Christian predestination : or, the predetermined providential appointment, of them that love God, to

56 Pages·2012·3.27 MB·English

by  Evans, John S

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CHRISTIAN PREDESTINATION
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BE1I1KG AN EXJPOSXTXOIW OF
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DEDUCED CRITICALLY FROM THE TEXT;
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REV. JOHN S. EVANS
QUEBEC
PRINTED BY MIDDLETON AND DAWSON, SHAW'S BUILDINGS, LOWERTOWN.
1862.
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—
"It is necessary, frequently, tovisit the ground on which Christianity was
first established, to ascertain the limits and extent of the primitive faith, and
to recover the parts taken by unjust violence, or lost by injudicious
concession." BishopofBristol.
TEXT AND CONTEXT.
Romans, viii. 17-39,
17 And ifchildren, then heirs; heirs ofGod, andjoint heirswith Christ: if
sobe thatwesuffer withhim, that wemay be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferingsofthis present time are notworthy to
19 be comparedwith the glorywhich shall be revealed in us. Forthe earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for themanifestation of the sons of
20 God. For the creaturewas made subject to vanity, notwillingly,butby
21 rea-on ofhim whohathsubjected thesamein hope : Because thecreature
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the
22 glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that thewhole
23 creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not
only they,but ourselves also, whichhave the first-fruits oftheSpirit,even
we ourselvesgroan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, towit, the
24 redemption of our body. Forwe are saved by hope. But hope that is
25 seen isnothope : forwhat aman seeth, why doth he yethope for? Butif
wehope for that we seenot, then dowe withpatiencewait forit.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth ourinfirmities for we know notwhat
;
weshouldprayfor aswe ought; buttheSpirititself maketh intercession
27 for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And bethat searcheth
thehearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints accordingto thewillofGod.
28 Andwe know thatall thingswork together for good to them that love
29 God, to them thatare the called according tohis purpose. Forwhom he
did foreknow,he alsodid predestinate to beconformed to theimage ofhis
30 Son, that he might be the first-bora among many brethren. Moreover,
whom hedid predestinate,themhe also called and whom he called, thera
;
he alsojustified ; andwhom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then sayto thesethings? If God be for us, who can be
32 against us? He thatsparednothis own Son, butdeliveredhimup for us
33 all, howshall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall
34 lay anythingto the charge oi God'select? ItisGod thatju3tifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen
again ; whoiseven at therighthand ofGod,whoalsomaketh intercession
35 forus. Whoshall separate usfrom the love ofChrist? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, orperil, or sword?
36 (Asitis written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; weare
37 accounted as sheepforthe slaughter.) Nay,in all thesethingswearemore
38 than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
39 thingspresent, nor thingsto come, norheight, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from thelove ofGod, which is in
ChristJesus our Lord.
——
BRIEF ANALYSIS.
INTRODUCTION.
PAGE
The occasion that suggestedthe exposition that is now submitted 8
Preliminary criticism, showing that Calvinism hasno basisin thispassage,
1houghusuallydeemeditsstrongestandleastequivocalproof-text; and
thatArminians, too, have misapplied these verses 8
EXPOSITION.
Prayer and searching the Scripturesmust becombined 15
Asthe text is grammatically and logicallyjoined to the context, we must
go back to find the subject oftheseconnected observations 15
The GeneralTopic is announced in the 17th verse to be this: the regene-
rate, aschildren of God, mustsufferwith Jesus, the Son ofGod, that
with Him they may be glorified.—Ver. 17 , 16
Preceding Context.
The sufferings referredto are notthe atoningsufferings, butthe sufferings
of the present time , 17
The Son ofGod and thechildren ofGod subjectto these 17
All men feel these, but do not endure themwith the same spirit 17
Jesus leftusan example ofthe rightspirit 17
The example ofJesusas asufferer maybeimitatedbythemthatarerenew-
edinspirit 18
That they may doso, motivesare presented 18
The present suffering scene will soon give place to a glorious scene, in
which will be found abundantcompensation. Ver. 18 19
The glory ofthe resurrection state is looked for by the Christian's frail
body.—Ver. 19 20
Thisexpectation is warranted by a correct view of God's final purpose
whenappointing thepresent state ofprobation Ver. 20 21
That the expected glorification ofthe body has not yet takenplace, isevi-
dentfrom the nature ofthings; but thecontinuedanticipation ofitis
authorized.—Ver. 22 22
— — — — ———
The desire ofthe mortal bodyfor regeneration is sympathetically felt by
the already regenerate soul.—Ver. 23 22
We regard thisfuturesalvation of thebodyas a thingrealized in hope.
Ver. 23 22
Certain hope causespatientwaiting. Ver. 25 23
The Divine Spirit aids our bodily infirmities to sustain the sufferings.
Ver. 26, 27 , 23
All the sufferings of the present time that affect the children ofGod are
made to work togetherforgood totheir souls. Ver. 28 24
Thesufferingsthat come to them through the innocent infirmities of the
body are the mostsearching and improving testsot character 25
Jesuswasmade perfect through suffering r 26
By following his example, his adopted brethren, too,canbe madeperfect
through suffering 26
,
Accordingly, God's guardian love deliberately purposes that hischildren
should attend thisperfecting school, and calls them toit 28
Text.
This appointment to suffer is expressly and fixedly made bythe Divine
will, because it is only by being conformed to the image ofthe Son
insuffering,thattheycould beconformed tohis imageintheglorythat
shall follow.-Ver. 29 28
As in the suffering, so in the glory thatfollows it, Christ ispre-eminent.. 29
The arrangementsfor carrying intoeffect the Divine will are made and
continued by Divine Providence 31
These arrangements leave free thehuman will 36
God "calls" them that lovehim to submit to the appointed sufferingsvol-
untarily andjoyfully.—Ver. 30. (1stclause.) 36
Havingappointedandcalled them tosuffer,God "justifies"theminregard-
ing thiscall ascomingfrom Divine love, andinexercisingaccordingly
patient and joyful hope in the midst of tribulation Ver. 30 (2nd
clause.) 37
Yea,he '' glorifies" thembymeansofthe verysufferingsthat someregard
as badges of shame.—Ver. 30 (lastclause.) 38
Succeeding Context.
The same theme runs also through the succeeding context.—Ver. 31 41
By thusemploying sufferings,Godcounteracts the attemptsofadversaries,
and reversesthe results at which they aim 41
All thisis only whatmaybenaturallyexpected from such a God asours
Ver.32 42
Who then will henceforth think present suffering asufficient ground foran
accusatory charge againstGod's elect? Ver. 33 (1stclause.) 42