nexion between sin and misery, holiness and happiness, necessary and immutable, v. 6.
9. All unrenewed men, that is, all " who are in the flesh," are at once the enemies of God and the objects of his displeasure. Their habitual and characteristic state of mind, that state which every man has who is not " in the Spirit," is enmity to God, and consequently is the object of his disapprobation, vs. 6, 8.
10. The Holy Ghost is the source of all good in man. Those who are destitute of his influences are not subject to the law of God, neither in- deed can be; for no man can call Jesus Lord, that is, can really recog- nise his authority, but by the Holy Ghost, vs. 5 — 8.
11. Death, and the other evils to which believers are exposed, are on account of sin, v. 10. They are no longer, however, the evidences of God's displeasure, but of his parental love, Heb. 12 : 6.
12. The redemption of Christ extends to the bodies as well as the souls of his people, v. 11.
1. There can be no safety, no holiness, and no happiness to those who are out of Christ. No safety, because all such are under the condemna- tion of the law, vs. 1, 2, 3 ; no holiness, because only such as are united to Christ have the Spirit of Christ, v. 9 ; and no happiness, because " to be carnally minded is death," v. 6. Hence those who are in Christ should be very humble, seeing they are nothing, and he is every thing; very grateful, and very holy. And those who are out of Christ should at once go to him, that they may attain safety, holiness, and happiness.
2. The liberty wherewith Christ has made his people free, is a liberty from the law and from sin, vs. 2, 5. A legal spirit and an unholy life are alike inconsistent with the Christian character.
3. Believers should be joyful and confident ; for the law is fulfilled ; its demands are satisfied as respects them. Who then can condemn, if God has justified? v. 4.
4. There can be no rational or scriptural hope without holiness, and every tendency to separate the evidence of the divine favour from the evidence of true piety is anti-Christian and destructive, vs. 4 — 8.
5. The bent of the thoughts, affections, and pursuits is the only de- cisive test of character. " They who are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh," &c. v. 5.
6. It is, therefore, a sure mark of hypocrisy if a man, who professes to be a Christian, still minds earthly things, that is, has his affections and efforts supremely directed towards worldly objects.
7. We may as well attempt to wring pleasure out of pain, as to unite the indulgence of sin with the enjoyment of happiness, vs. 6, 7.
8. How blinded must those be who, although at enmity with God, and the objects of his displeasure, are sensible neither of their guilt nor danger! vs. 7, 8.