Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 8 · Dialogue 16
DIAL. XVI.
Verse 17. If we be children, we are also heyres, euen the heyres of God, and heyres annexed with Christ.
Tim.
WHat is the drift and scope of this text?
Silas.
To conclude the maine argument and reason, by which the Apostle before did exhort the Romanes, by the spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh. This argument was taken from the euent which shall follow them, which liue after the spirite and not after the flesh, namely eternall life giuing to wit, that such shall liue for euer, because they are the sonnes of God: from hence the Apostle now concludeth, that if such as walke after the Spirit bee sonnes, then they must inherit euerlasting life in heauen: for all Gods children be heires, and hauehave right to the heritage of heauen. This conclusion doth very liuely set forth the manifold and great dignity of true beleeuers, the more to stirre them vp cheerefully to follow the gouernment of Gods Spirit.
Tim.
What be the degrees of the dignity of the faithfull?
Silas.
They bee these foure; first, that they bee not seruants but children. Secondly, that all of them bee heyres. Thirdly, that they bee heires of God, not of any mortall king; but of that king which is immortall, namely GOD. Lastly, that they bee coheires, or heyres annexed with Christ.
Tim.
Tell vsus now what is meant by children?
Silas.
Euen all the sonnes and daughters of God, whosoeuer they be which hauehave the spirit of adoption, and beleeue in Christ.
Tim.
But Christ is the onelyonly begotten child of God, how then can the faithfull be children?
Silas.
True indeede, Christ is the onelyonly begotten childe of God according to nature; being begotten of his Fathers substance from euerlasting: but beleeuers bee children by grace of adoption, being by nature the children of wrath: Christ is a child of the substance of God his Father, whereas the beleeuers are children by fauour.
Tim.
Is this so great a dignity to bee the childe of God by grace?
Silas.
It is so; for first, such as hauehave Christ to bee their brother, Mat. 12. 50. Heb. 2. 12. Secondly, the Angels are their seruants. Psal. 34. 7. Heb. 1. 14. Thirdly, themselues are Priestes, Prophets, and Kings. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Reue. 1. 6. Fourthly, the whole worlde, yea euen heauen is their right and possession. 1 Cor. 3. 22. 23. If it bee counted so great a dignity to be the childe of an earthly King, what a worthy thing must it then be, to be the childe of the King of Heauen. For to be the childe of God is no empty title, because by it we obtaine this dignity to bee heires. The lawe of nature doth yeelde this vntounto children, that they shall enioy the inheritance which is left vntounto them by their deceased Parents: and the Lawe of grace doth2. Heires. promise the heauenly inheritance to all which bee children of God by faith in Christ.
Tim.
Howbeit among the Children of Abraham, Isaac onelyonly had the inheritance, the rest had gifts and were sent away, Gen. 25, 5, 6.
Silas.
It is true, because God so commanded, and the promises were made to Isaac, but the case fals out otherwise betweene the children of God and of men: for amongst men in sundry countries, all Childeren bee not heires, but sonnes onelyonly, and in some places not all sons but the eldest sonne alone; but Gods children bee they sonnes or bee they daughters, they bee all heires, eueryevery one without exception. There is neither Male nor Female with God.
Tim.
But whose heires are they, and what is their inheritance?
Sil.
They are heires of God, and God himselfe is their3. Heires of God, inheritance, one and the selfe-same person, is both father and inheritance in this case: for to enioy God fully and perfectly in his Sonne Christ, this is the inheritance of the Saints, whoe in God doe enioy all other things. Gods children therefore they are great heires, and they hauehave a goodly heritage, Psal. 16, 4, 5. 1. Cor, 3, 21.
Tim.
What is the fourth part of the dignity of the faithfull?
Sil.
That they are heires annexed with Christ, or ioynt heires with Christ.
Tim.
The inheritance of Christ, how manifold is it?
Silas.
Two-fold: It is the inheritance eyther of glory, or of dominion and power. The inheritance of glory is this, that after his death he being risen and ascended into Heauen, he liueth there most blessedly and gloriously, his body and soule being wholy freed from all infirmities and temptations, and filled with all ioy and glorious brightnes, euen like the Sunne in the Firmament: also his inheritance of dominion and power consists in this, that in his humane nature he is exalted and listed vp aboue all principalities and powers, and eueryevery name that is named in earth, hauing all creatures and the Church it selfe subiect to him, as vntounto their head, Ephe. 2, 21, 22. Phil. 2, 9. Notwithstanding although that the elect be partakers of this double inheritance of Christ, yet they are not partakers in equall degree: For Christ raigneth in Heauen as Gods onelyonly and first begotten, but the faithfull are but adopted children, Phil. 3, 21. Reuel. 3, 21. Reuel. 2, 26. Rom. 8, 29. By al this then appeareth, that the children of God are very honourable personnages, because their dignity is not carnall1 Pet. 1, 4. and earthly, such as may wither and perish, but spirituall and heauenly, such as endureth for euer.
Tim.
What vse and profit may be made of this?
Silas.
First, it should admonish the faithful not to behaue themselues basely, by making themselues seruants to their filthy lusts: but endeauouring to follow the direction of the Spirite in all things. 1. Iohn, 3, 2. 2. Pet. 3, 11. Secondly, not to take any leaue vntounto our selues to thinke of, or deale basely with such excellent personnages as Gods children be.
Tim.
But tell me I pray you, doe these honourable and worthy personnages giuegive any Scutchion or Coate-Armour?
Silas.
That they doe, the feild and ground whereof is Azure and Gules, for they are celestiall creatures, borne from aboue, Iohn, 1, 13. And they are a people purchased by the bloud of Christ, Acts. 20, 28. The partes of this armour be many and seuerall: First, in their Armour they giuegive the Eagle, in respect of their aspyring aloft; as it is written, Where the carkasse is, there will the Eagle resort, Luke 17, 37.
Secondly, they giuegive an Helmet or Anchor, to wit, their Hope, which stayes their soules against all the Waues of temptation, Heb. 6, 19. Thirdly, they giuegive a Lyon, because of their Christian fortitude, despising all threatnings and dangers, Prou. 28, 1. The Righteous are bolde as a Lyon.
The fourth is the band of Charity, which knits together the faithfull, as many stickes tied fast togither with one band, Col. 3, 14. Fiftly, they giuegive a Sheepe, to witnesse their meekenesse and obedience, Iohn 10, 27. My Sheepe heare my voice & follow me. Sixtly they giuegive a Doue to witnesse and represent their simplicity and innocency, Math. 10, 16. Be innocent as Doues. And lastly, they giuegive the Serpent, to signifie their godly prouidence and wisedome to forecast and preuent dangers. Math. 10, 16. Bee wise as Serpents. VntoUnto all which may be added the girdle of verity, the sword of the Spirit, and the breast-plate of righteousnesse, Ephe. 6, 14, 17.
Tim.
What is the morall or meaning of this their CoateArmour?
Sil.
It serueth to put all Gods children in minde, that if they will walke worthy of that their honourable and worthy calling, they must expresse and shew forth a true faith, a firme hope, vnfained louelove, Christian courage, meeke obedience, innocent simplicity, Serpentine wisedome, and generally an heauenly purity in all partes of their conuersation, as they may honour the house and stocke to which they belong and of which they come.