p of life and
immortality," ver. 23.

This is the sum of the gospel, and this is the substance of this chapter.
There is a threefold consolation answerable to our threefold evils there
is "no condemnation to them which are in Christ." Here is a blessed
message to condemned lost sinners who have that sentence within their
breasts, ver. 1. This was the end of Christ's coming and dying, that he
might deliver us from sin as well as death, and the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us, and therefore he hath given the Holy Spirit,
and dwells in us by the Spirit, to quicken us who are "dead in trespasses
and sins." O what consolation will this be to souls, that look upon the
body of death within them, as the greatest misery, and do groan with Paul,
O wretched man that I am! &c., Rom. vii. 24. This is held forth to ver.
17. But because there are many grounds of heaviness and sadness in this
world, therefore the gospel opposes unto all these, both our expectation
which we have of that blessed hope to come, whereof we are so sure, that
nothing can frustrate us of it, and also the help we get in the meantime
of the Spirit to hear our infirmities, and to bring all things about for
good to us, ver. 28. And from all this the believer in Jesus Christ hath
ground of triumph and boasting before the perfect victory,--even as Paul
doth in the name of believers, from ver. 31 to the end. Upon these
considerations, he that cried out not long ago, "O miserable man, who
shall deliver me?" doth now cry out, "who shall condemn me?" The
distressed wrestler becomes a victorious triumpher; the beaten soldier
becomes more than a conqueror. O that your hearts could be persuaded to
hearken to this joyful sound--to embrace Jesus Christ for grace and
salvation! How quickly would a song of triumph in him swallow up all your
present complaints and lamentations!

All the complaints amongst men may be reduced to one of these three. I
hear the most part bemoaning themselves thus: Alas, for the miseries of
this life, this evil world! Alas for poverty, for contempt, for sickness!
Oh! miserable man that I am, who will take this disease away? Who will
show me any good thing, (Psal. iv. 6,) any temporal good? But if ye knew
and considered your latter end, ye would cry out more, ye would refuse to
be comforted, though these miseries were removed. But I hear some
bemoaning themselves more sadly--they have heard the law, and the sentence
of condemnation