〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit helps with us and over against us at the other end of the burden under which we groan because of our Infirmities which else would cause that the burthen would be too heavy for us Onus attollit ex altera parte ne sub eo fatiscamus Cum multa potuisset opera Spiritus Sancti proferre quibus ab ipso juvamur hoc solum exponit eum adjuvare nos in orando Tol. Therefore it is not his praying for us in Heaven Spiritus Sanctus hic ut in praeced membro intelligitur E. Tol. Be. Qui interpellare dicitur non quod apud Patrem aut filium ut perverse dicebant Arriani sit Mediator sed quod efficaci sua in nobis operatione nos orare faciat doceat Menochius ex Estio Pole in loc Quia nos ad preces instigat Beza Quia preces ad Deum nobis dictat Grotius Beza Postulat Spiritus non in se sed in nobis per nos tanquam per instrumenta rationalia libera quod autem per instrumentum fit ipsi moventi causae primae tribuitur Tolet. And that fancy of Grotius as I presume to call it begging pardon of that great Name that in Ecclesia Diaconus imaginem quodammodo gerit Spiritus Sancti In the Church the Deacon in reading the Prayers bears after a sort the resemblance of the Holy Ghost strengthens this Interpretation that as the Reader goes before the Assembly in suggesting or rehearsing what they are to pray for so the Holy Ghost is the great Guide and Leader of every Saint in his private and secret Prayer at least not to mention others in shewing them what they are to pray for There are many rare things in Pole's Quotations which are too long to be here inserted and translated I shall add a few more and then translate them because this is an important Matter They are called Groans which cannot be uttered for several reasons One Quia Spiritus ea desideria vota nobis saepe inspirat quae nec ante cogitata nec obvia fuerant nec scitur unde veniant quo tendant Tolet. Ver. 27. He that searcheth the hearts knoweth the mind of the spirit Gemitus illi surt nobis non Deo inenarrabiles scit Deus quo cor ipsum sertur a Spiritu S. motwn quid Spiritus intendit per nos postulat Tolet. Because it maketh intercession for us according to the Will of God Interpellat intercedit postulat orat nâ—mpe per ipsos sanctos qui ipsius instrumenta sunt quorum Corda movet excitat regit Novit quid studeat spiritus nempe sanctorum preces dirigere secundum Deum suggerendo eis illa precari quae Deo serviant Grotius Ex Polo ioidem The English of some of those Latin Quotations above is this Whereas he might have mentioned many Works of the Spirit by which we are helped of it he only insists upon this That he helped us in Praying It is the Holy Spirit himself who is here to be understood who is said to make intercession not that he is a Mediator with the Father or the Son as the Arrians falsly said but that by his effectual operation in us he makes and teaches us to pray Menochius out of Estius Because he urges to pray Beza Because he dictates to us Prayers which we are to offer to God Grotius and Beza The Spirit makes Intercessions not in himself but in us and by us as rational and free Instruments Now that which is done by an Instrument is attributed to the first moving Cause Tâ—lâ—t They are called Groanings which cannot be uttered for several Reasons One Because the Spirit doth often Inspire into us those Desires and Petitions which neither were thought on before nor were any way obvious or at hand for us to think upon neither do we know whence they come and whither they tend Tolet. But for this last Passage I must needs say I know not with what Authority or Allowance we can utter such Passages in Prayer as we know not whither they tend unless we should act purely as inspired and know that we are inspired I am much taken with that Heathen Sentence Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia I know not that we may act in any thing towards Man much less in our Addresses to God beyond what we understand Once more those Groanings are unutterable to us not to God God knoweth whither the heart is carried being moved by the Holy Ghost what the Spirit intends or means and asks by us Tolet. The Spirit intercedes asks prays viz. by the Saints who are his Instruments whose hearts he moves excites and governs God knows what the Spirit means viz. to direct the Prayers of the Saints according to God by suggesting to them those things to be prayed for which may serve for the glory of God Grotius in Pole's Synopsis I have insisted the larger upon this Text and Matter because I find a strange Interpretation of the words in a Learned and Reverend Authour wherein he carries all this Assistance in Prayer to the Spirit of Christ's interceding and praying for us at the Right Hand of his Father where he always makes Intercession for us So that when we Pray but know not ourselves what is best nor consequently what we ought to pray for particularly Health Wealth or Honour then Christ joyns his helping Hand to ours joyns his All-wise and Divine Prayers for that which he knows we most want to our Prayers and so helps to relieve us in all our Distresses And he that searcheth the hearts c. Paraphrase and then God that knoweth our wants exactly understands also the desire and intention of the Spirit of Christ This Interpretation you see is contrary to the current of Expositors both Popish and Protestant Grotius and Beza and turns these two Verses which carry so much matter of Support and Consolation in them only upon the Intercession of Christ in Heaven which indeed is a most Comfortable Article of our Faith but why should we be robb'd and despoiled of the Comfort of the Advocate on Earth which our Lord hath sent us to supply his absence from us by making Intercession within us as he doth without us most effectually at his Father's Right Hand I meet with one that says upon this Paraphrase these words Those that say that by the spirit that helpeth our infirmities Ver. 26. is meant Christ by his Spirit praying for us in Heaven can neither make it agree with the Context nor prove that the Spirit groaneth in Heaven or is called our Intercessor there but within us And so I pass to the 28 Verse And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God Verse 28 to them who are called acording to his purpose After the Apostle had reckoned up and insisted upon these five several Priviledges which the sanctified Person is invested with he seems to come in a general way to
conclude that not only all these things mentioned but all other things whatsoever do work together for good to them that love God The whole Creation groans for their Deliverance they Groan within themselves for their glorious State and the Spirit helps them in their Groanings and to further Groanings in Prayer beyond all Words and Expressions even to meanings which God knows and God alone and they shall all be answered in full Returns not a Sigh or a Groan lost sent out from them that love God from them that are effectually called according to his purpose For I question not but all things are done according to purpose which lies hid as I may humbly say in the breast of God According to the purpose of Eternal Ages as the Phrase is Eph. 3.11 Which he made or purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then it follows as it were occasionally from this Expression called according to his purpose Ver. 29. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son Verse 29 that he might be the first-born amongst many brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whem he called Verse 30 them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified The Purpose of God is so strongly made that it goes thorough and thorough with the whole train of Successive glorious Effects and this demonstrates a Wonderful Co-operation for good to those that love God to those that are called according to his Purpose Onely I must here honestly offer my Apprehensions in this most profound-Matter for I would deal honestly with all the World and especially with the Church of God And my chief Observation upon this Golden Chain as it is well called is this That the first Link of the Chain which is fastened to the Mercy-seat and all the World can never loose it thence is fore-knowledge whom he did fore-know which I humbly conceive is meant of God's fore-sight * Quos praescivit nempe tales per ductum Gratiae suae consensum liberae Voluntatis futuros bene victuros vel Gratiae oblatae assensuros vel credituros in fide perseveraturos Sic exponunt Chrysost Theodoret. Hieronymus c. Pole in loc The English is this Whom he did fore-know viz. that they would be such through the conduct of Grace and the consent of their own Free-will as would live well assent to Grace offered would believe and persevere in Faith what Men would do placed under such and such circumstances and thereupon did predestinate call justifie and glorifie in his eternal and irrefragable Purpose And so I dismiss the great Subject of these two Verses only I shall remark upon the 29th Verse Whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born amongst many brethren That though Men have a true liberty of will in their choice of and adhering unto Christ yet God did not leave the whole issue and success of things to the liberty of Men but fore-seeing what Men would do purposed and decreed to do more for them infinitely than they could themselves do in carrying on the work of Grace in them so that Christ should not be an Head without a Body and a First-born without Brethren but the First-born amongst many Brethren And this fore-knowledge of God what Men would do in believing and returning to God is as easie for us to conceive of as it is how God should foresee that Adam would certainly fall when it was in his power to have stood and yet this certain fore-knowledge of God must be allowed in a matter perfectly free for ought that we know or else the purpose of sending Christ as a Saviour which was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could never have been made by the All-wise Jehovah What shall we say then Verse 31 if God be for us who can be against us As much as to say The whole matter of our salvation is a certain well-laid inexpugnable thing if we are but once brought over to God if we are once well convinced of sin by the Law and see our need of Christ if Christ become precious to us and our only deliverer if we are by him freed from the Curse and Condemnation of the Law and have the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus setting us free from the Law of Sin and Death if we have the impossible thing of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrought in us that is if we are enabled to walk after the Spirit and no longer after the Flesh if we have been taught to mortifie the Deeds of the Body and so come to be led by the Spirit to call God Father by a Spirit of Adoption are content to suffer with Christ to long for his presence and groan after it we need not question but all things shall work together for our good we shall find ourselves effectually called and therefore elected Make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 We have no other way to know our Election but by our Calling and then and not till then can we take comfort in the Doctrine of Election namely when we may have ground to hope that the golden Chain hath fastened upon us and if so what can harm us if God be for us who can be against us unless they can be too hard for God Now from hence the Apostle runs on with a clear and triumphant Argumentation Verse 32. He that spared not his own Son Verse 32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things This is the clearest Argument in the World we have no reason to doubt of the good will of God for our final salvation and therefore present happiness for he that gives us the greatest gift he could give will never deny us the small matters of the World if they be good for us This Argument is like that of our Saviour's He that gave us Life will give us Food he that gave us Body will give us Rayment a majori ad minus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifies Verse 33 And if we be interested in election by effectual calling who shall lay any thing to our charge in judgment when he that is to be our judge and whose approbation alone justifies will justifie us Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died and so took off our condemnation Verse 34 by suffering the penalty of out sin and he that died is not dead yea rather that is risen again who is ever at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us The Spirit in us and for us here on Earth and Christ for us in Heaven What abundant Consolation is here He that died for us on Earth to free us from Death and Hell is ascended to Heaven and there maketh intercession for us
that is wholly addicted to and commanded by the lusts or desires of their flesh I take it to be all one with that Expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that are after the flesh only there may be this little difference that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the state and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies conversation as walking after the flesh or according to the motions and dictates of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscator and Beza say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so then or therefore but others sav 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then it must be translated Now they that are in the flesh cannot please God and therefore the righteousness of the Law is not fulfilled in them This I take to be the most genuine Interpretation And this Verse is confessed to be the Conclusion of the whole Argumentation of the Verses foregoing But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of God dwell in you Now the Apostle hath done with the Argumentation beginning from the first Verse which Argumentation I take to be directed against the state of the Man under convictions in the seventh Chapter And so speaks to his converted Romans Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit with this caution If so be that the spirit of God dwell in you For every Man that hath received the Gospel sincerely and betaken himself to Christ and his Righteousness from the Condemnations and accidental Irritations of the Law hath the Spirit of God dwelling in him for the Gospel is the Ministration of the Spirit which the Law is not Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Verse 9 This Expression you see is doubled and therefore needs the greater consideration and serious reflection of every Man upon himself to know his state by I cannot here stay to make discovery how a Man may come to know whether he hath the Spirit of God and of Christ which is much or all one and it is the less necessary for me to do it because the Apostle himself in several Verses following makes the discovery himself by several high and glorious effects of the Spirit 's inhabitation And if Christ be in you that is by his Spirit the body is dead because of sin Verse 10 but the spirit is life because of righteousness I fancy or apprehend this to be the meaning of these dark Expressions for which I shall seriously consult Expositors Dr. Hammond Pole and Marlorate and give any thing that I find in them which I think considerable But I presume first here to give my own thoughts for which I beg the Reader 's pardon If Christ be in you by his Spirit the body is dead because of sin that is your Flesh and Body by which you were heretofore strongly impelled and as it were forced on to the commission of all sorts of sin is dead * Piscator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod ad peccâ—tion scuratione peccati ne scilicet possit amplius nos impellere ad petulanter peccandum as to sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of sin propter or secundum where I imagine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have the force of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this I am sure is less straining than to use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Piscator and Beza do and our English Translators in the eighth Verse So then they c. Tho' Pole tells us from another Author Tolet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I take it is never so used But to make good this Exposition see how the sence seems to force it If Christ be in you the body is dead because of or as to sin That is the Flesh in its Lusts is mortified I am sure this is true Divinity But the spirit is life in the abstract or alive in the concrete that it may answer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead in the Antithesis in the words that is Whereas when you were without the Spirit of Christ the Flesh and the Body was alive and regnant and the Law of the Members warred against the Law of the Mind or Spirit and had the better of it and brought you into captivity to the Law of Sin which Law of Sin was in the Members in the Flesh and Body Now this Body this rampant Flesh unbridled Lust which had cast off the Bridle of the Spirit and the Law of the Mind and Conscience which ought to have ruled the Flesh this Body is dead not simply but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Body is dead in the matter of Sin so that you need not obey Sin in the lustings of the Body though the Body hath its desires still of eating and drinking c. yet it hath not those strong impetuous irregular desires that it had but is dead in a great measure because of Sin or as to Sin But the * Significat spiritum hominis tum ob Antithesin Corporis Spiritus tum extollat v. seq Animam five rationalem partem gratia Christi renovatam Estius ex Oecumen Cass spirit is life or greatly alive because of righteousness or as to the matter of Righteousness Now the Law of the Mind prevails over the Law of the Members you are alive to God and Righteousness and Holiness But if the spirit of him that is God the Father that raised up Christ from the dead Verse 11 dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your morted bâ—dies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Here I confess I have a peculiar Notion which I have been hammering at these thirty Years but I will assure thee Reader that it is honest and will lead thee into no dangerous Errour and therefore consider it If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you That is in your mortal Body in which the Apostle forbids that Sin should reign Rom. 6.12 I say this mortal Body shall not only be dead as to the matter of Sin which is affirmed in the 10th Verse and is a great attainment by the Spirit of Christ's dwelling in us The World is well altered with such a Man that whereas his Flesh did rule and lead him captive to the Law of Sin now this Flesh and this mortal Body of his should be dead as to the matter of Sin this I say is a great attainment and a blessed alteration from his former state But this is not all no the chiefest thing is yet behind
raised Christ's dead body out of the Grave and if ye be guided by that animated and quickned by that live a pious and holy life there is no doubt but God will raise your mortal Bodies out of the Graves also by the power of the same Spirit that raised Christ's As for Pole's Synopsis I have read over all that he saith upon these Verses and you see what I have gotten out of him from Piscator Calvin Estius and others towards my sence and as he hath all the sences of divers Authors so in it you have this of Dr. Hammond Now for Marlorat I find the same Quotation out of Calvin that Pole hath upon these words Vivificabit Mortalia Corpora vestra He shall also quicken your mortal Bodies Mortalia Corpora vocat quiequid adbuc restat in nobis Morti obuoxium ut mos est illi usitatus crassiorem nostri partem hoc nomine appellare ut jam saepe dictum est Vnde colligimus non de ultima Resurrectione quae momento fiet haberi Sermonem sed de continua Spiritus operatione qua reliquias Carnis paulatim mortificans coelestem Vitam in nobis instaurat In English thus St. Paul calls that our mortal Bodies whatsoever yet remains in us liable to death as it is an usual Custom with him to call our grosser part by that name as I have often already said Whence we gather that he doth not here speak of the last Resurrection which shall be done in a moment by the Spirit of Christ and of God but of the continual Operation of the Spirit in us whereby mortifying by little and little the relicks and remainders of the Flesh he doth renew and establish an heavenly Life in us And so I have done with the 10 11 12 13 Verses For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Verse 14 I am now past the discourse of Sanctification by Faith as brought about by Gospel-Principles and impossible to be effected by the Law or attained unto by a legal Spirit or frame of Heart and I come to some other high Priviledges which a Man Sanctified attains unto The first is he is led by the spirit of God and so secondly is one of the Sons of God I shall hasten now with as much brevity as I can to the end of this Chapter And such a one is not only a Son but is in a very fair way to understand and to have the boldness of a Son in the presence of God For ye have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear Verse 15 This Expression seems to have an eye and respect to the Old-Testament Dispensation we in the Dispensation of the Gospel have not received the Spirit of Bondage again as they did under the Law who though they were truly and really under the Covenant of Grace yet their Dispensation looked much like Law and accordingly their Spirits were low and legal and they were more like Servants than Sons as you have it professedly and at large discoursed in Gal. 4.1 2 3. to the end of the 7th Verse Verse 15 And Gal. 3.22 23 24. Ye have received the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba Father Ye Romans have received the Spirit by which same Spirit we Christians of all Nations cry Abba Father for the Saints drink all into one Spirit according to that Article of our Creed the Communion of Saints The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits Verse 16 That we are the Children of God There are two Spirits spoken of in one Verse the Spirit itself that is the Spirit of God bâ—areth witness with our Spirits that is with our Consciences being enlightned by the Spirit of God and renewed thereby and restored to its empire over the Flesh by which renovation we are made the Children of God that we are the Children of God First we must be the Children of God and then the Spirit of God can and will bear witness to this Truth that so it is unless our Consciences can bear this Testimony the Spirit will not cannot bear such a Testimony because it is a Spirit of Truth And if children Verse 17 then heirs See how the Priviledge rises all Children among Men are not Heirs but all God's Children are Heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs or Co-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together See what little reason we have to be asraid of Suffering if we suffer for a good Cause and with a good Conscience Phil. 1.29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but to suffer for his name It is an additional Gift to that of Faith to suffer for the Name of Christ to bear the Cross is the way to the Crown but we are apt to have dastardly and cowardly Thoughts and Spirits St. Paul was quite of another mind as he shews in the next Verse For I reckon Verse 18 that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us This is the third Priviledge that a Sanctified Man hath viz. Courage in the midst of all sorts of suffering for Christ and that upon this account namely the inconceiveable Glory which he is to receive which will be so great when it comes that the whole groaning World waits with earnest expectation to see the blessed Time when the Saints shall receive this Glory and what Comfort should the Saints themselves then take in the Expectation of it and what Patience should they excercise in the mean time For the earnest expectation of the creature Verse 19 waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God this with the 20 21 22 I shall not meddle with as containing no doubt a great Mystery which good and learned Men are divided about and which I confess I do not understand but thus much is evident that there is a wonderfull Glory to come for the Saints and that this life is a suffering life but so ordered for the Saints that they have great cause of Patience nay Joy and Glorying in all their Tribulations seeing the whole suffering and groaning World is contented under their sufferings meerly with the Expectation they have and Participation that they shall have of the Saints Glory for it is said Verse 21. That the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God This is a groaning time There are three sorts of Groans 1st That of the whole Creation 2dly That of the Saints Verse 23. 3dly The Spirit of God also maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered The First sort of Groans I have passed over with a Confession of my Ignorance only that we see the sad effects of sin in which the brute Creatures suffer The Second sort of Groans we may and ought to understand And