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the law of fin and Guilt of this wilful Tranfgreffion A. D. 57death. of the Law, and his pure and fpiritual Precepts give them Power over the habitual Lufts of Sin for the future.

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak thro' the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh,

3. For while the external Sacrifices and ceremonial Performances of the Law were utterly unable to purge the Confcience, and clear us of all the Effects of fuch Tranfgreffions (especially of the moral Laws of God.) The Son of God, by living and dying as Man, has redeemed us from all former Guilt, and enabled us by his Religion to conquer the domineering Lufts and Habits of Vice.

and for fin condemned fin in the flesh.

4. That the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. performed by him as

5. For 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.

6. For to be carnally minded, is death: but to be fpiritually minded, is life and

4. So that the Rule of righteous Living, prescribed in the moral Law, that was never to be fulfilled by a few governed by thefe finful Habits, may now be acceptably (though not perfectly) he is a Chriftian.

5. For the Nature of the Gofpel Religion, does as perfectly tend to lead us to a truly moral and fpiritual Course of Life, as our former carnal Inclinations did to a vicious and a wicked one.

6. And as the natural and certain Confequence of a finful Course, can be nothing but Death and Condemnation; fo eternal Life and Happiness will be the infallible Fruit of a fpiritual and holy Conversation.

peace.

7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not fubject to the law

of

7 & 8. You cannot therefore expect to be redeemed from fuch Tranfgreffions as you are guilty of, by Virtue of a Law, that leaves

you

A. D. 57. of God, neither indeed can be.

8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9. But ye are not
in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if fo be
that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now
if any man have not
the Spirit of Chrift,
he is none of his.

none but fuch as
true Disciples.

10. And if Chrift
be in you, the body
is dead because of fin:
but the Spirit is life,
because of righteous

you ftill under the Guilt and Habits of them; and while you are fo, you cannot be in Favour with God, nor do any acceptable Service to him.

9. But you Chriftian Converts are delivered effectually from fuch a Condition, if you take fincere Care to live up to the pure and fpiritual Temper of Chriff's Religion, and anfwerable to the Influences of his Spirit, that conducts all the true Members of it. For do fo, will be owned by him as his

10. And if you thus become the proper Members of his Church by a fpiritual Courfe of Life; tho' indeed your Bodies fhall be liable to prefent Death, like other Men's, by the unavoidable Effect of Adam's Tranfgreffion; yet will the Power of the divine Spirit raise them up again to an immortal Life, as the happy Effect of our Juftification by his Death and Sufferings.

nefs *.

11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jefus from the dead dwell in you; he that raifed up Chrift from

the

11. For if we be guided by the Motions and Influences of the Spirit of that God who raised up JESUS from the Grave, and which now dwells in us, purifying

Note, If

* Ver. 10. The Body is dead because of Sin the Prepofition Na be to be render'd by because of Sin, and refers to the natural Death of the Body; and Life in the following Words fignify Refurrection to Life; (agreeably to ver. 11.) then the Paraphrafe is perfectly right. But if this Death of the Body is meant of our dying to Sin; and Life fignifies living righteously; then a muft not be renderd by because, but by concerning, or as to the Body (if a true Chriftian) is dead as to Sin and Vice, but bis Spirit is Life (or Lives) as to Righteousness.

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ing our Bodies from the Lufts of A. D. 57:
Sin and Vice; that Spirit will not
fail to raise them from Death also,
unto an immortal Life and Hap

the dead, fhall alfo
quicken your mortal
bodies, by his Spirit
that dwelleth in you.
piness, at the last Day.

12. Therefore, bre-
thren, we are debtors,
not to the flesh, to

live after the flesh :

13. For if ye after the flesh, ye die; but if

live

fhall ye thro'

the Spirit do mortify

the deeds of the body, ye fhall live.

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the fons of God.

12 & 13. 'Tis our Duty and Intereft therefore now to hold to the Gospel Religion, and not that of the Law; and our high Obligation to conquer the immoderate Lufts of the Flesh, by the Practice of moral and fpiritual Religion; as being fully affured the one must be Death, the other Life to us.

14. For as I faid, ver. 9. They only that thus live up to these maral and eternal Rules of Religion, revealed and instituted by the Spirit of God, through JESUS CHRIST, are his true Children, and Members of his Church.

15. For ye have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

15. A State of true Freedom indeed! far excelling the rigorous and troublesome Inftitutions of the Mofaical Law. We Chriftians are under no flavish Fear of a Curse pronounced to the Breach of any one of those numerous Rites and Ceremonies; but can apply ourselves to God as to a merciful and tender Father and Lawgiver; fure of being accepted and for ever rewarded, upon our fincere (tho' not abfolutely perfect) Obedience.

16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our fpirit, that we are

the children of God.

16. And whenever we are truly confcious to ourselves, that we do our best Endeavours to obey this fpiritual Law of Chriftianity; we may then justly apply all the Promises of God made to true Believers; and have the inward Comforts and Affurances of the Holy Spirit that we are his true Children and Servants.

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A. D. 57. 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift: if fo be that we fuffer with bim, that we may alfo

17. And if God has thus adopted us for his Children in Chrift; we fhall certainly all of us, both Jewish and Gentile Chriftians be Heirs with him in his future Glory and Happinefs; (for Adoption fuppofes an Eftate of Inheritance :) only 'tis upon this Condition, That, if we would be happy with him, we muft patiently fuffer for his Religion, as he fuffered for us.

be glorified together.

18. For I reckon 18. A Condition far fhort of that the fufferings of the Reward annexed to it. For this prefent time, are upon comparing them together, not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reveal

ed in us.

bestow upon us, in
great and final Day

19. For the earn-
eft expectation of the
creature waiteth for
the manifeftation of
the fons of God.

you

will find no Manner of Pro

portion between the Sufferings of a fhort and momentary Life, and thofe eternal Glories that he will the Face of the World, at the of Judgment.

19. This future Happiness, by which God will fhow us all both Gentiles as well as Jewish Believers to be his true Sons, is adequate to the highest Notions, + Wishes and Expectations of all Mankind.

20. For

Ver. 19. The earnest Expectation of the Creature. This Phrafe does not imply, That all the heathen World had an explicit Belief, or true Notion of this future Glory; but only that the Glory and Happiness itself is fuch as would fill the utmoft Wishes and Defires of all Mankind, whenever they fhould be acquainted with, or be put into any Hopes of it, as the Gentile Converts now were.

+ Ibid. Of the Creature The fame with every Creature to whom the Gofpel was order'd to be now preached, Mark xvi. 15. Coloff. i. 2, 3. The all Nations that were to be taught and baptized, Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. i. e. The Gentiles, the Bulk of Mankind, in Contradiftinction to the first Chriftians, the first Fruits, who received it in the Apofles Time.

1

20. For the crea

ture was made subject to vanity, not willing ly, but by reafon of him who hath subject ed the fame in hope.

20. For Man was at firft cre- A. D. 57. ated capable of Immortality; and his Pofterity was not run into this mortal and miferable Condition of human Life, by their own Choice, but purely by the Sin of Adam, occafioned by the Inftigation of the Devil, that brought them all under it.

21. Because the crea

ture it felf alfo fhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

21. Yet even the Gentile World (especially the confidering Part of it) was not deftitute of all Hopes of a future and permanent State of Happinefs, fuch as is fuitable to rational Creatures that are the Offspring of God; and of which we Chriftian Converts have now a full Affurance as his adopted Children in Jefus Chrift.

22. For we know 22. We know, I fay, that the that the whole cre- whole Gentile World has all along ation groaneth and tra- been deeply fenfible of the Mifevaileth in pain toge- ries and frail State of human Life; ther until now. full of Longings, and eager Wishes after a better and more durable Condition.

within

23. And not only 23. Nay even we Christians althey, but our felves fo, even we that are Apostles of alfo, which have the Chrift, who have the fulleft Affirft fruits of the Spi- furance of it from the Word, and rit, even we our felves have received the Pledges and groan our Earnest of it by the Spirit of Telves, waiting for the God; do yet wifh and groan adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bo- (though not impatiently) after the dy. actual Enjoyment of this happy Change of our Bodies, from weak mortal ones, to become immortal:

and fuffering, and and glorious ones.

24. For we are faved

24 & 25. Our Chriftian Life,
Hope.

by hope: but hope I fay, is as yet but a Life of

that

Ver. 22. The whole Creation. See on Ver, 19.

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