1 Sentence of death therefore shall not pass upon those christians who do not lead a vicious life.
2 for the christian dispensation of a spiritual life has set me free from the legal state of sin and death.
3 God having sent his own son invested with a body like that of sinful men, as a sacrifice for sin, thereby destroyed its power; which the law could not effect, human nature being in such a corrupted state.
4 so that the moral obligations of the law might be fulfilled by us, in living according to the spiritual, and not the carnal tenor thereof:
5 for they that are sensually affected, abandon themselves to sensuality, but the spiritual pursue their spiritual entertainments.
6 now sensual inclinations lead to death; but spiritual affections to a life of tranquillity.
7 because a sensual disposition of mind is averse to God: for it is not subject to the divine law, nor indeed can it be.
8 so that they who are in a carnal state, cannot be acceptable to the divine being. as for you,
9 you are not in such a state, but in a spiritual one, provided the divine spirit dwell in you. now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 and if Christ be in you, tho' the body is mortal in consequence of sin; the spirit gives life by justification.
11 for if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you; he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall likewise restore your mortal bodies to life, by his spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 You are, therefore, brethren oblig'd to oppose your sensual passions;
13 for if you lead a sensual life, you will be miserable: but if through the spirit you mortify the affections of corrupted nature, you will be happy.
14 as many as are actuated by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 for the spirit you have received is not servile to keep you still in fear; but it is the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, that is, father.
16 the same spirit testifies to our spirit, that we are the children of God.
17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; although we now suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
18 for I consider, that the sufferings of this present life are infinitely over-ballanc'd by that glory which shall hereafter be discovered to us.
19 mankind impatiently desire that the divine being would display himself to his creatures,
20 who were not, by their own choice, expos'd to this uncertain state, but by virtue of him, who subjected them thereto:
21 and therefore hope to be removed from this slavish condition of mortality to the free inheritance of divine glory.
22 for we know that the whole creation groans, and labours with general pain even to this day.
23 and not only they, but even those who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we our selves do inwardly groan for the fruit of our adoption, by the deliverance of our body from corruption.
24 for we are saved but by hope: but hope supposes things not yet present; for how can a man hope for what he has now in possession?
25 but if we hope for what is yet to come, our patience does necessarily intervene.
26 The spirit likewise softens our afflictions: for being at a loss to apply for the most proper relief; the spirit it self affects us with those pious ejaculations, which we can't well express.
27 and he that penetrates into the heart approves what the spirit desires, because what he demands for the saints is agreeable to the divine will.
28 We know too, that all things co-operate for the good of those who love God, who, pursuant to his purpose, has now called them:
29 for whom he before approv'd, he predispos'd to follow the example of his son, who was to conduct them all as their elder brother;
30 but whom he predispos'd, he calls: and whom he has call'd, he justifies: and whom he has justified, he glorifies.
31 What shall we conclude then from this? if God be for us, who can be against us?
32 he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, will he not with him likewise freely give us all things?
33 who shall plead against God's elect? shall God who justifieth them?
34 who shall condemn them? shall Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, and makes intercession for us?
35 what shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or penury, or peril, or sword?
36 for as it is written, "for thy sake we are sacrificed every day; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter:"
37 yet after all we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.
38 for I am fully persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 neither the high, nor the low, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God by Christ Jesus our Lord.