SERMON XVII.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.-ROMANS VIII. 1.

THESE words may be considered as an inference drawn from the close of the former chapter: the contents of that chapter are like a dark cloud which casts a gloom, but the beginning of this, is like the breaking forth of the sun, to shed a lustre, and to afford hope and felicity. The text is the language of holy gratitude, and of divine triumph, for although the Christian finds cause of sorrow in himself, yet in Christ he has a spring of perpetual joy. The passage before us, will lead to a view of the nature and extent of that privilege it exhibits, the present enjoyment of it, and to a consideration of those who are interested therein.

I. The nature and extent of the great privilege here mentioned. Condemnation signifies "to find guilty," or "to doom to punishment." It is a law term, pronounced by the judge, and stands opposed to acquittal, or justification; hence, in Rom. viii. 33, 34, "It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?" God is the judge, all the

human race must appear at his tribunal; the law and gospel will be the rules of judgment; the impenitent and unbelieving will be condemned, and the real Christian pronounced justified. However secret some of the characters, and circumstances, the day will declare it. In confirming this definition of the word, I would refer you to John v. 24, and Rom. v. 16, 18. To be condemned, then, is to be treated as guilty, to be doomed to misery, to be exposed to the just displeasure of God, and banished from his presence, kingdom, and bliss ; but freedom from this, is to be treated as a just person, to be delivered from wrath and misery, and as more is implied than expressed, it is to have a title to eternal safety and boundless glory. This partly leads us to a view of its extent, "no condemnation." I am not partial to the way of treating subjects negatively, but sometimes it may be proper, and I think it so upon this subject; permit me therefore to remark,

First. It does not intimate, that they are exempted from the heavy censures of their fellowcreatures; through the ignorance, carnality, and malice of others, Christians may have many sit in judgment upon them, and many tongues rise up against them to condemn; they may be condemned as unwise, and designing, as superstitious, and hypocritical. We are not to marvel if the world hate them, and proceed to condemn them without cause; in this they become conformed to their Lord and Head; nor,

Second. Are we to understand, that every part of the Christian's conduct is faultless. They do not in every thing obtain the approbation of God. We cannot too much avoid that antinomian tenet, that God is not displeased with the sins of his people, yea, that he does not in any sense see sin in them; this sentiment opposes the perfection of Deity; either his omniscience, or his purity; for if omniscient he must see, and if pure he must detest moral evil, in every place or degree. Consider, also, the scriptural representations of affliction to the people of God. 2 Sam. xii. 14. Witness Moses, Eli, David, Jonah, and Peter; they are represented as being corrected, which implies that God beheld that which is amiss; not that these will affect their everlasting safety, for Christ atones, and intercedes, 1 John ii. 1, and the Spirit gives penitence; hence, they return from their backslidings, knowing it to be both foolish and sinful to depart from God and his ways, and confess the truth we are now establishing, in the words of David, Psalm li., we have sinned and done evil in thy sight. But positively we,

Third. Consider them as exempt from the penal consequence of sin, and preserved from every part of the curse pronounced by the broken law, the violated covenant of works. Now as to the extent

of this mercy, it may be considered in reference to their persons, their enjoyments, and their afflictions. Their persons are "delivered from the wrath to come," both the body, and the mind;

their enjoyments also are free from the curse, their habitation is blessed, they are blessed in the basket and store, Deuteronomy xxviii. 2. 6; and although many are their afflictions, yet they are not to be viewed as the effects of anger and wrath, but of parental care, and beneficial discipline. See Heb. xii. 5. 11. Happy state! to be justified in our persons, sanctified in our enjoyments, and even our sorrows blest, and thus all things "working together for our good."

"there is there

II. This is a present enjoyment; fore now no condemnation." The manner in which this is exhibited may be represented,

First. In opposition to a former state. The believer was once "under the law," and so under the curse;" he was a sinner before God, and exposed to that denunciation, "the soul that sinneth shall die;" he was once a child of wrath even as others; without admitting this, he could not acknowledge Christ as his "deliverer from the wrath to come," nor sing of recovering grace; but," where sin reigned unto death grace has abounded," and the soul has passed from its former state of "death unto eternal life." But,

Second. In distinction from futurity. In the great day of God the absolving sentence will pass upon the people of God, in the presence of an assembled world; but they are now in possession of the safety then more fully to be known, and this is not only declared in the divine word, but they often receive gracious intimations of the same, by