Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 14
VERSE 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the ſonnes of God.
THe latter part of the verſe going before is here prooued: namely, that ſuch as mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit, ſhall liue. The argument is taken from the proper ſubiect of the life before ſpoken of; that is, the ſonnes of God. Thus,
The Sonnes of God ſhall liue.
But they which mortifie, &c. are the ſonnes of God.
Therefore they ſhall liue.
The Minor is proued thus,
They which are led by the Spirit, are the ſons of God.
But they which mortifie, &c. are led by the Spirit. Therfore.
As many as are led by the Spirit: that is by the holy Ghoſt.
Led. Thoſe things are ſaid to be led, which are mooued by a ſuperiour inſtinctaAquin. in locū., which is either Common or Proper: of the common, all men, the Reprobate, yea, beaſts are partakers. The beaſts come to Adam bGen. 2.19., to Noah cGen. 7.8,9.: the Beare ſlaies the Childrend2. Reg. 2.24., the Lyon the old Prophete1. Reg. 13.24. by this common inſtinct. The proper is that, whereby the elect children of God are mooued to beleeue, repent, &c. This is here meant.
Are led; Not furiouſly, but mildely and familiarly: not as bruite beaſts, but as reaſonable creatures; Not as though we doe nothing, but leſt we ſhould doe no good thing: we are actuated by the good ſpirit that we may doe.
Neither are we led violently and againſt our will, but willingly: and yet were we not willing before we were led: but in the leading made willing to be led: ſo willing, that when God hath once breathed his grace vntounto vsus, we cannot reſiſt, but earneſtly deſire to bee led. And yet is not the nature of the will ouerthrowne, nor naturally ſo determined to one ſide, that as heauie things mooue downeward by an inward beginning, ſo the will abſolutely can only affect this one thing. But as Orators by their Eloquence doe rule in the minde of their Auditours; ſo God much more effectually drawes vsus to deſire Chriſt, and affect the Goſpell.
If a couetous man were offered to take what hee would of a heape of Gold; no man doubts but hee would gladly embrace ſuch occaſion, though ſimply and abſolutely it were in his power to refuſe it. So our heauenly Father doth ſo commodiouſly ſhew vsus the Riches of his Grace, ſo louingly doth he inuite vsus to receiue it; and ſo aptly doth hee exhort vsus, that he doth perſwade vsus, without any impairing of our wills: ſo a Beaſt with prouender, Children with Nuts, and eueryevery one is led or drawne by his pleaſure. We are then led being willing, not before, but after grace receiued.
Are the Sonnes of God: not making vsus ſuch, but declaring vsus to be ſuch.
The Sonnes, that is, Children, as verſe 16. for ſonnes and daughters are in the Couenant.
doctrine They which follow and obey the counſell, preſcriptions, and precepts of the Spirit, are the ſonnes of God, Ioh. 1.12. Ioh. 6.45. 1. Ioh. 3.9. Now it is the Spirit which workes faith, teaches and begets vsus.
Ʋſe 1.Take knowledge of thy Impotency to good things without the ſpirit. As a guide to a blinde man, or as a Nurſes finger to a little Childe, ſo is the Spirit to vsus; without the which we can neither diſcerne or walke in the good way. Without the Spirit wee catch many a knocke by ſtumbling and falling at eueryevery ſinne. As therefore the little childe when it would firſt goe, reaches for the Nurſes hand; ſo, craue thou the Spirit, to bee led into the knowledge and practice of the Truth.
The Iſraelites that would preſently goe towards Canaan without Moſes, were all ſlaine; Num. 14.45.ſo is it not ſafe to attempt any thing without the Spirit, which is to bee our Counſellour, and to vsus as the piller of the Cloud was to the Iſraelites; the Rule of their marching and pitching their tents.
Vſe 2.If thou yeeldeſt thy ſelfe, and thy reaſon and affections to he led by the Spirit, thou art the Child of God, & ſo cōtrarily: which that thou mayſt the better diſcerne, obſerue 2. things; firſt, the way wherein. Secondly, the minde wherewith thou walkeſt.
Firſt, Are drunkenneſſe, whoredome, &c. thy waies? who led thee into theſe waies? The Spirit? no: the Diuell leades thee, for theſe are his waies. Are Faith, Repentance, Humility, &c. thy wayes? How cameſt thou into theſe wayes? The diuell would neuer bring thee into them, nor thy ſelfe neuer hauehave choſen them. Surely, if theſe bee thy waies, thou art led by the holy Spirit, whoſe waies theſe are.
Secondly, what is thy minde? Doeſt thou walke in the way of Prayer, hearing the Word, Repentance, &c. willingly, and cheerefully? Thou art then led by the Spirit: for though we may be found in theſe wayes: yet if we walke in them as a Beare is drawne to the ſtake, we are not led in them by the Spirit; for the Spirit makes vsus delight in ſuch things.
EueryEvery thing liues according to the breeding, water-fowles are euer paddling in the water, & Land-fowles are feeding on the dry ground. So, if thou haſt a ſpirituall breeding, all thy delight will be in ſpirituall things; if a carnall onelyonly, then in carnall.