Gospel which is preached by the Servants of God is a powerful instrument for the Salvation of such as believe And they which believe do attain to Salvation by the Gospel The Gospel is called the Power of God not because there is any natural or physical power in the words of the Gospel But because God sheweth his power in those that believe the Gospel in saving them that is in delivering them from all evil both of Sin and Punishment and in bringing them at last to everlasting joy and happiness And well may this be called the Power of God for what created power can save us from our sins who hath power enough to deliver us out of the Claws of the Devil to whom we were captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 who hath power to keep us safe from him that goeth about a roaring Lion seeking whom he way devour who hath power to free us from the miseries of this mortall body who can raise us up from the dead after death who hath power to change these vile bodies of ours into glorious bodies and this corruptible of ours into incorruptible who hath power to carry us up into heaven there to enjoy bliss for evermore but God who is Omnipotent and able to subdue all things to himself and to do whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth The Gospel therefore is called the Power of God Metonymically that is to say because the power of God is so joyned with it as that God will so shew his power in saving them that believe it as that he will bring them to everlasting Salvation They therefore which interpret the power of God to Salvation of a powerful instrument to save men must not take it for a Physical instrument but for a Moral instrument as I may so call it that is for such a thing with which God will so go along with his power as that he will save them which believe the Gospel even because they believe it We know that the Power of God did go along in the Primitive times with the preaching of the Gospel in that God did bear the preachers of it witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy-ghost according to his own will Heb. 2.4 But this is not the power here spoken of but that which we have already mentioned for signs are not for those which believe but for those which believe not 1 Cor. 14.22 but the Power of God in this place is for them which believe Vnto Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For Salvation or for this end that it may bring men unto Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here a Note of the final cause or of the end The Schools use to distinguish of a double Salvation the one Inchoate the other Consummate Salvation Inchoate consisteth in Remission of sins or Justification c. and may be had in this life In this sence the Apostle saith By Grace ye are saved through faith Ephes 2.8 And again Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Titus 3.5 But Salvation Consummate is only to be had in the life to come and consists in Eternal life Now some understand this place only of Salvation Inchoate not Consummate But it is better to take it for our full and whole Salvation To every one that believeth i e. To every one that believeth the Gospel As a Medicine doth not profit how good soever it be except it be taken down So doth not the Gospel profit though it be the Power of God unto Salvation except it be believed and embraced To the Jew first and also to the Greek i. e. To the Jew first and then to the Greek And also is put here for Then or Afterwards The like manner of speech we read the 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us i. e. They did first give themselves to the Lord and then to us his Ministers Note that by the Greek is here meant all the Gentiles per Synedochen Species and to is the Greek to be taken so often as he is opposed to the Jew and therefore is the Greek put for all the Gentiles the rather than any other Nation because the Greek tongue was at this time from the time of Alexander the Great most generally used amongst all Nations as also because the Greeks were now of a long time more known to the Jews than any other People were by the Jew therefore and the Greek all the People of the World are here meant There is a Praerogative here given to the Jew above the Gentile which Praerogative consisteth in this that the Gospel was preached and to be preached to the Jew before it was preached or to be preached to the Gentile Acts 13.46 And in that that the Gospel did appertain to the Jew which believed more peculiarly than it did to the Gentile by reason of particular promises thereof made to them But it doth not consist in this that the believing Jew did or should obtain more exuberance of grace or greater salvation than the believing Gentile should Ver. 17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed For therein is Justification effectually revealed and thereby performed and wrought That which is here rendred Righteousness is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cometh from the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justificare to justifie So that Righteousness may be and is to be taken here for justification and justification signifieth with our Apostle remission of sins or absolution from sins and it is a tearm borrowed from the Law courts and is opposed to condemnation That which is called Righteousness or Justification is also called Redemption Chap. 3.24 Ephes 1.7 c. And it is called Salvation Math. 1.21 c. And both by a metaphor taken from Prisoners or Captives or Slaves which were under hard imprisonment or bondage or slavery and were as men appointed unto death but are delivered and redeemed with a price or saved by might out of that miserable condition and a condition no better than theirs were we in while we were under sin So that the Remission of our sins may be called as Righteousness or justification so Redemtion and Salvation too And note now that Salvation and Righteousness are often put for one and the same thing as Psal 98.2 The Lord hath made known his Salvation his Righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the Heathen and Isaiah 56.1 My Salvation is near to come and my Righteousness to be revealed And Isaih 61.10 He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation He hath covered me with the robe of Righteousness which I observe that it might seem strange to none that besides the derivation of the Greek word Righteousness should be put or taken for justification or redemption and Salvation from sins The Righteousness of God He calls it the Righteousness of God
because God is the Author of it and because we are thereby justified before God Revealed The Righteousness of God is not only revealed or manifested in the Gospel but it is exhibited also and wrought by the Gospel so that by these words For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed We must understand effectuall Revelation and that justification is not onely manifested in the Gospel but also that it is exhibited and wrought thereby by an Hebrew Syllepsis For the Hebrewes do oftentimes with the Antecedent Sylleptically understand the consequent also Note that the Apostle doth go about here to prove that which he said before in the 16. verse To wit That the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth But he proveth it by parts For whereas Salvation compleat consisteth of two parts justification and glorification He proves it of justification here in this verse and of glorification Chap. 5. Where he saith that being justified by Faith we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope maketh not ashamed c. From Faith Repeat those words the Righteousness of God here q. d. I say the Righteousness of God which is not from or by works but from or by Faith Or refer these words from Faith To those the Righteousness of God that the Sentence may run thus therein the Righteousness of God which is from Faith is revealed The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth here the instrumental cause as some call it Or the Condition required in him that would be justified As others which they so call because Faith is a condition required on our part in that new Covenant which it pleased God to make with us for justification Now that we may understand what that Faith is which is here required and mentioned as a cause or condition of our Justification I say that the faith here required is an explicite and firm assent to the Gospel of God or at least to so much thereof as containeth the New Covenant and all the Essential Parts thereof which it pleased God through Christ to make with man in his Misery for his Salvation and to reveale in the Gospel an assent so firm so strong and arising so high as that it doth immediately and infallibly set the Believer on work as he hath opportunity to do those things which God requireth on mans part to be done in that Covenant He that hath such a faith cannot but trust in God nor can he be without repentance Whosoever hath such a faith as this and thus believeth I doubt not from this and other the like places but that he hath a justifying Faith and that by reason of this his Faith God will deal with him as with a Just and Righteous Man and as though he had never transgressed the Law of God But I dare not call that a Justifying Faith which cometh not up to this There be many which read Histories and give credit to the Histories which they read yet they only read them because they are delighted with them and with the various passages and accidents therein contained without any regard of imitating them or putting what they read in practice If any one should so read or hear the Gospel he may be said so have an Historical Faith but a Justifying Faith he hath not For good works can no more be separated from a true justifying faith than light can from the Sun or heat can from the fire For faith without works is dead James 2.20 And was not Abraham our Father justified by works saith Saint James James 2.20 That is was not Abraham our Father justified by faith such a faith as produceth works For Saint James puts works there by a Metonymie of the effect for a faith which produceth works Object But you will say There is a great deal of strength required to such a faith as this but God accepteth even of a weak faith Answ To this I answer That faith may be considered two manner of wayes First in Genere Entis Secondly in Genere Morum as I may so speak In Genere Entis that is a true faith which assenteth to the word of God as to that which is Truth In Genere Morum that and that onely is a true faith which so assenteth to the word of God as that it setteth the believer infallibly on good works as he hath strength and opportunity to do them The former faith God accepteth not of be it what it will be and as strong as may be while it is only faith in Genere Entis But as for the latter that faith which is true faith in Genere Morum God accepteth of though it be never so weak being sincere From faith to faith i. e. From a faith which ought not to stand at a stay but to go on from a lesser to a greater faith So some which referr the words to faith to the words immediately going before them viz. from faith But I think the words To faith may be better referred to the word revealed than to the words immediately going before them As if he should say Therein is the Righteousness of God revealed a Righteousness which is of faith And it is revealed for this end that men may believe or yield their faith to that which is revealed The last words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I conceive to be the same for sence with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 5. which is there rendered for Obedience to the faith And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 16. vers 26. which is there rendered for the Obedience of faith In both which places the end is set down why the Mistery of the Gospel is revealed which is that it might be believed and received by faith And as there so here the end may be set down why the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for faith That is for this end that it may gain faith and be believed of the Sons of Men. Note therefore that the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here may be rendred For and be a sign of the Final cause as it is verse 5. of this Chapter and Chap. 16. v. 26. Now if Justification by faith be revealed for faith That is That men may believe Then ought the Apostle to preach the Gospel wherein this Justification is revealed For how shall they believe except they hear and how shall they hear without a Preacher chap. 10.14 By this therefore may the Apostle also intimate that he is a debter and ready to preach the Gospel to the Romans also Justification by faith was the great Controversie at this time between Paul and the Jews and this is that which is the main drift of this Epistle to shew that justification is by Faith and this he now falleth upon as his chief businesse though he seemeth to speak of it
declare his righteousness that is that he might declare his fidelity and his mercy by the remission of those sins which were committed before the Gospel was proclaimed and which went unpunished at that time and went unpunished not for any other reason than because God would forbear to punish them 26. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which helieveth in Jesus 26. Thus he might declare I say at this time the time of the Gospel his righteousness that is his faithfulness and his mercy his faithfulness that he may appear to all to be just and faithfull in performing his promise of remission of sins to the Jews if they do believe And his mercy that he may appear to all to be the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus though he made no such promise to him as he did to the Jew that is that he may appear to be the justifier of the believing Gentile who may thank God for this his mercy 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith 27. Where is boasting then O thou Jew which so much boastest of thy justification It is excluded by what law or by what doctrine or lesson is it excluded Is it excluded by that Law or Doctrine or Lesson which teacheth that a man may be yea is justified by the works of the law Nay for if a man could be justified by the works of the law he had whereof to glory even before God But it is excluded by the law doctrine or lesson which teacheth that a man is justified by faith for he that is justified by faith hath nothing to boast or to glory of 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law 28. Therefore we conclude out of what we have said from the beginning hitherto that a Man is justified by faith and not by the deeds of the law 29. Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also 29. Now after this our discourse let me ask thee O Jew which wilt not suffer the Gentile to have a part with thee in the favour of God Is God the God of the Jews onely is he not the God of the Gentiles also Yes he is the God not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles also 30. Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith 30. Seeing that God is one and the same to both for that he justifieth them both by one and the same means the circumcised Jew by faith and the uncircumcised Gentile by faith likewise 31. Do we then make void the law through faith God forbid yea we establish the law 31. Do we now make the law void and of none effect by that which we have said of Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law and confirm it in its right use for though we deny the law to be the means or cause of our justification yet we allow it to be the director of our lives and manners even after our justification and we teach that by faith we have that strength to performe the precepts of the law which the law it self could not give CHAP. III. Ver. 1. What advantage then hath the Jew or what profit is there of circumcision i. e. What priviledge then hath the Jew by birth above the Gentile or what profit hath he by being circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh The Apostle taught in the former Chapter that a Jew which was only a Jew outwardly could not by being a Jew escape the wrath and judgement of God neither had he the imediate benefit of Justification by being outwardly circumcised whereupon it might be asked what advantage then hath the Jew which is a Jew by birth or what profit is there of outward circumcision which question the Apostle here moveth the better to clear what he had said of the Jew and of circumcision and that he might make way to some other doctrines which he would teach Ver. 2. Much every way Note that these words every way are so to be taken as that they have no other efficacy than to make a strong asseveration or affirmation as if he should say very much Chiefly because unto them were committed the Oracles of God i. e. Chiefly because the Oracles of God were committed to them which were Jews by birth and which were circumciâ—ed By the Oracles of God understand the Word of God written in the Books of the Old Testament but especially the promises therein contained of the Mâ—ssias and of justification and other benefits and blessings which occur by him in which the Jews excelled the Gentiles Of other Priviledges than these that the Jews had we read Rom. 9. v. 4 5. but this the Apostle makes the chiefest These Oracles are said to have been committed to the Jews not as a pledge or thing in trust to the use and benefit only of others but as their own proper goods and as a Treasure to serve them and enrich them So that whatsoever was therein contained appertained to the Jews Promises and all Ver. 3. For what if some did not believe shall their unbelief c Between this and the foregoing verse we must understand an Objection made by a Gentile which had newly received the Gospel of Christ to this effect q. d. Yea but the circumcised Jews have no such Prerogative now For though God committed unto them his Oracles and made the promises which are therein contained of the Messias and of the Redemption which should be by him to them yet now they have deprived themselves of that Prerogative and they have deprived themselves of the benefit which they might have had by those promises because they have not believed them And God because of their unbelief hath utterly cast off all the Jews To this the Apostle here answers q. d. True it is indeed that some of the Jews have not believed but shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect so that he shall no longer keep the promises made unto the Fathers concerning the Jews but cast off that whole People What if some did not believe What if some of the circumcised Jews have not believed the promises of God made to them or to their Fathers concerning the Messias and the Redemption which should come by him contained in the Oracles that is in the Word of God which was committed to them c. The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I have rendred But what if some have not believed The Jews were very incredulous and unbelieving at all times and we finde them often taxed for this sin of unbelief as Deut. 1.32 and 9 23. 2 Kings 17.14 Psalm 78.32 Psalm 106.24 and which makes in its mystical sence greatly to this place Isa 53.1 And which is to our
Preaching of the Gospel See 1 Pet. 1. v. 20 21 22. A Propitiation A Propitiation is put here for a Propitiator or one that doth appease the displeasure of God The Act for the Cause or the Author thereof by a Metalepsis That which is rendred a Propitiation is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some render Propitiatorem taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Masculine Gender as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But most take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter Gender And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter Gender which in Latin is rendred Propitiatorium the Propitiatory is used by the Greek Interpreters of the Old Testament most commonly for the Cover of the Ark of the Covenant upon which God sat between the wings of the Cherubims as appeareth Exod. 25. v. 17 18 19 20 22 and 31. v. 7. and 35. v. 12. Levit 16.2 Numb 7.89 c. Now the Cover of the Ark did as it were keep from the eyes of God who sat between the Wings of the Cherubims upon that Cover Exod. 25 22. Numb 7.89 whatsoever was in the Ark of the Covenant which was covered therewith And in the Ark of the Covenant there were the Tables of the Covenant that is of the Law Heb. 9.4 This Cover therefore by keeing the Tables of the Covenant or the Law from the eyes of God did in a manner keep the sins of Men from his eyes which were Transgressions of that Covenant or of that Law for what is Sin but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 And what were those Tables of the Covenant but the Tables in which the Law was written And if the Law were kept from his eyes then must the Transgression of the Law be also kept from them For who can see the Transgressions of the Law which seeth not the Law it self Rectum est Index sui obliqui For this reason was that Cover called in Hebrew Capporet a word which is derived from a verb which hath the signification of Expiating and Propitiating and for this reason did the Greek Interpreâ—ers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Verbal derived from a Verb of the like signification And for this reason was this Cover a Type of Christ whom God had decreed from all eternity to send and in his appointed time did send forth to purchase forgiveness for the sins of his People which forgiveness is often signified by the name of Covering for blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered saith the Psalmist quoted by our Apostle Rom. 4.7 c. In Allusion to this Cover of the Ark and to this use thereof which we have spoken of is our Saviour called here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Note that the Apostle doth in these and in the following words set forth all the causes of Mans justification which he doth therefore because justification is the chief Scope of his Epistle and the main Controversie between him and the Jews The chief and principal cause therefore of our Justification is God himself the Meritorious cause is Christ Jesus his merit is his blood that is his Death and Passion The Material cause or Subject of justification is Man the Formall cause is the Remission of sins The Condition required on mans part is Faith the final cause or End why God did justifie Man is his own Glory for he did it that he might be known to be Just in his promise of justification which sheweth his truth and that he might be known to be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus which sheweth his mercy and goodness Through Faith q. d. To be enjoyed or made ours through Faith That is to be enjoyed by us and made ours if we believe Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this he excludes Works again We are taught by this that God though he did so love the world as that he gave Jesus Christ to be a Propitiation for the sins thereof yet notwithstanding he requires a condition of them that are to be justified before they shall be justified and have their sins forgiven and that is Faith Or that they must use Faith as an Instrument to apply this Grace which I account as the same In his blood Some refer these words to those whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation And then this Praeposition In is to be taken for through as it is taken ver 24. And the sence is to be this Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through his blood to be enjoyed or made our Propitiation through Faith In the words so construed there must be a Trajection or an Hyberbaton which yet is a figure not unusual with our Apostle who sometimes useth yea often through the ardency of his Spirit to go to a second thing before he hath done with the first and then to return to the first again These words so conjoyned shew how Christ was to be and is our Propitiation or Propitiator or Propitiatory to wit by dying for us and shedding his blood for our sins This Exposition is favoured by that that in the Original as most Expositors read it it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a Tenuis but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Asperate But it may be asked what hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be either taken for the Cover of the Arke or alludeth thereunto to do with blood Answ I have shewed how that Cover of the Ark was a Propitiatory and why it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and how it was a Type of Christ and indeed as it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Propitiatory and as it was a Type of Christ it had nothing significant of blood it did onely signifie that Christ should be our Propitiator or Propitiation but did not signifie how he should be so for Types are for the most part imperfect But what that Type signified not other Types did signifie For the Legall remission of sins which was through the blood of the Beast which was slain for a Sacrifice did Praefigure the Real and Evangelical remission of sins through the blood of Christ who was to be slain for us In that therefore that with the mention of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is mention of blood there is a double allusion an allusion to the Cover of the Ark which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Propriatory and an allusion to the Sacrifices of the Law wherein was blood by which was a Legal remission of sins And such a mixture of Types and Sences in speech is not unusuall But as some refer these words By his blood by an Hyperbaton to those more remote words Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation So others refer them to the words which they immediately follow namely to those Through Faith
by the Rites and Expiations of the Law otherwise God would have taken vengeance of their sins long before this To this therefore the Apostle answers That it was not because they had not committed such sins nor because their sins were expiated and purged by the Law that God had not punished them in any grievous manner but it was because of his forbearance and long suffering Note that Christ was not a Propitiation for all sins which were past but only for the sins past of such as repented whose sins God punished not so soon as they were committed and for Gods forbearance to them others which repented not did fare the better in that God did forbear them and the sins of them which repented he punished in Christ Ver. 26. To declare I say at this time his Righteousnes The Apostle resumes here what he spoke in the former verse the better to explain himself This word Righteousness is to be taken here both for the Fidelity or Truth and for the Goodness or Mercy of God as I said before For what he meaneth by Declaring the Righteousness of God he expoundeth by those words that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where to be just signifieth the Fidelity and Truth of God in keeping his word To be the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus sheweth the Goodness and Mercy of God Of that that the word Righteousness is sometimes taken for Fidelity and Truth we have an example verse 5. Of that that the word Righteousness is taken for Goodness and Mercy we have an example 2 Cor. 9.9 It may be that the Apostle saith of God That he granted remission of sins that he might appear just in respect of the Jews because of the promise of God made to their Fathers that he would upon their saith and repentance give them remission of sins And that he saith that he granted remission of sins that he might appear the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus in respect especially of the Gentile who had no such promise made to him by God of his justification as the Jew had yet may rejoyce in that that God hath freely justified him At this time By this time he meaneth here the Time of the Gospel and it is opposed to the time of the Law or the time before Christ signified by or intimated in those words of the former verse to wit sins that are past That he might be just q. d That is to say That he might appear to be just That is that he might appear to be True and Faithful in his word These words That is to say are here to be understood and to be is to be taken for To appear to be as ver 4. And Just is to be taken here for True and Faithfull in word as it is also taken 1 John 1.9 And God is said here to be True and Faithfull because he did say and promise in the Law and in the Prophets that he would give remission of sins unto his People and so justifie them and as he said and promised so he did to as many as believed And the Justifi r of him which believeth in Jesus q. d. And that he might appear to be the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus To justifie is to foâ—gâ—ve sins and to absolve from punishment due unto sins and this is an effect of the great mercy and goodness of God Ver 27. Were is boasting then q. d. Being therefore That all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God and that as many as are justified are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus c. Where is Boasting i. e. Where is any just cause of Boasting This is a Corollary drawn from what he said from ver 20. hitherto and the Apostle drawes it to repress the vain boasting of the Jews and to make men seek after Justification not by the Law but by Faith And it is spoken after a kind of insulting manner the Apostle insulting thereby as it were over the Jews who were great boasters Where is boasting Note that the Apostle speaks not here of an unlawfull or unjust or causless boasting or of boasting only before Men for so any man might boast and so did the Jews boast But he speaks of a lawfull just and well grounded boasting and a boasting before God such a boasting where nothing is to be imputed to the grace and favour of God but all to a mans own self And that not in the appearance of man only but in the strict eye and view of God Such a boasting as this is the Apostle demonstratively hath proved cannot have place in a justified Man It is excluded q. d. It hath no place at all in a man which is actually justified but is excluded from his justification By what Law The word Law is to be taken here in a more Lax and Generall signification than commonly it is taken For here are two Species of the Law as it is here used mentioned in this place The Law of works and the Law of faith whereof the Law of works is properly and most usually called the Law and is ordinarily opposed to the Gospel and the other is the Gospel as it is opposed to the Law so strictly taken The word Law therefore is to be taken here for Doctrine q. d. But by what doctrine is boasting excluded That which is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Law is that which is usual in the Hebrew Torah and Torah signifieth not onely the Law in speciall but any doctrine in generall as I said before ver 19. from whence the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our English word Law doth often signifie the like as the Hebrew Torah doth in analogy to that Of Works i. e. By the Law of works The word Law is here to be understood from that which went before By the Law of Works is meant that doctrine which teacheth that a Man which is actually Justified is justified by the works of the Law and that he that would be justified must be thereby justified which cannot be except a man hath most exactly kept the whole Law and never failed in any Tittle thereof at any time Nay The Apostle sheweth here that boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works And indeed it implieth a contradiction to say that a justified man or a man that is actually justified according to the Law of Works is excluded from boasting by the Law of Works For he that is justified according to the Law of Works with Reverence be it spoken is not beholding to God for his justification for he hath perfectly observed the Law in every Apex Tittle and Jot of it so that God who is just in his judgement when he is brought before his Tribunal as a Transgressour of the Law must needs justifie him that is must needs acquit him and pronounce him guiltless and God would be unjust
to jealousie or Emulation Then if the Jews by that provocation come to believe and return into their former favour with God again it seems that we Gentiles shall be cast off And therefore it is no good news to us to hear that through their fall Salvation is come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jeasie or Emulation To this the Apostle answers or this objection the Apostle prevents in this verse saying Now if the fall of them be the Riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles How much more their fulness And yet this verse doth not only contain a prevention of the objection aforesaid but contains also an Argument a minori to prove the Salvation of the Jews or that that they fell not for that end that they should never rise again or fell not the greatest part of them that all should fall For saith the Apostle If the Jews by their unbelief gave an occasion to so great a multitude of the Gentiles to be converted and brought to the faith of Christ Much more credible is it that the Jews if they would all receive the faith would be the cause that yet more Gentiles would believe For this is Causa per se the other only per accidens But to go on Now if so be that God did for the benefit of the world that is of the Gentiles suffer the Jews to fall into unbelief much more will he be willing for his part to make up that fall and receive the Jews again for the benefit of the same world or the same Gentiles If the fall of them i. e. If the fall of the Jews the greatest part of them into unbelief He calls that a fall here which he called a stumbling ver 11. Be the Riches of the world i. e. Be the cause or occasion rather of so many spiritual Riches as are come to the world that is to the Gentiles Note first that Per metonymiam Effecti Riches are to be taken here for the cause or occasion of Riches Secondly Note that by Riches are meant Spiritual Riches as Faith according to that which is written Hath not God chosen the poor of this world Rich in Faith James 2.5 Justification c. Thirdly Note that by the world is meant here Per Synechdochen Generis the men which are in the world yea the Gentiles in contra distinction to the Jews by a farther Synochdoche The diminishing of them i. e. The diminishing of the Jews who are said here to be diminished in that their number was much abated by the unbelief of the greatest part of them who would not receive the Gospel and therefore were rejected of God and put out of the number of those his people which were true Jews indeed That is which were Jews inwardly as the Apostle speaks Chap. 2.29 The word rendred here Diminishing is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be taken for the part of the Jews which are cast off or rejected or as it were rent away from the main body of the Jews For as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which this word is opposed in this place is taken Matth. 9.16 For the piece that being put into the Garment which is torn maketh the Garment which was before torn whole again so may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken for a piece which is rent out of a garment whereby the Garment which was whole before is now torn and lessened And from thence be taken by a Metaphor transferred to this place To signifie the part of the Jews which fell The Riches of the Gentiles That is the same with that viz. The Riches of the world And this whole sentence is but a repetition of that which went immediately before How much more their fullness i. e. How much more the fulness of the Jews or their being made full By the fullness of the Jews is meant the Jews themselves or the multitude of the Jews when their number is made up and compleated or filled by those which were put out of it by reason of their unbelief which would be if they should repent and believe Or it may be that the fullness of the Jews is taken here for the fallen Jews which if they would repent and believe would make up that breach or rent in the body of the Jews which was made by their rejection for their unbelief For the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which I spoke a little before in this verse Ver. 13. For I speak to you Gentiles i. e. For I say to you Gentiles or I will tell you Gentiles as a man would tell his friend Or I speak to you Gentiles That is I appeal to you Gentiles The Apostle writes in this his Epistle both to Jews and Gentiles which were at Rome But he directs this his speech here by an Apostraphe to the Gentiles only as most concerning them to take notice of it Note that this dependes immediately upon the eleventh verse but especially upon the first part thereof the twelfth being brought in as it were by a parenthesis and it is a proof of what the Apostle said there a proof fetcht from the Apostles own practise In as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I magnifie mine office q. d. I am an Apostle of the Gentiles and I magnifie mine office and make it Glorious in as much as I am their Apostle Then doth the Apostle magnifie his office as he is an Apostle of the Gentiles or make it glorious when he useth all diligence in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles and endeavours thereby to bring many Gentiles to the faith of Christ This Phrase is somewhat like to that of the Latines Spartam quam quisque nactus est hanc exornet Let every one adorn or make that task Glorious or beautifull which he hath got And then doth he make it glorious or beautiful and adorn it when he useth all diligence about it The Apostle both here and elsewhere calleth Himself The Apostle of the Gentiles Because the charge which was injoyned him was chiefly about the Salvation of the Gentiles Gal. 2.7 yet we must not think but that he was sent to the Jews to preach to them also For He is a chosen Vessel to me saith the Lord to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and Children of Israel Acts 9.15 Ver. 14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh i. e. That if I can by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my kinsmen according to the flesh Ellipsis He would provoke the Jews whom he calls his flesh to an emulation of the Gentiles by bringing the Gentiles to the faith by his preaching and so making them accepted of God in such a manner as that the Jews seeing this happy condition of the Gentiles might be grieved to see themselves inferior to the Gentiles in happiness and might strive to be as
elder Twin shall serve the younger that is shall serve those which shall be born of the younger Twin Genes 25. verse 22 23. Had conceived by one These words viz. by one are emphatically put That the more notice might be taken of the fruit of this Matrimonial Act of Isaac which was double to wit Twins and to signifie that though these twins had both one and the same father and one and the same mother and were begot at one and the same time yet their destinies and the destinies of their children were not one and the same but various Note that where it is said when Rebecca had conceived It is not to be understood that presently upon her conception this hapned which befel her but after she had conceived in the time which was between her conception and her bringing forth Our father Isaac The Apostle saith Our father Isaac because he also was an Israelite and of the seed of Abraham by Isaac aswel as other Jews The Apostle suspendeth the accomplishment of this sentence till the twelfth verse by reason of that which he interposeth by way of Parenthesis in the eleventh verse And there he makes it up And from thence must we make this up which he saith here q d. But when Rebecca also had conceived by One even by our father Isaac it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated And this that it was thus said unto her when she had conceived is a Typical argument to prove that the Israelites according to the Flesh should not attain to justification by their works nor was the promise of justification made to them upon that account Ver. 11. For the children being not yet born c. This particle for relates to those words when Rebecca had conceived and here he shews by way of exposition what he means by those words had conceived And also unfolds the Argument against justification of Israel according to the flesh by works which lay vailed over in the latter words of the tenth Verse That which he saith therefore is this that when Rebecca had conceived by her husband between that time and the birth of the children which she had conceived that is when the children were not yet born nor had done either good or evil it was said unto her the Elder shall serve the younger And that those words were said to her at that time to shew that justification is not of works That which was said unto Rebecca ver 12. was not said unto her so soon as ever she had conceived nor was it said unto her after the children were born But it was said unto her while the children were yet in her womb and so strong as to struggle there Gen. 25. ver 22 23. But yet before they had done or could do any good or evil And this the Apostle takes punctual notice of that he might shew from thence that the purpose of God concerning election to Justification doth stand not of works but of him that calleth Neither having done any good or evil He speaks of doing good or evil in a moral sence which they could not do until they had the use of reason which they had not while they were in the womb yet was not that their strugling which the History speaks of Gen. 25.22 without reason or counsel but the counsel not of them but of God to whom not only rational creatures which want the Actual use of reason but also Irrational and Inanimate Creatures are in an Obediential power That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth i. e. To signifie that the purpose of God concerning Election was and should immutably be not of works or for works sake but of for and from the mercy and the good pleasure of him who calleth us to the Grace and promises contained in the Gospel that we might believe by the preaching thereof and so be justified That the purpose of God according to Election might stand i. e. To signifie that the purpose of God concerning Election was and should immutably be Note here that verbs which import the being of a thing are sometimes taken for verbs signifying that being and so to stand is taken here for to signifie that it should stand or firmly be without any alteration See what I said to this purpose Chap. 3.4 Chap. 4.16 According to Election i. e. Concerning Election to wit Election to Justification The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred here According to Election but it would be better rendered Concerning Election For the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be taken as a Sign of the Subject as it is also taken 2 Cor. 11. ver 21. where the Apostle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak not according to reproach but I speak concerning reproach The Election here spoken of is as I conceive under correction to be taken for Election to Justification of which I spoke something Chap. 8. ver 33. For the word it self signifieth only the Act of electing or choosing But the Agent or Efficient cause the Subject or material cause the Object and final cause are left to be gathered from the Circumstances of the place And to me it appeareth more than probable by the circumstances of the place that Mans Justification is the immediate Object of the Election here mentioned For justification hath been the Apostles main Subject hitherto which he seemeth yet to pursue and to follow as the main Subject of the Doctrinal part of this his Epistle this he intended to perswade the Jews to in the beginning of this present chapter this is the Conclusion of this Chapter verse 30 31. This is that which he resumes Chap. 10. ver 1 2 3 c. and which he continues to Chap. 12. And the Election which he speaks of Chap. 11.5 as it seems to me cannot be meant of an Election to any other immediate Object than that of Justification for the reason which I shall there give Might stand i. e. To signifie that it was and should be without change or alteration Not of works i. e. Not of or for the works sake which men do as though there were any desert in them A Question may here be asked viz. How S. Paul can draw an Argument from this That it was said to Rebecca while her children were yet in her womb before they had done any good or evil the elder shall serve the younger to prove that the purpose of God concerning Election was and should immutably be without consideration or regard of the works of the Elected For though a man cannot work before he is born yet might God foresee what works he would do after he was born and deal with him in his Election accordingly I answ That if S. Paul should have gone about to draw an Argument from hence Ex natura rei or
it become thee thus to dispute and argue with God for hardning thy heart The Apostle seemeth here to allude to that of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 45.9 Wo to him that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsheard strive with the Potsheard of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioned it what makâ—st thou Ver. 21. Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honour and another unto dishonour Supple If therefore the Potter hath power over the clay of the same Lump to make one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour much more hath God power over the corrupt mass of mankind where none can challenge desert to make whom he will Vessels of honour in Justifying them and others Vessels of dishonour in hardning them This as I said meets not directly with that Objection mentioned ver 19 viz. Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will But meets with the Core that lay at the Jews heart from whence this Objection sprung as the Cause thereof for this lay as a Core at the Jews heart to hear that the Children of Abraham according to the flesh would be rejected of God and have no interest in his spiritual promises by reason of their parentage and of their works And the Children of Promise that is they which believe though they were Gentiles should be received and entituled to those Promises which they could not think of without imputing unrighteousness to God and by reason of which they would often take occasion to chop Logick with God upon light grounds Thus our Sauiour Christ when the Sadduces had propounded a Question to him Matth. 22. ver 23 24 25 26 27 28. endeavours to take away that errour out of the hearts of the Sadduces which was the cause of that Question Matth. 22. ver 31 32. And now this that God hath as much power over Mankind as the Potter hath over the clay will easily vindicate God from unrighteousness in that he makes not the promise of justification to reach to all them which are the Children of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob according to the Flesh and extends it to all the Children of Primise that is to all Believers and Justifies them though they be Gentiles most of them One Vessel to honour i. e. One vessel to honourable uses as to lay our meat in or hold our drink in at our Tables Another to dishonour i. e. Another to base and dishonourable uses as to be a Chamber pot or that which is yet more base and dishonourable to hold or take away the burden of the belly Ver. 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Ver. 23. And that he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the vesselâ— of mercy which he had afore prâ—pared unto glory Supple What canst thou say against that Or what injustice or unrighteousness is there in that Willing to shew his wrath To wit against the Vessels of wrath And to make his power known To wit in the everlasting destruction or damnation of the vessels of Wrath for that they would not obey the Gospel and believe But persist in their disobedience and unbelief Endured with much long suffering i. e. Hardned and yet not positively but privatively that is by suffering them for a long time together to walk on in their pervicacious wayes without punishment Yet the Apostle saith that the long suffering of God leadeth men to Repentance Though they after their hardness and impenitent heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. ver 4.5 So that God in wrath remembreth Mercy Hab. 3.2 He sheweth here by the way how and by which of the many wayes of hardning God hardneth the hearts of the unbelieving Jews and gives the exposition as it were of that word hardneth which he used ver 18. The vessels of wrath The Vessels on which he will shew his wrath or the Vessels which deserve his wrath By Vessels he meaneth Men which he calls Vessels in allusion to Potters vessels of which he spoke ver 22. Fitted to destruction i. e. Fit for damnation or everlasting destruction that is which deserve destruction and everlasting damnation He persists still in the Allusion to a Potters pot yet think not that God did otherwise fit or make those men fit for destruction than by suffering them and permitting them to walk in their own ways without punishing them for it The Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction I conceive that the Apostle doth in a special manner mean here such as he speaks of Chap. 2.8 That is Such as are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness for unto them he saith there that God will at length render indignation and wrath though they be children of Abraham according to the flesh and seek justification by their works They are such as believed not the Gospel when it was preached unto them which the Apostle here aims at as appeareth by the tenour of his speech and among them especially the Jews whom God rejected from justification because they would not believe the Gospel when it was preached to them And indeed the Jews for the most part when the Gospel was preached to them did not only not barely believe it but were contentious against it and persecuted the Preachers of it As will appear by the History of the Acts of the Apostles Ver. 23. And that he might make known the Riches of his glory c And what if God that he might make known the abundance of his goodness to those whom he decreed to prepare to Glory hath prepared them to glory What canst thou say to that or what unrighteousness is in that The Apostle by the word Riches useth to signifie an abundance as Chap. 2.4 Chap. 11.33 2 Cor. 8.2 Ephes 1.7 and Chap. 2.7 and so he doth here And by Glory he meaneth here the goodness of God So that by the Riches of his glory we may understand the abundance of his goodness as Ephes 3.16 Every attribute of God is glorious and may by a Metonymy be called his Glory Many Interpreters do joyn the 22. and 23. verses together as though their were nothing defective here and that the Apostle would give us to know here that God endured with much long suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and so hardened them for two reasons First that he might shew his wrath and make his power known in the destruction of those vessels of wrath And Secondly that by his severity shewed on the Vessells of Wrath He might make his mercy more conspicuous and higher to be valued which he sheweth to the Vessels of Mercy for a Contrary sets off and illustrates its Contrary And that which is common to many is not so much esteemed of as that which appertains to few Yet notwithstanding I
31. But is an objection or question which might arise from that which was said ver 31. which question the Apostle here moves and answereth that he might yet more artificially usher in what he hath to say in the beginning of the Tenth Chapter Because they sought it not by faith i. e. Because they sought it not by the faith of Christ or by faith in Christ which is the only way to obtain Justificatiâ—n But as it were by the works of the Law i. e. But because they sought it by the works of the Law thinking thereby to obtain it without the faith of or in Christ As it were by the works of the Law These words as it were do sometimes signifie the truth and reality of a thing as John 7.9 sometimes an appearance of a thing only And I conceive that they are put here to signifie an appearance only though the Jews might think that when they sougâ—t righteousness by the Law as they did they sought it truly and as they ought to seek it They that truly seek Justification or Righteousness for these two words signifie both one and the same thing by the works of the Law they must so keep the Law as that they never break it at any time no not in the least tittle thereof for if they break it in the least tittle thereof they are cursed by the Law Galath 3.10 And therefore such can never be justified by the works of the Law Now the Jews had sinned every one of them And now having once sinned they could not really and truly and according to knowledge seek for Justification by the works of the Law But being that though they had sinned yet nevertheless they sought for Justification by the works of the Law the Apostle may say not that they sought it by the works of the Law But that they sought it as it were by the works of the Law For they stumbled at the stumbling stone i. e. For they stumbled and were offended at Christ who was to them as a Stumbling-block or stone of Offence in the way to Righteousness This Particle For relates to those words Because they sought it not by faith viz. The faith of Christ And are a Reason why they did not seek after Righteousness by faith The reason why the Jews did not seek after righteousness by faith was that they were offended at Christ by the faith of whom only Justification is to be had and rejected him and evilly entreated him to their own hurt and ruine by bringing a sin upon their head and putting away from them the only means of obtaining Remission of sins The reason why the Jews rejected Christ and were offended at him was because Christ came in such a poor and mean manner without any wordly Pomp being born according to the flesh of poor parentage and having not an house of his own where to lay his head Whereas they looked for a Pompous Messiah to come with all worldly Glory and Lustre mistaking the prophesies concerning Christ which spoke gloriously of him and interpreting them of Earthly Outward or worldly Glory when they were to be taken in a Mystical sence for Heavenly Inward and Spiritual Glory They stumbled at the stumbling stone By this stumbling block or stumbling stone is meant Christ who is here called and likened to a stumbling block or stumbling stone because as a man who in the way which he goes stumbles at a stone or a block which lies in his way comes to hurt So did the Jews stumbling as it were at Christ while they walked after justification get hurt thereby while they were offended at him and rejected him as though he were an Impostor and not the true Christ or Messiah promised by God They stumbled at i. e. They are said to have stumbled at Christ because they rejected Christ and persecuted him and so brought sin upon their head which was hurt to them as a man taketh hurt which stumbleth at a Stone or a Block in the way Ver. 33. As it is written behold I say c. Before these words understand these or the like words viz. For Christ was a stumbling stone to the Jews q. d For Christ was a stumbling Stone to the Jews as it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and Rock of Offence As it is written viz. Isaiah 28.16 But yet the Testimony here alleadged is not to be found there word for word as it is here quoted as they that will compare the places may observe For these words a stumbling block and a Rock of Offence are not there to be found Wherefore most Interpreters do take this Testimony not as a simple testimony taken out of any one place but as a testimony compounded of two parts part whereof is taken out of Isaiah Chap. 28.16 Part out of Isaiah 8.14 Where we have these words A stone of stumbling and a Rock of Offence But yet notwithstanding this we cannot find the whole testimony word for word in or to be made out of those two places conjoyned Yet nevertheless we may find the whole sence of the words even in Isaiah 28.16 mystically expounded and therefore I conceive that the Apostle takes his testimony wholly from thence though to explain the mystical sence thereof he may borrow some words from Isaiah 8.14 The words therefore as they are read in Isaiah Chap. 28.16 are these Behold I the Lord lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone A pretious corner stone a sure foundation He that believeth shall not make haste Which words in the first and literal sence are spoken of Ezâ—kiah King of Judah who when the Assyrians were in the Land of Judah wasting and destroying the Land yet did believe the word of the Lord that he notwithstanding would defend and keep Jerusalem and so was saved when most of the Jews which would not bâ—lieve were destroyed Hezekiah therefore in the literal sence was called here a Foundation in Sion because he dwelt in Sion that is in Hierusalem and was a Foundation that is a cause of safety to them which flew thither for safety for for Hezekiahs sake did God keep Hierusalem safe at that time He might be called also a Foundation because he was the Chiefest of them which believed in Hierusalem that Hierusalem should not be destroyed by the Assyrians but saved by the Lord from being destroyed by them And was by his example and counsel an inducement also to others to believe and to stand fast and strong in their belief For as a company of men knit or combined together in one are likened sometimes to a natural body and the Chief of them to the head of that body So are they sometimes likened to an House and the chief of them to the Foundation of that house And thus might Hezekiah also be likened to the Foundation of an house because he was the Chief of those believers which were in Hierusalem when the Assyrians wasted the Land of Judah
Righteousness or Justification By righteousness that is by justification is here meant the way of righteousness or justification as before The Jews for the greatest part of them would seek righteousness or justification by works Chap. 9.32 which way God approved not nor appointed Chap. 9. ver 11. wherefore the Apostle calleth that their own way which way of theirs they did strive to maintain against the way of faith Have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God i. e. Have not submitted themselves to and to have not followed that way of righteousness which God hath appointed to justification which is by faith He seems to speak of righteousness or of the way of righteousness here as of a person which we ought to obey by a Prosopopoeia Ver. 4. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth c. He proveth here that the Jews have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God And the proof runs after this manner They which have not received Christ nor believed in him have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God But the Jews for the greatest part of them have not received Christ nor believed in him therefore the Jews for the greatest part of them have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God This whole Syllogism the Apostle leaveth to be understood as that which may easily be understood by what he hath here said And taking the minor for granted he proves the major here when he saith For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth i. e. For Christ was appointed to wit of God to be the Author of righteousness or justification to every one that believeth on him And that the Law it self testifieth because the Law it self points at Christ and did lead us to him for the obtaining of righteousness or justification by him Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness Christ is said to be the end of the Law for righteousness that is for justification because the Moral Law convincing man of sin and laying open his weakness and disability made him to look for righteousness that is for justification and remission of sins from without himself And the Ceremonial Law did prefigure Christ and the cleansing of our sins by him by the sacrifices and washings and other rites which it appointed Or which yet is almost the same with what I have said Christ may be said to be the end of the Law that is the final cause for which it was given to wit of God by Moses Because it was partly given to prefigure Christ Partly to be as a School Master to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 This is an Argument to prove that Christ was appointed of God for Righteousness or Justification to wit because the Law which was given of God by Moses did point at him and lead to him for that end Ver. 5. For Moses describeth the Righteousness of the Law c. Because the Apostle said ver 4. That Christ was the end of the Law for righteousness c. A man might object and say that if it be so that Christ was the end of the Law for Righteousness then is the Righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of faith all one that is it is one and the same way which the Law prescribes for Righteousness or Justification And which the Gospel prescribeth And may infer from thence that if it be so then the Jews are not ignorant of the righteousness of God but have submitted themselves thereunto Which was that which the Apostle denied ver 3. The Apostle therefore prevents this Objection and to shew that the Righteousness of the Law And the Righteousness of Faith is not the same or that it is not one and the same way which the Law prescribeth for righteousness and which the Gospel prescribeth saith for Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law c. q. d. Neither because I said That Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness Do I say that the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of Faith are both one or that it is one and the same way which the Law prescribeth for righteousness and which the Gospel prescribeth For Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law after this manner That the man which doth those things shall live by them But the the righteousness which is of faith or but the Preacher of the Gospel speaketh on this wise Viz. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law c. i. e. Moses who was publisher of the law and by whom the Law was given describeth the way of righteousness which the Law sets out or appointeth thus to wit that the man that doth those things shall live by them By the righteousnest of the Law I understand by a Metonymy the way appointed or scored out in the Law or by the Law for obtaining or attaining to righteousness The man which doth those things shall live by them i. e. That man which doth fully and perfectly observe and keep all the Commandments of the Law as fully and exactly as the Law requireth them to be done shall be justified by them This testimony is taken out of Levit. 18.5 where the whole verse runs thus Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them Which doth these things i. e. Which doth the Statutes and judgements that is the commandments of the Lord and doth them most exactly This Sentence is to be understood of exact and perfect keeping of the Law as appeareth by Deuteronomy 27.26 where a curse is denounced against all those which keep not all the words of the Law See Gal 3.8 c. Shall live by them i. e. Shall be justified by them To live signifieth here to be justified as Chap. 1. v. 17. Ver. 6. But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise By the righteousness which is of faith I understand by a Metonymy or Prosopopoeia the Preacher of that Righteousness which is of faith and this I do to oppose it to Moses the Preacher or publisher of the Law and the righteousness thereof That which the righteousness of faith or the Preacher of the righteousness which is of faith speaketh is that which is recorded ver 9 viz. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved So that that which is said between this and that is brought in by the way and is to be read as it were with a parenthesis Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven These
Jew that Christ came in person to him according to that promise which he did not to the Gentile at all These prerogatives doth the Apostle mention here and make known to the Gentilâ—s that the Gentiles might for these prerogatives sake the more willingly and more heartily receive the Jews Ver. 9. And that che Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy i. e. And I say to you O ye Jews that the Gentiles have received such mercies by Christ as that they have cause to glorifie God therefore For though Christ came not in person to the Gentiles yet he sent his Apostles and ministers to them with the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel By this he shews that they have received great mercies The Apostle makes an Apostrophe here to the Jews Where we must repeat those words I say from the former verse and add these words O ye Jews When he saith The Gentiles may glorifie God for his mercies he signifieth by a Metalâ—psis that God had vouchsafed the Gentiles great mercies such as challenge great acknowledgement and great glory to be given to God from their hands The mercy which God vouchsafed the Gentiles was that though he sent not his Son Christ Jesus to them in person as he did to the Jews yet he sent his Apostles and Ministers to them with the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ These mercies vouchsafed of God by Christ to the Gentiles doth the Apostle mention here to the Jews that the Jews might the more willingly and the more heartily receive the Gentiles Note that what God did for the Jews in sending Christ to them is said to be for the truth of God and for his promise c. But what he did for the Gentilâ—s is said to be of mercy yet we must not think that it was so of debt which God did for the Jews as that it was not of mercy also Indeed a promise doth produce a debt for he which promiseth is bound to perform his promise But yet this promise of God to the Jews did proceed from mercy so that it was Mercy which God shewed both the Jewes and the Gentiles but to the Jews a mercy promisâ—d to the Gentiles a mercy not promised but only foretold by the prophetâ— As it is written Supple In the Scriptures viz Psal 18.49 The Apostle backs this which he saith with proofs out of the Scripture because of the backwardness of the Jews to believe this mercy shewed to the Gentiles And so he doth almost every where where he speaks eâ—ther of the calling or of mercies shewed to the Gentiles for this reason For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles c. To confess is to be taken here for to praise for there is Confessio Laudis as well as Confessio peccatorum c. a confession of praise as well as a confession of sins But note that Confession as it signifieth praise is not given in Scripture to men but only to God And to confess to God signifieth to praise God because to praise God is nothing else but to confess the goodness and power and wisdom and mercy and other attributes of God The sence therefore of these words is this For this cause I will praise thee among the Gentiles c. These words are taken out of the eighteenth Psalm and the 49 verse as I said And they are spoken by David in his own person upon occasion of the deliverances which God wrought for David and the victories which he gave him over all his enemies which were so signal that he says in the words now in hand that he would declare the great mercies and blessing of God vouchsafed to him even to the Heathen that dwelt round about him But David was herein a type of Christ and Davids deliverances from Trouble a type of Christs deliverances from death and the grave c And Davids victories over his enemies a type of Christs victories over his enemies So that as these words were spoken by David in the first or Historical sence they must be understood as spoken by Christ in the second or mystical sence upon his victory over Satan and sin and the world which reigned in the Heathen or over the Heathen before that he subdued them Yet must they not be so understood as that Christ sung them or uttered them in his own person but so as that the Heathen which found Satan and sin and the world which reigned over them subdued in them by the Spirit of Christ did by the same Spirit sing this song of thanksgiving at least in the sence thereof And what is done by the Spirit of Christ is Interpretativè done by Christ himself Oâ— that the Apostles or Ministers of Christ sung this song to the praise of God For what they did Christ may be in some sence said to do When I say The Spirit of Christ I mean that Spirit which the Apostlâ— so calls Chap. 8. ver 9. And sing unto thy name i. e. And sing in the praise of thee The name of God is taken here for God himself by a Metonymie And to sing to is taken for to sing in the praise of See the like Phrase Chap. 14.6 Ver. 10 And again he saith i. e. And again the Scripture saith The Greek is onely this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again He or it saith for not the suppositum or nominative case to the verb but the verb is onely expressed but the nominative case to this verb may be dug out as I may so say of these words ver 9. As it is written that is as it is written in the Scripture Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his People This the Scripture saith Deut. 32.43 And it is part of that prophetical song which Moses sang before his death in which he shews Gods goodness to Israel in taking Israel to be his people then he foretells of the sins of Israel which they would most unworthily commit against God then he prophesieth of the punishment which God would inflict upon them for these their sins and that he would for them deliver them over to the Sword and to Captivity and at last that he would deliver them and destroy their enemies which persecuted them with the sword and held them Captives Whereupon he infers this which our Apostle here quotes Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his People that is Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people Israel Why Gods people Israel should rejoyce here it is clear to wit because after the Sword and Captivity they should be delivered from them which persecuted them But now why should the Gentiles rejoyce with his people I Answer because the Gentiles such as Moses here speaks to by way of prophesie were persecuted by the same sword and held captive by the same men by which the people of Israel were persecuted and held captive and when the people of Israel were delivered from the Sword and Captivity they were delivered too I doubt not but that Moses
of Hierusalem and Judaea those Alms which I have gathered for them in the Churches of Macedonia and Achaia and to distribute them among them To the Saints i. e. To those Christians That is to those Jews which are turned to Christ and believe the Gospel Christians are among other titles called by the name of Saints not because all that profess the name of Christ are Saints that is are truly holy but because every Church of Christ is called a Congregation of Saints from the principal members thereof which are truly Saints As also because the Doctrine which Christians profess is an holy Doctrine and the life required of them and which they profess is an holy life Ver. 26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia i. e. For it hath pleased the Saints that is the Christians or Brethren which live in Macedonia and Achaia c. To make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Hierusalem The Jews which believed were persecuted by the unbelieving Jews and spoiled of their goods as appeareth Heb. 10.34 1 Thes 2.14 And this was one great cause of the poverty of these Saints of Hierusalem The Apostle commends the Churches of Macedonia and Achaia here that he might thereby tacitely stir up the Romans to the like Contribution or Alms-deeds towards the poor Christian Jews Ver. 27 It hath pleased them q. d. It hath pleased them I say The Apostle repeats these words out of the former verse that he might add something to them And their debtors they are i. e. And the Saints of Macedonia and Achaia are debtors to the Jews of Hierusalem Viz. so to do that is to relieve them in their necessities Upon what account they are their debtors to relieve them in their necessities he tells in the next words For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things c. For being that the Gentiles have been made partakers of the Spiritual things of the Jews c. It is not Dubitantis but Affirmantis here The spiritual things which the Apostle here speaks of are such things as conduced to a spiritual life to wit the Word of God that is the Gospel and the Sacraments c. And these he calls the things of the Jews because the Gentiles received them from the Jews and because they were deposited with the Jews at the first as the gift of God promised to them from the days of old and at last performed And of these spiritual things the Gentiles were made partakers also by the ministry of the Apostles which were Jews Their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things i. e. Their duty it is truly and they are bound to minister unto them and relieve them in carnal things Also is as much here as Truly or it signifies a retaliation By carnal things he means such things as are requisite and necessary for the maintainance of the Flesh that is the Body or Bodily life The Apostle saith here that the Gentiles which received the Gospel and the Sacraments from the Jews were debtors to the Jews and bound to them by reason of the Gospel and the Sacraments which they received from them to relieve them in their necessities And speaks not of those Jews only which preached the Gospel and ministred the Sacraments to them which were the Apostles but of as many of the whole people or nation of the Jews from which they came out as were Christians But now the question will be whether this of the Gentiles to the Jews be a debt properly or improperly taken that is whether it be a debt such as the Jews by vertue thereof might exact in the way of justice relief of the Gentiles in their necessity Or whether it be only called a debt of the Gentiles because the Gentiles if they should not relieve the Jews in their necessity by reason of what they had received from them would not carry themselves seemly and handsomly towards them though this seemliness and handsomness ariseth not out of Justice but some other Fountain I answer It is a debt not properly but improperly taken if we speak of as many of the whole nation or people of the Jews which were Christians Though in respect of those Jews to wit the Apostles which laboured in ministring of the Gospel and the Sacraments to the Gentiles it would be a debt properly taken and properly due to them to relieve them if they stood in need because of the pains and travel which they take with them for the labourer is justly worthy of his hire Ver. 28. When therefore I have performed this When I have finished this Journey to Hierusalem and this Service which I speak of And have sealed to them this fruit i. e. And when I have delivered unto them this money whâ—ch the Gentiles have contributed to them which I will do without any deminution of it at all To Seal signifieth here to deliver as a thing which is sealed where there is no purloining nor surreption for there is an allusion here to goods or monies which are sealed up in a bag or the like which is therefore sealed up that they may come entire to them to whom they are sent and that they who receive them may know by the integrity of the Seal that nothing hath been diminished of them but that they are intire as they were sent By this the Apostle intimates how unblamably and intirely he would behave himself in this matter This fruit He calls the alms or the contribution which the Achaians and Macedonians sent to the Jews at Hierusalem Fruit because it was the fruit of their faith I will come by you into Spain Supple if God will For this to wit if God will is to be supposed to be understood by all Chrians in their speaking of their determination Whether Paul went ever into Spain as is here written is doubted Ver. 29. I am sure This assurance which the Apostle here speaks of seems to be not an assurance as they say of faith or an infallible assurance but an assurance only of hope so that when he saith I am sure it is as if he should say I hope or I am perswaded yet it may be more than an assurance of hope if the Romans themselves hindred not by their own fault the abundance of the blessing which he speaks of I shall come in the abundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ i. e. I shall so come as that you shall receive abundance of blessing by the Gospel which I shall preach to you at my coming In the abundance of the blessing i. e. With abundance of blessing In is put for With. The blessing of the Gospel I conceive to be nothing else here but the comfort and strength of grace which is conveyed into the hearts of the faithful by the preaching of the Gospel which he speaks of here as things subsistent by a Metaphor Ver. 30. And for the love of the spirit i. e.