Ver. 28. τοις κατα προθεσιν κλητοις εσιν. the called according to his purpose." "To them who are What is the Purpose of God here intended? 1st. We observe, that the words πρόθεσις and προέθετο, when spoken of God, are generally designated by some addition, denoting the Purpose to proceed from God's Sovereign will, or mere mercy : Rom. ix. 11. ἵνα ἡ κατ' εκλογήν τε θες προθεσις μενη, εκ εξ έργων, αλλ' εκ τ8 καλεντος. Eph. i. 9. το μυςήριον τε θελήματος άντε, κατα την ευδοκιαν αυτε, ἣν προέθετο εν αυτῳ. Eph. i. 11. προορισθέντες κατα πρόθεσιν τε τα παντα ενέργεντος κατα την βελην τε θελήματος αυτε. Eph. iii. 11. κατα πρόθεσιν των αιώνων, ἣν εποιησεν εν Χρισῳ Ιησε τῳ κυριῳ ἡμων. 2 Tim. i. 9. τε σωσαντος ἡμας, και καλεσαντος κλησει ἁγια, ε κατα τα έργα ήμων, αλλα κατ' ιδίαν πρόθεσιν, και χαριν την δοθεισαν ήμιν εν Χρισῳ Ιησε προ χρονων αιωνιων. 2d. We observe, that from reference to the above-cited passages it appears, that these additions, by which the Purpose of God is designated, are used by St. Paul in opposition to the Jewish claims and pretensions ; (viz. God's sovereign will, and free choice, is opposed to the Jewish claim to be God's peculiar people by birth-right: and God's mere mercy and favour, is X opposed to their claim to acceptance with God for the righteousness of works done by their law ;) and also that the Purpose of God designated by these additions, is his Purpose of adopting the Gentiles to be his people, through faith in Jesus Christ. 3d. We observe, that in the passage of the text also, πpodεois denotes God's merciful purpose of taking in the Gentiles to be his people: We conclude this 1. From the concurrence of such remarkable words as πроεσic and роopioDEVTES; compare Rom. viii. 28, 29, with Eph. i. 9. İl. 2. From the expression τοις κατα προθεσιν κλητοις εσιν Rom. viii. 28. compared with Rom. ix. 11. iva ǹ kar' ekλoyni të dɛa πpoθεσις μενη, εκ εξ εργων, αλλ' εκ τ8 καλεντος : and with Rom. ix. 28,24. και να γνωρίση τον πλετον της δόξης αυτε επι σκευη ελεος, ὁ προητοίμασεν εις δοξαν ως και εκαλεσεν ήμας, 8 μονον εξ Ιεδαίων, αλλα και εξ εθνων: and also with 2 Tim. i. 9. καλέσαντος κλησει άγια, 8 κατα τα έργα ἡμων, αλλα κατ' ιδίαν πρόθεσιν και χαριν : from which comparison it will clearly appear, that the expression, "them who are the called according to his purpose," (Rom. viii. 28.) denotes the united body of believing Jews and Gentiles, called to the hope of salvation according to God's frec and merciful purpose; in opposition to the Jewish claim of acceptance with God for the merit of their works. Since, therefore, Eph. i. 9; Rom. ix. 11; Rom. ix. 23, 24: 2 Tim. i. 9; all relate to God's Purpose of adopting the Gen tiles, through faith in Jesus Christ; we conclude that the Purpose of God intended in Rom. viii. 28, is the same Purpose of calling the Gentiles. This then being the case, and the Divine Purpose being the primary thing in all that relates to Predestination; it follows, that the other terms also, Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification, and Glorification, must all be interpreted as referring, in some manner, to this Purpose of mercy towards all mankind. Ver. 29. ous poɛyvw. "Whom he did foreknow." Foreknowledge refers to a Purpose, or Counsel, contemplated by the Divine Omniscience. Acts ii. 23. τη ὡρισμενη βέλη και προγνώσει το θες εκδότου. 1 Pet. i. 20. προεγνωσμενε μεν προ καταβολης κοσμο, φανερωθέντος δε επ' εσχάτων των χρόνων. All the dispensations of God's providence are represented in Scripture as proceeding according to the plan existing in the Divine Foreknowledge: according to that of Isaiah, (xlvi. 10.) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from antient times the things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." So Acts xv. 18. of God's purpose of calling the Gentiles, γνώτα απ' αιώνος επι τῳ θεῳ παντα τα έργα αυτ8, When this Foreknowledge regards a Purpose, or Counsel,-of mercy; it includes the notion of love, and favourable regard: Thus of the Jews ; Rom. xi. 2. εκ απώσατο ὁ θεος τον λαον åvre, òv πpoeyvw. Amos iii. 2. “You only have I known, of all the families of the earth." They were beloved of God beforehand, for their fathers' sakes; and the favour to be shewn to them, entered into the scheme of the Divine Counsels: Rom. xi. 28. κατα την εκλογήν, αγαπητοι δια τες πατέρας. Compare Levit. xxvi. 42. 44; Deut. iv. 30, 31. 37. Deut. vii. 6, 7, 8. Deut. xxix. 13, 14, 15. Deut. xxxii. 8, 9. In like manner, of Christians, in the present passage: those "whom he did foreknow," are the same with "them who are the called according to his purpose," in the preceding verse; and with those whom εξελέξατο εν αυτῳ προ καταβολης κοσμε, Eph. i. 4 ; and whom εχαρίτωσεν εν τῳ ηγαπημενα. Eph. i. 6. The two terms are used conjointly, 1 Pet. i. 1, 2. ekλektols— κατα προγνωσιν θες, Ver. 29. προώρισε. "He did predestinate." Predestination is the Determination, or Decree of the Divine Mind, made from all eternity, for carrying into effect the Counsels of his Wisdom: Acts iv. 28. ποιησαι όσα ἡ χειρ σε, και ἡ βέλη σε, προώρισε γενεσθαι· Acts xvii. 26. ὁρισας προτεταγμένες καιρες. Acts xvii. 31. εν ανδρι ᾧ ώρισε. In the present instance, Predestination is the Divine Decree respecting his Purpose of mercy to all mankind, in Jesus Christ; assigning the order, and appointing the means, for carrying it into execution : Eph. i. 5. προορισας ήμας εις υιοθεσιαν δια Ιησε Χρισε. Eph. i. 11. προορισθέντες κατα προθεσιν. And correspondently, To be predestinated is, to be included in that Decree of mercy, and provided with the means of grace necessary for the attainment of Salvation. Ver. 29, προωρισε συμμορφές της εικόνος τε δια αυτ "He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son." 66 We proceed to enquire, What is included in the notion of being conformed to the image of his Son?" First, I think it is generally agreed, that our final glorious state is included: the following passages seem to place this out of question: 1 John iii. 2. "Now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him :" 1 Cor. xv. 49. "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly:" Phil. iii. 21." Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body :” εις το γενεσθαι αυτο συμμορφον τῳ σωματι της δόξης αυτό. |