shed his blood for the remission of
their sins r :" " he died that they might live no longer to them
selves, but unto him that died for them 8 ." We confess, that,
if we look only at their steadfastness, they may come into con
demnation; and " the weak brother for whom Christ died, and
that has been actually washed in his blood, may perish 1 :" but
their security is in Christ ; who will not readily forego the
ends of his death, or give up to Satan the souls which he has
purchased at so dear a rate.
The resurrection of Christ is a great additional security to
the believer ; because it was a liberating of our surety from the
prison to which he had been carried on our account ; and con
sequently it argues the full discharge of that debt which he had
taken upon himself. Hence a peculiar stress is laid upon it in
the text ; as also in another place, where it is said, " If when
we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life"." Now if he " died for our offences, and rose again for
our justification* ," will he suffer this end to be defeated ? We
may be well assured he will not.
From the ascension of Christ a yet fuller assurance may be
derived, because he is gone to " the right hand of God" both
as our forerunner and our head. He is not only " preparing
places for his people," but is invested with all power in heaven
and in earth, and has the government of the whole universe
committed to him, on purpose that he may put down all his,
1 Mic. vii. 19. m Num. xxiii. 21. n Col. ii. 10.
Rom. viii. 30. 1 Heb. ix. 12. 1 Matt. xx. 28.
r Matt. xxvi. 28. E 2 Cor. v. 15.
Rom. xiv. 15. and 1 Cor. viii. 11. u Rom. v. 10.
x Rom. iv. 25.
328 ROMANS, VIII. 33, 34. [1880.
and his people s, enemies *. If then he kept his people when
he was on earth, so that not one of them was lost z , will he
now suffer any to pluck them out of his hand ? No : he has
said, that " they shall never perish 3 :" and he will assuredly
fulfil his word.
If any thing further be requisite for the comfort of our minds,
we find it abundantly supplied in the intercession of Christ.
The only doubt that can arise on this subject is, whether our
manifold backslidings will not provoke the Father to cast us
off? But " Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us,"
and thereby preserves that peace, which otherwise would be
interrupted every hour. If indeed our transgressions were
wilful and habitual, we should prove ourselves at once not to
be of the number of God s elect. But if they be only such as
arise from the infirmity of our nature ; if they be lamented,
resisted, and diminished ; and if they make us to cleave more
earnestly to Christ, Christ will be " our Advocate with the
Father b ," and will prevail so as to " save us to the uttermost ."
From all these grounds we may affirm with the fullest
assurance, that " there is no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus d ."]
To IMPROVE this subject, let us stir up ourselves,
1 . To humble inquiry
[Are we of the number of " God s elect ? " This is no
difficult point to ascertain : for though we cannot look into
the book of God s decrees, to see whether God have chosen
us, we may search the records of our own conscience, to see
whether we have chosen God : and this will determine the
point at once. If we have chosen God as our portion, and
Christ as our way to the Father, it is an indisputable evidence
that God had before chosen us ; because we never should have
loved him, if he had not first loved us. But if we feel no such
delight in God, we have no reason to think that we belong to
him. Let this mode of inquiry be instituted; and let it be
pursued with the seriousness which it deserves.]
2. To grateful adoration
[What debtors are we to the grace of God, that grace that
chose us, that grace that treasured up a fulness for us in Christ
Jesus ! What do we owe to him, who, when he had passed by
angels, was pleased to choose us ; and when he might justly have
driven us beyond the hope of mercy, has placed us beyond the
fear of condemnation ! Surely, if we pour not out our hearts in
y 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25. z John xvii. 12. John x. 28.
h 1 John ii. 1. l Ileb. vii. 25. d Rom. viii. 1.
1881.] PAUL S ASSURANCE OF PERSEVERING. 329
devoutest gratitude before him, the very stones may well cry
out against us.
But while we render to him the tribute of a thankful heart,
let us also glorify him by a holy life. It is " to good works
that we are chosen e ," and " to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit f ," and therefore we must answer the end of our
election, if we would finally enjoy its blessings. Let us then
walk worthy of our high calling, and cultivate all the disposi
tions of God s elect ; and be as studious to avoid all grounds
of accusation, as to escape the miseries of condemnation
itself.]
e Eph. ii. 10. Tit. ii. 14. f 2 Thess. ii. 13.
MDCCCLXXXI.
PAUL S ASSURANCE OF PERSEVERING.
Rom. viii. 38,39. I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
AS there is a typical resemblance between that
good land which was promised to the Jews, and that
better country which is reserved for us in heaven, so
is there a striking resemblance between those, whether
Jews or Christians, who have looked forward to the
accomplishment of the promises. We see Moses while
he was yet on the other side of Jordan, and Joshua
soon after he had arrived on the borders of Canaan,
appointing the boundaries of the twelve tribes, settling
every thing with respect to the distribution of the
land, and ordering various things to be observed, just
as if they were already in full possession of the whole
country without one enemy to oppose them. This
appears at first sight presumptuous ; but they knew
that God had given them the land ; and therefore,
notwithstanding the battles which were yet to be
fought, they doubted not in the least but that they
should obtain the promised inheritance. Thus also
the Apostle, in the passage before us, speaks in the
language of triumph on behalf of himself and of all
330 ROMANS, VIII. 38, 39. [1881.
the Christians at Rome, and that too even while they
were sin-rounded with enemies, and conflicting on the
field of battle.
It will be profitable to consider,
I. The point of which the Apostle was persuaded
[" The love of God" is that which God has manifested to
us " in Christ Jesus," not merely in sending his Son to die
for us, but in forgiving our sins, and adopting us into his
family for his sake.
From this love the Apostle says, Nothing shall ever separate
us : and, to strengthen his assertion, he calls to mind the
various things which might be supposed capable of effecting a
separation ; and declares concerning each, that it never shall.
He mentions four distinct couplets. First, " neither death
nor life" shall be able. Death is that which is most of all
dreaded 3 , and life is that which is most of all desired b : more
especially, if the one be attended with bitter agonies, or the
other with all the pleasures of sense, their influence over us is
exceeding great. But neither the one with all its terrors, nor
the other with all its comforts, shall ever dissolve the union
that subsists between God and his believing people.
Next, " neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers" shall
be able. By angels must certainly be meant the evil angels,
since the good angels are employed in ministering to the heirs
of salvation, and would rather confirm them in the love of
God than separate them from it : whereas, the evil angels,
like a roaring lion, are constantly seeking whom they may
devour. " Principalities and powers" are civil magistrates,
who hold dominion over the visible, as the devils do over the
invisible, world: and who, alas! too often unite their influ
ence with that of Satan to destroy the Church. But neither
the one nor the other, nor both combined, shall ever sepa
rate a believer, how weak soever he may be, from the love
of God.
Moreover " things present or things to come" will be found
alike impotent in this respect. Present things may be so
embarrassing as greatly to perplex us ; and things future may
appear so formidable as to make us think it almost impossible
for us to maintain our ground against them ; but they shall
never prevail to destroy a child of God.
Lastly, " neither height nor depth" shall be able. To some
the height of earthly prosperity is a dreadful snare ; to others
the depth of adversity and distress. But the believer may
defy them both: for not only they shall not be able, but
a Heb. ii. 15. b Satan for once spake truth, Job ii. 4.
1881.^ PAUL S ASSURANCE OF PERSEVERING. 381
"nothing in the whole creation" shall be able, to separate
him from the love of God.]
This confidence of the Apostle being so extraordi
nary, let us consider,
II. The grounds of his persuasion
These were twofold ; general, as relating to others ;
and particular, as relating to himself; the former
creating in him an assurance of faith ; the latter an
assurance of hope. We notice,
1. The general grounds
[These are such as are revealed in the Holy Scriptures,
and are common to all believers.
The stability of the covenant, which God has made with us
in Christ Jesus, warrants an assurance, that all who are inte
rested in it shall endure to the end. It secures to us not only
a new heart, but a divine agency, " causing us to walk in
God s statutes ." It engages that God shall never depart
from us, nor we from him d . In short, it promises us "grace
and glory e ." Now this covenant shall not be broken : if
heaven and earth fail, this shall not f : there shall not be one
jot or tittle of it ever violated : it is " ordered in all things, and
sure g ." Consequently the believer shall never be deprived of
any of its blessings.
The immutability of God is another ground of assured faith
and hope. Wherefore did God originally set his love upon
us ? Was it for our own goodness, either seen or foreseen ?
Alas ! we had no existence but in God s purpose : and, from
the moment we began to exist, we have never had one good
thing in us which we did not first receive from God h . If
then God loved us simply because he would love us 1 , and not
for any inherent loveliness in us, will he cast us off again on
account of those evil qualities which he well knew to be in
us, and which he himself has undertaken to subdue ? This
would argue a change in his counsels : whereas we are told
that, " with him there is no variableness neither shadow
of turning k ;" and that "his gifts and calling are without
repentance 1 ."
The offices of Christ may also be considered as justifying an
assured hope of final perseverance. For our Lord did not
assume the priestly, prophetic, and kingly offices merely to
put us into a capacity to save ourselves ; but that his work
c Ezck. xxxvi. 26, 27. d Jcr. xxxii. 40. c Ps. Ixxxiv. 11.
f Isai. liv. 10. s 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. h 1 Cor. iv. 7.
1 Deut. vii. 7, 8. * Jam. i. 17. Rom. xi. 29.
332 ROMANS, VIII. 38, 39. [1881.
might be effectual for the salvation of all whom the Father
had given to him : and at the last day he will be able to say,
as he did in the days of his flesh, " Of those whom thou hast
given me I have lost none." If. he is ever living on purpose to
make intercession for them, and is constituted Head over all
things to the Church on purpose to save them, then he will
keep them ; none shall ever pluck them out of his hands" 1 , nor
shall any thing ever separate them from the love of God.]
2. The particular grounds
[We need not resort to any express revelation made to
Paul, in order to account for his confidence : for he could not
but know that he had believed in Christ, and that he was as
desirous of being sanctified by his grace as of being saved by
his blood ; and consequently, he could not doubt his interest
in the promises. And wherever conscience testifies that this
is the real experience of the soul, there a person may entertain
the same assured hope as Paul himself did.
It would not indeed be expedient for young converts to
indulge too strong a confidence ; because their sincerity has
been but little tried, and they are by no means sufficiently
simple in their dependence on God : in proportion therefore
as the evidences of their faith are defective, and the means of
stability are overlooked, they must relax their confidence of
persevering to the end. As for those who are already in a
backslidden state, it would be a most horrible delusion in them
to say, that nothing should separate them from the love of
God : since they have reason to doubt at this moment whether
they be at all interested in his love.
But a humble contrite person, that is living by faith on the
Son of God, and maintaining a suitable conversation in all his
spirit and conduct, he may conclude himself to be in the love
of God, and be persuaded firmly that nothing shall be able to
separate him from it. He then stands in the very situation of
the Apostle, as far as respects his own personal experience, and
therefore may indulge the same joyful hope and persuasion
that he shall endure unto the end. Nor need he be at all dis
couraged on account of his own weakness, since the more weak
he feels himself to be, the stronger he is in reality", inasmuch
as he is made more dependent on his God.
In a word, an assurance of faith respecting the accomplish
ment of God s promises to believers, should be maintained by
all, since his word can never fail : but an assurance of hope
respecting our own personal interest in those promises, should
rise or fall according to the evidences we have of our own
sincerity.]
m 1 Sam, ii. 9. 1 Pet. i. 5. John x. 28. n 2 Cor. xii. 10.
1882.] THE PRIVILEGES OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS.
ADDRKSS
1. Those who know nothing of this joyful per
suasion
[Do not condemn that of which you are not capable of
judging aright : but seek an interest in the love of God ; and
believe in Christ, through whom the Father s love shall be
secured, and by whom it shall be revealed to your soul. When
" the love of God has been shed abroad in your own hearts,"
you will be better able to judge of the confidence which that
love inspires.]
2. Those whose persuasion accords with that of the
Apostle
[Nothing surely can be conceived more delightful than
to possess an assured hope of eternal happiness and glory. But
let it never be abused to the encouragement of sloth. If we
profess that nothing shall separate us from the love of God,
ler us take care that nothing does separate us from it. Let not
the temptations of Satan, or the persecutions of men, not the
comforts of life, or the terrors of death, let nothing felt at
present, or feared in future, let nothing in the whole creation
draw us aside from the path of duty, or retard our progress in
the divine life .]
Jude, ver. 20, 21.
MDCCCLXXXII.
THE PRIVILEGES OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS.
Rom. ix. 1 4. / say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my con
science also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have
great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I
could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my bre
thren, my kinsmen according to the flesh : tvho are Israelites ;
to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the cove
nants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and
the promises.
IT is generally thought an office of love to conceal
from persons any truths, the recital of which will
afford them pain : but true love will rather stimulate
us to declare such truths as are necessary to be known,
though it will incline us to declare them with the
greatest tenderness and circumspection. An admi
rable pattern presents itself before us in the text.
334- ROMANS, IX. 14. [1882.
The Apostle was about to enter on a subject most
offensive to the Jews, but a subject that ought in no
wise to be concealed from them, namely, the deter
mination of God to cast off their nation, and to
engraft the Gentiles on their stock. But, as it would
be thought that he was actuated only by a spirit of
revenge, he declares to them, in the most solemn
manner, and appeals to God for the truth of it, that
so far from wishing their hurt, he was affected with
the deepest sorrow on their account ; and that there
was nothing he would not do or suffer, if it might
but be the means of saving them from the impending
ruin.
His enumeration of the privileges which they
abused, and his pathetic lamentation over them, may
well lead us to consider,
I. The exalted privileges enjoyed by true Israelites
The Jews, as a nation, were favoured beyond all
the nations upon earth
[God honoured them with an adoption into his family , he
regarded them as his children 3 , and acted towards them as a
father b . He vouchsafed to them a symbol of his presence : the
ark, and the shechinah, or bright cloud, upon it, were visible
tokens of his presence, and were regarded as the " principal
glory" of that distinguished people . He "gave" them also
from heaven a revelation of his tvill: "the" moral "law" he
promulged in the form of " a covenant," and wrote with his
own finger on two tables of stone d ; the judicial law he formed
as a code, according to which he himself, and all the magis
trates under him, were to govern them ; and the ceremonial
law he instituted for " the service " of his temple, that they
might worship him in a becoming manner 6 . To all these
he added " a promise " of his rest, and a continued enjoyment
of it, unless they should provoke him by their iniquities to
deprive them of it f .]
a Exod. iv. 22, 23. Jer. xxxi. 9, 10.
> Deut.xxxii. 6, 10, 13, 14. c i Sam.iv. 21,22. Ps. Ixxx. 1.
d The covenant was but one : but it is spoken of in the plural
number, either because it was given on two tables, or because it was
repeatedly published in different forms.
e Because the sacred oracles were so great a blessing, (Deut. iv.
7,8. Rom.iii. 1,2.) the Apostle speaks of them in three different
views.
f Deut. xxx. 15 20.
1882.] THE PRIVILEGES OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS. 335
But their privileges were only a shadow of those
enjoyed by true Israelites
[As, under the Jewish dispensation, " all were not Israel
who where of Israel g ," so, under the Gospel, " they, who are
Christ s, are the true seed of Abraham, and heirs according to
the promise 11 ." Now to those who are "Israelites indeed"
belong those infinitely rich blessings, which, in a figure, were
enjoyed by the carnal Jews. They are really the sons of God,
as soon as ever they believe in Christ 1 , and have a spirit of
"adoption" given them whereby they cry, Abba, Father s
They have God, not merely residing in a bright cloud, but
dwelling in their own hearts 1 , and displaying to them his
"glory" in the face of Jesus m . To them is revealed that
"covenant," which is "ordered in all things and sure 11 ," to
gether with the whole of their duty both to God and man ; so
that, by adhering to his directions, they are sure to prove both
duteous citizens, and accepted worshippers. Lastly, they have
also exceeding great and precious " promises," comprehending
every thing that is good for body and for soul, in time and in
eternity .]
But, by how much the more exalted our condition
under the Gospel is, by so much the more may we see,
II. The disposition we should manifest towards those
who despise these privileges
The expressions used by the Apostle admit of dif
ferent interpretations 11 . But, in whatever sense they
be taken, they certainly import that,
e Rom. ix. 6. h Gal. iii. 29.
1 John i. 12. 1 John iii. 1, 2. Eph. ii. 19. k Rom. viii. 14, 15.
1 1 Cor. iii. 16. m 2 Cor. iv. 6. "2 Sam. xxiii. 5.
1 Tim. iv. 8.
P Some consider him as saying that he was willing to be excom
municated from the church of God, and to be treated by them, even
as he was by his enemies : and others, as saying, that he was willing
to suffer for them a-nro rou Xptarou, after the example of Christ. But
if we take ^v-^opriv in the past tense, instead of obliging the Apostle
to say, tv xpipl 1 ar, and if we comprehend the words ?/v^o/z^j^ yap
ouroc fyw avaOepa eh at euro row XptoroD in a parenthesis, the sense
will be far more clear, and all the difficulties that occur on the other
construction will be avoided. The sense will then be, I am sorry (for
I myself was once in their very condition, and wished to have nothing
to do with Christ, which, in fact, was to be accursed from Christ, as
much as any of them now do) for my brethren, &c. Compare Gal.
iv. 12. in the Greek, " Be ye as I am, for I ivas as ye are." The
same idea is more fully expressed Acts xxvi. 9 11. According to
336 ROMANS, IX. 14. [1882.
1. We should be deeply concerned about their
state
[There were various things which grieved and wounded
the Apostle s mind, yea, that occasioned him great heaviness,
and continual pangs, like those of a woman in her travail q : he
was much affected, not only with the numbers of those that
were rejecting his message, but with the peculiar advantages
they had for knowing the truth, the strong obligations which
their very profession, as God s Israel, laid them under to
receive it, and the aggravated guilt under which they must
speedily and eternally perish. All these reasons are incom
parably stronger as applied to those, who while they call
themselves Christians, are unmindful of the privileges they
enjoy. Who can think of the many thousands that bear the
Christian name, who yet never draw nigh to God with filial
affection, never behold the light of his countenance, never lay
hold on his covenant of grace, never stay themselves in truth
upon his promised mercy ; who, I say, can think of these, and
not wish that his " head were a fountain of tears to run down
for them night and day 1 ?" If one soul be of such value, that
the whole world can never compensate for the loss of it, how
shocking is the thought of millions of souls perishing under
such an accumulated load of guilt! Surely no heaviness can be
too great, no anguish too abiding, when we are surrounded
with such objects, objects despising their own mercies, and
" treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath."]
2. We should account nothing too much to do or
suffer for their salvation
[When God threatened to destroy the whole Jewish nation,
and offered to raise up from Moses a nation in their stead,
Moses begged, that he himself might be blotted out of the list
of God s visible church, rather than that tremendous threa-
this interpretation, the Apostle s words are a plain and obvious reason
for his excessive grief : for, having been in their situation, and know
ing from bitter experience the evil of it, he could never think of them
without the keenest sensations of sorrow and compassion. If the
strength of the expression, " I wished myself accursed from Christ"
appear to militate against this interpretation, we observe, that the
Apostle puts the effect for the cause, that is, the ultimate effect of his
aversion to Christ for the aversion itself. A similar mode of expres
sion repeatedly occurs in Scripture. See Isai. xxviii. 15. and xxx.
10. See also Acts xiii. 46. and Rev. ii. 24. where the depths of
Satan import what those depths were in reality, and not what the
people themselves called them.
<i O^wri, compare Gal. iv. 19. r j er< j Xm j t
1882.] THE PRIVILEGES OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS. 337
tening should be executed 8 . And certainly the Apostle Paul,
whose labours and sufferings for the good of his fellow-creatures
were unparalleled*, would gladly have submitted to any tem
poral calamity, if it might but operate for the salvation of
Israel. And who, that considers what Jesus has done for the
salvation of men, does not see the reasonableness of such a
disposition ? Who does not condemn himself for his want of
love to his fellow-immortals, and his want of zeal in their ser
vice ? If we condemn the world for their supineness, methinks
the people of God have yet more occasion to blush for their
own : for, what the world do, they do ignorantly ; but they,
who are taught of God, can see the state of those around them,
and yet too often look upon them, either with cold indifference,
or inactive pity. But let every Christian cultivate a better
spirit ; nor ever be satisfied, till he can appeal to God, and say,
" I would endure all things for the elect s sake, that they may
obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory V]
INFER
1. How far are they from a Christian spirit, who
not only use no means for the salvation of others,
but oppose and thwart them that do !
[If a faithful servant of God exert himself for the good of
mankind, how many will cry out against him as officious and
fanatical, ostentatious and uncharitable ! Who, among the
Prophets, or Apostles, or who, even in the present day, has
ever shewn, in the smallest degree, the disposition manifested
in the text, without exposing himself to much calumny and
contempt? But let the opposers of vital godliness and holy
zeal, compare themselves with the Apostle, and ask, whether
they breathe any thing of his spirit ? And let them no longer
persist in fighting against God, and destroying their fellow-
creatures ; but rather turn unto God, that they themselves
may be partakers of his proffered mercy.]
2. How earnest should every Christian be in seek
ing his own salvation !
[If we ought to be deeply concerned about the souls of
others, and to be willing either to do or suffer any thing, in order
to promote their welfare, how much more should we lay to heart
our own state, and exercise self-denial for the good of our own
souls! If we duly estimated the privileges which God has
given us, if we considered the happiness to which an improve
ment of those privileges would lead, and the misery that will
* Exod. xxxii. 32, l 2 Cor. xi. 2327. u 2 Tim. ii. 10.
VOL. XV. Z
338 ROMANS, IX. 15. [1883.
infallibly result from the neglect of them, we should engage
with incomparably greater zeal in the work of our salvation ; we
should make it our meat and drink to do God s will ; nor would
life with all its joys, or death with all its terrors, be suffered to
divert us from the prosecution of our purpose.]
MDCCCLXXXIII.
OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE JEWS.
Rom. ix. 1 5. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my con
science also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have
great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I
could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my bre
thren, my kinsmen according to the flesh : who are Israelites;
to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the cove
nants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and
the promises ; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concern
ing the flesh Christ came, tvho is over all, God blessed for
ever. Amen.
FIDELITY in ministers is absolutely indispens
able. Without it we cannot approve ourselves either
to God or man. Yet in the exercise of it we should
maintain a tenderness of spirit, " speaking the truth"
indeed, but speaking it " in love." When at any
time, as frequently we must, we bring painful truths
to the ears of our hearers, we should convince them,
that we are not actuated by any thing but a spirit of
love. St. Paul was especially careful upon this head;
as may be seen in all his epistles, but especially in
this which is before us a . He is constrained to declare
to the Jews, God s determination to reject the Jews
from being his people, and to admit the Gentiles in
their stead to those privileges which the Jews had
hitherto exclusively enjoyed. But, as this was a topic
which must of necessity be most painful to their feel
ings, he labours to convince them, that, in all which
he should declare respecting it, he was actuated only
by a sense of duty, and not by any unkind feelings
towards them ; and that, so far from wishing them
a See in Paley s " Horse Paulinae" what he says on the Epistle
to the Romans. It is pre-eminently deserving the attention of
ministers.
1883.J OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE JEWS. 339
this evil, he would submit to any thing to deliver
them from it. He calls God to witness, that he had
nothing more sincerely at heart, than that, as they
had already possessed, so they should ever continue
to possess, the most distinguished tokens of God s
love and favour.
In the words which we have just read, we may see,
I. The distinguished privileges of the Jewish people-
In setting these forth, the Apostle addresses them,
not as strangers, but as " his brethren, his kinsmen,
according to the flesh ;" and then records the dis
tinctions that had been conferred upon them ; specify
ing both those which had been bestowed /or their own
personal benefit, and those which had been conferred
for the benefit of the whole world.
[They were " Israelites," descended from Jacob, who, in
remembrance of his wrestling with the angel, and prevailing
with God in prayer, was honoured with the name of Israel.
" To them pertained the adoption," they, as a nation, being
regarded as " God s first-born." To them had been vouch
safed " the glory," even that bright cloud, which was the
symbol of the Deity ; which guided their forefathers through
the wilderness, and afterwards abode both in the tabernacle
and the temple, resting upon the ark, and residing between
the cherubims, till the temple itself was destroyed by the
Chaldean army. Theirs also were " the covenants;" both the
covenant of grace, which was given to Abraham, and the
national covenant, which was made with them in the time of
Moses. To them had God also " given the law," proclaiming
it with an audible voice from Mount Sinai, and delivering it
to them written with his own finger upon tables of stone. To
them also was vouchsafed the ceremonial law, comprehending
every minute particular respecting " the service of God ;" so
that in no case whatever were they left in doubt how they
should approach him with acceptance. The promises also
were theirs, both those which related to the sending of the
Messiah, and those which related to the possession of Canaan.
" Theirs too were the fathers," Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
than whom none of the children of men had ever been more
highly favoured with divine and heavenly communications.
But to these benefits, which may be considered as personal, we
must add that which infinitely exceeds them all, and in which
the whole world are interested, namely, that " of them, as con
cerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for
340 ROMANS, IX. 15. [1883.
ever." Yes, when the ever-blessed, the co-equal, the co-eternal
Son of God came into the world, that by his own obedience
unto death, he might accomplish the redemption of sinful man,
he assumed his human nature from them, even from a Jewish
Virgin ; so that, in a more strict and appropriate sense than
any other person, a Jew may say of him, He is bone of my
bone, and flesh of my flesh.
Consider now how glorious these distinctions were. To
what other nation was any one of them ever vouchsafed ? or
what has the greatest monarch upon earth that can be in any
degree compared with them ? The honours which come of man
are lighter than vanity itself, when compared with those which
come of God : and when weighed in this scale, the highest
monarchs in the universe are not so elevated above a slave, as
the meanest Jew is exalted above them. But what shall we say
to the giving birth to the Messiah, who was " the mighty God,"
"Emmanuel, God with us?" Here all words fail us: in vain
does the imagination attempt to grasp so wonderful an event.
" God manifest in the flesh!" How "great this mystery of
godliness!" and how infinitely ennobled are that people, to
whom the ever-blessed God is so nearly related !]
The more we contemplate the privileges of the
Jewish people, the more we see,
II. The deep concern which we should feel for them
The Apostle declares his compassion for them in
the strongest terms ; in considering which, it will be
proper to notice,
1. What is implied in them
[It is plain that St. Paul did not approve of that spurious
charity which is so prevalent in our day. We cannot endure
to think that any should finally be left to perish. We regard
it as the summit of uncharitableness, to suppose that Jews and
Gentiles are all in a state of guilt and condemnation, and that
they can be saved only by their conversion to the faith of Christ.
But let any one refer to our text, and he will see at once what
St. Paul s opinion was on this most interesting subject. If the
Jews in their unconverted state were safe, why was St. Paul so
grieved on their account ? Would he have felt such " great
heaviness and continual sorrow of heart" for them, or made
such solemn appeals to God respecting his anxiety for them, if
they had been in a state of favour and acceptance with God ?
There cannot possibly be a doubt on this subject : he regarded
them all as perishing in their sins, according to that declaration
of our blessed Lord, " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall
1883.] OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE JEWS. 341
die in your sinsV Let this then be borne in mind in reference
to that unhappy people, yes, and in reference to ourselves also,
if we be not truly and unfeignedly devoted to God, as a peni
tent, believing, and obedient people ]
2. What is expressed
[The terms, especially those in the third verse of our text,
are so strong, that commentators have been at a loss to explain
them, so as to render them consistent with what may reasonably
be supposed to have been the actual experience of St. Paul.
As for his wishing himself eternally banished from God for his
brethren s sake, it could not be : though he might, like Moses,
be contented to be blotted out from the list of God s people
here in this tvorld c , or even to be treated as accursed after the
example of Christ, for his brethren s sake^ But we need not
have recourse to either of these interpretations ; for by only
putting a part of the Apostle s words into a parenthesis, the
sense will be perfectly simple. He once was as full of enmity
against Christ, and determined to have no connexion with him,
as any of his brethren : and he knew that, in effect, this was
to " wish himself accursed from Christ d ." He tells them there
fore, that, having been in the same perilous circumstances with
themselves, he felt the more deeply for them. Thus by putting
into a parenthesis those words, " I once wished myself accursed
from Christ," the sense will exactly accord with what the Apostle
says in his Epistle to the Galatians, " Be ye as I am: for I was
as ye are e ."
But though by this explanation of the text we get rid of that
from whence it seems to derive its greatest force, enough remains
in it to serve as an example to the whole world. St. Paul know
ing that his brethren, whilst they continued in unbelief, were
perishing in their sins, " had great heaviness and continual
sorrow in his heart on their account," and regarded nothing too
much to do or suffer, if by any means he might be instrumental
to their salvation. This is what every Christian should feel ;
and it is a shame to the whole Christian world that so little of
it is felt amongst us. How few can truly join in the solemn
appeal which is here made to the heart-searching God ! Instead
of an appeal to God respecting the greatness and continuance
of our sorrow on behalf of the Jewish nation, does not con
science rather call for a confession, that we have had no more
heaviness or sorrow of heart for them, than if they had been
b John viii. 24. c Exod. xxxii. 32.
d See Isai. xxviii. 15. where the effect is put for the cause precisely
in a similar way.
e Gal. iv. 12. For a fuller explanation of the text, see the pre
ceding Discourse.
342 ROMANS, IX. 15. [1883.
in a state of perfect safety ? Alas ! when have we spent one
single hour in prayer for them? What sacrifices have we
made, or what exertions, for the enlightening of their minds,
and the saving of their souls ? If we should say, " My heart s
desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be
saved," would not our daily experience give the lie to our pro
fession? Surely we have need to blush and be ashamed, every
one of us. Had we seen a vessel wrecked, and all the crew
perishing in the ocean, there is not one amongst us so inhuman,
but he would be filled with the tenderest concern for them, and
exert himself to the uttermost, if by any means he might save
some of them. But we have seen millions of God s ancient
people perishing for ever, and have had the means of saving
them within our own reach, and yet have made no efforts for
their welfare, nor felt a pang on account of their destruction.
O brethren ! let it not be thus with us any longer : but let us
cultivate the spirit of the Apostle, and labour henceforth as he
did, for the restoration and salvation of our Jewish brethren.
It will be in vain, however, to urge you to exertions for others,
if you begin not with your own souls. Here is, in reality, the
root of all our neglect of others : we are not truly and thoroughly
concerned even about ourselves. Alas ! if we were to make,
respecting our own souls, the appeal to God which the Apostle
made respecting his Jewish brethren, how few could utter it in
truth ! Let us try it one moment : " O my God, I say the truth
in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in
the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart" on account of my own sins ; I feel them
as a heavy burthen, too heavy for me to bear ; and I find no
rest in my soul, but by coming weary and heavy-laden to my
Lord and Saviour. Beloved brethren, is this true of you ? can
you say it and " not lie?" Does your conscience attest the truth
of it ? and does the Holy Ghost, the heart-searching God, bear
witness to it ? What a fearful state must you then be in, if,
with your superior advantages, you are yet impenitent and un
believing, like the Jews themselves? Surely there is need that
your brethren in Christ, who once were in your perilous con
dition, but have been converted by the grace of God, should
weep and mourn over you, even as the Apostle did over the
unbelieving Jews.
Will you say, that there is no occasion for you to fear, since
in your baptism you were made " members of Christ, children
of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven?" True, you have
by baptism all that the .Tews derived from circumcision f
f See the Church Catechism, which with great propriety represents
us as enjoying by baptism all the privileges which the Jews enjoyed
by circumcision. But notwithstanding those privileges, we must
1883.] OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE JEWS. 343
But this is the very reason why you should weep the
more for your sins ; because, when you already possess such
glorious advantages, even as the Jews did by circumcision, you
should lose them alt, instead of securing the everlasting pos
session of them through the exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Apostle acknowledges the exalted privileges of
the Jews, " to whom pertained the adoption" into God s
family : but he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his
heart for them notwithstanding, because their guilt was the
greater, and their condemnation would be the heavier on ac
count of their impenitence and unbelief. And so, whilst you
are exalted to heaven, even like Bethsaida and Capernaum, in
the privileges you enjoy, there is reason to fear that you will
be cast the deeper into hell for your misimprovement of them,
and that in the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon, yea, and for Sodom and Gomorrha, than for
you.
Begin then, all of you, with your own souls ; and then
extend your concern to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And think not that your labours for them will be in vain; for
the same power which can convert and save you, is able to
effect the same blessed work for them. Less than omnipotence
will not suffice for you: and to omnipotence all things are alike
easy. See what God did for the Jews in the first ages
See what he did for the benighted Gentiles, who were quite
as far from God as the Jews at this hour can be
Think of our forefathers once bowing down to stocks and
stones, and see what Britain now is Or, if you are
yourselves renewed by divine grace, see what wonders have
been wrought for you At all events, do what you can
to serve your God, and to benefit your fellow-creatures, fully
confiding in that gracious declaration, " Blessed are the mer
ciful, for they shall obtain mercy g ."]
perish for ever, if we believe not in the Lord Jesus Christ. The ex
ternal title to those blessings we obtain as soon as by baptism we are
admitted into covenant with God : but the actual enjoyment of them
we can obtain only by the exercise of faith in Christ.
s This subject being important in reference to the Jews, a short
and easy mode of treating it is here subjoined :
I. The distinguished, &c. 1. Those which were vouchsafed to them
for their own personal benefit. 2. Those which were conferred on
them for the benefit of the whole world : (God assuming their flesh
into union with himself.)
II. The deep, &c. 1. What is implied. 2. What is expressed :
(We should be able to make a similar appeal.)
INQUIRE 1. What have we felt for our own souls? (We possess
by baptism what they enjoyed by circumcision ; yet are we, like them,
344 ROMANS, IX. 6. [1884.
in a perishing condition, till we believe in Christ. Till we believe in
Christ, "we are accursed from Christ" andean be saved only through
faith in our incarnate GOD.)
2. What have we felt in reference to our Jewish brethren ?( We
should feel as the Apostle did. But, could we adopt his appeal, and
" not lie ? " Have we not rather been disposed to deride strong feel
ings and great exertions in others, than to weep over them, and
labour for them ourselves ? Rest not till you can make St. Paul s
appeal your own.)
MDCCCLXXXIV.
ISRAEL IN THE MIDST OF ISRAEL.
Rom. ix. 6. They are not all Israel ivho are of Israel.
EVIL as have been the dispositions of those who
have set themselves against the doctrines of the
Gospel, we have been greatly indebted to them:
since they have called forth statements which we
should never otherwise have received ; and have
drawn from the Apostles of our Lord a disclosure of
their inward motives and principles, which nothing
but an absolute necessity for the vindication of their
own character could ever have elicited. The epistle
before us is full of objections, started against every
doctrine which the writer of it maintained. In the
former part of the third chapter the objections are
urged with a pertinacity and boldness, which com
pelled the Apostle to say respecting the persons who
so urged them, that " their damnation was just a ." In
the sixth and seventh chapters, the objections against
both the Law and the Gospel gave rise to an eluci
dation of them, so clear, that there can be no doubt
entertained respecting their proper use, or their
transcendent excellence. In the chapter which we
are about to consider, the Apostle begins with ex
pressing his deep and continual sorrow on account
of the judgments impending over the Jews for their
obstinate rejection of their Messiah. He then anti
cipates an objection which would be brought against
him ; namely, that if, as he had supposed, the Jews
a Rom. iii. 8.
1884.] ISRAEL IN THE MIDST OF ISRAEL. 315
were to be cast off, the word of God, which had pro
mised all manner of blessings to Abraham and his
seed, would be made void. But to this he replies,
that the promises were made to Abraham and his
spiritual seed : and that all others, however they
might be descended from him after the flesh, would
assuredly be cast off, since " all were not Israel, who
were of Israel ;" neither, because they were the na
tural seed of Abraham, were they necessarily to be
numbered amongst the children to whom the pro
mises were made b .
Now, in considering this reply, I shall notice,
I. The affirmation itself
It is here supposed that the whole nation of Israel
possessed the same advantages, and, in appearance,
enjoyed the same blessings. Yet the Apostle distin
guishes between some of them and others; and affirms,
that some had claims and privileges, to which the
others were not entitled. This was true respecting
them : and it is true at this time, also, in relation to
ourselves. For, as then, so now also,
1. All are not objects of the same electing love-
fit is undeniable, that God chose Abraham out of an ido
latrous world, and gave to him a promise of blessings which
were withheld from others of the human race, and which had
never been merited by him. To his seed also were these
blessings promised ; but not to Ishmael, who was then alive :
no ; they were entailed on a son who should afterwards be
born, and should be born too after that neither the father nor
the mother could, by reason of their advanced age, expect any
progeny. Here, then, was the same sovereignty manifested
as in the selection of Abraham himself. In the children of
Israel, too, was the same sovereignty displayed: for, even whilst
the twins were in their mother s womb, God s determination
respecting them was made known ; and it was appointed that
the blessings of the covenant should descend to the younger
in preference to the elder : as it is written, " The children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that
the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works,
but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall
serve the younger ." In this, the intention of God to display
b ver. 0, 7. c ver. 11, 12.
346 ROMANS, IX. 6. [1884.
his sovereignty in the disposal of his blessings is expressly
asserted, as the end for which he made the appointment at
that precise time : for it was impossible that they should
have done either good or evil previous to their birth ; and,
consequently, nothing of theirs could be the ground of God s
dispensation towards them.
The same point is no less clearly seen in the objections
which are urged against it.
The objector replies, that, if this doctrine be true, God
must be unrighteous, since he withholds from one, what he
gives to another d . Now, what room can there be for any such
objection as this, except on the supposition that the Apostle
lias been mantaining the sovereignty of God in the disposal of
his favours ? On any other supposition, it would be impossible
for the idea to arise, that there was, or could be, " unrighteous
ness with God." The Apostle s answer shews the same : for he
proves that the doctrine which he had maintained was declared
to Moses, when God said to him, " I will have mercy on whom
I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion 6 ." And the conclusion which the Apostle
draws from the whole clearly confirms the same : " So, then,
it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of
God that sheweth mercy f ." I ask again, What room could
there be for such an answer, and such a conclusion, if the
Apostle had not asserted and maintained the doctrine of elec
tion as exercised by God according to his own sovereign will
and pleasure ?
But the same is pursued still farther.
St. Paul, not contented with having established his point,
prosecutes it yet farther ; and declares that God had exercised
the same sovereignty in raising Pharaoh to the throne of
Egypt, and in making use of the pride and obduracy of that
haughty monarch as the means of displaying his own almighty
power, and of confirming the word which he had previously
declared to Moses g . And this calls forth another objection :
" Thou wilt say, then, unto me, Why doth he yet find fault ?
for who hath resisted his will h ?" Here again, you will per
ceive, is an objection which could not possibly arise, but on
the supposition that the Apostle is maintaining the absolute
sovereignty of God. And his answer to it proves the same :
" Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God ?
Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, Why hast
thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the
clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour 1 ?" Of all the images that could ever
d ver. 14. e ver. 15. f ver. 16.
g ver. 17, 18. h ver. 19. ver. 20, 21.
1884.] ISRAEL IN THE MIDST OF ISRAEL. 317
be thought of, it would not be possible to find one which could
more strongly illustrate the sovereignty of God than this. It
is here indeed supposed, that all men are alike corrupt and
sinful, all one mass of sin ; no part of which has any greater
claim upon God for mercy, than the potter s clay has on him
for distinguishing favours at his hands.
Let this reasoning be candidly considered, and the inference
from it will be clear. Nothing but our high thoughts of se/f,
and our low thoughts of God, could ever make us entertain a
doubt about the truth which is here maintained. Indeed, we
see it at this day, as well as in former ages. God chose the
Jews of old, and distinguished them above the rest of the
world : so he has done with the Christians now. Moreover, he
had an Israel in the midst of an Israel then: and so lie has noiv:
a people within a people ; a Church within a Church ; an elect
within a mass who are partakers only of external privileges.
Yes, as then, even so at this present time also, there is a rem
nant according to the election of grace k .]
2. All are not partakers of the same converting
grace
[The Jews had all the same ordinances of grace ; but did
not all make the same improvement of them. In the ministry
of John the Baptist, those who were the least likely to receive
his word were the most effectually impressed with it : " The
publicans justified God, being baptized with the baptism of
John ; but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of
God against themselves, being not baptized of him 1 ." The
twelve Apostles were chosen by our blessed Lord according to
his sovereign will and pleasure; and for them were reserved
advantages, not known to any others. To them our Lord
explained in private the parables he delivered in public ; say
ing to them, " To you it is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven ; but to others, in parables ; that seeing,
they may not see; and hearing, they may not understand" 1 ."
To them, in like manner, was peculiar favour shewn after our
Lord s resurrection ; for " then opened he their understandings
to understand the Scriptures"." But see this matter yet more
plainly in the Apostle Paul. He was full of wrath, " breath
ing out threatenings and slaughter " against the whole Church
of Christ ; and yet, whilst pursuing his murderous career, he
was stopped, and converted by the grace of God ; the Lord
Jesus Christ himself appearing to him in the way, and reveal
ing himself to him ; whilst, of all who were present, not one
except himself was permitted to hear the words that were
k Rom. xi. 6. Luke vii. 29, 30.
m Luke viii. 10. n Luke xxiv. 45.
348 ROMANS, IX. 6. [1884.
spoken to him. Was here no proof of God s electing love ?
Take the ministry of this Apostle : some received his testi
mony, and others rejected it. And whence was it, that, at
Philippi, a poor woman, named Lydia, embraced the truth,
whilst the magistrates and a great mass of the inhabitants
joined in persecuting the ministers who proclaimed it? We
are told, that " the Lord opened her heart to attend to the
things that were spoken by Paul ." The same words made
one cry out, "Paul, thou art beside thyself;" and another,
" Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian p ." And is it
not so at the present day? Are not still, as formerly, " many
called, and few chosen ? " Does not the Saviour himself, as
preached unto men, still become a sanctuary to some, whilst
he proves a stumbling-block and a rock of offence to others 1 ?
And whence is this ? To what must it be traced, but to God s
electing love ? Assuredly, to that does the Apostle trace it,
in the case of his Thessalonian converts : for, in his first
epistle to them he says, " Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God ; for our Gospel came not unto you in word
only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much
assurance 1 ." So then it is in every instance, where persons
are enabled to receive the word aright : " it is given them to
believe 8 ;" and "they believe through grace*;" or, in other
words, they are " quickened from the dead 11 ," and " made
willing in the day of God s power x :" and to God must they
trace their new creation, as entirely and exclusively as the
creation of the world y . To these "the word becomes a savour
of life unto life ; whilst to others it is made a savour of death,"
to their deeper condemnation 2 .]
3. All are not heirs of the same eternal glory
[All are not vessels unto honour. But this, however,
must be remembered, that whilst it is God alone who prepares
any to glory, the wicked fit themselves for destruction. This
is marked, in a peculiar manner, in the chapter from whence
my text is taken 3 ; and we must never forget it: for though
the salvation of man is altogether of God, his condemnation is
of himself alone, the fruit of his own wilful perseverance in sin.
That those who are saved owe their happiness to God s electing
love, is clear from hence, that " God hath from the beginning
chosen them to salvation* ," and " called them unto his eternal
glory c ." The process, as ordained in God s mind, and executed
Acts xvi. 14, 15. P Acts xxvi. 22, 28. 1 1 Pet. ii. 6 8.
r 1 Thess. i. 4, 5. s Phil. i. 29. * Acts xviii. 27.
u Eph. ii. 1. x p s- cx> 3. y p;ph. ij. 10.
z 2 Cor. ii. 16. ver. 22, 23. See the Greek.
b 2 Thess. ii. 13. c 1 Pet. v. 10.
1884.] ISRAEL IN THE MIDST OF ISRAEL. 319
in his dispensations, is thus declared in the chapter preceding
that which we have been considering : " Whom he did predes
tinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also
justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified d ."
And, among those who are exalted to glory, there will be no
difference in relation to this matter : they will all acknowledge
that " they did not choose God, but God them e ;" and that
" they loved him because he first loved them f :" and, in ascrib
ing glory to his name, they will remember this saying, " To
him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and the
Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen*."]
Having shewn, I trust, the truth of the affirmation,
I proceed to state,
II. The improvement to be made of it
Amongst the diversified uses to be made of it, I
will mention three:
It should teach us,
1. A holy fear and jealousy respecting ourselves
[It is here admitted that we are of Israel : that, as the
Jews had all been admitted into covenant with God by cir
cumcision, so have we by baptism ; and that, as "to them
belonged the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and
the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the pro
mises," so do all the blessings of the Gospel belong to us 1 ,
precisely in the same manner and to the same extent that the
privileges of God s ancient people belonged to them. But as,
then, " all were not Israel who were of Israel," so now all are
not Christians indeed who are called by the name of Christ.
Our descent from Christian parents will do no more than the
descent of Israel from Abraham did for them. We are ex
pressly told on this head, that the unconverted among them
were not the true circumcision : they were only " the concision:"
" the circumcision were those who worshipped God in the
Spirit, and rejoiced in Christ Jesus, and had no confidence in
the flesh ." And this is the description of the true Christian :
no one deserving that name who does not answer to that cha
racter. The Apostle further confirms this, when he says,
" He is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that cir
cumcision which is outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew who
is one inwardly : and circumcision is that of the heart ; in the
d Rom. viii. 30. e John xv. 16. f 1 John iv. 10, 19.
e Rev. i. 5, 6. h Rom. ix. 4, 5. 5 Phil. iii. 3.
350 ROMANS, IX. 6. [1884.
spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of
God k ." Should we not then fear, lest we deceive ourselves,
just as the Jews of old did? Should we not carefully " examine
ourselves, and prove our ownselves, whether we be in the
faith 1 ?" Should we not compare our character with that of
the saints of old, to see whether we be " Israelites indeed, in
whom is no guile m ?" Let it be well settled in our minds, that
we are not indeed children of Abraham, unless we " walk in
the steps of Abraham"," and " do his works ."]
2. A humble acquiescence in reference to God
[We are extremely prone to rise against the sovereignty
of God, and to deny him the right of disposing of things accord
ing to his own will and pleasure. Yet we arrogate that right
to ourselves ; and if we were called unjust for bestowing our
alms on one and not on another, we should indignantly reply,
" Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own*"?"
But do what we will, we cannot deny the election of God in
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob? We cannot deny that there were
given to the Jews means of grace, which were withheld from
all the world besides. We cannot deny the same in reference
to Christians at this day : for we have in our hands the blessed
Gospel, which reveals unto us the way of salvation, whilst five-
sixths of the world never so much as heard of Christ. Nay,
more : of those who most dispute against the doctrine of elec
tion generally, it may be doubted, whether one can be found
who, when deeply convinced of his own guilt and misery, will
not go to God, and implore mercy for mercy s sake, as much as
the most zealous advocate of that offensive doctrine. He
will scarcely venture to claim mercy on account of his own
merits, whether past, present, or future. And, if he obtain a
sense of God s pardoning love, I much doubt whether he will
deliberately refuse to make that acknowledgment, " By the
grace of God I am what I am q ." That there are depths in
this doctrine which we cannot comprehend, I readily admit.
But, would the denial of it involve us in no depths ? or is there
any other doctrine of our holy religion which we can fully
fathom ? Let us know this, that whether we can comprehend
God s ways or not, "the Judge of all the earth will do right 1 ;"
and whether we are pleased to acquiesce in them or not, " He
will be justified in his sayings, and be clear when he is judged 8 ."
Let us, then, not presume to sit in judgment upon God, or
dare to " charge him foolishly :" but let us make our suppli
cation to him, assured that " none shall seek his face in vain ;"
k Rom. ii. 28, 29. 1 2 Cor. xiii. 5. m John i. 47.
n Rom. iv. 12. o John viii. 39. P Matt. xx. 15.
i 1 Cor. xv. 10. r Gen. xviii. 2.). * Rom. iii. 4.
1885.] GOD S MERCY THE SOURCE OF BLESSINGS. 351
and that " not one who shall come to him in his Son s name
shall ever be cast out*."]
3. An adoring gratitude, if we have been made
partakers of his mercy
[We cannot but see, whether the doctrine of election be
true or not, that there is an Israel within an Israel ; and that,
whilst a small remnant only are truly alive to God, the great
mass of the Christian world are as careless about salvation as
even the Jews themselves. If, then, God has in mercy favoured
us, and made us partakers of his grace, shall we " sacrifice to
our own net, and burn incense to our own drag u ?" God
forbid. Let us rather bow with humble adoration before our
God; saying, "Why me, Lord? Why am / taken, when so
many others are left*?" In truth, this is the spirit that
becomes us. Even for the favours conferred upon us in pro
vidence, it becomes us to bless and magnify our God, with a
deep sense of our own unworthiness, and with a lively gratitude
for such undeserved bounties. But for the blessings of his
grace, O what thanks should we render unto the Lord ! Hear
the Psalmist, when contemplating these things : " Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name !
Bless the Lord, O my soul! and forget not all his benefits!"
Let such be the state of our minds. Surely, the more we are
sensible of our obligations to God, for his free, unmerited, and
sovereign grace, the more profoundly we shall adore him, and
the more determinately shall we serve him.]
* John vi. 37. u Hab. i. 16. x Luke xvii. 3436.
MDCCCLXXXV.
GOD S SOVEREIGN MERCY THE SOURCE OF ALL OUR
BLESSINGS.
Rom. ix. 16. So then it is not of him that willeih, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
THE Apostle, being about to declare the rejection
of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, introduces
his subject with a most solemn appeal to God, that
he had " continual sorrow and heaviness in his
heart," on account of the unhappy state of his Jewish
brethren. He knew that the subject would be very
painful to the Jews ; and yet he could not, consist
ently with his duty to God, conceal it from them : but
352 ROMANS, IX. 16. [1885.
he strove as much as possible to lessen the offence it
would occasion, by assuring them of his unbounded
affection for them, and his willingness to endure any
thing, if it might but be subservient to their eternal
welfare.
The subject as treated by the Apostle is no less
offensive to the great mass of nominal Christians, than
it was to the Jews : for he insists so strongly on God s
right to dispense the blessings of his Gospel according
to his own sovereign will, that the proud heart of
man cannot endure it. We are apt to think we have
a claim upon God ; and that he is bound to do for us
all that he has at any time done for his most favoured
servants : and, when we are told, that he has a right
to do what he will with his own, we deny him that
right, and accuse him of injustice, precisely as the
Jews themselves did. But the servant of God must
speak, whether men will hear, or whether they for
bear : he must declare to men the whole counsel of
God, " even though briers and thorns be with him,
and he dwell among scorpions." At the same time,
it should be his most anxious endeavour to " speak
the truth in love." This we would do. God knoweth
that it is painful to us to give offence ; yet not so
much on our own account, as on account of those
who are not able to receive our word. We would
gladly do, yea, and suffer too, whatever should
be necessary for their welfare : but still we cannot
conceal the truth, or " keep back any thing that is
profitable unto men." We entreat however, that, if
we speak any thing which may not at first approve
itself to those who hear it, they will give us credit for
seeking conscientiously their best interests, according
to the light that God hath given us.
The words of our text are evidently a conclusion
drawn from a preceding argument. To view them
therefore aright, we must consider,
I. The statement on which the conclusion is founded
Having intimated the danger to which his coun
trymen were exposed of perishing in unbelief, he
1885.] GOD S MERCY THE SOURCE OF BLESSINGS. 353
anticipates an objection which they were disposed to
make ; namely, That they were in no danger, because,
as descendants of Abraham, they were interested in
the covenant made with him, and were heirs of all the
blessings which were promised to him and to his seed:
and that, consequently, if they were to perish, " the
word of God would have been of no effect a ." To this
the Apostle replies, that the promises were not made
to Abraham s natural seed, but to his spiritual seed,
who should be partakers of Abraham s faith : and that,
as they were yet in unbelief, they had no part or lot
in Abraham s blessings 1 . This he proceeds to prove
to them,
1. From undeniable and acknowledged facts
[The blessings of the covenant were not given to all Abra-
nam s natural seed, even in the very first instance. Ishmael,
who was born according to the course of nature, had no part
in that covenant ; the blessings of which were restricted to
Isaac, who was born many years afterwards, not according to
the common course of nature, but solely by virtue of an express
promise. Here then was a proof, even in the immediate chil
dren of Abraham, that persons might be lineally descended
from him, and yet be left without any interest in the covenant
made with him.
But a further, and still stronger, proof of this took place in
the children of this very Isaac, to whom the promise was
restricted. His wife Rebecca bare him twins: and whilst these
children were yet in the womb, and " before they could pos
sibly have done either good or evil, it was said to her, The
elder shall serve the younger :" which prophecy was accom
plished to their latest posterity, as the Prophet Malachi
attests, saying, "Jacob have I loved; but Esau have I hated d ."
Now if they should think that in the former instance respect
was had to the character of the two children, Ishmael and
Isaac, and that the decree was founded on that, such a notion
is altogether excluded from the present instance, because the
children had done neither good nor evil ; and the reason of
the decree is expressly said to be, " that the purpose of God,
according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth."
Here then an exclusion of a part of the natural seed is fur
ther proved, and that too by the sovereign disposal of God
a ver. 6. b ver. 7, 8.
c ver- 9 12. < ver. 13. \vitli Mai. i. 2, 3.
VOL. XV. A A
354 ROMANS, IX. 16. [1885.
himself, irrespective of the characters of the persons respecting
whom the decree was made. How much more therefore might
those of Abraham s descendants who should continue obstinate
in unbelief, be excluded from the blessings of that covenant,
which they themselves were so averse to embrace.]
2. From the express declarations of God himself
[The Jews in the Apostle s days trusted in the words of
Moses, which they interpreted as comprehending all the Jewish
nation without exception within the bonds of the covenant.
To Moses therefore the Apostle has recourse ; and appeals to
what God himself had spoken to him. As in the foregoing
instances God had exercised his own sovereign will in appoint
ing who should, and who should not, be partakers of his cove
nant, so, in his communications with Moses also he had claimed
to himself the same right, and declared that he would act in
the same sovereign way : " I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion 6 ." Here God considers all the human race as in
a state of guilt and misery, no one of them having any claim
on him for mercy, or any thing that could entitle him to a
preference beyond his brethren : and he declares, that as he
would exercise his own sovereign will in dispensing his bless
ings to them, so he would have his sovereign grace and mercy
acknowledged by all who should receive them.
This point is further confirmed by the Apostle s adducing
what God had spoken also to Pharaoh. God had exalted
Pharaoh to the throne of Egypt, and had invested him with
the most arbitrary and unbounded power. Such power was
necessary, in order that there might be full scope for the re
bellion of man, and the consequent ti iumphs of God over him.
God knew that there were in the heart of Pharaoh all those
dispositions which would resist him to the uttermost ; and that
he would thus call forth eventually those judgments which God,
for his own glory, had determined to inflict on the oppressors
of his people : and, whilst Pharaoh was in the very act of rebel
lion, and hardening himself more and more against his God, God
said to him, " For this same purpose have I raised thee up,
that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might
be declared throughout all the earth." The Apostle, having
cited this in confirmation of what he had said respecting Moses,
asserts in yet stronger language than before, " Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he
harcleneth."
Thus the Apostle has proved beyond all contradiction the
unquestionable right of God to give, or to withhold, his bless
ings, according to his own sovereign will and pleasure.
e ver. 15. with Exod. xxxiii. 19.
1885.] GOD S MERCY THE SOURCE OF BLESSINGS. 3o;>
But before we proceed to the conclusion which the Apostle
draws from hence, we would guard what has been already
spoken from any misconstruction. Though God s right to
give or to withhold his blessings is asserted, together with the
actual bestowment of them according to his sovereign will, yet
he never ivithholds his blessing from any creature who humbly
seeks it at his hands ; much less does he ever infuse evil into
the mind of any man in order to glorify himself in his destruc
tion. His hardening of Pharaoh s heart consisted in leaving
him to himself, and to the unrestrained exercise of his own
evil dispositions : and if we were all left as Pharaoh was,
we should harden our own hearts precisely as Pharaoh did.
In a word, God s blessings are never dispensed but in a way of
grace ; his judgments are never executed but in a way of
righteous retribution.]
Having thus stated the argument on which the
Apostle s conclusion is founded, we come to the con
sideration of,
II. The conclusion itself
The conclusion is justly formed from the pre
mises. It is indeed a humiliating conclusion, and a
truth which our proud hearts are very averse to
acknowledge; but still we must join issue with the
Apostle, and say, " It is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."
Let not this however be understood, as though it
sanctioned any want of exertion on our part
[God does not here forbid us to will or to run, nor does
he exempt us from the duty of both willing and running : no
such thing is here expressed, nor can any such thing be
deduced from it. How grievous is it that any should be found
impious enough to cite this passage as discountenancing exer
tions on our part! In the whole sacred records, from the
beginning to the end, there is not to be found one single word
that can warrant such an idea as this. On the contrary, God
always complains of us for not exerting ourselves, and refers
our final condemnation to this as its proper ground and cause :
" Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life," says our
Lord. " How often would I have gathered you together, as
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not!" As for those who say, "I can do nothing without
God, and therefore, till God come, I may as well sit still, and
attempt nothing ;" God, so far from giving occasion for such
a sentiment and such conduct, calls us most earnestly to exer
tion, and promises that we shall not exert ourselves in vain :
A A 2
356 ROMANS, IX. 16. [1885.
" Ask, and ye shall have ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you :" and, " Whosoever cometh unto
me, I will in no wise cast out :" and, " When said I ever to
the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain?" Know then, that to
found any such sentiment on the words of the Apostle, is a
gross perversion of the word of God, and an impious plea for
antinomian licentiousness. But, that you may have a just
view of this assertion,]
Its plain import is, that God s free grace and mercy
are the true and only sources of all good
[Whatever be our success in the divine life, we must not
refer it to our own volitions, or our own exertions. For, what
inclination has the natural man to that which is truly good ?
None at all : there is not one good thought or desire in the
heart of an unregenerate man : his will is altogether towards
what is evil f : and if a good inclination be manifested by any
one of us, it has been previously put into our hearts by Him
who " giveth us to will and to do, of his own good pleasured"
Nor can any exertions of ours in our natural state be of them
selves effectual ; for our blessed Lord expressly says, " Without
me, or separate from me, ye can do nothing." We must there
fore " never sacrifice to our own net, or burn incense to our
own drag." God must have all the glory : it is " he who
worketh all our works in us :" " Of him is our fruit found :"
and to all eternity our song must be, " Not unto us, O Lord,
not unto us, but unto thy name be the praise." It is impos
sible for us ever to be too jealous upon this head. We are
told, that " of him are all things, and for him are all things :"
and therefore to him we must look for every thing that we
need ; and to him, even to his sovereign grace and mercy, must
we ascribe every thing that we have received. If we differ,
either from others, or from our former selves, we must never
forget, one moment, " who it is that hath made us to differ :"
and if we be able to say with the Apostle, " I have laboured
more abundantly than others," we must instantly correct our
selves, and add, " Yet not I, but the grace of God that was
with me 11 ."]
It remains only now that we SHEW you,
f Gen. vi. 5. e Phil. ii. 13.
h There are some who put a totally different construction on our
text, and interpret it as though the Apostle had said, " It is not of
him only that willeth, &c." Thus, by their interpolation, they ex
pressly contradict the Apostle, and subvert the whole train of his rea
soning. If this were the meaning of the Apostle, what occasion would
there be for the objections of his adversaries in ver. 14. and ver. 19.?
Alas ! that ever such liberties should be taken with the word of God !
1885.] GOD S MERCY THE SOURCE OF BLESSINGS. 357
1. How these sentiments are to be maintained
[We confess with grief and shame that many carry these
sentiments too far, and maintain them in a very unhallowed
way. But, whilst we maintain what God has so plainly taught,
we would lift our voice without ceasing against every abuse
of these doctrines. To those who accord with these views
of divine truth, we most affectionately suggest the following
cautions. Take heed to the manner in ivhich you maintain these
truths. Let none of you maintain them presumptuously, as though
you could fathom the depths contained in them, or as though
they gave you any licence for sloth and supineness. They
contain mysteries, which God alone can fully comprehend,
and difficulties which he alone can fully reconcile : but be it
remembered, that there are far more and greater difficulties
involved in a denial of them : and that our wisdom is, to
receive every word of God with child-like simplicity, and to
say, " What I know not now, I shall know hereafter."
Nor let any hold them irreverently. Some will speak of these
deep things of God as familiarly as if there were no mystery at
all in them, or as if they were the uninspired dogmas of some
ancient philosopher. But when we enter on " such holy
ground," we should, as Moses, " take off our shoes," and pro
ceed with reverential awe. " God is in heaven, and we upon
earth ; therefore should our words be few," and diffident, and
humble.
Nor should they be maintained uncharitably. Many there
are who cannot see these truths, who yet are in a state truly
pleasing to God ; yea many, at whose feet the best of us may
be glad to be found in heaven. It is a great evil, when these
doctrines are made a ground of separation one from another,
and when the advocates of different systems anathematize each
other. Let all such dispositions be banished from the Church
of God. Whoever may be wrong, they never can be right who
violate charity, or refuse to others the right of judging for
themselves. For the fundainental truths of Christianity, we
must contend to the uttermost, (though even for them with
meekness and love :) but in reference to truths which are
involved in so much obscurity as those which relate to the
sovereignty of God, mutual kindness and concession are far
better than vehement argumentation and uncharitable dis
cussion.
Lastly, let not these truths be maintained exclusively. Many
are so partial to these deeper truths, that they can hardly con
descend to speak of repentance and faith ; and, as for exhorta
tions to duty, they are apt to think such things legal and carnal.
O beloved! flee from such a spirit, as you would from the
plague : wherever it exists, it betrays a sad want of humility.
Be ye as little children : let every word of God be dear to you;
358 ROMANS, IX. 1924. [1886.
and be as ready to dwell upon the invitations, and precepts,
and exhortations of the Gospel, as on these deeper mysteries,
which may easily be strained too far, and may give occasion for
inferences, plausible indeed, but erroneous, and contrary to the
analogy of faith.]
2. How they are to be improved
[The proper use of these deeper truths is to abase us with
humility, as creatures destitute of all good ; and at the same
time to exalt us, as creatures infinitely indebted to the grace
of God. Make this improvement of them, and they can never
do you any harm : yea, receive them for these ends, and there
are no other truths whatever that will operate to an equal extent.
Who ever maintained the doctrines of grace more strenuously
than the Apostle Paul ? yet who ever so laboured in the cause
of his adorable Redeemer ? Take him then for your pattern,
both in your sentiments and conduct ; and then you will shew,
that nothing so " constrains, as the love of Christ;" nothing
so stimulates to a compliance with God s will, as a sense of
obligation to the riches of his grace.]
MDCCCLXXXVI.
GOD S SOVEREIGNTY NOT TO BE ARRAIGNED BY MEN.
Rom. ix. 19 24. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he
yet find fault? For ivho hath resisted his will? Nay but,
O man, who art thou that repliest against God ? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made
me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the
same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto
dishonour ? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to
make his power known, endured with much longsujffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction : and that he might make
known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which
he had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath
called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles ?
THERE are some persons so partial to, what we
may call, the high doctrines of the Gospel, that they
can scarcely endure to hear any thing else : they are
like persons whose taste is vitiated by strong drink
or highly-seasoned food ; they have no appetite for
any thing which does not savour of their favourite
opinions. This is a great evil in the Church, not
only as injuring the souls in whom it exists, but as
1886.] GOD S SOVEREIGNTY NOT TO BE ARRAIGNED. 359
tending exceedingly to strengthen the prejudices of
others against the doctrines which are so abused.
Those who are thus disposed towards " the deep
things of God," fancy themselves edified, merely
because their corrupt taste is gratified : but their
edification is not real and scriptural ; for, if it were,
it would incline them to receive with meekness and
humility every word of God ; whereas they treat with
contempt every thing which seems to savour of plain
practical religion. We regret exceedingly that such
persons exist : but we must not, on their account,
run into an opposite extreme, and keep these doc
trines altogether out of sight : we must " not shun to
declare unto men the whole counsel of God." What
soever is revealed in the sacred records must be
brought forth in its season : nor are we at liberty to
" withhold from men any thing that may be profitable
unto them." We therefore address ourselves to every
subject in its place : though on such subjects as that
which is before us, we would do it with fear and
trembling, conscious how unable we are to do justice
to it, and fearful lest by any means we should make it
an occasion of offence to those who are not prepared
for the investigation of it. The sovereignty of God
is to the proud heart of man an unpalatable subject ;
but in the passage before us we are called to vindicate
it against the objections of those who are disposed,
like the Jew in our text, to contend against it.
To place the matter in its true light, we shall con
sider,
I. The point at issue between the objector and St.
Paul
[St. Paul had strongly intimated, that the Jews were now
to be rejected from the Church of God, and that the Gentiles
were to be admitted into it. This he knew was a most offen
sive subject to the Jews ; and therefore he had shewn, both
from God s word to Moses, and his dealings with Pharaoh, that
God had a right to communicate his blessings, or execute his
judgments, in such a way as should conduce most to his own
glory. The Jew, not convinced, is represented as declaring,
that, if God exercise his sovereignty in this way, the blame of
360 ROMANS, IX. 19-24. [1886.
man s condemnation must be transferred to God himself, since
it was impossible for man to resist his will.
That this was the jet of the question between them, is evi
dent ; for to this end St. Paul s arguments had tended ; and
nothing less than this could have given rise to such an objec
tion : to this also the answer of the Apostle directly applies.
The objection, it is true, did not fairly arise out of St. Paul s
statement : but the Jew took occasion from his statement to
found his objection upon it : and to the question, thus stated,
we must now reply.]
II. The Apostle s determination of it
St. Paul hearing such a blasphemous objection as
this, Why doth God yet find fault ? for who hath
resisted his will ?" replies to it,
1. In a way of just reprehension
["Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God?"
Consider thyself as a creature ; What right hast thou to sit in
judgment upon God? Dost thou understand all his counsels ?
Art thou able to fathom the depth of his wisdom ? Canst
thou " find out the Almighty to perfection ?" How canst thou
presume thus to arraign the conduct of thy God, and to "con
demn him that thou mayest be justified?" What wouldest
thou think of thine own child, if he, whilst yet a child, should
stand up and accuse thee as unwise and unjust, in the most
deliberate exercise of thy counsels? or, What wouldest thou
think of a peasant who should presume thus to sit in judgment
upon the counsels of a minister of state ? Art thou then
authorized to arraign the conduct of thy God?
But consider thyself as a sinner, and how atrocious does thy
conduct then appear! Thou who mightest justly have been
consigned over to perdition the first moment thou hadst sinned,
dost thou complain of thy God as unjust and tyrannical, if he
dispense to others the blessings which thou hast refused to
accept? Impious wretch! As well might the clay rise up
against the potter, and condemn him for having fashioned it
according to his own will.]
2. In a way of sound argument
[Two things St. Paul proceeds to substantiate against his
objector : the one was, That God had a right to dispose of
every thing according to his own sovereign will and pleasure :
and the other was, That in the ivay he had hitherto disposed of
them, and had determined still to dispose of them, he was fully
justified.]
Let us consider these assertions more fully
1886.] GOB S SOVEREIGNTY NOT TO BE ARRAIGNED. 361
[A potter, it is acknowledged, has a sovereign right over
his clay : and so has God over all the works of his hands.
When he formed angels, was he bound to furnish them with
all the faculties they possess ? and, having formed them, might
he not have annihilated them again, and consigned them over
again to their former non-existence ? When he formed man and
beast of the same clay, might he not have given higher faculties
to the brute creation, and less to man? or might he not have
reduced man immediately to the state of the beasts, without
doing any injury to man ? Is not this, in reality, what God is
doing every day, as it were, before our eyes ; bereaving one
and another of his mental faculties, and reducing him to a
state far below the beasts ? It is evident, that God may of the
same lump make one vessel to honour, and another to dis
honour, either in their first creation, or in their subsequent
use and destination.
The same also we may say in relation to the eternal states
of men, if only we consider them, as they really are, one vast
mass of guilt and corruption. When Adam fell, God was at
liberty to leave him as he was, in all his guilt and corruption,
or to redeem him from it, and to make him a vessel of honour
by his new-creating power. When God chose Abraham out
of the whole world of idolaters, he was at liberty to have
chosen others besides him, if he had been pleased so to do, or
to have restricted the blessings of his covenant to Ishmael and
Esau, instead of limiting them to Isaac and Jacob. If he had
seen fit to do this, whom would he have injured? or who
would have had any right to complain ? Whom did he injure
when he chose the Jews ? Did he by separating them from
the rest of mankind, and granting exclusively to them the
ordinances of his grace, do any injustice to the Gentile world?
or, now that he is pleased to send his Gospel to the Gentiles,
does he do any injustice to the Jews? In favouring us with
the full light of revelation, does he injure the millions of Ma
hometans and Pagans who are less favoured than ourselves ?
In like manner, if he send to some of us fuller opportunities
of instruction than to others, or richer communications of his
grace, is he not at liberty to do so ?
Let it be remembered, that the question is not, Whether
God shall punish an innocent person, or a guilty person be
yond his deserts ? That could receive no other answer than
that given by the Apostle, " Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid." But the question is, Whether, when all
mankind are in a state of guilt and condemnation, God may
not " have mercy on whom he will have mercy?" And to this
question we reply by asking another, " May He not do what
he will with his ovvn a ?"
a Matt. xx. 15.
362 ROMANS, IX. 1924. [1886.
But let us turn to the latter part of the Apostle s answer ;
wherein he asserts confidently, that if we attend carefully to
the way in which God has disposed of men, and has deter
mined still to dispose of them, he is, and ever must be,
justified.
God has determined to get himself glory upon all mankind,
whether they will it, or not. He will be glorified both in
them that are saved, and in them that perish.
" What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and make his
power known, endure the vessels of wrath fitted to destruc
tion?" is he not at liberty to do so? Take, for instance,
Pharaoh. If God had pleased, he might have cut off Pharaoh
on his first refusal to let the people of Israel go ; or at any one
of the ten successive plagues : but he was not obliged to do so:
he was surely at liberty to spare him, and exercise forbearance
towards him, and to remove in succession the different plagues
from him, and to give him space for repentance, till he had
filled up the measure of his iniquities, and was quite ripe for
those signal judgments that had been denounced against him.
In like manner, the Jews might justly have been cut off, when
they renounced their allegiance to God, and worshipped the
golden calf. God might, without any impeachment of his jus
tice, have executed then the threatened judgment of destroying
instantly that rebellious nation, and raising up another from
the loins of Moses. But he saw fit to exercise mercy towards
them, and to impart to them yet more abundant communi
cations of his grace and favour. Surely in this he did them no
injury. So also under all their provocations in the wilderness,
during the space of forty years, and under all their apostasies
from him in the land of Canaan for the space of fifteen hun
dred years, he might, if he had seen fit, have destroyed them :
and, to say the least, he did them no injury in bearing with
them, till, by the crucifixion of their Messiah, they had " filled
up the measure of their own and their fathers iniquities."
God s fore-knowing how much they would abuse his mercies,
was no reason why he should not exercise mercy towards
them : for by his forbearance his mercy was displayed ; and by
their accumulated guilt and aggravated condemnation his in
dignation against sin, and his power to avenge it, were more
conspicuously displayed. The same we may say in reference
to any person or number of persons ; God is not bound to cut
them off the moment they sin against him : he may continue
to cultivate the barren fig-tree year after year, if he be pleased
to do so, in order to shew more clearly its incurable sterility,
and his own justice in its final excision. Thus, I say, He may
act towards " the vessels of his wrath."
So also he may pursue a similar line of conduct towards
" the vessels of mercy," in order ultimately to " make known
1886.] (JOD S SOVEREIGNTY NOT TO BE ARRAIGNED. o63
upon them the riches of his glory." He was not compelled to
bring out Abraham from his family and his country, while he
was yet a child : he was at liberty to leave him bowing down
to stocks and stones, like all the rest around him, till the hour
which he in his secret counsels had appointed for his effectual
calling was arrived. Nor, when God called Abraham, was he
compelled to call all other Gentiles at the same time : he was
at liberty to " leave them to their own ways " till the times
of the Messiah, in order to shew more fully, that " the world
by wisdom knew not God," and that, if left to themselves,
nothing but universal ruin must ensue. St. Paul tells us, that
God, in his secret counsels, had " separated him as a chosen
vessel, even from his mother s womb :" yet had God left him
for many years to his own heart s lusts, and to the perpetration
of the most enormous wickedness. Was God unjust in this?
Was God bound to convert him before ? Was he not at liberty
to leave this man to the dictates of his own deceived conscience,
that he might gain the more glory in his conversion, and
" shew forth in him all long-suffering, for a pattern to all who
should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting 1 "?" The
dying thief too, Was not God at liberty to let him go on as
he did to the latest hour of his life, that he might shew in him
what divine grace and mercy could effect, even at the eleventh
hour? God would have done no injury to any of these, if he
had never so distinguished them by his power and grace : nor,
in having so distinguished them, has he done any injury to
others, either to Paul s companions in his journey, or to the
other thief upon the cross. It was thus that our blessed Lord
acted in reference to Lazarus. When called to come and heal
him, he staid till he had been dead four days on purpose that,
by raising him after so long a time, his own power might be
the more abundantly glorified . And did he any wrong in
this?
But if our proud hearts be yet disposed to rise up against
God, and reply against him, the extraordinary caution with
which St. Paul gives his answer must silence us for ever. Be
tween the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy he makes
this striking distinction ; that the vessels of wrath Jit themselves
for destruction, but the vessels of mercy are prepared for
glory by their God d . The judgments executed on the ungodly,
at whatever period they are inflicted, are brought on them,
not by any absolute decree of God, but by their own wilful and
obstinate continuance in sin : but the blessings imparted to
the godly are solely the fruit of God s sovereign grace and
mercy. They who perish must take all the shame to them-
> 1 Tim. i. 16. c John xi. 6, 15, 40.
d See the Greek.
364 ROMANS, IX. 1924. [1886.
selves ; and those who are saved must give all the glory to
their God.
The manner in which the Apostle states his argument, should
not be altogether unnoticed. " What if" so and so? Who
has any thing to reply against it? Is there any thing in it
contrary to reason ? let him bring it to the test of reason. Is
there any thing contrary to Scripture ? let him consult the
passages to which I now refer him, and he shall see, that this
very mode of dealing towards all mankind, whether Jews or
Gentiles, is precisely that which all the prophets have taught
us to expect at the hands of God e . He has, for his own
glory, left the Gentiles for two thousand years, and taken the
Jews for his peculiar people ; and now, for his own glory also,
will he for a season leave the Jews, and take the Gentiles. In
this matter, neither the one nor the other have any claim upon
him : in taking the one and leaving the other, he did no injus-
tice formerly : and in now abandoning those whom he formerly
took, (more especially since they have filled up the measure of
their iniquities,) and in taking those whom he then left, he
does no injustice now : but in both he is, and will be, glorified:
he even in this world glorifies, both in the one and in the
other, his patience and long-suffering, and forbearance ; but,
in the world to come, he will glorify his perfections upon both
of them in a more appropriate way ; on the vessels of wrath,
his power ; but on the vessels of mercy, his free, and sovereign,
and unbounded grace.]
Having investigated with care the Apostle s answer,
we will conclude with suggesting,
III. The proper improvement of the subject
The subject offers many IMPORTANT HINTS,
1. To objectors
[These, alas! are a very numerous body, even in the
Christian world. Favoured as we are above the rest of the
world, it might be hoped that we should be the last to arraign
the sovereignty of Almighty God. Yet amongst us there are
many who will dispute against the doctrines of grace, precisely
in the way that the unbelieving Jew is represented as doing in
our text. One would be ready to suppose, from the confidence
with which they urge their impious objections, that they had
been the secret counsellors of the Most High. They determine,
without any hesitation or doubt, what- will, and what will not,
consist with the Divine attributes.
Beloved brethren, this is not the way in which it becomes
frail dust and ashes to proceed : and if you will presume thus
e ver. 25 27.
1886.] GOD S SOVEREIGNTY NOT TO BE ARRAIGNED. 3G5
to reprove God, you must " answer it" at your cost f . Be
assured that such conduct ill becomes you, and is most offensive
to your God g : and your wisdom is to forbear all such impiety
in future h . Go to any person deeply versed in sciences of any
kind ; and he will tell you paradoxes without number which
you cannot understand, which yet he knows to be true, and is
able to prove, if you had sufficient knowledge of that particular
science to comprehend him. Know then, that God also, if he
have revealed what appears paradoxical to you, can fully re
concile his own declarations, and will do so in the eternal
world ; though, if he were now to do it, you would not have
capacity sufficient to discern the truth and excellence of his
communications. Be assured, that, " as the heavens are high
above the earth, so are his thoughts and ways high above
yours."
But there are many among those who pretend to vindicate
the ways of God, who are scarcely less worthy of reproof than
those who presume to condemn them. There are many who
speak of " the deep things of God," as if they were as plain and
easy and intelligible as the simplest truth that can be mentioned.
They dwell exclusively on these great and hidden mysteries,
and leave all the plainer doctrines of repentance, faith, and
obedience, as low matters, unworthy of their attention, and as
unprofitable to any good end. Nothing pleases them but what
brings immediately to their view the Divine decrees : and
of these they speak in a way that the Scriptures by no means
authorize. They draw conclusions from partial statements,
without giving due weight to things which God himself has
spoken on the opposite side : and then they vindicate with un
hallowed boldness and confidence what they themselves have
put, as it were, into the mouth of God. This was the very
conduct of Job s friends ; and justly were they rebuked by God
for their presumption. They took partial declarations of God,
and then put their oivn unqualified construction upon them, and
deduced from them inferences which they were never intended
to bear. In this way they bore down righteous Job as an
ignorant self-deceiver. But God declared that they had not
spoken the thing that was right, as his servant Job had done ;
and required them to humble themselves for their folly and
impiety. Let not any of you ever subject yourselves to the
same reproof: for " Woe to him," saith God, " that striveth
with his Maker ." It becomes you, doubtless, to investigate,
and as far as possible to understand, every truth of God : but,
in things so infinitely beyond the reach of human intellect, it
becomes you to be humble, modest, diffident: and in things
respecting which the most pious men may differ in their judg-
f Job. xl. 2. * Job xl. 8. h Job xl. 5. { Isai. xlv. 9.
36G ROMANS, IX. 1924. [1886.
merit, it becomes you cheerfully to concede to others the
libert} r which you arrogate to yourselves. And we are well
persuaded, that mutual candour and forbearance among those
of opposite principles, would do infinitely more towards the
bringing all to just views, than all the angry contentions of
violent partisans.]
2. To all persons without exception
[You, brethren, have other things to do than to be wast
ing your time about unprofitable disputes. You are all at
this very moment vessels of wrath, or vessels of mercy : you
are now, even whilst I am speaking to you, under the hands
of the Potter. You are actually upon the lathes, preparing
and fashioning, either for vessels of honour, or vessels of dis
honour. The question that most concerns you is, for which
you are preparing ? and how you may know for which you
are destined ? In order to ascertain this, you need not look
into the book of God s decrees, but simply examine the state
of your own hearts. For what are you preparing ? Are you
diligently seeking after God from day to day ? Are you living
by faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ, washing daily in the
fountain of his blood, and renewed daily by the operations of
his Spirit? Are you progressively advancing in the enjoy
ment of his presence, the performance of his will, and the
attainment of his image ? Are you, in a word, beginning to
live the life of heaven upon earth ? This will mark you ves
sels of honour : and the want of this is sufficient to stamp
you vessels unto dishonour. It is not necessary that you
should be committing any flagrant sins in order to constitute
you vessels of wrath : it is quite sufficient that you are not
growing up into Christ as your living Head, and devoted
altogether to his service and glory. Let these inquiries then
occupy your mind, and trouble not yourselves about the
" secret things which belong only to your God." Whether
you are pleased with the Potter or not, he is going on with
his work ; and in a short time he will cut you from the lathe,
and fix your everlasting destinies. But, blessed be his name !
He is able to change both your form and use : and, if you call
upon him, he will do it ; and he can do it as easily as a potter
can mar the clay which has been formed only for a degraded
use, and fashion it into a vessel of the most dignified descrip
tion. Whilst you are upon the lathe, nothing is impossible :
and who can tell but that you have been suffered, even to this
hour, to fit yourselves for vessels of wrath, in order that God
may be the more glorified in the change that shall be wrought
in you ? Yes, perhaps the hour is now come for Saul s con
version : perhaps this is the hour when he has decreed to
humble you in the dust before him, and to make you a vessel
1887.] JEWS REJECT CHRIST GENTILES BELIEVE. oC7
of honour that shall display, almost beyond all others, the
riches of his glory ? O lift up your hearts to him, and pray,
that at this time his grace may be magnified in you, and that
you may be monuments of his love and mercy to all eternity.
But perhaps with others the hour is come, when the measure
of your iniquities shall be filled, and when, like Pharaoh, you
shall be made signal monuments of God s wrath and indigna
tion. What a fearful thought ! The Lord grant that it may
not be realized in any of you. But beware ! His mercy and
forbearance will have an end; and that end may be much
nearer than you expect. Let not one hour more pass unim
proved : but " seek ye the Lord while he may be found, and
call upon him whilst he is near."
As for you who have reason to hope that you are already
vessels of mercy, O ! bless and praise your God. Remember,
ye were taken from the same mass of clay, as others, who
bear a very different shape. Remember, too, to whom you
owe the distinction that has been conferred upon you. Had you
been left to yourselves, you would have been in as degraded a
state as any. It is God, and God alone, who has made you
to differ, either from others, or from your former selves. Give
him then the glory of his rich and sovereign grace, and seek
daily to become more and more " vessels of honour, meet for
your Master s useV]
k 2 Tim. ii. 20, 21.
MDCCCLXXXVII.
CHRIST REJECTED BY THE JEWS, AND BELIEVED ON BY
THE GENTILES.
Rom. ix. 30 33. What shall we say then ? That the Gen
tiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But
Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not
attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore ? Because
they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the tvorks of the
law. For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone ; as it is written,
Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence :
and whosoever believe th on him shall not be ashamed.
A VERY great proportion of the controversies
which exist in the Christian world, arise from an
overstraining of just principles, and carrying them to
an undue extent. Many are not contented with main
taining what God has plainly declared ; but they will
368 ROMANS, IX. 3033. [1887.
found on his declarations every thing that appears
to be deducible from them. But, however legitimate
any deduction may appear to us, we should make a
great difference between it and the word on which it
is founded ; more especially if there be in the Holy
Scriptures other passages directly opposed to our
deductions. We should remember, that our finite
faculties are incapable of comprehending all that the
infinitely wise God has seen fit to reveal : and there
fore, when we advance even an hair s breadth beyond
what God has expressly authorized, we should pro
ceed with the utmost caution and diffidence. A rash
and presumptuous mind will, without hesitation,
build the doctrine of reprobation upon the declara
tions of St. Paul in this chapter. But St. Paul forbare
to press his principles so far, because, however such
an inference might appear just in the eyes of fallible
man, it would have been in direct opposition to other
declarations of Almighty God. His moderation is
beautifully exhibited in this chapter. In order to
silence the blasphemous cavils of an objector, he had
been constrained to occupy high ground, and to assert
God s sovereign right to dispose of all his creatures,
even as the potter has power over the clay, which he
has prepared for his own use. But when he comes to
sum up his argument, he does not refer the rejection
of the Jews to the mere sovereign will of God, but
to their own obstinate pride and unbelief: thereby
shewing us, that, whilst we properly refer all good to
God, we must trace all evil to ourselves : if we are
saved, it is God who saves us, from first to last ; but,
if we perish, we perish through our own fault alone.
For the further elucidation of our text, we shall
consider,
I. The fact here stated-
It was a plain and undeniable fact, that the Gen
tiles had embraced the Gospel, and the Jews had
rejected it
[The Gentiles, till they heard the Gospel, were in a
most deplorable state of wickedness*: nor did they, at least
* See Rom. i. throughout.
1887.] JEWS REJECT CHRIST GENTILES BELIEVE. 369
with very few exceptions, at all think of seeking after God.
Having but little sense of their guilt, and no idea whatever
of any way in which their guilt might be removed, they con
cerned not themselves about a future state. The sentiment
of the great mass among them was, " Let us eat and drink ;
for to-morrow we die." But, on the first proclamation of the
Gospel to them, they received it gladly, and experienced,
throughout all the Roman empire, its saving benefits. Thus
was fulfilled in them that prophecy, " I am sought of them
that asked not for me : I am found of them that sought mo
not b ."
The Jews, on the other hand, many of them at least, had
a considerable desire after a righteousness that should justify
them before God : and they actually sought after such a right
eousness, by conforming to the rites and ceremonies of the
Mosaic law. But through their undue attachment to that law,
which was now fulfilled and abrogated in Christ Jesus, they
set themselves against the Gospel, and thereby cut themselves
off from all participation of its benefits. The offer of salvation,
through the merits of another, was a stumbling-block to them :
they thought, that if they observed the duties of the moral law,
and compensated for their defects by a strict attention to the
ceremonial law, all would be well : and being persuaded of
this, they would not hear of a salvation, which dispensed with
the observances on which they placed so great a dependence.
It was to this alone, and not to any secret and irresistible decrees
of God, that they were thus left to perish. Thus it was that
the Gentiles embraced the Gospel, and were saved by it;
whilst the Jews, with all their superior advantages, rejected it,
and perished.]
But this fact only verified what had been long since
predicted by the prophets
[Christ had been represented as " a foundation-stone," on
which whosoever should build should live for ever . On the
other hand, he had been represented as a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence, over which many would fall to their
heavier condemnation d . Thus the very Scriptures that an
nounced his advent, declared that he should be " set for the
fall, as well as for the rising again, of many in Israel*." This,
if viewed abstractedly, was a very improbable event : for,
however he might be disregarded by the Gentiles, the pro
bability was, that the Jews, of whose nation he was, who ex
pected his advent, and, from their own prophecies, might
have learned his character ; who actually saw all his miracles,
b Isai. Ixv. 1. c Isai. xxviii. 16.
<* Isai. viii. 1-1, 1"). e Luke ii. 34.
VOL. XV. B B
370 ROMANS, IX. 3033. [1887.
and heard all his discourses ; who, moreover, were assured on
the most infallible testimony respecting his resurrection from
the dead; who saw also the very same miracles wrought by
his followers as had before been wrought by himself; I say,
the probability was, that the Jews would have immediately
become his most devoted followers. But the conduct of this
infatuated people was altogether contrary to all such expecta
tions ; and they fulfilled the prophecies which they did not
understand.]
Such was the fact stated by St. Paul. Let us now
attend to,
II. The instruction to be gathered from it
Surely, in this fact, we may SEE the following truths :
1. That how earnest soever we may be after
salvation, we never shall attain it, if we seek it in a
self-righteous way
[Some of the Jews, we know, were very earnest in their
endeavours to fulfil their law. Paul s description of himself
in his unconverted state, abundantly proves this f . So at this
time many are very studious to approve themselves to God,
according to the light that is in them : but they know not in
what way to come to him. They do not see the nature and
extent of the moral law; which, having been once violated,
can never justify an immortal soul 8 . They do not see that
there is a new and living way opened for them into the holy
of holies by the sacrifice of the Son of God h . They know not
what our blessed Lord has so plainly told them, " I am the
way, the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me 1 ." But we must declare to all such persons, that
they are fatally deluded : " their zeal is not according to know
ledge :" whilst they go about to establish a righteousness of
their own, and refuse to submit to the righteousness provided
for them by God, they cut themselves off from all the blessings
of the Gospel k . Nor is it only by an avowed reliance on their
works alone that they bring this evil on themselves : they do
it with equal certainty by blending their own works in any
measure, or in any degree, with the merits of Christ l
Know then, all of you, that, if ever you would be partakers of
Christ and of his salvation, you must seek to be found in Christ,
not relying in any respect on your own righteousness, but
trusting altogether in his alone m If you would gain
f Phil. iii. 5, 6. e Gal. iii. 10. h Heb. x. 19, 20.
1 John xiv. G. k Rom. x. 2 4.
1 Gal. v. 2, 4. with Horn. xi. 0. m Phil. iii. 9.
1887.] JEWS REJECT CHRIST GENTILES BELIEVE. 371
the prize, you must not only strive, but " strive lawfully,"
according to the rules that have been prescribed".]
2. That how regardless soever we have been about
salvation hitherto, we shall attain to it the very in
stant we believe in Christ
[The Gentiles at large give us a very just, but awful,
picture of man s depravity : yet, when they were altogether
dead, God "passed by them, and bade them live ." Thus,
if his voice in the Gospel reach our ears, and enter into our
hearts, we also shall live before him. There was no interval
between the obedience of Zaccheus to the Saviour s call, and
" the coming of salvation to his house." The converts on the
day of Pentecost were justified, the very instant they believed;
and in like manner shall " all who believe be justified from all
things." The most perfect representation of this truth may be
found in the ordinance of the brazen serpent which shadowed
it forth. There was but one way of cure for all that were dying
of their wounds ; and that was, a sight of the brazen serpent.
On the other hand, there was no interval between their use of
that remedy, and their experience of the cure. Thus, then,
the Lord Jesus Christ says to us, " Look unto me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth :" and, if we will in a full reliance
on his word direct our eyes unto him, " we shall never be
ashamed" of our hope ]
3. That how calumniated soever this way of sal
vation is, the very calumnies that are raised against
it, attest its truth
[We must not be understood to say, that the mere cir
cumstance of any plan of salvation giving offence proves that
plan to be true and scriptural : for even the Gospel itself may
be so crudely and injudiciously stated, as to give just offence;
but this we say, that any plan of salvation which gives no of
fence to self-righteous men) is certainly not of God. Objections
without number were made against St. Paul s statements.
When he said that salvation was altogether of grace, his ene
mies replied, that in that case God must be partial and unjust.
When he said it was by faith, then they replied, that he dis
pensed with good works. The same objections even to this
hour are universally brought against the same statements:
and we may be infallibly sure, that, if no objections of the same
kind be urged against us, we do not state the Gospel as Paul
did : we are accommodating ourselves to the pride and pre
judice of an ignorant world, instead of preaching the Gospel as
freely and as fully as we ought. Let none then be discouraged
n 2 Tim. ii. 5. Ezek. xvi. 6. with Eph. ii. 4, 5.
r> B 2
372 ROMANS, X. 1. [1888.
when they hear the Gospel evil spoken of; neither let them
wonder if it be " to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the
Greeks foolishness," as in the days of old. It is so, and it
must be so, as long as man shall continue unhumbled before
God : and if you find it so amongst the circle in which you
move, know that, as far as that circumstance goes, it is no
proof whatever that what you hear is erroneous, but a strong
presumptive evidence, that the word you hear is the very truth
of God, the same glorious salvation which Paul preached.
Only be truly willing to have God exalted, and your own
souls humbled in the dust before him, and then you will find,
that the Gospel offers you precisely such a remedy as you
want, and that " it is the power of God unto salvation to all
them that believe."]
MDCCCLXXXVIII.
PAUL S LOVE TO HIS BRETHREN.
Rom. x. 1. Brethren, my heart s desire and prayer to God for
Israel is, that they might be saved.
TO seek the salvation of our fellow-creatures is
but an unthankful office. The intimations which we
are obliged to give them respecting their guilt and
danger, are considered by them as uncharitable cen
sures, rather than as friendly admonitions ; and thus
we call forth only the resentment of those, whose
eternal interests we are most anxious to promote.
St. Paul, who was most abundant in labours for the
salvation of his brethren, experienced, beyond all
others, their hatred and contempt. Aware that this
would be the effect of his exertions, he was always
studious to counteract it ; and scarcely ever men
tioned an offensive truth, without testifying, by some
following observations, that it was dictated by love.
Throughout the whole. Epistle to the Romans, this
appears in a very striking light. Having shewn, in the
second chapter, that the Jews, notwithstanding their
being in covenant with God by circumcision, were as
much in need of salvation as the idolatrous and aban
doned Gentiles, he corrects the apparent severity of
his remarks, by saying, " What advantage then hath
1888.] PAUL S LOVE TO ms UUETHREN. 373
the Jew? Much every way a ." Proceeding afterwards
to shew that the law could not justify any man, and
fearing that he might on that account be thought an
enemy to the law, he removes all ground for that
suspicion ; " Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law b ."
Comparing afterwards his connexion with the law to
the state of a woman that has lost her husband, who
is therefore at liberty to be married to another ; and
observing, that sin took occasion from the law itself
to bring forth fruit unto death ; he guards them
against imagining that he meant thereby to cast any
reflection upon the law, as though it was itself sinful ;
" What shall we say then ? Is the law sin ? God
forbid ." Having yet further, in the prosecution of
his argument, asserted, that the incapacity of the
law to save men was the reason of God s sending his
own Son to save them, he (after some enlargement
on this subject) appeals to God in the most solemn
manner, that, instead of speaking these things from
any ill will to his Jewish brethren, he " could wish
himself even accursed from Christ for them," if by
that means they might be saved 1 . Thus also, in the
passage before us, having shewn that the Gentiles
were admitted into the Church and made partakers
of salvation, while the Jews were cast out, he assures
them that nothing could be more adverse to his
wishes than this awful dispensation ; " Brethren, my
heart s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that
they might be saved.
The same caution would we also use in ministering
to you the Gospel of Christ. We are of necessity
obliged to declare to you many unwelcome truths :
but God knoweth, that our only motive in declaring
them is, to benefit and save your souls ; and that,
while that is the object of our public ministrations,
it is also the frequent subject of our secret prayers.
Let us, in elucidating our text, consider,
a Rom. ii. 28, 29. with iii. 1,2. b Rom. iii. 28. with 31.
c Rom. vii. 1 0. with 7. d Rom. viii. 3. with ix. 1 5.
374 ROMANS, X. 1. [1888.
I. What it was that the Apostle desired in their
behalf
St. Paul had no wish to proselyte men to a party,
or to procure followers to himself
His object was to " save" them
[Salvation comprehends not only a deliverance from all
the penal effects of sin, but a restoration to the favour and
image of God, and an exaltation to all the glory and felicity of
heaven
This is the greatest of all blessings. The concerns of time and
sense are of no value in comparison of it : yea, crowns, king
doms, worlds, are lighter than vanity itself It is a
blessing which all equally stand in need of. There is no man
that is not a sinner before God, and therefore no man that is
not exposed to his everlasting displeasure. Though men may
differ with respect to the degrees of their guilt, there is no dif
ference whatever with respect to their liableness to the wrath of
God, and their need of his saving mercy It is a bless
ing, without which existence itself will prove a curse. If
those who did not partake of it could be annihilated, or if
there were a purgatory, where those who die unprepared for
it may be rendered fit to enjoy it, we might account our pre
sent life a blessing. But there are two states, in the one or
other of which all must be fixed for ever : and they who enjoy
not the felicity of heaven, must endure for ever the miseries
of hell. Let us consider for a moment what those miseries
are, and we shall need nothing more to shew us the value of
salvation ]
This object lay near his heart, and called forth his
most earnest exertions
[He was not contented to obtain salvation himself: he
was anxious for the welfare of his fellow-creatures, and laid
to heart their interests, as though they were his own
Nor did he rest satisfied with good wishes and desires: he
laboured with incredible assiduity and self-denial, suffering
all things cheerfully, not excepting imprisonments and death
itself, for the advancement of their happiness 6 -In
secret also did he " labour fervently for them in prayer night
and day." He knew the efficacy of intercession ; and there
fore besought God, with strong crying and tears, to take the
veil from their hearts, and to enlighten them with the saving
knowledge of his truth ]
For our own information, it will be proper to in
quire,
e 2 Cor. xi. 23 29. 2 Tim. ii. 10.
1888.] PAUL S LOVE TO HIS BRETHREN. 375
II. In what way he directed them to seek it
The whole Epistle to the Romans was written with
the express view of setting forth the way of salvation.
It shews at large that we are fallen and ruined crea
tures ; that God has sent his only-begotten Son into
the world to redeem us ; and that all who would be
saved, must seek for mercy through his meritorious
blood and righteousness. But in a more peculiar and
emphatical manner did he urge these truths in that
part from whence our text is taken.
He shewed them that they must found all their
hopes on Christ alone
[Consult the preceding context. There he states a matter
of fact well known to all ; namely, that the idolatrous and
abandoned Gentiles, who had never thought about salvation,
had been prevailed upon to seek after it, and had actually
attained it, because they were willing to accept it in God s
appointed way, by faith in Christ alone : whereas the Jews,
who had shewn considerable attention to the concerns of their
souls, had failed of attaining salvation, because they disdained
to seek it in this way. He tells them, that this fact agreed
with the prophecies, which actually foretold this very event, and
declared (many hundred years before) that Christ would thus
become a stumbling-block to that self-righteous people 1 .
The same he sets forth also in the following context. He
confesses that his Jewish brethren had a zeal to serve God ;
but it was a mistaken zeal. In three things they fatally erred :
they were ignorant of the plan which God had devised for jus
tifying sinners they were seeking to establish a righteousness
of their own, by which they might be justified before him
and when a better righteousness was proposed to them, even
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, they would not
trust in it, or submit to be saved in such an humiliating way
That these were errors, even the law itself might teach them ;
for " Christ was the end of the law for righteousness :" He
was the very object to whom both the ceremonial and moral
law directed them, for the obtaining of such a righteousness as
should justify them before God : and this righteousness they
were to obtain by faith in him. The moral law shut them up
to this method of obtaining salvation, because it denounced
nothing but curses against every one that had violated it even
in a single instance 8 : and the ceremonial law taught them to
Rom. ix. 3033. * Gal. iii. 10, 23, 24.
376 ROMANS, X. 1. [1888.
look to that Great Sacrifice which Christ was in due time to
offer for the sins of the whole world 11 .
Thus plainly did he direct them unto Christ, as their only,
and all-sufficient Saviour.]
In pointing them thus to Christ, he did most effec
tually consult their everlasting welfare
[The way of salvation hy faith in Christ is plain, suitable,
safe, and glorious. Nothing can be more plain. Suppose a
person about to be imprisoned for debt has that debt dis
charged by a surety ; he will see as clear as the light what is
the true ground of his deliverance. Such then is the deli
verance which we have by Christ And this way of
salvation is suitable. If you were to propose any other
method whatever, it would be altogether unsuitable for fallen
man but this is suited to the greatest of sinners ; and
that too even in their dying hour How safe it is,
must appear to all who consider that Christ is God equal
with the Father ; that he assumed our nature, and died upon
the cross, on purpose to make atonement for us ; and that the
promise and oath of Jehovah are pledged for the acceptance
of all who truly believe in Christ And glorious will it
be found to all eternity, inasmuch as all the perfections of
the Deity are honoured by it, and the happiness of all that
shall be saved is enhanced by it beyond all calculation or
conception ]
ADDRESS
1. Those who are careless about their souls
[We are bound to desire and pray for your salvation : and
we hope that in some small measure we can adopt respecting
you the language of the text. But you must desire salvation,
and pray to God for it yourselves ; or else it will be in vain
ever to expect it. We appeal to you, Whether God will or
can bestow it upon those who are too proud to ask for it, and
too thoughtless to desire it?]
2. Those who are seeking salvation, but in a mis
taken way
[Do not think it sufficient that you desire to be saved ; or
that you are zealous in seeking after salvation. The Jews
were not only zealous in their way, but confident that they
were right ; and yet never attained the object of their pursuit.
Remember, you must be humbled ; you must be contrite ; you
must rely on Christ alone ]
3. Those who have obtained mercy of the Lord
h ver. 2 4.
1889.] CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 577
[While we desire, and pray to God for, the salvation of
others, we rejoice and bless our God for you. We consider
the prosperity of your souls as the richest recompence of
our labours. Ye have " received Christ Jesus the Lord :"
see to it then that ye " walk in him," and " abide in him," and
" cleave unto him with full purpose of heart."]
MDCCCLXXXIX.
CHRIST THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Rom. x. 4. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth.
ZEAL, if directed to a good object, is highly com
mendable : as the Apostle says, " It is good to be
zealously affected always in a good thing." In refe
rence to the concerns of religion, it is indispensably
necessary for all who would approve themselves to
God : " Whatever our hand findeth to do, we should
do it with our might." But in proportion to its value
when operating in a good cause, is the danger of it,
when engaged on the side of error. This appears
from the havoc which Paul in his unconverted state
made of the Christian Church ; purely from a desire
to render, as he thought, an acceptable service to the
Lord. Such, alas ! is yet the zeal of too many : it is
well-intentioned, but blind, and ignorant, and inju
rious: nevertheless, such a zeal, conscientiously ex
ercised, at all times deserves respect, and should be
treated with respect even by those who suffer from
it. The conduct of the Apostle towards the unbe
lieving Jews was, in this point of view, worthy of
universal imitation. He was constrained to tell them
that they were in error, and that their error was re
plete with danger to their souls : but he told them of
it in terms as conciliatory as love could dictate, or
language could afford. He assured them, that they
were objects of his tenderest regard, and that he felt
the deepest anxiety for their welfare. He even bare
testimony in their behalf, that, in the zeal they mani
fested, they had an unfeigned desire to serve God :
378 ROMANS, X. 4. [1889.
but unhappily they were mistaken in their views of
the Mosaic law, which was never intended to afford
them a justifying righteousness, but was designed
rather to lead them to that very Jesus whom they so
hated and despised, and who was indeed " the end
of the law for righteousness to every one that be-
lieveth."
The information here given to them is of vital im
portance to every child of man. To place it in a just
point of view, we propose to shew,
I. What is that righteousness which God has provided
for fallen man-
In the verse preceding our text, mention is twice
made of " the righteousness of God ;" by which ex
pression we are not to understand that attribute of the
Deity which we call righteousness, but that way of ob
taining righteousness and salvation which God has pro
vided for sinful men. In this sense the expression is
used in other parts of this epistle, especially in the
third chapter ; where it is said, " The righteousness
of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness
of God which is unto all, and upon all, them that
believe 3 ." But,
What kind of righteousness is this ?
[However much God may graciously desire the salvation
of men, we cannot for a moment imagine, that for the attain
ment of it he will disregard the claims, and violate the rights,
of justice, or holiness, or truth. We may be sure, that, if he
has provided a righteousness for man, that righteousness will
be found consistent with all his perfections, and with the honour
of his moral government. How such a righteousness could be
devised, was far beyond the reach of finite wisdom to conceive:
but God s wisdom is infinite ; and he has, by the substitution
of his own Son in the place of sinners, provided precisely such
a righteousness as was worthy of God, and suited to the neces
sities of man. The law required obedience, and denounced
death as the penalty of one single transgression. Man trans
gressed its commands, and became obnoxious to its curse.
Before he could be restored to the favour of his God, the
penalty must be inflicted, and the obedience paid. But this
a Rom. iii. 21, 22.
1889.] CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 379
it was impossible for man to do, seeing that the penalty was
everlasting death ; and man was despoiled of all power to do
the will of God. Therefore God was pleased to send his co
equal, co-eternal Son into the world, that, as man s substitute,
he might endure the curse which we had merited, and render
the obedience which we owed. Thus, by this wonderful con
trivance, every obstacle to man s salvation is removed. Must
the penalty denounced against, sin be inflicted ? It has been
inflicted on God s only dear Son. Must the law be fulfilled in
all its extent? It has been fulfilled to the uttermost by him.
So that to those who have him for their surety, there is a plea
in arrest of judgment; a plea, which God himself will admit,
as just, and adequate, and perfectly consistent with his own
honour.]
And where shall we find this righteousness ?
[It is treasured up for us in Christ Jesus ; who, having
been sent into the world, " to make an end of sins, to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting right
eousness V executed the work assigned him: and, being now
constituted the Head of his Church, and having all fulness of
spiritual blessings treasured up in him for our use, he imparts
this righteousness to every one who truly believes in him.
Indeed, he is himself made righteousness unto them; as St. Paul
has said, " He is of God made unto us wisdom, and righteous
ness ." This shews how we are to understand that declaration
of the Prophet Jeremiah, " This is the name whereby he shall
be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS**." We are not
merely to compliment our Saviour with this title, but really
and truly to rely upon him in this particular view, as possessing
in himself all that righteousness whereby we are to be justified,
and as imparting it to all, who are united to him by faith. In
a word, we must all " look unto him in order to obtain salva
tion," and, with an express recollection, that all which we have
is not in ourselves, but in him, " we must say, In the Lord have
I righteousness and strength 6 ."]
What an agreement there is between the Old and
the New Testament in relation to this righteousness,
will appear, whilst we shew,
II. How the law itself directs us to it
Had the Jews understood the true import of their
own law, they would never have rejected Christ : for
he was the very scope and end,
b Dan. ix. 24. c 1 Cor. i. 30.
a Jer. xxiii. 6. e Isai. xlv. 22, 24.
380 ROMANS, X. 4. [1889.
1 . Of the moral law
[The law, when given to man in innocence, was intended
to justify him, if he should continue to obey it to the termination
of the period destined for his probation. But when once he
had fallen, there was no possibility of his ever obtaining justi
fication by it. We, as partakers of his guilt and corruption,
are in the same predicament with him: "in him we have died;"
and, if ever we obtain life, we must seek it in the way pointed
out to him, even in that " Seed of the woman that was in due
time to bruise the serpent s head." St. Paul tells us, that, " if
there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the law f ." But this being
impossible, (since man in his fallen state could not fulfil it, nor
could God, consistently with his own holiness, relax its de
mands,) God re-published it from Mount Sinai, to shew unto
men how greatly they had departed from it, and to drive them
by its terrors to that Refuge which he had prepared for them.
That these were the true ends for which the law was given, is
expressly asserted : St. Paul puts the question, " Wherefore
then serveth the law?" And he answers it by saying, that
" it was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should
come to whom the promise was made." It was given to con
vince them of their transgressions, to stop their mouths with a
sense of their guilt and misery^; and to " shut them up unto
the faith that should afterwards be revealed." In a word,
instead of ever being given to afford a ground of hope to men
by their obedience to it, it was intended " to be a schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith h ."
How it effected this, may be seen in the Apostle Paul, whose
hopes it utterly destroyed, and whom it constrained to seek
acceptance through Christ alone 1 .]
2. Of the ceremonial law
[This, it is true, was appointed to make an atonement for
sins, so far as to screen the transgressor from the penalties
that were to be inflicted by the civil magistrate. But it never
really took away sin : " it was not possible for the blood of
bulls and of goats to take away sinsV The annual repetition
of the same sacrifices shewed, that " they could not make a
man perfect as pertaining to the conscience:" they were, in
fact, only " remembrances of sins made every year," in order
to direct men to that Great Sacrifice, which should in due
time be offered, and which alone could effect reconciliation for
us with our offended God 1 . The very circumstance of the
f Gal. iii. 21. K Gal. iii. 19. with Rom. iii. 19, 20.
h Gal. iii. 2224. * Rom. vii. 9. * Heb. x. 4.
1 Heb. ix. 9, 10. and x, 3, 4.
1889.J CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 381
ceremonial law making no provision for the expiation of pre
sumptuous sin, shewed that it could not answer the necessities
of fallen man. Hence the Apostle tells us, that the law was
only a " shadow of good things to come" ;" a shadow, of which
Christ was the body . Agreeably to this, the most noted
types of Christ are expressly applied to him, as having in his
own person fulfilled their office, and abrogated their use. The
paschal lamb proclaimed to Israel, that unless their houses
were sprinkled with its blood, they would fall by the sword of
the destroying angel : and St. Paul says to us, that " Christ,
our passover, is sacrificed for us P." Again, the lamb offered
every morning and evening in sacrifice, we are told, shadowed
forth the Lord Jesus Christ, as the " Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world q ," even that " Lamb of God, that taketh
away the sins of the world 1 "." In a word, all the sacrifices
proclaim to us this truth, that " without shedding of blood
there is no remission."
Thus it appears, that neither the moral nor ceremonial law
could provide us with any righteousness wherein we might
stand before God ; but that both the one and the other directed
us to Christ, " in whom alone all the seed of Israel can be
justified, and in whom alone they must glory 8 ."]
But it remains yet to be inquired,
III. In what way we are to be made partakers of it
In reference to this there exist amongst us, even as
among the Jews, the most fatal mistakes.
The great mass of those who feel a concern about
their souls, seek for righteousness by the works of
the law
[As for those who really think that their own works have
such an exalted merit in them, as to deserve heaven of them
selves without any reference whatever to Christ, we would
fondly hope, that they are very rarely to be found amongst us.
But there are two ways in which men, whilst they profess some
reliance upon Christ, do in reality make their own works the
foundation of their hopes ; namely, by looking for salvation by
their works for Christ s sake, or by Christ for their works sake.
There are a great many shades of difference between persons
who may be arranged under these two heads, and many nice dis
tinctions have been drawn in order to shew the various delu
sions which men harbour in their minds in reference to this
m Num. xv. 30. n Heb. x. 1. Col. ii. 17.
P 1 Cor. v. 7. i Rev. xiii. 8. r John i. 29.
s Isai. xlv. 25.
382 ROMANS, X. 4. [1889.
subject : but all the different classes may be safely reduced to
these two.
Let us pause a moment, to consider whether we ourselves
do not belong to the one or other of them.
There are many who, as we have said, seek salvation by their
works for Christ s sake. They will not go so far as to say,
that Christ has done nothing for man s salvation : on the con
trary, they think that they are much indebted to him ; for that
to him they owe it, that their imperfect obedience shall be
accepted for their justification before God. They do indeed
suppose that their repentance, their reformation of life, their
alms-deeds, and their attendance on divine ordinances, will
procure to them the favour of God : but then it is not because
these things are absolutely meritorious, so as to deserve and
purchase heaven ; but because the Lord Jesus Christ has pro
cured a relaxation of the perfect law of God, and obtained for
them that their sincere obedience shall be accepted instead of
perfect obedience. And, if their obedience should not be
altogether sufficient for the desired end, they expect he will
add a portion of his merits to theirs, so that there shall be no
deficiency upon the whole.
But a very little knowledge of God s perfect law is sufficient
to dispel this fatal delusion. The law neither is mitigated,
nor can be mitigated : it never can require less than it did.
It required of man to love God with all his heart, and mind, and
soul, and strength, and to love his neighbour as himself. But
from which of these has God released us ? or from which,
consistently with his own honour, can he release us ? The law
remains the same as ever it was, both in its requirements and
its penalties : and, as our works never did, nor ever can, come
up to its demands, it can never do any thing but denounce a
curse against us, as long as we continue under it : as the
Apostle says, " As many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse ;" for it is written, " Cursed is every one that
continueth not in all things which are written in the book of
the law to do them*." Whilst therefore it curses us, it of
course can never justify : nor can our defective obedience to it
form any part of our justifying righteousness before God.
When men are driven from this refuge, they then flee to the
other, of which we have spoken, and look for justification by
Christ for their works sake. They see that in Christ alone
can be found such a righteousness as the law requires ; and
they now look to him as their righteousness. But yet they dare
not go to him, as it were, with all their sins upon them ; they
think they must wash themselves first with the tears of peni
tence, and make some compensation for their past iniquities
1 Gal. iii. 10.
1889.J CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 383
by newness of life : and then they hope that he will accept
them, and present them faultless before his heavenly Father.
And if they cannot see in themselves such a measure of peni
tence and reformation as they think necessary to recommend
them to him, they dare not go to him : they think it would be
presumption in them to trust in him : they cannot conceive
how his mercy should extend to such wretches as they see
themselves to be. On the other hand, if by much prayer and
diligence they have attained some measure of the goodness
which they are striving after, then, I say, they can go to him
with courage, and feel a comfortable persuasion that he will
accept them. Thus they found their hopes, not simply on his
merits, but on some measure of goodness in themselves, which
they carry with them as a price to purchase his favour. But
the Scriptures tell us, that we must go to receive salvation
at Christ s hands, " without money and without price" :" that
salvation must be wholly of grace, from first to last x : that we
must go ivithout any work whatever, to be "justified by him ax
ungodly? :" and that, if we attempt to carry to him any thing
of our own, either as a joint ground of our hope, or as a war
rant for our hope, in him, " he shall profit us nothing 2 ."]
But we must be made partakers of Christ s right
eousness solely and entirely by faith
[This is asserted so strongly, and so frequently, that one
can scarcely conceive how any one who has ever read the
Scriptures should entertain a doubt of it. Nor is it asserted
only, but maintained frequently, in a long course of argument
in direct opposition to the Jewish notion of salvation by
works 3 . The reasons for it also are stated again and again.
Salvation " is by faith, that it may be by grace V It is " by
faith, lest any man should boast c ." It is by faith, that the
whole universe may glory in Christ alone d . But the reproof
which Paul gave to Peter at Antioch puts this matter in the
clearest light. Peter had preached to the Gentiles, salvation
by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some Judaizing teachers,
who, whilst they professed to believe in Christ, were zealous
for the observance of the Mosaic law, coining thither, he
feared to offend them ; and, to ingratiate himself with them,
he required the Gentiles to conform to some Mosaic rites to
which they had never before been subjected, and from which
the Jews themselves, had they known their liberty, were free.
We are not told that Peter promised them salvation by these
works: but he evidently taught them, that, though Christ was
u Isai. Iv. 1. * Rom. xi. C>. y Rom. iv. 5.
z Gal. v. 2,4. a Rom. iv. 1 M. b Horn. iv. 10.
c Eph. ii. 8, 9. J 1 Cor. i. 31.
384 ROMANS, X. 4. [1889.
the only Saviour, they might recommend themselves to him,
and confirm their interest in him, by the observance of these
rites. Thus, in fact, he adulterated and undermined the
Gospel, and endangered the eternal welfare of all his fol
lowers. On this account St. Paul blamed and reproved him
before the whole Church : and the reprehension which he gave
to Peter has been transmitted to us, that we may see of what
importance it is to maintain the doctrine of salvation by faith,
uncontaminated and undisguised. Hear the account which
Paul himself gives of it : " When I saw that they walked not
uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto
Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the
manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why com-
pellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews ? We who
are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by
the works of the law : for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified 6 ." This shews us, that nothing is to be
blended with, and nothing to be added to, the faith of Christ ;
but that all who are justified, must be justified simply, and
solely, by faith in Christ.
We must not be understood to say, that good works are not
necessary after we are justified ; for they are indispensably
necessary, to prove the sincerity of our faith : but it is in
reference to the matter of justification only that we now speak :
and there they must be excluded altogether. Christ is our
only righteousness : and it is by faith only that we can ever
apprehend him.]
The whole state of the Apostle s argument in the
passage before us, leads us to conclude with the
following ADVICE :
1. Seek not to establish any righteousness of your
own
[Self-righteousness is deeply rooted in the heart of man.
Its workings are numerous and subtle : and the danger arising
from it is more than can be conceived. It robs God of his
glory : it subverts the very foundations of the Gospel : it
usurps the office of the Saviour: it invades the unalienable
prerogatives of God. Do not think it a light sin. Do not
hastily conclude that you are free from it. Search and try your
hearts : see what is the ground of your hopes : see whether
you are willing to go to Christ as the very chief of sinners ; or
<* Gal. ii. 1416,
1889.] CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 385
whether you are not rather wishing to find some worthiness in
yourselves, that may serve as a ground of confidence in your
approaches to him, and as a foundation of your hope of
acceptance with him. For be assured, that if you stumble at
this stumbling-stone, you will frustrate the grace of God, and
cause the death of Christ, as far as respects yourselves, to be
in vain f .]
2. Submit humbly and cheerfully to the righteous
ness of Christ
[Strange indeed is it that it should be any act of submission
to believe in Christ : but it is in reality such a submission as
our proud hearts are never brought to without much difficulty.
We may see how a spirit of pride wrought in Naaman, when
he was told by the prophet to " wash in Jordan, and be clean."
Had he been told to do some great thing, he would have com
plied immediately: but to "wash in Jordan" appeared to be
so inadequate a remedy, that he would not condescend to try it.
Thus, when we say to men, " Believe, and be saved," we seem
to propose to them a remedy of no value. Were we to lay
down rules for them, and tell them what penances to inflict on
themselves, and what services to perform in order to the pur
chasing of heaven, we should find them willing to undertake
whatever we might prescribe. The very thought of being their
own saviours would suffice to carry them through the greatest
difficulties. But when we say to them, " Believe only, and ye
shall be saved," they are ready, like Naaman, to " turn away
in a rage." This however is what we are commissioned to say:
and, if an angel from heaven were to give you any direction
contrary to that, he would be accursed^. O let your hearts
be humbled before God. Methinks, when Jesus said to the
lepers, " Go and shew yourselves to the priests ;" or, when
to the blind man, " Go and wash in the pool of Siloam," they
found no reluctance to comply. Why then should you ? Can
you cleanse your own leprosy ? Can you open your own eyes ?
Can you effect your own salvation ? No assuredly, you cannot.
If any man could have saved himself, methinks it was the
Apostle Paul. But he, disclaiming all thoughts of ever accom
plishing such a work, " desired to be found in Christ, not having
his own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by
faith in Christ^." Be ye, brethren, like-minded with him; and
then you may, like him, be " always triumphing in Christ," and
be assured, that, " when Christ, who is your life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory 1 ."]
f Gal. ii. 21. e Gal. i. 8, 9. h Phil. iii. 9. * Col. iii. 4
VOL. xv. c c
386 ROMANS, X. 810. [1890.
MDCCCXC.
GOSPEL SALVATION.
Rom. x. 8 10. That is, the word of faith, which we preach;
that ifthou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness ; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.
IF we would know with certainty what the Gospel
is, we should examine carefully what the Apostles
preached. But in various places their discourses ap
peared to have a different aspect, according as they
were called to lay the foundations of religion, or to
build up the superstructure : and therefore we are
concerned to receive from these inspired teachers a
summary of their own doctrines : and this is precisely
what we are favoured with in the passage before us.
Let us, then, take these words as our guide : for in
them we may clearly see,
I. The terms on which salvation is offered to us
We are .told, in few words, what was " the word of
faith which Paul preached." Two things he insisted
on, as indispensably necessary to our salvation :
1. Faith in Christ as our crucified and risen Sa
viour
[The Lord Jesus Christ was " sent of God to be the
Saviour of the world a ." All that was necessary for man s
salvation he effected on the cross : and God, in token that he
himself was satisfied, raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and
exalted him to his own right hand, that there he might carry
on and perfect the work assigned him. Of us he requires, that
we believe in Christ, as thus sent, thus accepted, thus qua
lified : and that, discarding every other hope, we place our
dependence on him alone.
This mode of salvation is contrasted with the law, which
proposes obedience alone as the ground of hope. But by
obedience can no man living be saved ; because we have
already violated the law ; and, even if at this moment our past
violations of it were forgiven, we should be unable to render to
a 1 John iv. 14.
1890.] GOSPEL SALVATION. 387
it the obedience it demands. That ground of hope, therefore,
being renounced, we must rely simply on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and seek salvation altogether by faith in him.]
2. A public confession of him under that character
[No confession of ours can add any thing to his all-
finished work. Yet are we required to confess him openly ;
because his glory, and the good of man, demand it of us. If
we should conceal our faith in him, who would be benefited?
or in what respect would he be glorified ? Methinks such
concealment would reflect on him the greatest disgrace ; and
it would assuredly tend to harden others in their unbelief.
Hence our blessed Lord required, that " all who would derive
benefit from him, should deny themselves, and take up their
cross daily, and follow him." And if we do not this, he de
clares that he will not acknowledge us as his disciples. Our
faith, destitute of this fruit, will be in vain. Thus, though
confession cannot add to faith, it is equally necessary with
faith ; the one being the root ; the other, the fruit proceeding
from it ]
For our encouragement, we are informed what
will be,
II. The certain issue of a compliance with those
terms
Whosoever shall thus believe in Christ, and thus
confess him, " shall be saved" This expression is
plain, positive, unqualified. But we are informed in
our text what will be the bearing of each requirement,
and in what respect a compliance with each will tend
to the attainment of the end proposed. To each of
them has the Lord Jesus Christ assigned its proper
office:
Faith will invest us with his " righteousness "-
[He has wrought out a righteousness for sinful man; a
righteousness fully commensurate with the utmost demands of
law and justice b . This righteousness faith apprehends. In
truth, it cannot be apprehended in any other way. If we were
able to purchase an interest in it by any works of our own,
salvation would in fact be by works ; seeing that to purchase
salvation, or to purchase that which gives us salvation, is, in
reality, and in effect, the same. We are continually told, that
this righteousness becomes ours by faith : " It is revealed from
b ver. 4.
c C 2
388 ROMANS, X. 810. [1890.
faith to faith c :" and " it is unto all, and upon all, them that
believe d ." From the moment that any one believes in Christ,
this righteousness becomes his ; yea, " Christ is made unto
him righteousness 6 ;" and he is entitled to call the Lord Jesus,
" Jehovah our Righteousness f ;" and to say, " In the Lord
have I righteousness and strength^." Arrayed in this spotless
robe, he will be so pure, that the eye of God himself will not
discern a spot or blemish in him 11 .]
Confession will insure to us his final approbation
[True, it will add nothing to Christ s perfect righteous
ness : but it will evince the sincerity of our faith : and on it will
the very sentence of our Saviour s approbation be grounded, as
displaying, beyond a doubt, the equity of his procedure. Our
Lord has said, that on this shall his ultimate proceedings with
us depend : " Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will
I also confess before my Father which is in heaven. But who
soever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before
my Father which is in heaven 1 ." Nor is this a mere arbitrary
appointment : for the confessing of Christ openly has a great
tendency to improve our character, and to prepare us for his
glory. Doubtless it will be an occasion of many trials and
many sufferings : for the ungodly world will hate the servants
even as they hated the Master, and persecute them even as
they persecuted him. But " he was made perfect through suf
ferings k :" and by the fire of affliction must we also be purged
from our dross 1 . Our afflictions are but, in fact, the com
pleting of that which was yet lacking in his m : and, in enduring
them, we are assimilated to his image". Thus, though our
confession of him adds not any thing to his perfect righteous
ness, it tends to fit us for the recompence which his overflow
ing bounty will accord to us. Assuredly, therefore, we may
expect, that " if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with
him," and to all eternity "be glorified together ."]
Let, then, your faith in Christ be cordial
[It is not to be a mere assent of the understanding, but
an acquiescence of the heart. Twice is this mentioned in our
text : nor is it possible for us to lay too great a stress upon it.
In point of strength, I doubt not but that the faith of devils is
superior to that of men", but they have no love to Christ, nor
any delight in any thing relating to him. But ye, beloved,
must see a glory in the whole of his mediation, and must feel
c Rom. i. 17. d Rom. iii. 22. e i Cor.i. 30.
f Jer. xxiii. 6. B Isai. xlv. 24. h Epli. v. 27.
1 Matt. x. 32, 33. k Heb. ii. 10. i 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.
m Col. i. 24. n 1 Pet. iv. 13.
2 Tim. ii. 12. Rom. viii. 17.
1891.] UNIVERSALITY OF SALVATION BY CHRIST. 389
exquisite delight in committing yourselves altogether to him.
Nor must this be an occasional act, but the daily habit of your
minds : " The entire life which you now live in the flesh, you
must live by the faith of the Son of God, who has loved you,
and given himself for you p ." Nor must there be in you the
least bearing towards any righteousness of your own. You
must indeed endeavour to be " righteous even as he is right
eous q :" but your dependence must be on him alone.]
2. Let your confession of him be uniform and
unreserved
[Never, for a moment, should you give way to fear r , or
suffer any carnal consideration to influence your minds, so as
to damp your zeal in his service 8 . It is not necessary that you
should be obtrusive, and force religious subjects on those who
are utterly averse to them : this would be to " cast pearls
before swine." But you should watch for opportunities to
honour the Saviour, and to lead others to the knowledge of
him. And on no account should you ever be " ashamed of
him 1 :" but should be ready, at all times, to " follow him with
out the camp, bearing his reproach". If you possessed, like
Moses, all the treasures of Egypt, you should consider them
as of no account in comparison of the infinitely richer treasure
which you will find in " the reproach of Christ 1 ." If only
* Christ may be magnified in you," it should be equally a wel
come service to you, " whether it be by life or by death y ."] 4
P Gal. ii, 20. 1 1 John iii. 7. r Luke xii. 4, 5.
8 John xii. 42, 43. * Mark viii. 38. u Heb. xiii. 13.
x Heb. xi. 2426. y Phil. i. 20.
MDCCCXCI.
SALVATION BY CHRIST UNIVERSALLY TO BE PROCLAIMED.
Rom. x. 12 15. There is no difference between the Jew and
the Greek : for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that
call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they
hear without a preacher ? and hoiv shall they preach, except
they be sent ? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of
good things !
MEN, as sinners, need to be reminded from day
to day, that there is a Saviour provided for them, and
390 ROMANS, X. 1215. [1891.
that the salvation wrought out by him, is offered
freely to every child of man. To declare this is the
special work of the ministry ; which is therefore
called, The ministry of reconciliation, because the
end and object of it is to proclaim this truth, " that
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them." In deli
vering this message, we sometimes appear to ourselves
as in danger of wearying our audience by needless
repetitions ; but we check ourselves when we hear
St. Paul apologizing for the same conduct in these
words ; " To write the same things to you, to me
indeed is not grievous ; but for you it is safe." We
might diversify our subjects more, and thereby admi
nister to the gratification of " itching ears:" but there
is no subject in the universe of such vital importance
as this ; and therefore we most approve ourselves
faithful to our high calling, when, like Paul, "we know
nothing among you but Christ, and him crucified."
St. Paul, in all the preceding context, has shewn,
that salvation is simply by faith in Christ : and that,
in publishing it equally both to Jews and Gentiles,
he had only done what Moses and the prophets had
done before him ; and what must be done, if ever
either Jews or Gentiles are to be made partakers of it.
The words which we have read will naturally lead
us to set before you,
I. The way of salvation-
There is but one way of salvation for all mankind
[As soon as ever sin entered into the world, the way of
salvation by the works of the law was closed. From that day
to this, *| the flaming sword, once placed at the east of Eden,
has prohibited all access to the tree of life," except that which
was opened in the promise, that " the Seed of the woman should
bruise the serpent s head*." From that time, this way of sal
vation was shadowed forth in sacrifices, with the skins of
which our first parents were clothed, to remind them, that
they must be clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ, which alone could cover the shame of their nakedness
a Gen. iii. 15, 24.
1891.] UNIVERSALITY OF SALVATION BY CHRIST. 391
from the eye of their offended God b . The prophets all bare
testimony to this same truth : Isaiah speaks of Jesus as that
" foundation which God has laid in Zion, and declares that
whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed :" and Joel,
in the words quoted in our text, affirms, that " Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved d ."
These words deserve somewhat more of a distinct considera
tion. They refer beyond all doubt to the Messiah, and to the
dispensation which he was to introduce. All the preceding
context indisputably proves this 6 ; and St. Peter, on the day
of Pentecost, expressly declares that they were fulfilled by the
descent of the Holy Ghost to testify of Christ, and to convert
souls to him f . But in the prophet Joel the person on whose
name we are taught to call, is JEHOVAH : it is no subordinate
Lord, but JEHOVAH himself: from whence we know assuredly,
that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is there spoken of, is " Em
manuel, GOD with us/ O blessed truth ! He who was " a
Child born, a Son given, is the Mighty God," " God manifest
in the flesh," " God over all, blessed for evermore 5 ." HIM we
are to invoke, and on him we are to rely, as " The Lord our
righteousness:" and, if we do so in sincerity and truth,
renouncing every other hope, we shall be saved : his righteous
ness shall justify us ; his Spirit shall renew us ; and his grace
shall keep us even to the end ; " In him we shall be saved with
an everlasting salvation ; we shall not be ashamed or confounded
world without end h ."]
This salvation is equally free for all
[" There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek."
This way of salvation existed before there was a Jew in the
world : and the only advantage which the Jews enjoyed, was,
that this way of salvation was made known to them in types
and shadows, when it was altogether forgotten by the world
at large. This distinguishing mercy, however, made no dif
ference as to the way in which they were to be saved : it
afforded no new ground of hope to the Jew ; it took not away
any old ground of hope from the Gentile. If a Gentile, like
Job or Melchizedec, looked to the Great Sacrifice that was in
due time to be offered, he was saved by it, though he did not
descend from the loins of Abraham : and, in like manner, now,
every creature in the universe who shall believe in Jesus, shall
be saved by him: for "this same Lord over all (the Lord
Jesus ) is rich unto all that call upon him :" there is no limita-
*> Gen. iii. 21. with Rom. iii. 22. and Rev. iii. 18.
c Isai. xxviii. 16. d Joel ii. 32. e Joel ii. 28 31.
f Acts ii. 16 21. e Isai. ix. 6. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Rom. ix. 5.
11 Isai. xlv. 17. Acts x.36.
392 ROMANS, X. 1215. [1891.
tion, no exception whatever; for, whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
Behold then in few words the way of salvation. The Lord
Jesus Christ, who bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
and " made reconciliation for us by the blood of his cross," is
the one object of our faith and hope : and all who with humility
and earnestness call upon him for salvation, shall surely find it,
both in time and eternity.]
This salvation being designed for all, we cannot
doubt,
II. The duty of diffusing universally the knowledge
of it
Without the instrumentality of human agents, it
cannot be hoped that the knowledge of salvation
should be spread throughout the earth
[Doubtless God, if he pleased, might, as in the first crea
tion, speak the word only, and there should be spiritual light
throughout all the dark regions of the earth. But this is not
the way in which God has ever wrought to any great extent ;
nor has he given us reason to expect that he ever will work in
this way, for the conversion of those who are yet in darkness
and the shadow of death. He has sent forth an order of men
on purpose to preach his Gospel throughout the world. The
Jews indeed could not endure this dispensation : they con
demned with most inveterate malignity the Apostle s conduct
in preaching to the Gentiles : but he asks them in our text,
How the Gentiles ever could attain the knowledge of sal
vation, if it were not preached to them ? The Apostle s
argument is this : Ye Jews, know from your own prophets,
that salvation is confined to those " who call on the name of
the Lord." I by inspiration know, that that Lord is the Lord
Jesus Christ. And now I ask, " How can the heathen call on
him of whom they have not heard? or how can they hear without
a preacher ? " This argument is incontrovertible : and we appeal
to it as a complete vindication of all the efforts that are made
by different societies to diffuse the knowledge of salvation
throughout the world.]
It is by this instrumentality that God himself has
taught us to expect the wished-for event
[The words cited from the Prophet Isaiah are undoubtedly
to be understood in reference to the Gospel dispensation. They
primarily indeed describe the joy occasioned among the captive
Jews in Babylon, when they saw the messenger hastening over
the distant hills to bring them certain tidings of their redemp
tion ; but all the following context shews, that they refer to an
1891.] UNIVERSALITY OF SALVATION BY CHRIST. 393
event in which the whole world was interested, " seeing that
" God had made bare his arm in the eyes of all nations, and
that all the ends of the earth were to see the salvation of GodV
Contemplate then the passage in this view. See the messenger
of the Lord of Hosts running over the mountains to proclaim
salvation to a ruined world. Those who are unconscious of any
bondage, may deride his folly for giving himself so much un
necessary trouble. But how would it be with those who saw
themselves under a sentence of condemnation, and were ex
pecting the executioner to inflict the judgment denounced
against them? Would they not behold with interest his every
step ? Would not his every motion, as it were, appear lovely
in their eyes ? Would not the tidings produce on all who be
lieved them, the effect once wrought on the liberated Grecians,
who all night long rent the air with that cheering sound, " A
Saviour, a Saviour?" Look at the converts on the day of
Pentecost; and know assuredly, that if, like Peter, we will
unite in extending the knowledge of the Gospel, thousands
shall in due time arise to attest, and to rejoice in, the tidings
we proclaim. Yes, " the Gospel of peace" will be received by
them as "glad tidings of good things"]
Now, in CONCLUSION, we will call upon you,
1. To perform your duty
[Let no Jewish prejudices or heathen infidelity (both of
which, alas ! are but too prevalent amongst us) discourage you.
You must expect, not only that they who feel no value for
their own souls will frown at your attempts to convert the
souls of others, but that persons who really mean well, yea,
and some who are truly pious, may, on some account or other,
not be able cordially to unite with you in the blessed work.
But know, that the salvation of mankind is a work which every
redeemed soul should labour to promote. We would not over
look indeed the things of minor importance : but we would not
suffer them to stand in the way of such a work as this. What
had become of the whole Gentile world, if the Apostles ha I
waited till their unbelieving brethren, or even the Judaizing
Christians, had given their consent to have a free salvation
offered to the Gentile world ? Alas ! we had been in darkness
even until now. Labour then, beloved brethren, in every
possible way to promote the knowledge of salvation among
both Jews and Gentiles, yea, and among those who, though
they call themselves Christians, are so only in name and pro
fession. Circulate the Scriptures in every language under
heaven : send missionaries to the ends of the earth ; seek also
to bring into the fold of Christ the lost sheep of the house of
* Isai. lii. 7, 10.
394 ROMANS, X. 20, 21. [1892.
Israel : and whatever be the office to which your situation and
circumstances appear to fit you, be ready to execute it : and,
in answer to God s inquiry, " Who will go for us?" be ready
to reply, " Here am I, Lord ; send me."]
2. To enjoy your privileges
[All the blessings of salvation, if only you believe in Christ,
are yours : yours is that peace of God which passe th all under
standing : yours are all the treasures both of grace and glory ;
holiness is yours, as well as pardon ; for the faith that brings
you into a state of peace with God will " work by love," and
" purify the heart." Ye are not straitened in your God : be
not straitened in your own souls. Ask much ; expect much ;
for your " Lord is rich unto all who call upon him." Set not
limits, either to the objects of his bounty, or the riches of his
grace ; for his riches are unsearchable ; and they are promised
indiscriminately to all who call upon him. What a blessed
word is that, " Whosoever!" Here is no limitation, no ex
ception : all that is required of us is, to believe in Christ, and
to call upon him. O ! call upon him day and night; be earnest;
be importunate ; wrestle with him, as Jacob did ; and let him
not go, until you have received his blessing. Well I know
how unbelief is apt to interpose between him and your souls.
You will be ready perhaps to say, " True ; but I fear I do not
call aright." Ah ! brethren, this is a device of the enemy to
rob you of the blessings which Christ is ready to bestow. If
you call not on him as you would, still call upon him as you
can : lie at the foot of his cross : trust in him : if you cannot
trust, then hope in him : in a word, look unto him, renouncing
every other ground of hope ; and fear not but that he will make
all grace abound towards you ; and that what he has begun in
time, he will perfect in eternity.]
MDCCCXCII.
CHRIST MADE KNOWN TO THE GENTILES.
Rom. x. 20, 21. Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of
them, that sought me not ; I was made manifest unto them that
asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I
have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gain
saying people.
IT is scarcely to be conceived to what a degree
prejudice will close both the eyes and ears of men
against the plainest truths. Nothing could be plainer
than the avowed purpose and determination of God
1892.] CHRIST MADE KNOWN TO THE GENTILES. 395
to cast off the Jews in the event of their continued
impenitence, and to admit the Gentiles to a partici
pation of those privileges of which the Jews in the
first instance had the exclusive enjoyment. Moses
had declared it in the most direct terms ; that " God
would provoke the Jews to jealousy by those who
were not a people, and by a foolish nation he would
anger them:" the plain import of which was, that
he would transfer his favours to the Gentiles, in case
the Jews should continue to abuse them. But Isaiah,
as my text expresses it, was very bold ; affirming in
a way of prophetical anticipation, that God was
already found of the Gentiles, to whom his Gospel,
so long slighted by the Jews, was now proclaimed 3 .
Yet strong as these assertions were, the Jews could
not for a moment admit the idea, that the Gentiles
should be admitted to a participation of their privi
leges. But St. Paul assures them, that so it had been
determined many centuries before, and, in fact, that
so it had been done.
In discoursing on the predictions here cited, we
shall consider them,
I. As prophecies fulfilled
In them we see,
1. God s promise to the Gentiles
[The Gentiles are here plainly designated. They " sought
not God, nor asked after him " at all : they were altogether
ignorant of God, and unconcerned about him. They did not
regard the notices of him which were visible in all the works
of his hands. They were contented to live without him in the
world ; and so far did they put him from them, that " he was
not in all their thoughts."
Yet to these was God now made known in the person of
his Son : the glad tidings of salvation had been proclaimed to
them ; the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon them ; and
Christ, in all his fulness, and in all his glory, had been revealed
in their hearts. God had now been found of them, not as a
Creator merely, but as a Saviour ; a Father, a Friend, a
Portion, " an everlasting great Reward." Though they had
been in darkness and the shadow of death during all the time
that God had made himself known to the Jews, yet at last
a Sec Isai. Ixv. 1, 2.
396 ROMANS, X. 20, 21. [1892.
" the light had risen upon them, and God s glory was seen
upon them." "As soon as they heard him, they obeyed his
call ;" and within a few years from the publication of the
Gospel to them, such multitudes became obedient to the faith,
that they filled, as it were, every part of the Roman empire ;
so gloriously was the prediction fulfilled in the eyes of the
whole world.]
2. His complaint of the Jews
[For two thousand years had the Jews been the Lord s
peculiar people, the sole depositories of his revealed will, the
only visible monuments of his saving grace. During all this
time had God stretched out his hands to them with more than
parental tenderness and affection, intreating them to accept
his overtures of mercy, and urging them not to put away
from them the blessings which he of his own sovereign love
had prepared for them. He had assured them, that in and
through their Messiah they should possess all the blessings
both of grace and glory. He had spared no pains to draw
them to himself. He had wrought such miracles for them as
had never been wrought for any other people from the foun
dation of the world. He had loaded them with benefits with
out number, given them his statutes, his ordinances, his
Sabbaths, and sent from time to time his prophets to instruct
and warn them. In short, every thing that could be done for
his vineyard, he had done in it.
But how had they requited all this unbounded love ? Had
they turned to him ? had they loved, and served, and glorified
him ? No : from the beginning they had been " a disobedient
and gainsaying people." Hear how God complains of them by
the Prophet Jeremiah b But the most perfect contrast
between his tenderness towards them and their obstinacy will
be found in their treatment of Hezekiah s messengers, when
he sent them through the whole land to entreat and importune
them to return to God c (Mark the extreme tenderness
with which God here " stretches out his hands to them.")
And how did they receive these gracious communications?
" Hear, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth !" they " laughed
the messengers to scorn, and mocked them." Thus did they
also in the days of Christ and his Apostles ; they were always
" disobedient, always gainsaying " and opposing every thing
that was said or done for their welfare ; till at last, by their
"contradictions and blasphemies," they constrained the Apostle
Paul to turn from them, and to execute without any further
reserve the commission he had received to preach the Gospel
to the Gentiles d With what a different spirit the
b Jcr. xxxv. 13, 15. c 2 Chron. xxx. 69. d Acts xiii. 4447.
1892.] CHRIST MADE KNOWN TO THE GENTILES. 397
Gentiles received these tidings was immediately made mani
fest : " they heard the Apostle with gladness, and glorified the
word of the Lord : and as many of them as were ordained to
eternal life, believed 6 ."
Thus, in reference both to Jews and Gentiles, was this pro
phecy clearly and undeniably fulfilled.]
But it will be proper to view these prophecies,
II. As events yet daily accomplishing
Verily God is yet found of those who sought him
not
[We speak not now of men s conduct after they have re
ceived the grace of God ; for no man who has been made
partaker of God s grace can possibly neglect to seek him. But
the question is, Whence arose their good desires ? were they
ot themselves, or of God ? Let this be answered from our
Liturgy : " O God, from whom all holy desires, all good
counsels, and all just works do proceed," Yes, it is " God, who
of his own good pleasure gives us both to will and to do ;"
or, as our article expresses it, " who worketh in us, that we
may have a good will, and worketh with us when we have that
good will." And here we will appeal to every humble mind,
to every one that has found the Saviour in truth ; What was
your state when God first stirred you up to seek him ? Were
you not careless and unconcerned, or, at least, resting in a
mere form of godliness, without any experience of its power?
Did you apprehend him, before he apprehended you ? Did
you love him, before he loved you ? Did you choose him,
before he chose you? A proud Pharisee may arrogate to
himself the glory, arid say, that he made himself to differ : but
so will not any one who is really taught of God. The true
Christian will say with Paul, " It was not I, but the grace of
God that was with me." Wherever there is one really united
to Christ by faith, and washed in his blood, and renewed by his
Spirit, there is one who will say from his inmost soul, " By
the grace of God I am what I am."]
On the other hand, thousands who are sought by
God with all imaginable tenderness, yet continue in a
state of wilful and obstinate disobedience
[This is the case with the generality of those who bear
the name of Christ. God comes to them by his providence,
his word, his Spirit, and seeks to turn them to himself; but
they pull away the shoulder, and refuse to " hear the voice of
the charmer, charm he never so wisely." For how many years
e Acts xiii. 48.
398 ROMANS, X. 20, 21. [1892.
has God been striving with some amongst us, who yet continue
alienated from the life of God through the blindness and hard
ness of their hearts ! Think, in what diversified ways he has
dealt with us, in order that he might fulfil in us his good
pleasure, and accomplish in us the rich purposes of his grace !
From the first moment that reason began to expand and
operate, he began also to work upon our consciences, and to draw
us by the influences of his Spirit. Say, ye who are now in the
vigour of youth, or grown to man s estate, whether ye cannot
call to remembrance many interpositions of the Deity, when
he sought to stop you in your career of sin, and to bring you
to repentance ? And ye who are advanced in life, say, whe
ther every year that has been added to your lives has not
brought with it much additional ground for God s indignation
against you ! Behold then, the conduct of the Jews is realized
and renewed in us : and the Lord Jesus Christ has reason to
repeat over us the complaint once poured forth over the dis
obedient Jews, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I
have gathered you, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under
her wings! but ye would not." Yes, at the day of judgment
shall this be our condemnation, " I would ; but ye would not."]
There is yet a further point of view in which these
prophecies may be considered ; namely,
III. As truths illustrative of the whole economy of
salvation
The Gospel is altogether a dispensation of grace
[This is its most distinguishing feature : it is a plan de
vised and ordained of God for the displaying of " the exceeding
riches of his grace." Every thing that God has bestowed upon
fallen man in relation to it, has been unsought, and unsolicited.
We may see the whole exemplified in our first parent Adam.
When he fell, did he cry to God for mercy? Did he ask for
a Saviour ? Did he implore such measures of grace as might
restore him to the Divine image? No: instead of " seeking
after" God, or even asking of God whether there were any
possibility of ever being restored to his favour, he fled from
God, and hid himself; and, when called forth from his hiding-
place, he cast the blame of his transgression on God himself.
This shews us what every man by nature does, and would
continue to do, if God, of his own grace and mercy, did not
infuse into his mind a better disposition. Man in his fallen
state is dead, " dead in trespasses and sins :" he is like the dry
bones in Ezekiel s vision, till God breathes upon him, and bids
him live. Nay, he would revert to that state again, if God
did not uphold him every moment. In vain would be all his
1892.] CHRIST MADE KNOWN TO THE GENTILES. 399
past experience of redeeming love, if Christ, in whom his life
is hid, were not constantly to impart more grace to him, and
grace sufficient for his multiplied necessities.
Brethren, it is to this state of conscious and willing depen
dence upon the Lord Jesus Christ that we wish you to be
brought : this is what the Apostle calls " living by faith on
the Son of God." This alone answers the end of the Gospel
dispensation : this alone honours God, or can bring solid peace
into the soul. We pray you to seek this " spirit of faith," and
to abound in it more and more To the Lord Jesus
Christ must you give glory from first to last : it was He who
opened your heart, as he did Lydia s of old, to attend to the
concerns of your souls ; and He, who was " the Author of
your faith, must also be the Finisher." Regard him in this
view ; and live upon him in this view ; and give him glory in
this view : and the more grateful your acknowledgments to
him, the more abundant will be his communications to you,
both in time and in eternity.]
But those who partake not of this grace have
themselves only to blame
[God " willeth not the death of any sinner, but rather
that he come to repentance and live." He even condescends
for our encouragement, to declare this upon oath : "As I live,
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of a
sinner, but rather that he turn from his wickedness and live."
And then he further confirms this by the kindest and most
affectionate entreaties ; " Turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways ; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Let no man
think to excuse himself by saying, " If God give me not his
grace, how can I help myself? For God offers his grace to
every man freely : " Ho ! every one that thirsteth, come to the
waters ; come, buy wine and milk, without money and without
price !" Our blessed Lord gave a similar invitation ; " If any
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink ; and out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water." In like manner, in the
book of Revelation it is written, " The Spirit and the Bride
say, Come : and whosoever will, let him come and take of the
water of life freely." What will ye say after such invitations
as these? Will ye say, We cannot? If ye do, we will tell you,
beforehand, our blessed Lord s reply, " Ye will not come unto
me, that ye may have life."
You are to " seek him : and then he will be found of you."
" Seek, and ye shall find," is a rule to you, though it is not to
God. He may dispense his blessings to whomsoever he will,
and under whatever circumstances : but you must seek his
blessings; and, if you seek them not, you must abide the con
sequences. What those consequences will be, ye may judge
400 ROMANS, XL 5. [1893.
from the Jews. Has not God punished them at last ? " Go
to Shiloh, and see what he did to them there :" go to Judasa,
and see how his anger has burned against them there : look at
them in every quarter of the globe ; and know, that, as he has
scattered them, so will he fulfil his threatenings upon you :
and when he shall say, " Bring hither those mine enemies, and
slay them before me," ye will be silent, not having a word to say
in arrest of judgment. Be prevailed on then to seek his face,
yea, to seek him with your whole hearts. Take encouragement
from the patience he has already exercised towards you, and
" account his long-suffering to be salvation." Be assured, that
at this moment he waiteth to be gracious unto you ; and that
if you will only be content to " go on your way weeping,
bearing precious seed, ye shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing your sheaves with you," even an everlasting
harvest of felicity and glory.]
MDCCCXCIII.
THE LORD S PEOPLE A CHOSEN REMNANT.
Rom. xi. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a
remnant according to the election of grace.
IT is the part both of wisdom and of love to guard
our statements against misconception. We are of
necessity constrained sometimes to state truth in
strong and general terms : but in all such cases it
becomes us to anticipate, and to remove, as much as
in us lies, all occasion for misapprehension or mis
take : we should make every thing so clear, that the
ignorant should have nothing to ask ; the captious
nothing to object. St. Paul was ever alive to this
duty : he foresaw and answered every objection that
could be urged against the truths he maintained. He
had in the preceding chapter spoken of the Gentiles
as adopted into God s family, whilst the Jews, for
their obstinate disobedience, were cast off. Hence
it might have been supposed, that God had cast off
his people altogether : but he tells them, that this
was not the case ; for that he himself, though a Jew,
was a partaker of all the blessings of salvation : and
that, as in the days of Elijah, there were among the
Jews more faithful servants of Jehovah than was
1893.] THE LORD S PEOPLE A CHOSEN REMNANT. 401
supposed, so it was at that time ; " there was a rem
nant," and a considerable remnant too, " according
to the election of grace."
We will,
I. Shew that God s people are " a chosen remnant"
The Lord has at this day a remnant of faithful
people
[In every age of the world there have been some faithful
worshippers of Jehovah. Even in the antediluvian world,
when all flesh had so corrupted their way that God deter
mined to destroy them utterly, there was one pious man, who
boldly protested against the reigning abominations, and, with
his family, was saved from the universal deluge. Abraham,
Melchizedec, and Lot, were also rare instances of piety in a
degenerate age ; as were also Job, and his little band of
friends. In Israel too, even under the impious and tyrannic
reign of Ahab, there was an Elijah, who was a bold and
faithful witness for his God. Thus at this day also there are
some who serve their God with fidelity and zeal. Neither
the example of the multitude, nor the menaces of zealots, can
induce them to bow down to Baal, or " to walk after the
course of a corrupt world." " They are not of the world, even
as Christ was not of the world ;" "nor will they conform to it "
in its spirit and conduct : they will " have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but will rather reprove
them." To serve, to enjoy, to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ,
is all their desire ; and they " cleave unto him with full pur
pose of heart."]
They are however but a remnant
[" The world at large lieth in wickedness." The broad
road that leadeth to destruction is crowded ; whilst those who
enter in at the strait gate, and walk in the narrow way that
leadeth unto life, are few a . True it is, that the servants of
God may now, as in Elijah s days, be more numerous than
we imagine : there may be many, who, being remote from
public ordinances, are unknown ; or, from being poor, are
unobserved ; or, from peculiar diffidence, are kept from joining
themselves to the Lord s people ; or, from their weakness, are
not yet able to encounter the opposition which they expect to
meet with. We are persuaded that there are many Nico-
demuses and Nathanaels at present in the shade, who yet
in due time will come forth to light, and be " burning and
shining lights " in their day and generation. We mean not
a Matt. vii. 13, 14.
VOL. XV. D D
402 ROMANS, XL 5. [1893.
by these observations to express an approbation of worldly
shame, or of the fear of man : for it is the duty of every
Christian to " confess Christ" boldly, and to "follow him with
out the camp bearing his reproach :" but so it is, that, from a
variety of causes, some of the Lord s people remain unknown
to us, and will be found at the last day, if not before, among
the " hidden ones," that were known to God and accepted of
him : and it is a comfort to think, that, as " there were seven
thousand men in Israel who had not bowed their knee to
Baal," whilst Elijah conceived himself to stand alone, so there
may be at this day thousands in the world who, in the sight of
God, are " faithful and beloved," though they have not at
present any name or place in the Church of Christ. Yet, after
all, in comparison of the careless and ungodly world, they will
be found "a small remnant," "a little flock V]
And for their distinguished privileges they are
altogether indebted to the electing love of God
[All by nature are alike "dead in trespasses and sins;"
and if not quickened by divine grace, must continue dead
even to the end. Look into the Scriptures, and see if you can
find so much as one who raised himself to newness of life.
Did the converts on the day of Pentecost ? Did Paul ? Did
Lydia ? Did any make themselves to differ, or present to him
what they had not previously received from him c ? Can you
find one that did not say with St. Paul, " By the grace of
God I am what I am ?" Was there one to whom God did not
" give to will, as well as to do, and that of his good pleasure?"
To all without exception must it be said, as it was to the
Apostles, " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.
God, in choosing men, has no respect to any thing but his
own glory. He is not moved by any thing in them, either
present or foreseen : " he loves them, because he will love
them 1 ;" and in predestinating them unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ, he does it " according to the good
pleasure of his own will" and " to the praise of the glory of his
oivn grace 6 ."]
We would not state these things in a crude and
rash way. We know, they are deeply mysterious ;
and we are most anxious to,
II. Guard this doctrine against abuse
Much is this doctrine hated : much too is it
abused: but, however hated, or however abused, it
b Luke xii. 32. e 1 Cor. iv. 7.
d Deut. vii. 68. Eph. i. 5, 6.
1893.] THE LORD S PEOPLE A CHOSEN REMNANT. 403
is the truth of God, and therefore must be maintained.
Let none however pervert it, or draw false conclusions
from it. Let none say,
1 . If this doctrine be true, no blame attaches to me
[What ! No blame attaches to those who live in sin ; to
those who live " without God in the world ! " Has any one
compelled you to act thus ? Have you not been free agents in
every thing that you have done ? What if you were not able of
yourselves: to fulfil the will of God, did not God exhort you to
come to him for grace and strength, and did he not promise to
give grace sufficient for you ? Has there not been much that
you might have done, which yet you have neglected ? and much
that you might have abstained from, which yet you have com
mitted? Will any one go into the presence of Almighty God
and say, I sought thee, but thou wouldst not hear : I endea
voured to the utmost of my power to comply with all thine
injunctions ; but thou withheldest from me the assistance that
was necessary : I chose thee, but thou rejectedest me without
a cause ? No : profane as many are, there is not a man to
be found in the universe who will dare thus to insult his God.
We all have a consciousness that sin at least is our own, what
ever holiness may be : it is the fruit of our own choice, the
work of our own hands : and every man who has not on the
wedding garment in the last day, will be dumb before his God,
and not have one word to say in vindication of himself, when
the Master of the feast shall order him to be tied hand and
foot, and cast into outer darkness f .]
2. If this doctrine be true, / may sit still, till God
shall come and help me
[Where, we would ask, do the Scriptures countenance
any such inference as this ? They invariably enjoin the use of
means, and promise a blessing to those who use them in a
dependence upon God ; " Ask and ye shall have, seek and ye
shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you ; for every
one that asketh, receiveth, &c." Will you after this sit down
and say, " I will not ask ? " Be it so ; you are helpless in
yourselves, and incapable of doing any thing that is truly
good : but so was the man with the withered arm : yet, when
our Lord said to him, Stretch out thine arm, did he reply,
Lord, I cannot ? No : he attempted to fulfil his Lord s
command ; and in the attempt was strengthened to perform it.
So is it your duty to use the means to the best of your power,
in obedience to God s command, and in dependence on his
grace : and if you do so, you are assured that " you shall never
f See Matt. xxii. 11, 13.
ROMANS, XL 5. [1893.
seek his face in vain." You should do as much for yourselves,
as if you had in yourselves an all-sufficiency for all things : but,
whilst doing it, you should remember, that " your sufficiency
is of God" alone. This is precisely what St. Paul has taught
us. He addressed persons who were asleep, yea, dead; yet
did he bid them awake, and act ; and promised, that in obey
ing his injunctions they should obtain from Christ all needful
aid: "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee lights."]
3. If this doctrine be true, / am in no danger,
whatever I may do
[Does any one who professes to believe the doctrine of
election make this use of it? He needs nothing more to
prove, that he at least is not of God s elect : for, if there be
one mark of a reprobate more strong and decisive than another,
it is that of " turning the grace of God into licentiousness."
There is not a word in all the book of God that gives any man
a hope of salvation whilst he lives in sin. On the contrary, it
is expressly declared, that, " without holiness no man shall
see the Lord." If we are " chosen of God before the found
ation of the world," it is " that we may be holy, and without
blame before him in love h :" if " we are chosen to salvation, it
is through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth 1 ."
God will never make his own Son " a minister of sin." If he
save us at all, it will be from our sins, and not in them. Hear
how indignantly God rejects the idea of his leaving men at
liberty to sin : " Behold, ye trust in lying words that cannot
profit. Will ye commit all manner of sins, and come and stand
before me in this house which is called by my name, and say,
We are delivered to do all these abominations ? Behold, even
I have seen it, saith the Lord of Hosts V Yes; God does
see it; and whoever maintains such a delusion as this, shall
ere long find, to his cost, " whose word shall stand; God s,
or his 1 ."]
That no solid objection lies against this doctrine,
will appear, whilst we,
III. Suggest the proper IMPROVEMENT of it
1. It should encourage all to seek for mercy at
God s hands
[If God s election were determined only by some good
that was naturally inherent in man, and man s hope of the
Divine favour were built on some superior excellence that was
e Eph. v. 14. * Eph. i. 4. 2 Thess. ii. 13.
Jer. vii. 8 11. Jer. xliv. 28. with Gal. vi. 7, 8.
1893.] THE LORD S PEOPLE A CHOSEN REMNANT. 405
in him above others, who could venture to cherish any hope at
all ? Certainly there would be a fearful prospect for those who
have long continued in their sins : for they would naturally
say, How can God ever look with compassion on such a sinner
as me ? The old therefore, and the dying, would at once be
driven to despair. But when we are told, that God "has
mercy on whom he will have mercy," and dispenses his blessings
freely to whomsoever he will, the vilest sinner in the universe
may say, Then I will not despair : I know, I have nothing
whereby to recommend myself to him : but he is at liberty to
shew mercy to the very chief of sinners : and in that character
will I apply to him, that he may glorify himself in me. This
is a just and scriptural way of arguing : and it may be adopted
by all who " know the plague of their own heart," even though
they may have lived in sin throughout their whole lives, and
be now come to the borders of the eternal world : they may
say, His grace is his own ; he may dispense it as he will ; and,
where sin has abounded, His grace may superabound. He
chose Paul in order " that in him he might shew forth all long-
suffering for a pattern " to the Church in all ages ; and I will
hope, that in me also he will shew, before the whole assembled
universe, how far his grace can reach. This is the true, legiti
mate, and only use which an unconverted sinner should make
of God s electing love.]
2. It should fill all who are the subjects of it with
the deepest humility
[Many ignorantly imagine, that the idea of God having
elected us would fill us with pride : and if his election had
respect to some goodness in us above others, and were founded
on our superior merits, there were some ground for pride.
But when God, in ordaining men to life, has respect only to
his own sovereign will and pleasure, and to the manifestation
of his own glory, no man has any ground to boast : nor will
any man who is a partaker of this grace wish to boast. On
the contrary, he will be disposed rather to say with the pro-
foundest adoration, " What was I, Lord, that thou shouldest
visit me ? " This is the effect which the conferring of an un
deserved favour has on every humble mind. Elizabeth, when
the blessed Virgin, after her miraculous conception, came to
visit her, exclaimed, " Whence is this to me, that the mother
of my Lord should come unto me m ?" How much more then
will the saint be filled with wonder that the Lord himself should
come, and take up his abode within his very soul ! Again ;
when Mephibosheth was told by David that his Father s
property should be restored to him, and that he should eat
111 Luke i. 43.
406 ROMANS, XL 5. [1893.
continually at the king s table, " he bowed himself, and said, What
is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog
as I am n ? " How much more then will the child of God abase
himself as the most unworthy of mankind, when the King of
kings, of his own sovereign love and mercy, tells him, that all
the glory of heaven shall be his, and that he shall feast for ever
at the marriage supper of the Lamb ! This was the effect pro
duced on Paul, who, because there was no word in the whole
Greek language sufficiently strong whereby he might express
his sense of his own unworthiness, made a word for himself,
that places him beneath the least and lowest of all the saints
of God : he calls himself, " less than the least of all saints."
That is our proper appellation ; and the more just sense we
have of God s electing love, the more ready we shall all be to
adopt it for our motto.]
3. It should stimulate them also to universal holi
ness
[If we be " a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, and a peculiar people, it is that we may shew forth
the praises of Him that hath called us out of darkness into
marvellous light ." Yes; we are "created unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
We are to be as " lights in a dark place ;" as " a city set upon
a hill :" we are to be " epistles of Christ, known and read of all
men." Man expects this of us : and God also expects it of
us. Man will naturally say, What proof do these people give
that they are the elect of God ? If we look at them, what do
we find in them more than others? These expectations are
reasonable : and, if you are not more holy than others, they
may reasonably say, that you are hypocrites arid deceivers.
I would call upon you then to shew by your fruits that you
are trees of the Lord s planting. I call upon you to " shine
as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life" in the
whole of your conversation. Hear the exhortation of an in
spired Apostle : " Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any ; even as Christ
forgave you, so also do ye p ." These are the graces that ye are
called to exercise, and these are the fruits whereby ye are to
be known. By thus exhibiting to the world the mind that was
in Christ, you will prove your title to the character of his
saints as " called, and chosen, and faithful <! ."]
" 2 Sam. ix. 7, 8. o j p et> jj. 9.
i Col. iii. 12, 13. q Rev. xvii. 14.
1894.] OPPOSITION OF GRACE AND WORKS. 407
MDCCCXCIV.
GRACE AND WORKS OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER AS GROUNDS
OF SALVATION.
Rom. xi. 6. If by grace, then is it no more of works : other
wise grace is no more grace. But if it be ofivorks, then is
it no more grace : otherwise ivork is no more work.
IN reference to the doctrines of grace, St. Paul
maintained a most watchful and " godly jealousy."
On points of a less vital nature, he was ready to con
cede as far as possible ; but on the point of salvation
by grace through faith he was firm and immoveable.
He would not give way for a moment, even though
all the college of Apostles had opposed him 3 , or an
angel from heaven had professed to have received a
commission to proclaim any thing that was incon
sistent with it 1 . In the superstructure of our religion
there might be errors, yea, considerable errors, as he
tells us, and yet our souls be saved. Injurious indeed
they would be, extremely injurious, to our welfare ;
but still they would not be utterly subversive of our
hopes. But if the error affected the foundation of our
religion, he declared it to be utterly incompatible
with our final salvation .
This jealousy of his is peculiarly visible in the words
which we have just read. They were not necessary
to the Apostle s argument. In the preceding context
he is shewing that God has among the Jews, as well
as among the Gentiles, a chosen remnant : but having
called them " a remnant according to the election of
grace," he lays hold on the opportunity to confirm his
favourite position, that salvation is altogether of grace ;
so entirely of grace, as absolutely to exclude works
altogether from having any share in meriting or pro
curing it.
The observation thus introduced deserves the
deeper attention ; because it shews how near to the
Apostle s heart the truth was that is contained in it.
Lei us then, in considering this observation, attend to,
* Gal. ii. 5. Gal. i. 8, 9. c 1 Cor. iii. 1 115.
408 ROMANS, XL 6. [1894.
i. The truth ofit-
The observation is simply this, That salvation
must be altogether of grace, or altogether of works ;
for that the two cannot possibly coalesce ; since each
of them excludes the other as much as light and
darkness. Now,
This observation is true
[The Apostle has before drawn the distinction between
" a reward of grace, and a reward of debt d ." And it is clear,
that if a thing be a gift, it cannot have been earned ; and, on
the other hand, if it have been earned, it cannot be a gift. It
is true, the sum required may bear no proportion to the bless
ing bestowed : but still, however small the sum be, it is, as far
as it goes, a price paid for the thing obtained : and whether
that be more or less, it equally destroys the notion of a free
gift. We readily concede, that all the works that Paul himself
performed would be as nothing in comparison of eternal life :
but yet, if it be only a thousandth part of his works that has
been paid for eternal life, that life is so far earned by works,
and ceases to be a gift of grace : and though we may admire
the goodness of God in giving heaven for so small a considera
tion, the person to whom it is given will have to boast that he
paid for it the consideration that had been demanded of him.]
It is true in reference to every part of our salva
tion
[It is true in reference to our first election of God. If
God chose us on account of some good works which he foresaw
we should perform, those works must to all eternity be acknow
ledged as the true ground of our salvation ; and our salvation
must therefore be of works, and not of grace.
We are not now inquiring, whether any such works as would
be proper to influence God s mind, can be performed by man,
by man too in his fallen state, and unassisted by his God: (these
are points which at the present we leave untouched :) we are
only shewing now, that, supposing such works to be wrought,
and God s election to be determined by them, election would
be of works, and not of grace.
In like manner, if our justification be on account of any work
of ours, we may boast that it has been not a mere act of grace
and mercy for Christ s sake, but a debt paid to us for something
done by us. As to the comparative value of the work and the
reward, we again say, that it is nothing to the purpose : it may
serve to illustrate the goodness of God in annexing so great a
d Rom. iv. 4.
1894.3 OPPOSITION OF GRACE AND WORKS. 409
reward to so small a work ; but still the reward so conferred
bears, and must ever bear, the character of a debt, and not
of a gift.
To this it may be objected, that good works are represented
in the Scripture as objects of reward, nay more, as forming the
measure of that reward. This is true : but it does not in the
least degree militate against the position before stated. Let
us bear in mind what the Apostle s statement is: it is this,
that if, in any part of our salvation from first to last, our works
form the meritorious ground of our acceptance with God, our
salvation is not of grace, but of works ; and that consequently,
if salvation be of grace, all works of ours must be excluded as
forming the ground of our acceptance with him. But this is
not contradicted by any thing which God may do after we are
accepted of him. The whole case is then altered :
The works done, are done, not in our own strength, but by
the operation of God s Spirit within us.
They are done, not in order to purchase heaven, but to
manifest our love to God, and promote his glory.
They come up to God, not as claiming any thing on account
of their own intrinsic excellence, but as washed in the
Redeemer s blood, and perfumed with the incense of his
all-prevailing intercession.
They come, not as demanding a recompence on the footing
of justice, but as owing all their hope of acceptance to
God s free and gracious promises.
They come, not to set aside the grace of God, but to illustrate,
adorn, and magnify it.
If any one of these works were to arrogate to itself the office
of recommending us to God, its value would be lost ; and
so baneful would be its influence, that it would destroy
the value, and prevent the reward, of all the other
works that the person had ever done.
Hence then it is evident, that though God may, for the
magnifying of his own grace, bestow gifts upon his children,
that can be no reason why man, whilst an enemy to God, should,
on the footing of justice, for the gratifying of his own pride,
demand of God a reward of debt. God is at liberty to give
what, and tvhen, and to whom, he will : and whatsoever, of his
own free grace, he has promised, he most assuredly will per
form: but this gives no right to man to claim what God never
has promised, and what he has in ten thousand places declared
he never will give.
We again therefore revert to our position, and say, that, if
salvation be by grace, it cannot in any respect, or any degree, be
of works: and, consequently, works must be for ever renounced
as a ground of our acceptance with God, and we must look for
every thing from grace, free grace, alone.]
410 ROMANS, XL 6. [1894.
The truth of the Apostle s observation being esta
blished, we proceed to shew,
II. The importance of it
We have already called your attention to the way
in which the observation is introduced, and which,
we conceive, marks very strongly the importance of
it in the Apostle s mind. And we may notice the same
from the very pointed way in which the observation
is made. The Apostle seems determined that nobody
shall misunderstand him : and he has effectually se
cured his object in that particular.
To shew the importance of his observation then,
we say, that,
1. It establishes beyond all doubt the freeness and
fulness of the Gospel salvation
[In many places, both in the Old and New Testament,
does God guard his people against arrogating any thing to
themselves. He warns the Jews by Moses, that they would
be ready to indulge this propensity : but that his mercies to
them had been in no respect the fruit of their own goodness,
but wholly of his free and sovereign grace 6 ? The only thing
which they could behold on a retrospect, and which they
ought to look back upon with never-ceasing shame, was, one
continued scene of wickedness and provocations^ Thus St. Paul
again and again reminds us, that it was " not by works of right
eousness which we had done, but according to his own mercy
that God had saved us g :" and still more plainly in another
epistle, that " he had saved us and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began^." But the words of our text are so strong,
that no one can attempt to get over them, without shewing,
that he is manifestly " wresting " them from their proper, and
obvious, and only meaning. Be it known then, that salvation
is, and ever must be, of grace, from first to last. Our election
from eternity, our justification in time, and our glorification
when time shall be no more, are all the fruits of God s free and
sovereign grace : the foundation was laid in grace ; the super
structure is raised by grace ; and " when the head-stone shall
be brought forth, we must still cry, Grace, grace unto it 1 ."
8 Deut. ix. 4 6. f Deut. ix. 7. Compare Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32.
e Tit. iii. 5. h 2 Tim. i. 9 i Zech. iv. 6, 7, 9.
1894.] OPPOSITION OF GRACE AND WORKS. 41 1
There is not a soul in heaven that must not to all eternity say,
" By the grace of God I am what I am."]
2. It secures against all invasion the honour of
God-
[Men are ever attempting to rob God of his glory : they
cannot endure that all the honour of their salvation should be
given to God alone. When they see the crown placed on the
Redeemer s head, they feel as if they themselves were injured
and dishonoured. They think that some part of the glory
belongs to them ; that their works must be considered, in part
at least, as forming the ground of their justification ; and that
God s election of them was determined by his foresight of their
superior goodness. But, when they come to these words, and
see what an insuperable obstacle they oppose to all such vain
conceits, they find that there is no alternative left them, but
to earn salvation by a perfect obedience to the law, or to
accept it as the free gift of God in Christ Jesus. Thev see,
that, to blend the two is impossible ; and that, if they do not
accept salvation wholly by grace, they are forced altogether
upon the covenant of works, and are cut off from all hope in
Christ Jesus k . This alternative they dare not for a moment
to adopt ; and therefore they are constrained to give to God
the glory due unto his name, and to acknowledge Christ both
as " the Author, and the Finisher, of their faith 1 ." In a word,
they are made willing to " glory in Christ alone."]
3. It makes clear the path of the true penitent
[Persons in the earlier stages of repentance are apt to be
much perplexed. They think they ought to have something
of their own to unite with Christ s merits, or at least something
to recommend them to his favour. But this they cannot find :
and the more they discover of the evil of their own ways, the
farther they appear to be from possessing any of those qualifica
tions which they desire. This greatly alarms them ; and
makes them fear it would be presumptuous in such unworthy
creatures as they to hope in Christ. But when they see the
force of the Apostle s observation, they are convinced, that
hitherto they have proceeded on wrong grounds, and that the
only true way of going to Christ, is, to go with all their sins
upon them, and receive salvation from him as the purchase of
his blood, and the gift of his grace. This, when once seen,
dissipates all the clouds and darkness that have obscured their
way, and makes their path to life as clear as the sun at noon
day. They see themselves in the predicament of the wounded
Israelites, when directed to look to the brazen serpent ; or of
k Gal. v. 24. J Heb. xii. 2.
412 ROMANS, XL 6. [1894.
the jailor, when bidden to believe in Christ. They believe ;
they look ; they live.]
On the observation thus explained we ground a few
words of ADVICE
1. Accept with gratitude this free salvation
[Do not suffer the pride of your hearts to rise against it.
Do not grudge unto God the honour of saving you by his own
grace. Were you sinking in the midst of the ocean, would you
refuse deliverance, unless you were left to earn it, or some of
the honour of your preservation were to be assigned to you ?
Be not then such enemies to yourselves as to reject a free
salvation from death and hell. You know full well, that you
did nothing to induce God to send his only Son into the world :
you know also that you contributed nothing to Christ, to give
perfection to his obedience, or virtue to his sacrifice. You
must know too, if you are not blinded even to infatuation,
that you can do nothing which does not need mercy on account
of its own imperfections. Be prevailed upon then to accept
with thankfulness a free and full salvation : you can add
nothing to what Christ has done and suffered for you : and
the consequence of attempting to. add any thing will be inevitable
and eternal ruin. Let Christ have all the honour of his own
work, and you shall have all the benefit.]
2. Give no occasion for the objections that are
raised against it
[Those who are averse to the doctrines of grace, always
represent the favourers of those doctrines as embracing them
in order the more quietly to live in sin : and if they can find a
person who turns the grace of God into licentiousness, they
will not be contented with blaming him, but will cast the
blame on the Gospel itself, and represent such conduct as the
natural result of such principles : and one such instance of
hypocrisy will be made a subject of great notoriety, when a
thousand instances of blameless and exemplary piety will be
overlooked. Be careful then, brethren, to give no occasion
for such observations. Be careful not to cast a stumbling-
block before the ungodly world ; for, if there be a " woe to
the world because of offences," there will be a ten-fold heavier
" woe unto him by whom the offence cometh." Be watchful
against the incursions of sin, and the temptations of Satan;
" that he who is on the contrary part may be ashamed, having
no evil thing to say of you."]
3. Recommend and adorn it by a holy conver
sation
1895.] GENTILES BLEST BY THE JEWS RESTORATION. 413
[Shew by your lives what the proper tendency and effect
of grace is. We are told that " the grace of God which
bringeth salvation, teaches us, that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live righteously, and soberly, and
godly in this present world." Shew then, by all your dealings
with men, what true righteousness is: shew, by your perfect
self-government in all your tempers, dispositions, and habits,
what true sobriety is : and shew, by the spirituality of your
minds and the heavenliness of your lives, wherein true godli
ness consists. This will recommend the Gospel more effectually
than all the encomiums that can be lavished upon it, and will
operate more strongly to convince men of its excellence than
all the arguments that can be urged. Let it be seen then,
that whilst you magnify and extol the grace of God, you are
the truest friends of good works ; for that, though you exclude
them from your foundation, you display them in your super
structure, and, in fact, raise them higher, and of a nobler
quality, than any other people in the universe.]
MDCCCXCV.
THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS A BLESSING TO THE
GENTILES.
Rom. xi. 11, 12. I say then, Have they [the Jews] stumbled that
they should fall ? God forbid : but rather through their fall
salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to
jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world,
and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how
much more their fulness ?
" THE ways of God are in the great deep, and his
footsteps are not known:" they are utterly inscrutable
to us : " as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so are His ways above our ways, and His thoughts
above our thoughts." We cannot see the end of any
one of his dispensations. Who could ever have con
ceived the designs of God in suffering Joseph to be
sold into Egypt ? Yet did God intend by that dis
pensation to keep the whole Egyptian nation from
perishing by famine, yea, and the very persons who
sold him thither. No less mysterious are his dealings
with the Jews : they are cast off: they are led captive
of all nations : yet are they suffering for the good
of all the people amongst whom they dwell ; and
114 ROMANS, XL 11, 12. [1895.
even for their own ultimate advantage also. This is
strongly asserted in the passage before us, where
their fall is said to be " the riches of the Gentiles,"
as their recovery also will be in a far more signal
manner and degree.
We presume not to think that we can ever fathom
this deep mystery : yet will it be profitable for us to
consider it as far as it is revealed : and therefore we
shall endeavour, according to the light given us, to
shew you, What an interest the Gentiles have in God s
dealings with the Jews; particularly in,
I. Their present dispersion
This was designed of God for the salvation of the
Gentiles
[Doubtless the Jews richly merited this judgment : and
therefore, whatever good may be designed for others, no injury
is done to them. And God too, if he had pleased, might have
vouchsafed mercy to the Gentiles, without rejecting the Jews :
his heart was large enough to embrace both, and his power to
save them both. But he, in his own infinite wisdom, ordained
otherwise. It is not for us to inquire, Why he acted thus ?
It is sufficient for us that he has seen fit to do so : and
" he giveth not account to us of any of his matters." This
advantage from it at least we see, that he has by this means
exhibited, in a contrasted view, " his severity to them, and
his goodness to us 3 ;" and consequently, has illustrated and
glorified at the same time his apparently opposite perfections
of justice and mercy. But, however this may be, so he
has ordained, and so he has done : and it is an undoubted
fact, that,]
The fall of the Jews has led to the salvation of the
Gentiles
[The very circumstance of the Gospel being rejected by
the Jews, was favourable to the reception of it among the
Gentiles; inasmuch as it demonstrated, that there was no con
federacy among the Jews to deceive them ; that the Apostles,
who brought the tidings of salvation to them at the peril of
their lives, were men of strict integrity ; and that the Scrip
tures which the Jews so unwittingly fulfilled, must be true.
And the conduct of the Jews in relation to the Gospel did
actually produce this effect. Their enmity against it at the
very first promulgation of it caused them to persecute the
a ver. 22.
1895.] GENTILES BLEST BY THE JEWS* RESTORATION. 415
Church with the utmost vehemence : that persecution drove
multitudes of Christians (almost all except the Apostles) from
Jerusalem, and scattered them through all Judaea and Samaria:
and the people, so scattered, " went everywhere preaching the
word :" so that, instead of suppressing the Gospel, as they
hoped, the Jews were instrumental to the sending forth of
thousands, all at once, to preach it b . Again, when Paul and
Barnabas had preached to the Jews, as they had hitherto
invariably done in the first place, at Antioch, the inveterate
malignity of the Jews determined them henceforth to preach
to the Gentiles, agreeably to the command which had been
given them in the Scriptures : and the consequence of this
was, that multitudes of the Gentiles immediately embraced the
Gospel, and " glorified the word of the Lord c ." Thus, " the
fall of the Jews became the riches of the Gentiles," inasmuch
as it was the occasion of the tidings of " reconciliation being
published to the Gentile world," and " the unsearchable
riches of Christ" being scattered in rich profusion over the
face over the whole earth.]
The present rejection of the Jews is ultimately
designed also even for the good of that benighted
people
[God designed that the transfer of his blessings to the
Gentiles should " provoke to jealousy" his own forsaken peo
ple : and St. Paul, in preaching to the Gentiles, had that
very object in view, namely, " to provoke to emulation those
who were of his own flesh, and thereby to save some of them."
Whilst possessing exclusively all the tokens of God s favour,
they were regardless of it: but when they saw that the gifts of
miracles and of prophecy were transferred from them to the
Gentiles, and that the Gentiles were made happy in the enjoy
ment of their God, they were led to inquire more candidly into
the truths delivered by the Apostles, and thus were in very
many instances converted to the faith. Nor can we doubt but
that the same effect would yet more frequently flow from that
cause, if the lives of Christians continued to be such as they
were in the apostolic age.]
But still richer benefits will flow to the world from,
II. Their future restoration
That the Jews will in due time be converted to
Christianity, is certain
[When St. Paul asked, Whether their fall was final and
irrecoverable, he shuddered at the idea, and declared, that
b Acts viii. 1, 4. c Acts xiii. 46 48.
416 ROMANS, XL 11, 12. [1895.
God had certainly no such purpose respecting them : that, on
the contrary, he had entered into covenant with them to re
store them in due season, and to confer on them, as well as on
the Gentiles, all the blessings of redemption. The period he
had fixed in his divine counsels was, "When the fulness of
the Gentiles should come in ;" that is, when there should be
among the Gentiles such a measure of concern about the
Gospel, as should shew that the time for their fuller and more
general reception of it was arrived* 1 . (It is the commencement
and not the close, of this period, that must be understood by
" the fulness of the Gentiles being come 8 .") Then shall " the
fulness of the Jews" also be brought in. Multitudes in every
place shall then begin to be converted to the faith ; and with
greater or less rapidity will the whole nation be turned to the
Lord. " The first-fruits were holy ; and so is the lump : the
root was holy ; and so are the branches." Hence their restora
tion is assured to them; for " God s gifts and calling are
without repentance f ."]
The effect of this upon the Gentiles will be blessed
in the extreme
[The Jews being dispersed over the whole world, the
change wrought on them will attract universal attention : and
carry such conviction with it to the minds of the beholders, as
nothing can withstand. Besides, the Jews feeling the truth
and importance of the Gospel themselves, will, as in the
apostolic age, become preachers of it themselves ; and their
Gentile neighbours, knowing what enemies to Christianity
they lately were, and seeing the wonderful revolution that
has taken place in their minds, will be led to inquire into the
Gospel themselves, and will be constrained to yield to its in
fluence. So rapid will their conversion be, that they will
" flock to Christ even as doves to their windows," and " a
nation will be born in a day."
We have before shewn the beneficial effects which have
resulted to the Gentiles from the fall of the Jews : and if such
inestimable benefits have been conferred on the world by their
fall, " how much more" shall the same, and greater, benefits
arise from " their fulness ?" Mark the force of the argument
here. The Jews, when the Gospel was preached to them,
d ver. 25 27. compared with Isai. lix. 20, 21.
e TT\r ipd)fj.a corresponds with ^Vr/?/ita. As soon as the fall of the
Jews commenced, the benefit began to arise to the Gentiles ; and as
soon as the time for the more general conversion of the Gentiles shall
commence, the time for the conversion of the Jews will commence
also.
f ver. 16, 29.
1895.] GENTILES BLEST BY THE JEWS* RESTORATION. 417
rejected, blasphemed, and opposed it with all their might : but
when they themselves shall be converted by it, they will embrace
it most cordially, they will cry mightily to God for the success
of it, and they will labour to the uttermost to diffuse the know
ledge of it throughout the world. If then their rejection of it was
so productive of benefit to the Gentile world, how much more
shall their acceptance of it be ! if their blasphemies against it,
how much more their prayers for its diffusion ! if their most
envenomed opposition to it, how much more their zealous co
operation in extending the knowledge of it ! We have seen the
former ; and we may with certainty infer the latter.]
From this subject the following REFLECTIONS naturally
arise :
1. What compassion should we feel for the Jewish
nation !
[Once were they the most highly-favoured people upon
earth : the privileges which were exclusively conferred on them,
almost exceed belief But how degraded are they now!
they are " a hissing, and a reproach, to the whole earth g ." Yet
behold, such are they become for us ! Incredible as it may
seem, " they were broken off, that we might be engrafted on,
their stem h :" they were disinherited, that we might possess
their property \ Can we consider this, and feel no compassion
for them ? Can we pass them by, as the priest and Levite did,
and shew them no mercy ; especially when God has told us,
that the very end for which he has had mercy upon us, is, that
we may be the means of extending that mercy unto them k ?
Even in reference to the wants of the body, God has said, " If
a man see his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"
How much more then is this true respecting the wants of the
soul ! Beloved brethren, judge yourselves in reference to this
matter ; and try your love to God by the measure of your
compassion to his benighted people : and never think that
your own souls are right before God, till you have learned to
pity, and pray for, and to seek the salvation of, " the lost sheep
of the house of Israel."]
2. How should we fear and tremble for ourselves !
[Highly favoured as the Jews once were, they are now
outcasts from God, and monuments of his just vengeance: and,
if we abuse our privileges, a similar fate awaits us also. " If
God spared not the natural branches," says the Apostle, " take
heed lest he also spare not thee 1 ." It was " for their unbelief
g Jer. xxix. IS. h ver. 19. ver. 28, 31.
k ver. 28, 31. * ver. 21.
VOL. XV. E E
418 ROMANS, XL 11, 12. [1895.
that they were broken off: and it is by faith that we stand.
O then, be not high-minded, but fear m ." Fear " lest there
be in you also an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the
living God." Do not imagine that a mere outward profession
of Christianity is of any value : no, it is " a seeing of Him who
is invisible :" a " walking by faith, and not by sight :" it is the
exercise of that " faith which is the substance of things hoped
for, and the evidence of things not seen ;" in a word, it is " a
life of faith upon the Son of God, who has loved you, and given
himself for you." This, beloved, is the life to which you are
called by the Gospel : and it is by such a life that you are to
" provoke the Jews to emulation :" and, if you live not in this
way, or, having begun to live thus, turn away from it, it would
be better for you never to have heard the Gospel ; yea, it were
better that you had been born Jews, or heathens, and infinitely
" better that you had never been born" at all.]
3. How earnestly should we labour for the con
version of the Jews .
[God has decreed that they shall be converted : and we
have reason to believe that the period fixed for it in the Divine
counsels is not far distant. It is a fact, that multitudes in the
heathen world are expecting a change in their religion : the
Mahometans and Hindoos throughout our eastern empire are
strongly impressed with this idea : and the exertions making
in every possible way for the conversion of the heathen world,
warrant us to hope, that " their fulness" will speedily commence.
At all events, " we are debtors to the Jews," and should seek
to discharge our debt". Though they are at this time " enemies
for our sakes, they are still beloved for their fathers sakes :"
and if, notwithstanding their present enmity against Christ, they
are beloved of God for their fathers sakes, should they not be
beloved of us ? Think how indebted we are to their fathers, to
those who, at the peril of their lives, brought the glad tidings
of salvation home to us : and should we not labour to recom
pense all this in acts of love to their descendants ? It is a
favourite notion with many, that to attempt the conversion of
the Jews is a hopeless task. But what ground is there for
such a desponding thought as this ? Are they farther off from
God than the Gentiles were, when the Gospel was first pub
lished to them? or is it a harder thing for God to convert
them than to convert us ? God expressly tells us, that it is a
work of less difficulty : " If thou wert cut out of the olive-
tree, which is wild by nature, and were grafted, contrary to
nature, into a good olive-tree, HOW MUCH MORE shall these,
which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive-
111 ver. 20. " Rom. xv. 27. ver. 28.
1896.] NEGLECT OF THE JEWS REPROVED. 4-19
tree P ?" Despair not then of doing them good ; but exert
yourselves in every possible way for their conversion to the
faith of Christ. You are told, that " if they abide not in
unbelief, they shall be grafted in again : for God is able to
graff them in again q ." Seek then to convince them of the
truth of Christianity, and to bring them to the knowledge and
love of their Messiah. If you desire only the conversion of the
Gentile world, you should begin with the Jews ; because it is
the fulness of the Jews that is to operate on the Gentiles, and
to effect, as it were, among them, " a resurrection from the
dead 1 ." But it is for God s sake, whose people they are ; and
for Christ s sake, who bought them with his blood ; and for
your own sake, who must give an account of the talents in
trusted to your care, that I call upon you to be workers toge
ther with God in this great cause : and, if you have any sense
of God s " goodness to you," seek to avert and terminate " his
severity to them 8 ."]
P ver. 24. <i ver. 23.
r ver. 15. ver. 22. with 2 Cor. ii. 16.
MDCCCXCVI.
NEGLECT OF THE JEWS REPROVED.
Rom. xi. 17 21. If some of the branches be broken off, and
thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and
with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree ;
boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest
not the root, but the root thee. Thou ivilt say then, The
branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well ;
because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest
by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear : for if God spared
not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
IT is surprising, considering how minutely the
Apostle has explained the subject contained in this
chapter, and how strongly he has marked its almost
unparalleled importance ; it is surprising, I say, that
it should so little have attracted the attention of the
Christian world. The Apostle, after contemplating
it, exclaimed, " O the depths ! " But we, after having
read his statement times without number, have seen
no depths in it; or, at least, none which we have been
at all disposed to fathom. There is one point in
particular, which, in considering this subject, we have
E E 2
420 ROMANS, XL 1721. [1896.
overlooked ; and that is, that God still regards the
Jews as to a certain degree, his peculiar people ; and
that, notwithstanding their degradation and depravity,
there is a holiness about their whole nation, and a
halo, as it were, around the head of every individual
belonging to it. The offering of the first-fruits to the
Lord sanctified the whole harvest ; and the offering of
a cake of the first of the dough sanctified the whole
lump a . Thus the consecration of the patriarchs to
Jehovah conferred on all their posterity a relative
kind of holiness : and still more did the separation of
Abraham unto the Lord, as "the root" of that elect
people, impart a federal holiness to all the branches
that should ever spring from it. This relative or
federal holiness attached to the whole nation ; to
the ten tribes, as well as the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin : and it adhered to the Jews during their
captivity in Babylon, as well as before and after that
period. It still continued, also, many years after
their crucifixion of their Messiah, and after their
privileges had been transferred to the Gentile world.
The Apostle, in the words before my text, speaks of
it as yet existing : and therefore it must exist at this
time, because the reason of the thing exists as much
as ever : " If the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also
holy ; and if the root be holy, so are the branches."
And on this is grounded the admonition to the whole
Christian Church, " Boast not against the branches."
Now, by marking thus the connexion of our text
with the preceding context, we shall see the propriety
of noticing the use which we are to make of the rejection
of the Jews. This awful dispensation should fill us
with,
I. Compassion for them
There is here, as you will perceive, a fact acknow
ledged
[" Some, even very many, of the branches have been
broken off from the olive-tree which God s right hand had
planted : and we Gentiles, who were only a wild olive-tree,
a Lev. xxiii. 10 17. and Numb. xv. 19 21.
1896.]] NEGLECT OF THE JEWS REPROVED. 421
have been graffed into their stock, and are with them at this
moment partaking of the root and fatness of the olive-tree."
This fact it is impossible to deny. They, instead of enjoying
the ordinances of God s worship, as in former ages, are scat
tered over the face of the whole earth, and are utterly incapable
of worshipping God according to their law. They have no
temple, no priest, no altar, no sacrifice, wherewith to approach
their God. But these blessings are transferred to us ; and we
enjoy them in all their fulness. Through the one sacrifice
once offered upon Calvary, we have the most intimate access
to God, and a rich effusion of his blessings upon our souls
whensoevever we draw nigh unto him in his Son s name.
There is not a privilege that was ever enjoyed by the most
favoured of God s saints in the days of old, but we possess the
same, so far as our necessities require it.]
But mark the sad abuse of it that prevails
[Instead of feeling compassion for the Jews in their pre
sent degraded state, we are ready to look down upon them
with contempt, and to exult over them, as objects of God s
merited indignation. Thus we " boast against the branches,"
and indulge a secret satisfaction in their fall. In fact, we
treat them nearly in the way in which they formerly treated
the Gentile world. They regarded the Gentiles as "dogs;"
and actually designated them by that opprobrious term : and,
though that term is not in use amongst us in reference to the
Jews, the contempt expressed by it is as deeply rooted in our
hearts as ever it was in theirs. But they, in comparison of
us, had reason on their side : for the Gentiles, whom they
despised, had no knowledge of God whatever, but were
bowing down to gods of wood and stone : whereas the Jews
are still worshippers of the true and living God ; and have
been distinguished by him above all other people upon earth ;
yea, and are still distinguished by his peculiar care, and are
reserved as objects wherein he will yet be more than ever
glorified ; and as instruments, too, whereby he will hereafter
dispense his richest blessings to the whole world. Are these,
then, to be treated with contempt ? Are these to be regarded
as " branches, against which it becomes us to boast?"]
Let us hear God s own correction of this abuse
[In what have we any right to glory over them ? Have
they ever been indebted to us, or received any benefits at our
hands ? Have not we, on the contrary, received from them
every blessing that we enjoy ? What knowledge have we of
God, that has not been transmitted to us from them ? What
hope have we towards God, that has not arisen from commu
nications made by them ? What comfort have we in life,
ROMANS, XL 1721. [1896.
which is not administered by them ? What hope have we in
death, which is not founded upon information derived from
them? What glory can we look for in another world, but
that which has been unveiled to us by them ? Take from us
the instruction which we have received from them, and we
shall be reduced at once to all the darkness and misery in
which our early ancestors were involved, and in which the
whole heathen world are at this very moment immersed. Ad
mirable is the illustration which the Apostle gives us of this
truth. Conceive a " branch boasting against the root ;" and
saying, I am more exalted than thou, and more estimable in
every respect. Behold my foliage, and my fruit : what hast
thou of worth or beauty, in comparison of me ? How would
this arrogance be silenced in a moment, by the answer which
the root would of course return ! You boast of your beauty
and your fruitfulness. Whence did you derive them, but from
me ? What would you ever have possessed, if it had not been
communicated to you by me ? Instead of boasting therefore
over me, acknowledge your obligations to me, and confess that
all which you either are or have, you have derived from me.
Thus, in relation to all that we possess or hope for as the
people of the Lord, we stand indebted to the Jews ; whilst
they, on the contrary, owe nothing to us ; but rather have rea
son to execrate us, for withholding from them the light we
have enjoyed, and putting every obstacle in their way, to per
petuate their ruin. What, then, should be our feelings towards
them ? what, but the tenderest compassion for their state, and
the most earnest desire to restore them to God s favour ?]
To our pity for them we should add,
II. Watchfulness over ourselves
What use is commonly made of their rejection,
may be seen in the self-vindicating reply which is here
anticipated
Thou wilt say then, " The branches were broken off
that I might be graffed in." The Apostle attempts not to
deny this awful and mysterious truth : yea, he accedes to it ;
saying, " Well," it is so. But, granting this, is it any reason
for boasting against them ? Is it not rather a reason for pity
ing their undone condition ? Were we to see a man deprived
of his paternal inheritance, and perishing with hunger; and
were we informed, that he had been disinherited, merely that
we, who had no worthiness in ourselves, and no relation to his
father, might possess his estates ; should we feel disposed to
glory over him and insult him ? Should we not rather wish
to administer to him such relief as he stood in need of, if we
could do it without injury to ourselves ? Would not a want
1896.] NEGLECT OF THE JEWS REPROVED.
of such consideration for him be justly accounted the greatest
cruelty ?]
But hear the phenomenon accounted for
[True it is that God has broken them off, and graffed us in ;
and that he has " broken them off, that he might graff us in."
But we are mistaken if we think that God has in this matter
acted altogether as a sovereign. In the first choice of Abra
ham and his posterity, he did exercise his sovereignty : but, in
rejecting them, he acts upon the grounds of strict justice. And
this is a distinction which we are too apt to overlook. In the
bestowment of his favours, God finds his motives solely in his
own bosom ; but in the execution of his judgments, he finds
them solely in the conduct of those whom he resolves to punish.
They have brought upon themselves his displeasure by their in
veterate unbelief. Though they saw all God s wonders in Egypt,
and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, they were always
full of unbelief, and ready to trust in gods of their own creation,
rather than in him. Nay, more : when they had seen all the
evidences of Christ s Messiahship, instead of believing in him,
they cried, " Away with him! crucify him! crucify him!"
For these iniquities God cast them off: and in their rejection
it becomes us to see and acknowledge the righteousness of his
ways. Had it pleased God so to order it, he could have united
us with them on the same stock, which would have borne both
as easily as one : but God saw fit to make the Jews monu
ments of his righteous indignation against sin : and, when we
ourselves are so prone to sin, it ill becomes us to triumph over
them. Bear in mind this proceeding,]
And attend to the instruction founded upon it
[Hear what the dispensation says to you : " You stand
by faith ;" and have the same reason to tremble for fear of
God s judgments as they had. If they had continued to ex
ercise faith in God, they had never been cast out : nor shall
you, if you " live altogether by faith in the Son of God, who
loved you, and gave himself for you." But if you distrust God,
and rebel against him, and rely on any thing of your own,
instead of the Lord Jesus Christ, God s anger will smoke
against you in like manner ; and you also will become monu
ments of his righteous indignation. If God spared not the
natural branches, there is no reason to think he will spare those
which have been taken from a wild olive-tree, and graffed in
among them. The improvement, therefore, which you are to
make of this dispensation, is, " Be not high-minded, but fear."
Put away all your self-preference and contempt of others : and,
under a consciousness of your liability to fall, beg of God to
strengthen your faith ; and endeavour to " walk in the fear of
the Lord all the day long."]
4j>4 ROMANS, XL 20. [1897.
And now, brethren,
1. Accept thankfully this reproof
[You cannot but be sensible, how shamefully the Jews
have been neglected, not only by you, but by the whole Chris
tian world, these seventeen hundred years. Any excuse has
been quite sufficient to justify your indifference for their wel
fare. " The time for their national conversion is not come."
Was it come, then, eighteen hundred years ago ? Who has
spoken more strongly respecting their rejection than St. Paul?
Yet did he labour with all earnestness, if by any means he
might save some. And this also we ought to do, even though
we had eighteen more centuries to wait for this event. But
the time, we have reason to think, is very near at hand ; as
events, no less than the prophecies, appear to indicate. But,
be this as it may, I call on you to blush and be confounded for
having so long boasted against them ; and henceforth, by every
possible means, to concur in promoting their conversion to the
faith of Christ ]
2. Follow diligently the counsel given you
[Improve the situation, wherein, through God s tender
mercy, you are placed. Are you partakers of the root and
fatness of the true olive-tree ? See to it, that you bring forth
such fruits as this root produced in former days
Look at Abraham, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Paul ; and see that
the grace of God operate as effectually in you as it did in
them. And when you call to mind what efforts were made
by the holy Apostles for your benefit, let a measure of the
same love animate you in behalf of those in whose place you
stand ]
MDCCCXCVII.
AGAINST PRIDE AND SECURITY.
Rom. xi. 20. Be not high-minded, but fear.
THE deep mysteries of our religion are calculated
at once to encourage sinners, and to humble saints.
The sovereignty of God is a great depth ; and it was
awfully displayed in the rejection of the Jews, and
the admission of the Gentiles into his Church. This
is the subject of which the Apostle speaks in the
whole context : and he makes use of it as the means
of provoking to emulation the Jews themselves, and
1897.] AGAINST PRIDE AND SECURITY. 42v>
at the same time of guarding the believing Gentiles
against self-preference and self-security.
In considering his exhortation, we shall,
I. Explain its import
The former part of it contains a dissuasive from
pride
[The proper tendency of religion is to produce humility :
but, through the corruption of our nature, pride will take
occasion even from the grace of God itself, to rise in our
hearts. What self-complacency will sometimes arise from a
consciousness of our superior attainments in truth and holiness!
What acrimonious severity towards those, who dishonour their
profession ! And what contemptuous disregard of those who
are yet immersed in ignorance and sin ! Together with this
self-preference we are also too apt to indulge a secure and self-
depending spirit, and to think " our mountain so strong, that
we can never be moved 3 ." But as the former disposition is
most hateful to God b , so the latter also is an object of his utter
abhorrence . In both these views therefore it becomes every
believer to attend to the Apostle s advice, and, instead of en
tertaining too high an opinion of his own wisdom, strength, or
goodness, to " think soberly d ."]
In the latter part the Apostle recommends humility
and watchfulness
[By " fear," we are not to understand a slavish dread of
God s wrath ; for that, so far from being opposite to pride, is
in many cases the oifspring of it. That which is here recom
mended is, a holy jealousy over ourselves, lest by any means
we be tempted to walk unworthy of our high privileges, and
thereby provoke God to deprive us of them. We are in the
midst of an ensnaring world, beset with many and subtle adver
saries, and ready to be beguiled by a treacherous and deceitful
heart. Hence, like St. Paul himself 6 , we are necessitated to
use the utmost circumspection, diligence, and self-denial, lest,
after all our exertions, our labour prove in vain.]
To shew the importance of this exhortation, we
shall,
II. Point out the reasons of it
Many reasons might be assigned : but we shall
content ourselves with noticing three :
a Ps. xxx. 7. b Isai. Ixv. 5.
c Jer. xvii, 5. Prov. xxviii. 26. d Rom. xii. 3.
e 1 Cor. ix. 27.
426 ROMANS, XL 20. [1897.
1. We have no stability in ourselves
[As all our ability and inclination to what is good, are
derived from God at first, so must we receive continual supplies
from him, even as of light from the sun. Without his con
stant superintendence, both the visible world, and the new
creation in the soul of man, would soon revert to their original
chaos. This the Apostle elsewhere urges as a motive to dili
gence f , and, in the words before us, to humility and care. Nor
can we well have a more powerful argument ; for if " we stand
by faith" only, and not by any wisdom or strength of our own, it
becomes us to maintain a spirit suited to our weak and depen
dent state.]
2. Others, apparently as safe as we, have been
rejected
[Many have long made a profession of religion and de
parted from it at last 8 . Demas stands as an awful monument
of human weakness 11 . Lot s wife is pointed out to us in the
same view 1 . The Jews, who were brought out of Egypt, and
yet were destroyed in the wilderness, are expressly set forth
as examples to us k . And, above all, the rejection of the Jewish
nation for their iniquities, after they had been so long the
peculiar people of God, speaks loudly to us. This in parti
cular is urged by the Apostle in the words following the text 1 ;
and it teaches us, never so to value ourselves either on our rela
tion to God, or our experience of his goodness, as to forget,
that we also may be rejected, if we do not rely upon him, and
unreservedly devote ourselves to him.]
3. That which was the ground of the rejection of
the Jews, is very prevalent in us
[God had given to the Jews a revelation respecting the
Messiah : but they disbelieved his record, and rejected his
Son : and for this their unbelief they were " broken off from
the olive " which God s right hand had planted. A still clearer
revelation God has given unto us: and is there not much
unbelief in our hearts with respect to it? Are even the most
advanced Christians so much affected with the declarations of
God s word, as they would be, if faith were in constant and
perfect exercise ? Alas ! the faith that realizes things invisible,
and gives a present existence to things future, is found in
but few, and operates but weakly in the best : and, if it should
wholly fail, Satan would sift us as wheat, and we should be
f Phil. ii. 12, 13. t 1 Tim. i. 19.
h 2 Tim. iv. 10. * Luke xvii. 32.
k Jude, ver. 5. 1 Cor. x. 11. See also Jer. vii. 12.
1 ver. 21, 22. Heb. xi. 1.
1897.] AGAINST PRIDE AND SECURITY.
found chaff at last" When therefore we consider how weak
our faith is, and that it is " by faith we stand," we have reason
to fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into God s rest,
any of us should seem to come short of it .]
We shall conclude the subject with some suitable
ADVICE
1. Bear in mind what you once were
[To " look to the rock whence we were hewn, and to the
hole of the pit, whence we were digged," will be a good anti
dote to pride. While we remember what we were, we shall see
no reason but for humiliation and thankfulness before him t
who has made us to differ both from others and from our
former selves p .]
2. Consider what you still are
[You are, we trust, " brands plucked out of the fire :"
true ; but you still bear the marks of the fire upon you ; and
have a disposition to catch fire again, the very instant you are
exposed to temptation. Let every one view himself in this
light ; and he will see need enough of attending to the exhor
tation in the text.]
3. Be aware of the deceitfulness of your own
hearts-
fin ten thousand instances we must have seen how liable
we are to err even in things wherein we are most confident.
So blinded are we at times by pride, passion, or interest, that
we think ourselves right, when others evidently perceive, that
we know not what spirit we are of. Let us be aware of this
tendency to deceive ourselves ; and beg of God both to search
our hearts, and to guide our feet.]
4. Guard against temptations to sin
[Many are the temptations that assault us from without.
From these we should flee, shunning both the occasions and
the very appearance of evil. Many also are our temptations
from within. These we should resist in their very first rise.
We may easily extinguish a fire at its commencement, when
all our efforts may be baffled, if we suffer it to proceed. For
all is that direction necessary, "Watch and pray that ye enter
not into temptation."]
5. Live wholly in dependence on the powe 
