5 : 5, " The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us," &c.
Beareih luitness with our spirit, that is, ' beareth witness, together with our own filial feelings, to our spirit.' Or, simply, * assures our spirit.' Beareth witness to, means confirms or assures. * The Spirit of God pro- duces in our spirit the assurance that we are the children of God.' How this is done, we cannot fully understand, any more than we can under- stand the mode in which he produces any other effect in our mind. The fact is clearly asserted here as well as in other passages. See Rom. 5 : 5, where the conviction that we are the objects of the love of God, is said to be produced " by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." See 2 Cor. 1: 22. 5:5. Eph. 1:13. 4 : 30 ; and in 1 Cor. 2 : 4, 5, and 1 John 2 : 20, 27, and other passages, the conviction of the truth of the gospel is, in like manner, attributed to the Holy Spirit.
(17) £nd if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, &c. This is the inference from our adoption in favour of the great theme of the chapter, the safety of belieyers. If the children of God, they shall become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. The words to inherit, heirs, and inheritance, are all of them used in a gene- ral sense in the Scriptures, in reference to the secure possession of any good, without regard to the mode in which that possession is obtained. They are favourite terms with the sacred writers, because possession by inheritance was much more secure than that obtained by purchase or by any other method. There are three ideas included in these words acces- sory to that which constitutes their prominent meaning; the right, the certainty, and the unalienable character of the possession. Hence, when the apostle says, believers are the heirs of God, he means to recog- nise their title, in and through the Redeemer, to the promised good, as well as the certainty and security of the possession. " And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise," Gal. 3 : 29. In Gal. 4 : 7, we have the same argument as in the passage before us, " Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ ;" see Col. 3 : 24. Heb. 9 : 15. Eph. 1 : 14, &c. Joint heirs with Christ. These words are intended to desig- nate the inheritance which believers are to receive. It is not any posses- sion in this world, but it is that good of which Christ himself is the reci- pient; we are to be partakers of his inheritance. This idea is frequently presented in the Scriptures. " E nter ye into the joy of your Lord ," Matt. 25 : 21 ; " That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom," Luke 22 : 30; "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne," &c. Rev. 3 : 21, and in many other places.
If so he that we suffer with him, that we may also he glorified together. That, at the beginning of the second clause, expresses merely the result. * If we suffer, then also shall we be glorified.' The union of believers with Christ, in suffering as well as in glory, is what he and his apostles taught them to expect. " If any man will come after me, let him deny