Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 2
VERSE 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Chriſt Ieſus, hath made me free from the Law of Sinne, and Death.
IN this Verſe is an Argument, prouing the Propoſition before deliuered; That there is no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt.
The Argument is taken from an effect of our Being in Chriſt: Thus,
They which are freed from the Law of Sinne and Death, ſhall not be condemned.
But thoſe which are in Chriſt, are ſo freed:
Therefore they ſhall not be condemned.
The Minor is thus proued.
They which are quickned by the ſame Spirit which is in Chriſt, are ſo freed:
But all in Chriſt are ſo quickned.
Therefore they are ſo freed.
This Verſe then intreates of the freedome and deliuerance of the Regenerate which are in Chriſt. Concerning which freedome or Manumiſſion, foure things may be obſerued.
1. From what: namely, from Sinne, and Death,
2. The extent of this Deliuerance: not from ſinne and death ſimply in this world: but from the Law of Sinne and Death: that is, from the power and authoritie of Sinne: which power is called a Law by the Apoſtle, for two reaſons: 1. Becauſe carnall men obey ſinne, as they ſhould obey a Law. 2. Becauſe ſinne holds vsus bound by the Law vntounto eternall death.
3. The ſubiect of this Deliuerance: Mee, ſaith Paul, meaning himſelf for inſtance; to be ſo alſo meant of eueryevery Regenerate man: and therefore the Syrian Tranſlator reads it Thee.
4. The Cauſe: The Spirit: The Law of Faith, ſay ſome, which may receiue a good Expoſition. Others better interpret the holy Ghoſt: hereby prouing the Deitie of the third Perſon. Ambroſius. Pareus. Chryſoſt.Beza vnderſtands it of the efficacie of the Spirit in vsus, which is, ſaith he, the Grace of Regeneration. I take rather to bee meant here, the roote of that Grace, rather then the Grace it ſelfe: The roote I call the Grace of Holineſſe in the Humane Nature of Chriſt, which vponupon our vnion with him, is by the Holy Ghoſt conueyed vntounto vsus. For, Ioh. 3.34. Ioh. 1.16.hee receiued not the Spirit by meaſure, but is full of grace, and of his fulneſſe wee receiue grace for grace. This I take to be the fitteſt Expoſition. This Spirit is two wayes ſet forth. Firſt, by the Subiect in whom it is. It is radically in Chriſt. Secondly, by the effect; it is the Spirit of life: for if this flowe not vntounto vsus, we are but dead men; with this being deriued vntounto vsus, both the worthineſſe of Chriſts obedience, and alſo power for the weakning and aboliſhing of ſinne, that it reigneth not in vsus, nor can condemne vsus. And for this, I geſſe, that our Sauiour is called a 1. Cor. 15.45.Quickning Spirit. For as wee hauehave to liue a naturall life from Adam, ſo hauehave wee to liue a ſpirituall life from Chriſt, being vnited vntounto him.
The meaning then is this. The power of the Spirit which is in Chriſt, hath freed all them which are in Chriſt, from ſinne and death. So that as ſinne could hauehave no power ouer him to condemne him, neither can it hauehave ouer vsus; wee receiuing of the ſame Spirit, and liuing the ſame life which was in him: For we liue not a diuerſe life from that which is in Chriſt, but the very ſame, as the water in the fountaine, and riuers; and the life in the head and members is the ſame.
doctrine Our vnion with Chriſt, frees vsus from the power of ſinne and death, Epheſ. 2.18,22.
Ʋſe 1.The cauſe of all our happineſſe is this vnion. From hence is it that wee ſerue not ſinne: from hence is it that wee yeeld not to eueryevery tentation of Satan: that wee hauehave comfort, that wee are ſtabliſhed in Grace, is from hence. Labour therefore to be vnited; the ordinary meanes is the Word preached: For as in Graffing: ſo here; God is the Husbandman; Chriſt the Stock, Beleeuers the Imps; The Spirit the Sap, The Word the Knife or Saw; The Sacraments, The Ligatures. As therefore without a Knife or Saw to open and riue the Stock, and to let in the Imps, a man cannot Graffe; ſo Contemners of the Word and Sacraments cannot poſſibly be in Chriſt.
Vſe 2.Hath freed Mee: There is much Diuinitie in Pronounes (ſaid Luther.) In the firſt Verſe Paul ſpake in the third Perſon; Them. Here in the firſt, Me. Not that hee appropriates this freedome to himſelfe by ſo ſpeaking, but to teach eueryevery one to apply it to themſelues, and in themſelues to feele it, for which cauſe the Syrian Tranſlator reads Thee. For as the power of ſenſe and motion in the head, is deriued to eueryevery the leaſt and fartheſt member and ioynt; Epheſ. 4.7.ſo the meaneſt in the Church, as well as the chiefeſt, doe receiue according to their place ſutable grace. It may be ſome may think, O, if I were Abraham, Dauid, or Paul, I ſhould be ſaued. Yea, if thou bee in Chriſt, thou art freed as well as they, and ſhalt bee ſaued as well as they.
Vſe 3.Wee are now freed from ſinne and and death, not ſimply, (ſo we ſhall hereafter be deliuered) but from the Law of Sinne. Wee be not ſo deliuered, that wee cannot ſin or dye; but Sin cannot domineere ouer vsus, nor damne vsus, nor Death hurt vsus. Lay vp this againſt the Day of tentation.
It is very grieuous to feele the aſſaults of Sinne, as of Vncleannes, Pride, &c. But all are Beggers, we may not chooſe our Almes: wee muſt remember our meaſure; wee hauehave ſuch things that we may be humbled, not that we ſhould bee ouercome. Thou muſt be content to hauehave Sinne trouble thee here, and to wring from thee ſighes and teares, but comfort thy Soule with this, it ſhall neuer condemne thee.
A Snake may be ſo handled by taking out the ſting or teeth, that it cannot hurt vsus, though it touch vsus, yet wee abhorre it for the nature of it, and are afraid to hauehave it come nere vsus, and, it's but our feare. So ſinne is in ſuch ſort handled by our Sauiour Chriſt, that though it touch vsus, and hiſſe at vsus, yet it cannot hurt vsus: It may make vsus afraid, but bleſſed be God, the feare is more then the hurt: For as ſinne and death could not hurt Chriſt, ſo neither can they hurt vsus. It is not kild out-right, but it is ſo maymed, Iudges 1.that as Adoni-bezek hauing his hands and feet mangled, and being in chaines, could not endammage Iſrael, ſo neither can ſinne vsus.
When therefore thou feeleſt ſinne ſtir in thy heart (alas, who feeles it not?) caſt not away thy confidence, but with a good courage reſiſt it, and reſort to Chriſt by Prayer, that thou mayſt more feele the power of his Spirit. Great is the power of ſinne; but the power of the Spirit is greater. The Diuell is ſtrong; but CHRIST is ſtronger.
Vſe 4.Thoſe which hauehave not obtained this freedome, are moſt miſerable. They are ſlaues, and that to the baſeſt maſter in the world, which is Sin, and ſhall hauehave the fearefulleſt wages, which is Death: As nothing is more baſe then ſin, ſo nothing is more bitter then death: How did ſinne Tyrannize ouer Ammon, Achab, Iudas, who could hauehave no reſt; 2. Sam. 13.2. 1. King. 21.4. Iohn 13.30.but are ſicke till they hauehave performed moſt ſhamefull ſeruices to their vtter ruine? Thou haſt heard of the Gally-ſlaues of the Turke: How ſweet is it to bee deliuered from ſuch a bondage! But alas, What is the Turk to the Diuell? What is a Gally to Hell? What the labour of Oares, to the ſeruice of ſinne, and torments of Hell? O the happines of them which are in Chriſt, that are deliuered from ſinne and death! HaueHave we any enemies to theſe?
Yea, his happineſſe is the more by the aſſurance of it: for once in Chriſt, and euer in Chriſt, let Satan do his worſt. The leſt branch of the Vine, which is Chriſt, is too high for Satans reach. Such as are in him, can neuer want ſauing Grace; ſo rich a Root is Chriſt, to maintaine and nouriſh all ſuch wch are grafted into him. So long as Chriſt hath any Spirit, thou ſhalt not want it. As poſſible is it for Chriſt to want the Spirit, as for thee to want it, if thou beeſt in Chriſt.
Vſe 5.Examine whether thou beeſt ſet free. If ſinne rule in thee, it will alſo damne thee: thou art not deliuered. If a man ſicke in his bed, burning of an Ague, fetching his breath with difficulty; looking gaſtly, &c. ſhould ſay he were well; thou wouldeſt not beleeue him. So, when thou ſeeſt a man ſwell with Pride, burne with Luſt, &c. If he ſay he is in Chriſt, and hopes to bee ſaued, beleeue him not: All the world cannot ſaue him.