thefe two go beft in others arms, and each ftrengthens and rectifies the other: We grene, fays ke, waiting, &c. IV. When we see the creatures groaning under the curfe inflicted for our fault, and by a fecret inftinct defiring and look ing for the day of redemption, it should ftrongly convince us of our fin in fhortcoming in, and fpur us up to, this duty of groning and waiting, as being afhamed to be outftriped by the fenfeless and irrational creatures, and to have our flackness in this duty condemned by their carriage and deportment: Not only fo, but we alfo grone, or at left fhould grone, and that to much the more that they do fo. V. The Chrift hath purchafed completely what may serve to make his own happy here and hereafter, even grace and glory, and all things which ferve to make them up; yet the infinitely wife God hath thought fir to keep them from the poffef fion of the full for a while, that they may be keeped in exercife, and God may get glory thereby; and all that he gives them now is but arles, and the first-fruits: We who have the firft-fruits of the Spirit. VI. Believers tho' they have an intereft in Christ, and thro' faith in him have an undoubted right to glory; yet thro' the corruption of a falfe heart, and the conti nual affaults of Satan, that grand fophifter, they are ready to doubt oftentimes, and call in question their right to the inheritanee, and therefore have need of arles, or fomething to ground their hope and expectation, and affure them of their intereft; and God is most willing that they fhould have hope and confidence, and therefore has given them of his Spirit, as first-fruits, to affure them that a good harvest is com ing: We have the firft-fruits of the Spirit. See 2 Cor. i. 22. Eph. i. 14. VII. The Lord's beftowing his Spirit upon believers, to work grace in them, and fo to lay the foundation of an everlafting building, fhould ferve to confirm and perfuade them of the truth of God's promifes, and affure them that they fhall certainly enjoy the purchafed poffeffion; and alfo to move them to hope, and wait in patience, be their prefent lot what it will; for the apoftle makes ufe of this, to ftir them to a waiting for the adoption, that they have the first fruits of the Spirit; We who have the first-fruits of the Spirit,---wait, or fhould at leaft fo much the more do fo: and it is the little looking to the graces of God's Spirit in them, that makes them much question their right to glory, and their darkness in this, occafions much fainting in adverfity: The fiftfruits give affurance of a harveft coming, and of a good crop. VIII. Howbeit God's children receive of the gifts and graces of his Spirit hereaway, fome in a greater measure, and fome in a leffer measure; and to fome of them the Lord doth communicate of his gifts and graces in a large meafure, yea, and. manifefteth himlelf in a lively refreshful manner, beding abroad his love in their hearts, Rom. v. 5. and fo perfuading them of his good-will towards them, having peace fpoken to their confciences, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. xiv. 17.; yet all this, and whatever elfe they do or can enjoy in a prefent world, is but little in comparison of that which is laid up in ftore for them, against the day when they fhall be put in poffeffion of the full inheritance; it is but like the arles to the bargain, and the first-fruits to the full harveft; therefore all that they get on this fide of eternity, is called but the firit-fruits of the Spirit; We have received the first-fruits of the Spirit. IX. As the graces which God worketh. in the fouls of his children, may fully perfuade them, that he who hath begun a good work in them, will alfo pertect the fame in his own time, and at length give them the full harveft, and fo may abundantly encourage them to endure the worst of difpenfations patiently; fo the more of God's grace be in a foul, they will grone the dage and flavery, and that by the laying down of a ransom : See Eph. i. 14. and iv. 30. the more, that they are abfent in the body from the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 2. 4. Phil. i. 23. and defire the more to be diffolved, and to be with Chrift; grace will not puff them up, but make them mourn more under a body of death, and a weight of corruption, at leaft it fhould do fo: We who have the firft-fruits of the Spirit, do grone. X. Tho' the elect, upon their actual believing in, and joining in covenant with Chrift, have a right to the promises and privileges belonging to the children of God, and are ferved heirs thereunto, John i. 12. and Rom. viii. 14. yet the day is but coming when they fhall actually be put in poffeffion of that whereof they have infeftment already, and fhall be fully bleffed in enjoying the company of their Father for ever and ever: the day of adoption is waited for; waiting for the adoption. XI. Tho' Chrift made a full and complete fatisfaction, for his own, to juftice, and laid down a full price for all the benefits which believers enjoy here or hereafter; yet is the actual communication or application of thefe good things purchafed, fufpended for a while; and though believers receive many of thefe good things hereaway, as pardon of fins, and the like, Eph. i. 7. Col. i. 14. and at death get their fouls put in poffeffion of glory; yet will they not have the whole of what is purchased, till death be fwallowed up; the redemption reacheth even to our bodies at the laft day, and is waited for; waiting for the redemption of our bodies. XII. Tho' now our bodies be fubject to much mifery, pains, ficknefs, and the like, and muft at length corrupt and rot away, fo that after our death, worms shall destroy our bodies, Job xix. 26.; yet thefe very bodies of ours fhall be fully delivered in the great day from all fin and mifery, death and corruption, and that by virtue of the death and purchase of Chrift; therefore it is called the redemption of our bodies; which word fignifieth a full and every way complete deliverance out of bon VERSES 24. 25. For we are faved by bope: But hope that is feen, is not hope for what a man feeth, why doth be yet hope for? But if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. FOR the farther clearing of this duty of waiting for the adoption, and the full redemption of our bodies, he sheweth, how the hearts of believers are fupported in the mean while when they want the poffeffion of what Chrift has purchased, or what their main exercife fhould be; and thereby evinceth, that the full poffeffion of what is purchased, is yet but to come, and that therefore they should wait for it with patience. Take up the argument thus: If believers have at present the poffeffion of full and final falvation only by hope, then the full poffeffion is yet to come, and therefore they ought to wait for it with patience: But fo it is that all the poffeffion of falvation which they have at prefent is by hope; therefore fays he, We are faved by hope: Hope is that which keeps up our head now, and whereby we win to the actual poffeffion of the inheri tance. The first part of the confequence he fets down, verfe 24. in thefe words, But hope that is feen, is not hope; for what a man feeth, why doth be yet hope for? As if he had faid, If we are now to hope for the adoption, then the full adoption, complete redemption, is not yet attained, nor seen, for what a man feeth, he needeth not hope for; the thing hoped for (for that is it which he meaneth, when he fays, But hope that is seen,) is always a thing which is not in poffeffion, but out of fight. The next is fet down, verse 25. But if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it: As if he had faid, Seeing hope is only for that which we we fee not, and we do indeed hope, then fhould we with patience wait for that which hope eyeth, or for the adoption, or the redemption of our bodies. OBSERVATIONS. I., Though believers have not, nor yet fhall have actual and full poffeffion of the inheritance of life purchafed, until the day of the redemption of all things, when their bodies fhall be made incorruptible; yet even here-away their hearts are kept up, and notwithstanding of the many ftoris in their faces, and contrary tides of fad difpenfations which they meet with, yet they have, or at leaft may have, a life of it, would they do their duty, and make ufe of the grounds allowed; thus are they faid to be faved, even here-away. Il. It is true and faving hope (which is a grace of the Spirit of God, whereby a believer, having his faith grounded upon the promifes, and looking to God's goodness, power, and truth, in promifing and accomplishing what is promifed, doth furely expect the thing promifed.) which keeps up the head of a believer above the warer, and keeps him from finking under difcouragement; hence it is called a lively hope, 1 Pet. i. 3. and is as an anchor, Heb. iv. 19. and a helmet, 1 Theff. v. 8.; thus we are faid to be faved by hope. III. Though the hope of the hypocrite fball perish, Job viii. 13. 14. and xi. 20. Prov. xi. 7. being grounded on a fandy foundation, and having no faith to faften its feet on, and fo can yield no life, comfort, or fupport, in a day of darkness or adverfity; yet this hope, which is peculiar to fuch as have received the first fruits of the Spirit, (however the.carnal fenfualists think it impoffible, that ever a man's heart can be keeped up, fo long as his hand is empty, and fenfe is not fatisfied, yet it) is able to quicken him, Pet. i. 3. and fup-. port him in temptations and difcouragements, yea, and give him a life of it, yea, and a life of joy, Rom. v. 3. and xii. 12.; it is able to keep him from fainting or fuccumbing, and is the only way to win to the actual poffeffion; the actual poffeflion; for we are faved by hope. IV. The object of hope is always fomething to come, which is promifed and not yet had in poffeffion, and hope taketh it up even as a thing abfent, which faith gives a kind of fpiritual fubfiftence and being unto, by eyeing the promifes, and relting on them, Heb. xi. 1. Hope that is feen, is not hope; that is, hope cannot be exercifed about that which is feen and poffeffed; hope in the first place, being put for the thing hoped for, as, Col. i. 5. 1 Tim. i. 1. Tit. ii. 13. V. This is only the time for hope to be exercifed, for when once. we are put in full poffeffion, hope fhall ceafe and give way to vifion, 1 Cor. xiii. 13.: For what a man feeth, why doth he yet hope for? VI. True and lively hope takes up its object as fo excellent and good in itself, and to them, that it has always with it a ferious longing defire to be partaker of the good thing hoped for, and a groning thro' grief because of the want of it, for it is the fame we, that were faid to grone, verfe 23. that are now faid to have hope by which they are faved; We are faved by hore. VII. True and lively hope will ride out in a day of ftorm, and make a man look through all impediments that are in his way, and endure tribulation with patience, and will keep up a man's fpirit, fo as he hall not fink under the water of affiictions within or without, but endure to the end: If we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. The stronger and the more lively hope be, the more courage and refolution have we, and the more able are we to endure the worst, and not to flinch or flee back. VIII. True and lively hope will keep a man from freing and grudging at the want of what is expected, and teach him to carry himfeif chriftianly and fubmiffive ly, ly, without venting any difcontentment; and it is the want of this grace in exercife, which makes many give over looking for the crown, and be filled with malecontent ment and quarreling; for hope will caufe one wait with patience: If we hope for that which we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. VERSES 26. 27. Likewife the Spirit alfo helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with gronings which cannot be ut tered. And he that fearcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because be maketh interceffion for the faints, according to the will of God. N% of this, in these words, We know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with gronings which cannot be uttered: that is, when we are under affliction, we are fo confused, jumbled, aud overwhelmed, that we know not how to carry ourfelves, and order our matters, and therefore we have great need of a guide and director; and in particular, we know not what to pray for aright; our minds are fo confuled and perplexed, that we know not well what makes for us, and are ready to feek that which is hurtful; and herein kyths much of our weaknefs, for were we improving prayer aright in the time of affliction, we would be more able to bear the burden than we are; and now when we know not what, nor after what manner, to pray, the Spirit of God makes inWOW the apoftle proceeds unto a terceffion; that is, (not as if he were profourth argument, whereby to en- perly our interceffor, for that is Chrift's courage believers unto a patient and chri-office only, 1 John ii. 1. but) he feteth us ftian way of walking under croffes, and to a willingness to endure them for the caufe of Chrift; and it is taken from the help they have; they have a good fecond to lend them a lift. Tho' afflictions be in. deed fad and heavy, if we confider our ftrength who are to bear them, yet we are not alone under them, the heavieft part is born by the Spirit, and therefore we need not finch nor be difcouraged, though tribulation be like to mafter us. And this encouragement he fets down, 1. in general, with a likewife, kniting it to the forementioned arguments, as of force for that end alfo, faying, The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; that is, the burden of afflictions being too heavy for our weak backs, who have much weaknefs in us, even the best of us, and fo utterly unable to wrestle ourselves alone with croffes, the Spirit of God fteps in, and, as it were, puts his fhoulder under the other end of the load, under which our back is like to crack, and thus helpeth alfo. And, 2. he defcends to a particular, for the more full explication on work, and prompteth us to call upon God with great earneftness and vehemence, for fo the word importeth; fuggefting matter unto us, and bringing the promifes to our memory, John xvi. 13. ftiring up our graces, and ordering our perturbed and perplexed affections; thus he teacheth us to pray; and when we cannot fpeak, he helpeth us with grones, or fighs, which cannot be uttered; fuch feelings, pangs, and gripings of heart, which are fo efficacious and fervent, as none can exprefs, and which poffibly ourfelves take not much notice of, nor perceive, at least know not that fuch are raised and fuggefted by the Spirit, and are forcible prayers unto God. 3. For the further illuftration of this, he obviateth an objection, verfe 27. they might fay, Seeing all the prayers we make are but grones, and fuch grones as cannot be uttered, what the better will we be of them? we cannot well perceive them ourfelves, and how fhall we think to be bet tered thereby? To this he anfwereth What though you do not well understand thef thefe grones, yet God taketh notice of them, for be fearcheth the hearts, he knoweth what lurketh in them, and there is nothing hid from him; and not only doth he, by an act of omniscience, know that there is fuch motions there, but alfo he approveth of them, and graciously accepteth of them; well knows he what they mean, he knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit. And how comes it that he accepteth of these gronings? The answer is added, because he maketh interceffion for the faints, according to the will of God: That is, he helpeth the faints, fuch who are perfectly juftified, and walk perfectly and fincerely, to fend up defires according to the mind of God; both as to the matter, it must be agreeable to the rule; and manner, that is, holily; and for a right end; and thus it is according to God. From Verse 26th OBSERVE, nefs of their back, and fmalinefs of their ftrength, appear; fo that they shall not be able to ftand under the weight of it alone, nor be able to endure without help; therefore fays he, our infirmities, puting himself in the fame category with the reft. IV. As none, having corruption within them and a body of death, which is ready to comply with Satan in every 'temptation, are able to ftand upon their own legs in the day of affliction and temptation, even tho' they have a new nature, and the principle of grace created in them; fo it is only by virtue of the Spirit of God, and the help and affiftance which he affordeth, fupporting their spirits, clearing an outgate, and bearing home the promises upon the heart, that any are kept from fainting and fuccumbing in a day of affliction: The Spirit helpeth our infirmities; that is, the Holy Spirit fendeth down virtue and ftrength, whereby they are made to ftand in the day of battle. V. Albeit the faints of God cannot ftand if they be left to themselves, but will certainly fuccumb and faint in the day of adverfity, but muft be helped and affifted by the Spirit of God; yet this affiftance and aid yielded by the Spirit, doth not make them mere ftocks and ftones, nor loofe them from a patient fuffering of the fame; they muft, not withstanding, be I. It is no eafy matter to get the heart brought to a willingnef, and condefcending fubmiffion unto God's difpenfations in fending fad afflictions; nor to a chriftian and fanctified way of walking under the yoke of affliction; and therefore believers have need of many inducements and ftrong arguments, to ftir them up to this chriftian duty; and the apoftle accumulate:h many moving arguments, and moreover, brings in this with a likewife; Likewife the Spi-wreftling under them, and acting their rit also helpeth, &c. II. Albeit believers be perfectly juftified and reconciled to God, yet being but in part fanctified, there is much corruption yet sticking in them, and much weaknefs, Lything at every occafion, whereby the Lord would have us keeped humble and in exercife, conftantly depending on him for ftrength and fupply: therefore there is mention here made of infirmities; he helpeth our infirmities. III. Afflictions and croffes, how feckless and inconfiderable foever they appear to be, yet they will put the ftrongest that steps to their peremptors, and make the weak graces in bearing them willingly and chearfully; for the Spirit but helpeth our infirmities: Tho' he take a lift of our burden, yet he doth not quite take it of our fhoulders, fo as we are to do nothing; but tho' it be little that we can do without the affiftance of the Spirit, yet are we to fet to our fhoulder, and handfömely take it on. The word here rendered, also helpeth, importeth, a coming in to relieve a man under a burden, which he is not able to bear alone, and fo taking a lift of the other end of the load. VI. It should much encourage and hearten believers, to a chriftian, and subQq miflive |