These words render a reason why believers are more than conquerors in their sorest trials, and do further carry on the apostle's triumph to a fit conclusion of such an excellent discourse. In the text observe —
1. The assailants — Death, life, angels.
2. The attempt and design — To separate vsfrom the love of God.
3. The fruitlessness of it — No creature shall be able to do this.
4. His confidence — For I am persxiaded.
1. The aggressors and assailants are set forth, either by a particular distribution, or wrapt up in a general expression.
[1.] The particular distribution is made by four pairs or couples.
(1.) Neither death nor life ; that is, neither the fears of death nor the hopes of life; this pair is mentioned because death is the ' king of terrors,' Job xviii. 14. And among all desirable good things life is the cbiefest, and that which maketh a man capable of enjoying all other good things ; expressed Job ii. 4, ' Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life.' Now all assaults from this fir.st pair are in vain, as they tend to separate us from the love of God in Christ. Will you hope to do it by threats of death ? A believer will tell you that Christ threateneth eternal death ; and this temporal one, be it natural or violent, is but a passage into life eternal. Will you entice him by the baits of life ? They have learned to prefer everlasting life
VeKS. 38, 39.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 411
before it : Heb. xi. 35, ' Not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.'
(2.) Second pair — ' Nor angels, nor principalities and powers; ' that is, the powers of the visible and invisible world ; so these two powers are elsewhere coupled: Eph. i. 21, 'Far above all principalities, and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also that which is to come.' So that by principalities and powers worldly powers are intended. Angels is a common word, that implieth good and evil spirits. If you apply it to the good angels, then it is spoken only by way of supposition, if it were possible they could concur in such a design. Such a supposition there is : Gal. i. 8, ' Though an angel from heaven preach any other doctrine to you, let him be accursed.' It is a supposition of an impossible case ; but such as conduceth much to heighten the sense of the truth represented. As for evil angels, they make it their work and business to steal away souls from Christ ; and if they could, would wrest them out of Christ's own arms. Well then, the good angels seek not to sepai-ate us from Christ; the good will not, and the bad cannot. Were it possible for a good angel to dissuade me from my Lord Jesus Christ, I would hold him accursed. Evil angels assault us, but we are preserved by a stronger than they. By the other branch, ' principalities and powers,' he under- standeth the potentates of the world, by what title soever distinguished. No powers can overtop the divine and sovereign Lord of the redeemed. The glory of kings and emperors, compared to his glory, is less than the light of a candle compared with the sun in his brightness.
(3.) Third couple — 'Nor things present, nor things to come.' Thereby he meaneth all things that had happened, or might hereafter happen to them before their departure out of the world. As we bear up under present pressures, so we need not fear those which are to come. We often forecast what shall become of us if the Lord permit great troubles, trials, and calamities to befall us. A christian is as sure of things to come as things present. The present hopes, fears, and enjoyments are transitory and contemptible ; and future evils will sooner be passed over, for our salvation will be much nearer than when we first believed, Eom. xiii. 11.
(4.) ' Neither height nor depth.' The creatures above us or below us ; neither sublimitary of honours, nor depth of ignominy ; dignities do not entice, nor disgraces discourage us. No power, from the highest to the lowest of the creatures ; no estate or condition of life, from the highest honour to the lowest beggary, can prevail with us to quit Christ.
[2.] The general expression — ' Nor any other creature,' comprising thereby all things on this side God, how amiable or terrible soever they seem. What can creatures do when they are in the hands, and under the care of the creator ? Well then, the sense is, that no force or fraud shall untwist the bands and cords of this love ; no temptation shall blast, or persecution cause that faith to wither which hath taken root in a good and honest heart.
2. Their attempt or design — ' To separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord ; ' that is, from the love wherewith we through Christ love God, and the love wherewith God loved us through Christ ; this as_ the cause, that as the effect, for the embraces are mutual —