ous sorrow of children, and not the despairing- anguish of the convict ; because it sees that all the ends of punishment are fully answered in the death of Christ, who bore our sins in his own body on the tree.
God^s elect, i. e. those whom God has chosen ; see v. 29. The word elect is sometimes used in a secondary sense for beloved, which idea is implied in its literal sense, as those chosen are those who are peculiarly beloved. This sense may be given to it in 1 Pet. 2 : 4, "elect and pre- cious" may be ' beloved and precious ;' Col. 3 : 12, " as the elect of God" may be equal to the beloved of God. But there is not a single passage where the word occurs in which it may not be understood in its proper sense. " Many are called and few chosen," Matt. 20 : 16 ; " for the elect's sake," 24. 22; "the chosen of God," Luke 23 : 35; "ac- cording to the faith of God's elect," Tit. 1 : 1; 1 Pet. 1:1,2, " elect according to the foreknowledge of God ;" see 1 Pet. 2 : 9. Luke 18 : 7, and every other passage in which the word occurs. This being the pro- per meaning of the term, and that which is in strict accordance with the scriptural representation of men under the Old as well as New Testa- ment, as being chosen of God to be the recipients of peculiar blessings, it ought not to be departed from here, especially as the context renders its being retained necessary to the full expression of the apostle's mean- ing. The persons against whom he says no accusation can be brought, are those who were chosen, predestinated, called, and justified.
It is God that justifieth. This and the corresponding phrases in the next verse are frequently pointed interrogatively, so as to be read thus . " God who justifies 1 Who is he that condemneth 1 Christ who died ?" &c. The sense is the same, but the force and beauty of the passage is thus marred. As we are all to stand before the tribunal of God, and our eternal destiny is to depend on his judgment, if he acquits, if he for Christ's sake pronounces us just, then we are secure.
(34) Who is he that condemneth? i. e. no one can condemn. In sup- port of this assertion there are, in this verse, four conclusive reasons presented ; the death of Christ, his resurrection, his exaltation, and his intercession. It is Christ that died. By his death, as an atonement for our sins, all ground of condemnation is removed. Yea, rather, that is risen again. The resurrection of Christ, as the evidence of the sacri- fice of his death being accepted, and of the validity of all his claims, is a much more decisive proof of the security of all who trust in him than his death could be. See ch. 1 : 4. 4 : 25. Acts 17 : 31. 1 Cor. 15 : 17, &c.
Who is even at the right hand of God, i. e. is associated with God in his universal dominion. Ps. 110 : 1, " Sit thou on my right hand," i. e. share my throne; Eph. 1: 20. Rev. 3: 21, "As I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne." Heb. 1:3, " Who sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." From these and other passages in their connexion, it is evident that Christ is exalted to universal dominion, all power in heaven and earth is given into his
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