Sermons Preached on Romans 8, Chapter 15
ROM. 8.4.
—Who walk not after the Fleſh but after the Spirit.
CHAP. XV. Spiritual Walkers the Subjects of the foregoing Priviledge.
The Sixth Head in the Words, viz. the Deſcription of the perſons to whom the priviledge belongs. Some ſhort Animadverſions upon the Words. The main Doctrine raiſed from them; (but not handled): A brief Survey of theſe Four Verſes and recapitulation of the principal matter in them. The Concluſion of this Volume.
IN the opening of the matter which the Apoſtle is upon in this and in the preceding Verſe, I have taken notice of
1. The act it-ſelf; viz. the ſending of Chriſt.
2. The perſon whoſe act this was; God ſent &c.
3. The perſon who was ſent, as he ſtands in a very near relation to God; God ſent his own Son &c.
4. The way or manner in which this Son was ſent; in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh.
5. The great Ends of God in all this, or the great Effects produced thereby; namely the condemning of Sin &c. and the fulfilling of the Laws righteouſneſs in and for Believers. (Theſe ſeveral Heads have all (more or leſs) been opened).
6. The Apoſtle having appropriated the laſt End or Effect (the fulfilling of the Laws righteouſneſs) to ſuch a ſort of perſons, that the righteouſneſs of the Law might be fulfilled [in us], he goes on to deſcribe thoſe perſons by their qualification and courſe; they are ſuch who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit.
This Deſcription or Character we had before, with reſpect to Ʋnion with Chriſt or exemption from condemnation; there is no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh but after the Spirit. Here 'tis repeated with reſpect to Chriſts fulfilling of the Law, and the imputation of that his Obedience: who are the perſons who have a ſhare alſo in this and who ſhall be the better for it? why, ſuch who walk not after the fleſh but after the Spirit. As the myſtical Ʋnion and freedom from condemnation, ſo the imputation of Chriſt's righteouſneſs is attended in every Subject (that is a real partaker thereof) with a ſpiritual and holy converſation. Theſe are different priviledges, but for the evidence of them the Apoſtle makes uſe of the ſame character or deſcription.
Who walk not after the fleſh &c. The words are not deſcriptive of the nature of the thing ſpoken of before, as if the righteouſneſs of the Law was fulfilled in Believers in their not walking after the fleſh &c. (as*Pererius Diſp. 3. in c. 8. ad Rom. Some would have it); but they are deſcriptive of the perſons for whom and in whom that thing was done. There's a vaſt difference betwixt theſe two;†Apoſtolus non affirmat juſtificationem Legis à nobis impleri, ſed in nobis; nec quia incedimus ſecundum Spiritum ut haec cauſa ſit, ſed ut hoc teſtimonio & judicio intelligamus legis juſtificationem in nobis impleri qui ſecundum Spiritum incedimus. Whittak. contra Dura…m de Patad. l. 8. fol. 203. our holineſs is not the fulfilling of the Law, but whoever is an holy man Chriſt's fulfilling of the Law is imputed to him; and ſo he doth fulfil it.
In the bringing in of this deſcription three things might be deſigned by the Apoſtle:
1. To aſſert the happineſs of all who live the ſpiritual life; in them by Chriſt the righteouſneſs of the Law is fulfilled.
*Ideo Apoſtolus admodum appoſite &c. Vide Bezam. (in loc.). Chriſtus eſt illis juſtitia qui juxta Spiritum non juxta carnem ambulant; Chriſtus enim iis duntaxat juſtitia & Legis ſatisfactio eſt, qui crucifixo jam vetere homine Spiritui obtemperant. (h. e.) ſolis fidelibus. Zwingl.2. To ſtave off all others from laying claim to this grace; none but holy livers can warrantably apply Chriſt's ſatisfying of the Law to themſelves.
3. To obviate all *Quia ſuam juſtitiam nullis communicat Chriſtus, niſi quos Spiritus ſui vinculo ſibi conjungit, additur iterum regeneratio, ne putetur Chriſtus eſſe peccati miniſter, ſicuti proclive eſt multis ad carnis laſciviam rapere quicquid de paternâ Dei indulgentiâ traditur. Calvin.abuſes of this precious Truth, all miſ-interpretations of it, as alſo all †Vide Chryſoſt. & Oecum. (in loc.)ſecurity and careleſneſs in them who have an intereſt in the priviledge. Hath Chriſt fulfilled the Law for us? ſome from hence might be apt to infer then we may live as we liſt, there's nothing now for us to do; no, not ſo (ſaith the Apoſtle), for though Chriſt hath fully ſatisfied the Law, yet all for whom he hath done this do and muſt walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit.
Who walk not &c. Faith being the proper and immediate condition of the imputation of Chriſt's righteouſneſs or obedience to the Law; why doth not the Apoſtle inſtance in that rather than in ſpiritual walking? Anſw. *Etſi fides principalis conditio ſit, quia tamen interna eſt &c. ideo addit illam externam, de quâ nemo gloriari poſſit, niſi ſe liabere foris demonſtret. Par…us.becauſe he is not here ſo much ſhewing how Chriſt's righteouſneſs is imputed, as who they are (or how they carry it) to whom 'tis ſo imputed. He that would have Chriſt's righteouſneſs to be his, muſt believe (for that is the proper act in order thereunto): but he that would know himſelf, or would manifeſt to others, that he is righteous in Chriſt's righteouſneſs, that muſt be brought about by the heavenlineſs of his converſation.
The Obſervation which lies plainly before us from theſe words is this; That all ſuch who have Chriſt's righteouſneſs imputed to them; they are not fleſhly but ſpiritual walkers; they do not live the carnal and ſinful but the holy and the heavenly life. Or thus, None can warrantably pretend to an intereſt in Chriſt's Obedience (active or paſſive), but only ſuch who in their courſe are acted by the Spirit, and not by the Fleſh. But I ſhall not ſay any thing upon this Point; both becauſe this walking not after the fleſh but after the Spirit hath been already fully opened; and alſo becauſe as to the inſeparable connexion bewixt this imputation and this converſation, I may hereafter have occaſion to ſpeak more conveniently to it when I ſhall have more room for it than here I have.
I will cloſe all with a brief Survey of the Verſes which I have gone over, that we may the better underſtand the Apoſtle's method in them, and alſo what progreſs we have made in the thing which he is upon.
He firſt layes down his main foundation, in this Propoſition▪ There is no condemnation to them who are in Chriſt Jeſus, (Verſ. 1.): Then he amplifies himſelf about this Propoſition; where (1.) He characteriſes the proper Subject of the priviledge (viz. of non-condemnation), [who walk not after the fleſh but after the Spirit]: this only he names in the general Verſ. 1. and 4: but then Verſ. 5. he falls upon a more full and particular illuſtration of it, which he continues in ſeveral Verſes. The Second thing he doth about the Propoſition is to prove the truth of the Praedicate; that there is no condemnation &c. And this he doth by theſe mediums; They who are freed by the regenerating Spirit from the power of Sin, and by Chriſt's death and Sacrifice from the guilt of Sin; as alſo who have Chriſt's full Obedience and Satisfaction of the Law imputed to them; to them there is no condemnation: But thus it is with all in Chriſt Jeſus; by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chriſt they are freed from the Law of ſin and death, (there's deliverance from the power of Sin); God by Chriſt's being a Sacrifice hath condemned Sin (there's deliverance from the guilt of Sin); and the righteouſneſs of the Law is fulfilled in them (there's Chriſt's Obedience imputed to them); upon all this it muſt needs follow that to them there is no condemnation, (which was the thing to be proved).
Now theſe being things of great weight and importance, wherein the very vitals and Spirit of the Goſpel do lie, the due and diſtinct opening of them (with other Truths interwoven in the words), hath made this Volume grow to a far greater bigneſs than what I expected. Wherein I have been unneceſſarily prolix I humbly begge the Readers pardon; but truly in ſpeaking to the Saints exemption from Condemnation, the myſtical Ʋnion of Believers with Chriſt, the Spiritual Life, the Spirits agency in freeing Souls from the bondage of Sin, the Laws inability to juſtifie and ſave, Chriſt's Miſſion, eternal Sonſhip, Sacrifice, active fulfilling the Law &c. I ſay in theſe weighty and fundamental points (ſo little underſtood by the moſt, ſo much oppugned by Some,) I thought I could ſcarce ſay too much. Yet if ſuch who are judicious ſhall tell me this is a fault, I'le endeavour to mend it in what ſhall follow; wiſhing that I could as eaſily mend other faults as that. Well! I have begun, and having ſo done I purpoſe (with God's grace and leave) to go on till I ſhall come to the end of this excellent Chapter: with this proviſo, if I may have ſome encouragement that theſe paſt labours may (in ſome meaſure) be uſeful and profitable: without that, why ſhould I proceed to trouble others and my ſelf too? The good Lord give a bleſſing to what is done and aſſiſt in what is yet further to be done.
FINIS.