Rom. 8 Rom. 8:1–4 Under the gospel we are free from condemnation, walking after the Spirit. Rom. 8:5–8 The evil of being carnally minded, and the good of being spiritually minded. Rom. 8:9–11 Christians have God’s Spirit to guide and assist them, Rom.

There is therefore now; seeing things are so as I have said, since believers do not allow themselves in sin, Rom. 7:15, and are in part delivered from it, as Rom. 8:25, therefore it follows as it is here. No condemnation; or no one condemnation.

The law of the Spirit of life; some understand hereby the doctrine of the gospel, which is called the law of the Spirit of life, because it is the ministry of the Spirit and of life.

In this verse is a further proof of the main proposition in Rom. 8:1. There are two things in sin that may endanger us as to condemnation, the power and the guilt of it. As to the freeing us from the former, viz.

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us: here is another end of God’s sending his Son, as before; it was that he might perfectly fulfil the righteousness of the law in or for us, which for us ourselves to do in our own persons was utterly impossible; and yet upon which (as being…

For they that are after the flesh; i.e. that are carnal and unregenerate persons, in a mere natural state. Do mind the things of the flesh; either such things as are absolutely evil, and are called, the works of the flesh, Gal.

In this verse we have an account of the different end of those that are carnal and spiritual, as in the former we had a description of their different carriage and disposition. For to be carnally minded is death; i.e. to be of that temper before described, Rom.

Neither can the carnal man look for any better issue, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. He doth not say it is an enemy, but in the abstract, it is enmity, which heightens and intends the sense: an enemy may be reconciled, as Esau was to Jacob; but enmity cannot be reconciled; as black…

So then; this verse is a consectary, or it follows from that which went before. They that are in the flesh; not they which are married, as a pope once expounded it; the next verse refels such an absurd conception; but they that are carnal and unregenerate; the same with those who, in Rom.

Here he applies what he had laid down more generally to the believing Romans in particular. Not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; i.e. not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, ( as in Rom. 8:5), or not carnally, but spiritually minded.

If Christ be in you; before he said, the Spirit of God and Christ dwelt in them; here, Christ himself. Christ dwells in believers by his Spirit. The body is dead because of sin: by body some understand the corrupt and unregenerate part in the godly, as if that were as good as dead in them.

Him that raised up Jesus from the dead; a periphrasis of God the Father. The Son raised himself, John 2:19, John 10:18; and yet the Father is said here to raise him from the dead: see notes on Rom. 1:4.

Therefore; this illative particle sends us to the things before delivered: q.d. Seeing we are not in the flesh, but have the Spirit of God dwelling in us; not only sanctifying and enlivening our souls for the present, but raising and quickening our bodies for the time to come; therefore we are…

If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; viz. eternally, and never partake of the glorious resurrection before spoken of. The godly themselves need this caution; they must not think, that because they are elected and justified, &c., that therefore they may do and live as they list.

This proves the latter part of the foregoing verse: Such as by the Spirit do mortify sin, shall live, for they are the sons of God; and that appears, because they are led by the Spirit of God.

This verse proves the former, that we are led by the Spirit of God, and are his children, and that by an effect of the Spirit in them, which is to enable them to call God Father.

The Spirit of adoption doth not only excite us to call upon God as our Father, but it doth ascertain and assure us (as before) that we are his children.

And if children, then heirs; there is a parallel text in Gal. 4:7. It is not so with the children of earthly princes: see 2 Chron. 21:3. Joint-heirs with Christ; or co-heirs with Christ; he is our elder Brother, and is not ashamed to call us brethren: the inheritance is his by nature, ours by…

For I reckon; i.e. I make account, I certainly conclude: see Rom. 3:28. The word is borrowed either from arithmeticians, who by casting their accounts do find the true and total sum; or from logicians, who by considering the premises do draw the conclusion.

The apostle Peter, speaking of the Epistles of our apostle, in 2 Pet. 3:16, saith, that there are some things in them hard to be understood; and some think, by reflecting upon some particular passages in that chapter, he doth more especially respect this context; there is indeed a great deal of…

If these words be understood of the world, and all the creatures therein contained, then they show the creature’s present condition; it is subject to vanity, and that, either in regard of its insufficiency, it falling short of that for which it was first created and ordained; then a thing is said…

If this verse be understood of the heavens and the earth, and the things therein, the meaning is, that the creatures, in their kind, and according to their capacity, shall be partakers of that liberty and freedom, which in the children of God is accompanied with unspeakable glory; they shall not…

If here again the heavens and the earth, with what is therein, be understood, then the apostle further enlargeth upon their present state and condition; before they waited and expected deliverance, now they groan and travail in pain.

The apostle had asserted and concluded, Rom. 8:18, that there is a future glory to be revealed hereafter in the saints, such as infinitely transcends their sufferings now; and this he had confirmed from the earnest expectation of the creature, (the pronoun they is not in the original), and now he…

Though we certianly believe there is such a redemption or salvation belonging to us, according to the promise of God, yet for the present we have no possession of it; all the salvation we have at present is in hope, which, according to the nature of it, is of things not yet enjoyed, for vision or…

q.d. If we indeed hope for redemption and salvation, which is out of sight, then it is meet that we do with patience digest and bear all our present evils and sufferings; true hope is accompanied always with a patient waiting for the things hoped for; therefore you read of the patience of hope, 1…

Likewise: this referreth us, either to the work of the Spirit, before noted, Rom. 8:11; he quickeneth, and he likewise helpeth: or rather, to hope, in the foregoing verse; hope helpeth to patience, so also the Spirit.

He that searcheth the hearts; this phrase is a periphrasis of God, and is spoken of him after the manner of men. God doth not properly search or inquire into any thing; but because amongst men knowledge comes by searching, therefore, by way of resemblance, this is attributed to God, though that…

Another argument to comfort us under the cross, from the benefits of it; We know that all things, &c. It is not matter of guess only and conjecture, but of certainty and assurance. How is this known? 1. By the testimony of God; the Scripture tells us as much, Ps. 128:1–2, Isa. 3:10. 2.

Having let fall a word in the former verse concerning the purpose of God, he thinks good, in what follows, to pursue that subject, and a little to enlarge upon it. Whom he did foreknow; i.e.

He hath already given them the beginning and pledge thereof in grace; and will in due time bring them to the possession of eternal life and glory. Some, under this term of glorification would have sanctification included; because, otherwise, they think there is a great defect in this chain of…

What shall we then say to these things? Some refer this question to what is said in the verses immediately preceding: others, to what he had said, Rom. 8:28; and others go higher, and refer it to all that he said before.

He that spared not his own Son: this phrase either shows the bounty of God, that he did not withhold Christ; or the severity of God, that he did not favour, but afflict and punish him, Isa. 53:4–5, Isa. 53:11. But delivered him up: see Acts 2:23.

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? Who can implead such, or put in any accusation against them? There is nothing to accuse them of, they are justified; and there is none to accuse them: It is God that justifieth; the Supreme Judge hath absolved them.

Who is he that condemneth? As none can accuse the elect of God, so much less can any condemn them, see Rom. 8:1. It is Christ that died; and it is he that is the Judge, and must condemn them, if they be condemned.

Who shall separate us? He continues his triumph: he does not say what, but who; though he instanceth in things, and not in persons, yet it is expressed personally, because that these things do commonly do us hurt in the improvement of persons, whether of Satan or wicked men, who are instrumental…

He cites this testimony to prove that none of the forementioned evils, no, not death itself, can separate believers from the love of Christ: it is taken out of Ps. 44:22.

Nay, in all these things; i.e. in tribulation, distress, & c. as before, Rom. 8:35. We are more than conquerors; or, we overcome. We conquer when we ourselves are conquered; we conquer by those which are wont to conquer others; we beat our enemies with their own weapons.

For I am persuaded; or, I am fully assured, not by any special revelation, but by the same spirit of faith, which is common to all believers, 2 Cor. 4:13. Neither death, nor life; i.e. neither fear of death, nor hope of life. Nor angels. 1.

Nor height, nor depth; i.e. neither the height of honour and worldly advancement, nor the depth of disgrace and worldly abasement. Some take height and depth for a comprehensive expression, which the Scripture uses, when he takes in all, and leaves nothing out.