SERMONS upon SERMON XII. ROM. VIII. 9. -- Nom if any have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his. N the Context, we have an Afferrion of a general Truth, There is no condem- nation to then: who are in Chrifi left's, who walk not after the flefh, but after the fpirit. We have this Application in the beginning of this VerCe, left any fhould raife up a vain confidence that they were in Chrift, and therefore freed from Condemnation, without regarding what he had before Paid, expounding him - felf, v. i. who walk not after the flefh, but after the fpirit he here further adds as an Application of the propofition, he who bath not the Spirit of Chrifi, is none of his 5 which becaufe they were Chriftians in profelïion, was more accomodate to them. Here Obferve, Doâ. That all true Chriflians have the fpirit of Chrift. r. I fuppofe there are Chriflians, or Chrifts Difciples in name, and Difciples indeed, John 8. 31. As anlfraelite indeed, John e. 47. Rom. 2. 29: the Apoftlediftinguifheth of a jewin the letter, and a Jew in the fpirit. So by tuft analogy and proportion, there are Chriflians in the letter, that have the outfide of Chriftians,but not the life and power. We are only Chriflians in name and Profef$on, till we have the fpirit. 2. I affert, That which difriminateth the one from the other, is the having the fpirit. 'Tis a mark both exclufive aid inclufrve; fome marks are exclufive, but not inclufve, John 1. 47. He that is of God, heareth Gods word: Ye therefore hear them not, becaufe ye are not of God, that is exclufive. Ails 13. 46. But feeing ye put away the word of God from yea, and judg your felves unworthy of eternal life 5 that is alto exclufive 5 but if we depend upon thefe marks,we put a falle reafoning upon our fouls, Jam. 1.22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceivingyour own fouls, oweso,s3 aNwrot, There are it/chi/lye, marks but not exclufive, as Rom. 9. 1, 2, 3. I fay the truth inChri i, I lye not, my confcience a fo bearing me witnefs in the Holy.Gho. fl that I have great heavi- nefs and continual f rrore in my heart ; for I could with that my felf were aceurfed from Chrifi for my brethren, my kinfinen according to the fefh. They that can prefer a publicle good before their own perfonal eternal interell, have an undoubted evidence of their love to Chrift; but we cannot fay that none love Chrift, but thofe which arrive at that height and degree : But this is both exclufìveand inclufve. The Text fheweth it to be exclufive ;he that hath not the fpirit, is none of his : That is, not grafted as a living mem- ber into Chrifts myflical body for the prefent, nor will hebe accepted or approved as a true Chriflian at lau at the day of Chrilts appearing; to be none ofChrifts,istobedii owned and difclaimed by Chrift ; Depart from me, I knowyou not. How grievous is the thought of it to any good Chriflian? Secondly, 'Tis inclufve, r John 2. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in God, and he in us, becaufe he hash given us of his Spirit. Thefe are magnificent Words, and fuch as we Ihould not have ufed, if God had not ufed them before us. 'Tis much nearnefs todwell one with another, 'tis more nearnefs to dwell one in another; this is mutual and reciprocal between God and a believer ; if ive have his Spirit, we may fafely conclude it. To prove this,let us fee, 1. What
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=