from
the right to these glorious privileges which may express gloriation and
rejoicing from the heart, that there might be an equality in the body, he
maketh the stronger Christian to partake with the weaker in his bitter
things, and the weaker with the stronger in his sweet things, that none of
them may conceive themselves either despised, or alone regarded, that the
eunuch may not have reason to say, "I am a dry tree," Isa. lvi. 3. For,
behold the Lord will give, even to such, "a place" in his house, and "a
name better than of sons and daughters." The soul that is in sincerity
aiming at this walk, and whose inward desires stir after more of this Holy
Spirit, he will not refuse to such that name and esteem that they dare not
take to themselves because of their seen and felt unworthiness. Now, in
this verse he proceeds further to the fruits and effects of sin dwelling
in us, to enlarge the consolation against that too. Now, If Christ be in
you, the body, &c. Seeing the word of God hath made such a connection
between sin and death, and death is the wages of sin, and that which is
the just recompense of enmity and rebellion against God, the poor troubled
soul might be ready to conceive that if the body be adjudged to death for
sin, that the rest of the wages shall be paid, and sin having so much
dominion as to kill the body, that it should exerce(198) its full power to
destroy all. Seeing we have a visible character of the curse of God
engraven on us in the mortality of our bodies, it may look with such a
visage on a soul troubled for sin, as if it were but earnest of the full
curse and weight of wrath, and that sin were not fully satisfied for, nor
justice fully contented by, Christ's ransom. Now, he opposes to this
misconception the strongest ground of consolation--if Christ be in you,
though your bodies must die for sin, because sin dwelleth in them, yet
that Spirit of life that is in you hath begun eternal life in your souls,
your spirits are not only immortal in being, but that eternal happy being
is begun in you, the seeds of it are cast into your souls, and shall
certainly grow up to perfection of holiness and happiness, and this
through the righteousness of Christ which assureth that state unto you.
The comfort is, it is neither total, for it is only the death of your
body, nor is it perpetual, for your bodies shall be raised again to life
eternal, verse 11. And not only is it only in part, and for a season, but
it