Rom. v. 6 — 10. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a right- eous man will one die : yet peradventure for a good man some ivould even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toioard us, in that, while roe were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we tvere enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
IT is pleasing to see with what delight the Apostle Paul dwells upon the transcendent excellency and unbounded love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever he is insisting on, he is sure to introduce the Saviour's name ; and, when once he has introduced it, he scarcely knows when to leave the heart-reviving topic: and, if he have left it for a moment, he is ever eager to recur to it again. Hence the connexion of his sentences is frequently remote ; as we apprehend it to be in the instance before us. We conceive that the proper connexion of our text is with the two first verses of the chapter; in which the Apostle has spoken of Christ as the true and only source of our acceptance with God, and of that hope of the glory of God, which animates our souls. Then, after ex- patiating on the further benefits which we receive through him, he comes to state more explicitly, How it was that Christ procured these blessings for us ; and, Why we may be assured of the ultimate posses- sion of them. In this view of the text we shall be led to shew, I. What Christ has done for us, as enemies —
Our state by nature is here but too justly de- scribed—
[We are " ungodly," we are " sinners," " enemies" to God and to all vital religion : at the same time, we are also " without strength," altogether impotent to that which is good