Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 33
VERSE 33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that Iuſtifieth.
IN this Verſe Paul begins to arme Gods children, againſt the ſecond ſort of ſpeciall tentations, which ariſe from the preſence of euill.
This euill is either in our ſelues, in the Creatures, or ſuppoſed to bee in God. In our ſelues; our ſinnes. In the Creatures, violence and death. In God, mutabilitie of his louelove.
The firſt of theſe is remoued in this Verſe, and the next: namely, that which ariſeth from our faultineſſe. For our ſins, there are two that hurt vsus. 1. The Accuſer. 2. The Iudge. In this Verſe Paul ſheweth that no Accuſation can hurt vsus in regard of our ſinnes. In the 34. verſe, that No Iudge.
In this Verſe is a Poſition, ſet downe by way of Interrogation: and a Reaſon.
The Poſition: None can accuſe the Elect. The Reaſon: becauſe God Iuſtifieth them.
Some reade all in both theſe Verſes, 33, 34. with Interrogation: thus: Who ſhall accuſe? Shall GOD which Iuſtifieth? &c.
But our reading is beſt and moſt approued.
Who? In generall, Who? What Diuell or Man?Sarauius.
Shall lay to the charge: Shall accuſe, ſhall ſue, ſhall call into the Law, ſhall endite, ſhall arreſt, that he may accuſe? This is very Emphaticall: There is no place for accuſation, much leſſe for finding guilty and condemning. foreign.Of what ſhould Gods children be accuſed? Of old ſinnes; not of falſe things, but of ſuch whereby Satan and our Conſciences (the Accuſers) may bring vsus to deſperation.
The Elect of God: The Election, ſaith Chryſoſtome, not well. Ambroſe giues the ſenſe thus: None can or dare retract the Iudgement of God: for he confidently prouoketh all Aduerſaries, if they dare come forth to accuſe, not that there is no cauſe, but becauſe God hath iuſtified vsus. Therefore it is here ſubioyned as a Reaſon.
It is God that iuſtifieth. They are iuſtified: therefore it is vaine to accuſe them, and it is God that Iuſtifieth them. If God doe it, none can reuerſe it, for none is equall with God.
doctrine No Accuſations can hurt or preuaile againſt them whom God iuſtifieth, Eſay 51.8,9.
ƲſeIt is ordinary for wicked men to traduce and accuſe the Children of God, of hypocriſie, pride couetouſneſſe, &c. But whom doeſt thou accuſe? Euen thoſe whom God iuſtifies. It is falſe that thou chargeſt them with all, or it is True. If falſe, then thou art a Slanderer. If True; then thou ſheweſt thy ſelfe malicious, to impute, and to obiect that which God hath pardoned, and of the which hee hath acquited them. Take heed, thou playeſt not the Diuels part, who is ſtiled the Accuſer of the Brethren. As it was ſaid to Peter, That which God hath cleanſed, account not thou vncleane: So them whom God iuſtifieth, take heed thou accuſe not.
No accuſation can hurt beleeuers. Who ſhall accuſe them? Who? Inow I warrant you. The Diuell and wicked men: who will ſift vsus, as a man ſifts his corne, and ſearch into vsus, as Laban ſearched Iacobs ſtuffe; and when they can finde nothing worthy of Accuſation, they will inuent falſe things. But thou wilt ſay, Alas, that which the Diuell and the world accuſe me of, is too true, mine owne conſcience alſo accuſeth me. Be it ſo: but doeſt thou beleeue and repent? Then God Iuſtifyeth thee, not onelyonly from falſe, but againſt true accuſations. Bee they true or falſe, they ſhall neuer hurt vsus, for he from whom there is no appeale, hath acquited it.
Thou muſt neither deny nor forget thy guiltineſſe, that the more thou doeſt vnderſtand thy diſeaſe, the more thou maiſt praiſe thy Phyſician: But if thou hauehave Faith, which is the cauſe, and Repentance, which is the fruite of Iuſtification, no Accuſation can endan-ger thy peace.
Ʋſe 3.Miſerable art thou, prophane wretch: for as God will admit no Accuſation againſt the Elect, thus iuſtified and ſanctified, ſo he will refuſe no iuſt and legall accuſation againſt the prophane and obdurate, which cenſure of the iuſt and terrible Iudge muſt needs fill the conſcience of irreligious and reprobate men full of horrour and confuſion.
What muſt needs be the torment of thy ſoule, when thine own Conſcience, the Law, the diuel himſelfe ſhal moſt eagerly accuſe thee before the Iudge of the quicke and dead? Mala. 3.5.Nay, God himſelfe will bee a ſwift witneſſe againſt thee! Yea the very inſenſible creatures ſhall accuſe the wicked: The duſt of the Preachers feete ſhall accuſe the contemners of the Goſpell: Mat. 10.The couetous mans ruſty gold and ſiluer, Iam. 5.3.the Vſurers vniuſtly gotten goods ſhall accuſe him. Habac. 2.11,12.The drinke, O drunkard, which thou haſt ſwilled in, ſhall riſe vp in iudgement and accuſe thee. If it be poſſible, Repent, that thy conſcience may be freed from helliſh Deſperation.