Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 17
VERSE 17. And if Children, then Heyres: Heyres of God, and Ioynt-heyres with Chriſt. If ſo be that we ſuffer with him, that we may be alſo glorified together.
THis Verſe is a Confectary of that which is deliuered in the 16. Verſe. The Confectary is inferred from the proper adiunct of Sonnes: We are Sonnes, Therefore Heyres.
Here are two things. 1. That we are heyres, in the firſt part of the Verſe. 2. The Condition of the Inheritance: in the latter part.
The firſt part is amplified by the Perſon whoſe heires wee are. The Heires of God: This is amplified by an Occupation. But God hath an Heire, euen Chriſt. True: and wee are Co-heires.
If Children, then Heires. Seruants looke for wages. Sons for the Inheritance. The Law of Nature giues the Inheritance to the Children. Municipall Lawes, it may be, to the Eldeſt: but by nature eueryevery Sonne is an Heire: the eldeſt to hauehave a double portion.
Heires of God. An heritage, is a ſucceſſion into the whole right of the dead: wee are Heires therefore of all the good things of God.
Q. But how heires, ſeeing God dies not?
A. We may ſay, that there is not the ſame Reaſon, of temporall and ſpirituall things: Temporall things cannot bee wholly enioyed without the death of the poſſeſſor: Spirituall things mayaTho. Aquin.. For here ſuch a one makes thee an heire (ſaith onebAug. Ser. 13. de verb. Apoſt.) not whom thou ſhouldſt ſucceed beeing dead, but with whom thou ſhouldſt liue for euer. And Ambroſe amplifies it, bAmbroſ. in locum.by the Parable in the Goſpel, Luke 15.11.where the Father giues his Child his portion, while himſelfe liueth. In earthly inheritances, the Father dyes, giuing place to the Sonne. In heauenly, Sonnes muſt dye, that they may liue with their Father.
Ioint heires with Chriſt: Chriſt alone is the naturall heire: we co-heires by the Adoption. He the Head, wee his members. He the elder Brother, hauing a portion ſutable to his elderſhip: wee yonger Brothers, hauing a proportion fit for vsus.
doctrine All that are the Children of God, are heires with Chriſt, Gal. 4.7. Epheſ. 1.14. Tit. 3.7. 1. Pet. 1.3. Iam. 2.5. Act. 20.32.
Ʋſe 1.Heauen is an Inheritance, therefore not merited by vsus.
Vſe 2.Men part with that, which they cannot carry with them. If they could carry their inheritance with them when they die, they would leaue but little for their Children. God giues that which we deſerue not, which hee can keep from vsus. If men expect thankes: much more may God exact it, that he giues vsus ſuch an Inheritance, making eueryevery one an heire, ex aſſe, to the whole. For the Heauenly Inheritance is not diuided.
The excellency of this Inheritance is in foure things.
1. The vniuerſalitie of it: All the children are heires: Iewes, Gentiles, Male, Female: If a Child, an heire.
2. The extent of it: For eueryevery child is an heire to all, and hath right to all: In earthly Inheritance, if there bee many Children, eueryevery one cannot poſſeſſe the ſame without diminution of it. The more diuide, the leſſe is eueryevery ones part. Here not ſo. This is not Diminiſhed, by the multitude of poſſeſſors; nor impaired by the number of Co-heires; it is ſo much to all, as it is to a few; ſo great to ſingulars, as it is to all.
3. It is certaine: If a Child, an heire without doubt; neither can Satan Coozen vsus of it: neither can we loſe it: Many are heires on earth, but their inheritance is kept from them: we cannot be kept from this.
4. It is ſufficient. Riches enough, ſuch as the eye hath not ſeene, &c. Aug. Serm. de Tempor.And if it will ſuffice vsus to be like Chriſt in glory, and to be where he is then muſt it needs be ſufficient: for thus it ſhall be.1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 2.9. Ioh. 17.
Here we are admoniſhed of diuers duties.
Vſe 3.1. We are here, as in our none-age, vnderunder diſcipline: let vsus be patient if poore: The hope of Future reuerſions, muſt make vsus content with ſhorter maintenance for the preſent.
2. Wee hauehave an heauenly inheritance: let vsus not build our neſts here on earth, being couetous & greedie of the world, as though wee looked for no more then any wicked man. Carnall men ſeeke this world: for it is their portion. Heauen is ours, let vsus ſeeke that.
3. Be ſure thou bee a childe, and thou ſhalt hauehave a childes part: the Inheritance will follow, as the Prodigall childe perſwades himſelfe, that if he can obtaine his fathers fauour, hee ſhall hauehave bread enough.
4. Walke worthy of ſuch an Inheritance: preſent benefits binde vsus. The future ſhould much more, becauſe they are much better. Thou art my portion (ſaith Dauid) Pſal. 119.57.I will keepe thy Law. The Amplitude of this inheritance ſhould moue vsus, and yet many Eſaus contemne it, and ſell it for a Meſſe of pottage, as if it were a contemptible thing: but Eſau is branded for a Profane wretch for it, Heb. 12.16.and ſo are all they that prefer ſinfull pleaſures before the Kingdome of Heauen. As heauen is the proper place of the Children of God, who walke in obedience: So the portion of the wicked, Mat. 25.41.is with the Diuell and his Angels, and Hell their owne or proper place, as it is ſaid of Iudas.Act. 1.25.
As Naboth refuſed to ſell his Inheritance: ſo reſolue thou not to loſe thine, by thy vngodlineſſe and ſinne.
If ſo be that we ſuffer with him, that we may bee alſo glorified together.
In theſe words are the Condition of the Inheritance: where Saint Paul cloſely and ſweetly fals into the ſecond part of the Conſolation.
Hitherto hee hath comforted againſt the Remainder of ſinne: Now to the 31. Verſe, hee remoueth the other impediment of our Comfort, which is the Croſſe.
The Summe is, that the Heires of Glory are not to bee diſmayed, or to faint vnderunder the Croſſe. This is vrged by many excellent Reaſons: The firſt is in theſe words, which is brought in by an Occupation: Some afflicted might ſay thus: I an heire? Thus Poore? Thus Miſerable? Yea (ſaith Paul) this is the Condition of our inheritance, by the diſpenſation of GOD, that wee ſhould firſt ſuffer, and ſo enter into Glory.
If wee ſuffer with him: Luke 23.27.Not by compaſſion, condoling with him as the Daughters of Ieruſalem: but by imitation, as Simons, bearing his Croſſe.
That we may be glorified together; Not with equall glory, but according to our proportion; as his ſufferings did exceed, ſo his glory muſt excell.
There may be a double conſideration of theſe words: 1. Relatiue; and 2. In themſelues. The Relatiue, wee are heires, if we ſuffer. In themſelues: Though we ſuffer, yet we ſhall be glorified. The Children of God may not ouer-grieue themſelues: For their ſufferings betokens they are heires.
doctrine The Condition of our Heauenly Inheritance is the Croſſe, which glory followes, Mat. 16.24. Prou. 3.11.12, Heb. 12.6. &c.
Ʋſe 1.Here are three Arguments of Comfort vnderunder the Croſſe.
1. It is an aſſurance that we are heires. The Croſſe is painfull; and Eaſe is ſweet: but as hee who loues his money, yet willingly parteth with it, for aſſurance of his Title to an earthly inheritance: ſo, though we louelove our quiet, our bloud, our liues, yet if the expence of them will confirme our Title to Heauen, we are not to diſcomfort our ſelues.
2. We ſuffer not alone, but with Chriſt. Wee are of his Order: Knights of the Croſſe. It is comfortable to hauehave companions in trouble; we can hauehave no more comfortable companion I am ſure then Chriſt, with whom I had rather bee vnderunder the greateſt Croſſe, then without him in the greateſt proſperitie: euen as where Man and Wife louelove, they had rather liue together in a meane eſtate, then ſeparated in the greateſt abundance. God had but one owne Son, that came into the world without ſinne, and yet hee could not get out of it without the Croſſe: therfore be thou comforted.
3. The Croſſe is the way to Heauen. If wee taſte not of the Croſſe, we may doubt iuſtly, that we are not in the right way. If a traueller, inquiring of the way, be told, that he ſhall at ſuch a place come to a great water; a little farther to a high hill, a little farther to a place of great danger: If he paſſe on and finde neither water, hill, nor danger, but all plaine, pleaſant and ſafe, he doubts: but if he finde theſe markes, he trauailes cheerefully, becauſe, though the way bee tedious, yet he is in the right path. So the Croſſe is foretolde; if we meet with it, it confirmes vsus; if not, it weakens vsus.
But it may be ſome will ſay: Alas! I ſuffer nothing, I hauehave had ſmall or no troubles; no loſſes, ſickneſſe, &c. For anſwere, know there is Abels croſſe, and Iſaaks croſſe: both theſe are perſecution: The Tongue of the wicked is perſecution (as Paul calls it,) Gal. 4.as well as the Sword. Though thou haſt not Abels, thou muſt quit thee well, not to hauehave Iſaaks Croſſe: And if thou beeſt ready and prepared to beare euen cruell death, for Chriſts ſake, it ſhall be accounted as though thou hadſt borne it. He ſhall not loſe the reward of a Martyr, who hath a ready minde to bee Martyred for Chriſt.
If a company of reſolute Souldiers ſet vponupon the enemy, here one is laid along, there another, one loſeth a legge, another an arme, and ſome eſcape without hurt through the prouidence of GOD. Shall wee ſay that thoſe which ſcape are Cowards No, their valour was no leſſe then the others; their readineſſe as much to venture their liues, and their danger as great; and therefore their glory is no leſſe: So be thou a Martyr in affectiō, & thou ſhalt hauehave the Crown of a Martyr.
Iobs friends iudged him an Hypocrite becauſe of the Croſſe. But bleſſed is the man that iudgeth wiſely of the afflicted. Pſal.The Diuell would hauehave perſwaded our Sauiour that he had not been Gods Sonne, becauſe afflicted. Vſe 2.Would God ſuffer his Sonne (ſaih he) to be here in the wilderneſſe, and to ſtarue? But wee know that the precious ſtone of the Ring, Gemma Annulariswhere with all are married to Chriſt, is the Croſſe: and the Token that we are not Baſtards, but Sonnes.
There is great reaſon God ſhould diſcipline vsus. We ſhould be mard without correction. O, what pride, what Hypocriſy, Couetouſneſſe, Anger, Luſt, &c. is in vsus! Theſe muſt bee purged out: Our Phyſicke, is the Croſſe. If a Father ſee his child by a Pond ſide, hee takes it vp and makes as though he would caſt it into the water, thereby to ſcarre it from the water. So God ſeeing his Children walking neere vntounto hell by theſe vices, takes them as though he would hurle them in: throwing them at leaſt into Purgatory, that is the Croſſe, to make them afraide of ſinne and hell. Alas! alas! how cold and dull are we in Prayer and the ſeruice of God! The Croſſe is a meanes to cure vsus of this lazineſſe, and to quicken vsus to all holy duties.
Vſe 3.A man that is to goe a iourney, though it bee faire at his ſetting forth, yet he takes his cloake with him, for feare of a ſtorme; ſo prepare for the Croſſe, if thou be in the number of Children, for the croſſe will come. Ioſeph in the yeers of plentie, prouided for the yeeres of famine: ſo doe thou.
But let none ſuffer as an euill doer. 1. Pet. 4.Woe be to them that bear the Croſſe, but follow not Chriſt. Thy Croſſe is Chriſts, when thou ſuffereſt for the ſame cauſe, in the ſame manner, and for the ſame end.
1. Chriſt ſuffred, to beare witneſſe to the Truth. This muſt be the cauſe of thy ſuffrings. It is not the likeneſſe of the puniſhment, but the cauſe, that makes a Martyr. Chriſt was there where the Theeues were, like in puniſhment, vnlike in the cauſe.Similis in patria, diſſimilis in cauſa. Aug.
2. Chriſt ſuffered patiently and thankefully. Thou muſt kiſſe the Rod.
3. Chriſt ſuffred, to put away ſinne: ſo make thy ſuffrings a furtherance to mortification, that thou mayeſt be ſtirred to repent for thy ſinnes, and to leaue them. Many in the croſſe cry out; (but of their paine, as in a burning ague the ſick man of his heate;) not of their ſinnes. As Eſau, who miſſing of the bleſſing, cryed and blubbered, not that hee cared for the bleſſing, but for his curſt heart.
Labor ſo to be vnderunder the croſſe, that thou mayſt ſay another day, It is good for me that I hauehave beene afflicted. Pſal. 119.And labour ſo to auoid ſinne, that thou mayeſt be fit to beare the Croſſe.
Vſe 4.If Gods ſonnes and heires muſt ſuffer, what ſhall become of the Reprobate? If hee ſpare not Moſes one ſlip, nor Dauid, his owne Children, how ſhall his enemies fare? If ſuch as pray againſt ſinne, and watch, be taken; ſhall drunkards, blaſphemers, &c. which neuer take any thought to pleaſe God, eſcape? No certainely. If Ieruſalem bee ſearched with Lanthornes, and razed; then Babylon and Rome muſt downe to the Ground, yea to Hell.