live any longer therein For if they be dead to sin but in promise and profession only they cannot to wit with any face live to sin For who can with any face live to that which he hath promised and professed he hath nothing to do with and which he hath renounced And if they be dead to sin not in promise and profession only but in truth and reality also How can they possibly live to sin For it implieth a contradiction to be truly and really dead and yet to live to the same thing to wit at the same time When therefore Christians may be said to be dead to sin these two manner of wayes I conceive that the Apostle argues here in this part of the Chapter from both these wayes that is from the promise and profession which they make in their entrance and admission into the Church of Christ that they renounce sin and will die unto it which he prosecutes in the third and fourth verses And from that that if they be true Christians they are dead to sin in truth and reality which he prosecutes in the verses following We that are dead to sin We may take notice here of the difference of these two Phrases to wit to be dead to sin which is the Phrase the Apostle here useth And to be dead in sin which is a Phrase the Apostle useth Eph. 2. ver 1.5 c. he is said to be dead to sin which obeyeth not sin nor followeth the lusts thereof He is said to be dead in sin which is so under sins dominion as that he can get no more out of it in a manner than a dead man can get out of the Grave Therein The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be rendred Thereto Ver. 3. Know ye not that as many of us as are baptised into Christ Jesus are baptised into his death i. e. Know ye not that so many of us as by baptism have entred our selves into the number of Christ Jesus his disciples and have by the Susception of baptism obliged our selves to follow him and his doctrine that we I say did by that our baptism and the susception thereof and the ceremonies therein used profess and promise that we would renounce sin and die to her which death was typified as it were and figured in the death of Christ and the death of Christ figured in our baptism that is in plainer and shâ—rter terms have not as many of us as have been baptized professed and promised by or in our baptism that we would renounce sin and die or become dead unto her As Christ once died to this naturall life Note that whereas the Apostle said ver 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein he doth here illustrate and shew the truth of that his saying First by shewing that we Christians are dead to sin in promise and profession at the least And this he doth in this verse And Secondly by shewing that we are therefore dead to sin not that we should live again to her but that we should live a new life to wit a life to righteousness and this he doth in the next verse As were baptized into Jesus Christ To be baptized into Jesus Christ is by the susception of Baptisme or by the promise therein made to subject ourselves to Christ and to acknowledge him to be our Master whom we will readily follow and whose Gospel and Doctrine we will readily embrace and whose commands we will receive and keep without dispute See Acts 19.5 1 Cor. 1.14 The Baptism by which we are baptized into Jesus Christ is not different from that Baptism by which we are baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost yea we are baptized into Jesus Christ by being baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and while we subject ourselvs to them we subject ourselves to Jesus Christ for they are all one their commands one their doctrine one Were baptized into his death i. e. Were baptized into the similitude and likeness of his death for so the Apostle seems to explicate and express himself ver 5. And by consequence into a death to Sin which was typified both by the ceremony of being dipped over head and ears in baptisme as also by Christs Death They were baptized into the similitude of Christs death which were dippâ—d over head and ears in the waters at their Baptism for by being dipped over head and ears in the waters at their Baptisme they were as it were buried in the waters which burial represented the burial of Christ in the bowels of the earth and by consequence Châ—â—sts death This burial in the waters at their Baptism as it did figure and represent Christs death So it did figure and represent the death of those which were baptized unto Sin which the Apostle here intimates and we are to take notice of And as it did figure and represent the death of those which were baptized unto sin so it was a kind of profession that they did renounce sin and would dy thereunto Where note that at this Baptism the party to be baptized did by word of mouth promise and profess that he would renounce sin And what he did promise and profess by word of mouth he did promise and profess by the ceremonies to which he submitted himself in baptism For whether he were sprinkled with water or whether he were dipped over head and ears he did by those ceremonies and either of them promise â—nd profess that he had or would renounce sin and have nothing to do with the foul pollutions of her unclean motions and lusts For by being sprinkled with water he shewed that he had or would cleanse himself and as it were wash himself from sin And by being dipped over head and ears and so by being as it were buried in the water he shewed that he would die or was dead to sin for none but dead men use to be buried Into his death i. e. Into the similitude or likeness of the death of Christ which death of Christ was a figure or representation of our death to sin And by being baptized into that we did profess that we would renounce sin and die to her Note therefore that the death of Christ was not only a cause of our death unto sin But was also a figure and certain Typical representation thereof For it signified or figured our death to sin And did Typically and Figuratively teach us what we should do that is that we should die to sin as Christ died to this mortall life And this is evident by certain passages of the former part of this Chapter And not only the death of Christ but his Resurrection and his Ascention into heaven did figure and typically set forth what we should do who have been baptized into Christ For as Christ was raised from the dead so should we rise to a new
said of the law and notwithstanding what perverse men would draw from thence the whole law is holy and that commandment of the law to wit Thou shalt not covet is holy and just and good holy in that it forbids that which is injurious to God just in that it forbids that which is injurious to our neighbours and good in that it forbids that which is injurious to and unbeseeming our own selves 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working dâ—ath in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful 13. Was then the law or was then that commandment of the law which is holy and just and good made to me a genuine cause or author of the spiritual death by which I died to innocency and of that by which I am become guilty of eternal death God forbid But sin was the cause thereof so that sin did appear to be sin indeed in that that it wrought in me a death to innocency and a guilt of everlasting death by the commandment which is good So that sin by the abuse of the commandment became and shewed her self to be what she was indeed exceeding sinful 14. For we know that the law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin 14. Far be it therefore from us to think that the law is the cause of our sins for we know that the law is spiritual commanding spiritual things and ordering to a spiritual life and is approved of God who is a pure spirit But I being under the law am at my best estate carnal and as very a slave to sin as he which is sold in a Market is a slave to him which bought him 15. For that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. 15. For that you may know that I am as very a slave to sin as he which is sold in a Market is a slave to him that bought him that which I do I like not nor do I approve of it For whereas I would do that which the law commands I do it not but what I hate and would not do because the law forbids it that do I. 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good 16. And now if I thus do that which I would not I consent to the law that it is good and spiritual for my will and the law concur in the same things 17. Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 17. And now also if it be so that I do that which I would not it is not I that do it as I am instructed by the law but sin which dwelleth in me 18 For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not 18. For I know by experience that there dwelleth no spiritual good in me that is in my flesh to quell sin For to will that good which I speak of is present with me and that I can do after a weak manner But yet how to perform that good which I would I find not so predominant is sin in me 19. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do 19. For as I said before the good that I would do because the law commands it I do not but the evil which I would not do because the law forbids it that do I. 20. Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 20. Now then I say again if I do that which I would not it is not I that do it as I am instructed by the law but it is sin that dwelleth and reigneth in me which doth it 21. I finde then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me 21. Yea I find by Experience not only that no such spiritual good as I speak of dwelleth in me But I find a law that is I find that when I would do good evil is present with me thwarting that my will to do good 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward-man 22. For I delight in the Law of God after a weak manner according to the dictates of that Inward man to wit my mind 23. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 23. But I find evil affections in my body as another law warring against the law or dictates in my mind and overcoming me and taking me as a Prisoner and bringing me Captive to sin which dwelleth and ruleth in me 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 24. O wretched and miserable man as I am who shall deliver me from this Company of deadly enemies which do thus war against me and make me a Captive to sin 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I my self serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin 25. I Paul that I may speak this in my own person as I am a Servant of Christ thank God that he hath delivered me from these deadly Enemies by Christ Jesus So then that I may bring up what I have said from the fourteenth verse hitherto to a conclusion and speak in the person of one which is under the Law but hath attained to the highest degree of goodness in that estate as I spake before I my self though I am carnal and sold under sin I serve the law of God with my mind in that I approve of with my mind what the law commands and do propound her commands to my will to be followed by her and so I proclaim and acknowledge that the law is spiritual but yet with my flesh that is with the other faculties and powers of my soul I serve sin And thereby acknowledge and proclaim my self to be carnal and as very a slave to sin as he which is sold in a Market is a slave to him which bought him which was the Position which I laid down ver 14. CHAP. VII Ver. 1. Know ye not brethren for I speak to them which know the law how that the law c. The Apostle said Chap. 6. ver 14. ye are not under the law but under Grace And he spoke that as I said particularly to the believing Jews for many Jews lived at Rome as will appear Act. 28. Now because the Jews though they believed were zealous of the Law Act. 21.20 and therefore might doubt of what S. Paul said Chap. 6.14 of their not being under the law but under grace He shews here tha the Jew might lawfully take
by Moses and so personates them as if they were but one single person Theophylact. and Saint Chrysostome before him interpret this place by such a figure This figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of personating others the Apostle doth especially use when he speaks of things which would not be so pleasing to them to whom they truely be long and he doth it First for modesty sake and secondly that he might give the lesse offence to them Ver. 10. And the Commandment which was ordained to life and the Commandment which was ordained of God for this end that they to whom it was given might lead an innocent holy and just life And by so living might attain to an happp and blessed life as a reward thereof I found to be unto death i. e. I found to be an occasion to bring me to death viz. a death to innocencie and holiness and righteousness first and then to the guilt of aeternal death as a reward or punishment of that former death Ver. 11. For sin taking occasion by the Commandment c. Note here that the Law did not if we speak properly so much as give an occasion to sin to stir us up to evill But sin took an occasion by the Law He speaks of sin as of a Person Deceived me He saith deceived me because sin guilds over her baits and her evil mot ons with the appearance of some good which though they are apprehended as good appear at last in their own colours even evill as they are so that the Sinner at length sees that he was deceived by them And by it slew me It slew him by taking away his life of innocency first And then making him guilty of aeternall death Ver. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy i. e. Wherefore the Law is separate f om all evill that is Wherefore the Law is good notwithstanding that which hath been objâ—cted against it To be holy signifieth properly to be separate from other things by way of eminency and in a partâ—cular manner that is said to be holy which is separate from all manner of naughtiness This conclusion or inference is drawn chiefly from those words Viz. I had not known Sin but by the Law c. And the Commandment holy and just and good By the Commandment is meant the tenth Commandment as before This Commandment may be saâ—d to be holy because it forbids those lusts and desires which tend to the immediate dishonour of God And just in that it forbids those lusts and desires which tend to the immediate hurt of our Neigbour and good in that it forbids those lusts and desires which tend to the immediate hurt of our selves There is a difference between a Law and a Commandment for a Law is a body of commands or commandments given by a Law-giver As when we say The Law of Moses or the Law of Christ each of which contains many particular commands But a Commandment is but a particular mandat or praecept or branch of a Law which commands or forbids some particular or special thing to be done or left undone Ver. 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me i. e. Was then the Commandment which is in it self good the cause of death to me Or was the Commandment which was in it self good the cause why I died to Innocency first and then through that became guilty of eternal death That which is good By that which is good he meaneth the Commandment of which he spoke in the foregoing verse And under the name of good he comprehends here that which he called Holy and Just and Good before God forbid See ver 7. But sin Supple was made the cause of death to me That it might appear sin i. e. So that it did appear to be sin indeed sin in her own colours by those effects which she wrought in me Note that the particle That is here a note or sign of the Event Working death in me by that which is good i e. By working death or because she wrought death in me by the Commandment which was good The death here spoken of may be understood not only of death to Innocency but also of Eternal death of which the death to Innocency makes the nocent man guilty That Sin by the Commandment might become exceedingly sinful i. e. So that Sin taking occasion by the Commandment and by that working all manner of Concupiscence in me did shew her self exceedingly Sinful He speaks of Sin as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia and therefore calls Her sinfull Ver. 14. For we know that the Law is spiritual i. e. For we all very well know that the Law is Spiritual and commands spiritual things The Law is spiritual The Law is said to be spiritual because it commands spiritual things and ordereth of it self to a spiritual life And now if the Law be such it cannot be made death or be the cause of death in it self to any one By this he proves what he said first in the former verse viz. that that which is good that is That the Law was not made death unto him But I am carnal sold under Sin But I at my best estate am carnal being addicted to the affections and lusts of the flesh which move me contrary to the Law and am carried away with them yea I am as very a servant or slave to Sin as he which is bought or sold in a market is a slave or servant to him which bought him By this he proves that which he said last in the former verse viz. That it was Sin which was made death unto him Note here that the Apostle speaks in the person of one which was under the Law yet which had attained to the highest degree in that Estate that a man could attain to which was not yet in Christ For every one which was under the Law had not such a mind as he here speaks of in the latter part of this Chapter And there were divers degrees of them which were under the Law Suppose therefore that the Apostle speaks here of such an one as that Scribe was which our Saviour speaks of Mark 12.34 of whom he says that he was not far from the Kingdom of God Sold under Sin i. e. As very a servant or slave to sin as he which is bought or sold in a Market is a servant or slave to him that buyes him He alludes here to servants or slaves which are bought and sold in a Market to be under the power or command of the Buyer so that to be sold under Sin is as it were to be sold to Sin to be under her and her command As he alludes here to a servant or slave which is bought or sold in a Market So he alludes to a servant or slave which is taken in the wars ver 23. When S. Paul saith here that he is carnal sold under Sin And when he saith ver 23. I see another Law in my members warring against the
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
which is the wages of sin and which never falls upon any one but for sin reigned over all men from the days of Adam to the days of Moses though they had not sinned as Adam had who transgressed against a law which God gave him to keep with his own mouth which Adam was a Figure of Christ who indeed was then to come but is since come among us And therefore was he a Figure of Christ because as Christ derived something to his children so did Adam before Christ came derive something to his But yet if we come to particulars that which Christ derived to his children was Grace and the free gift of God But that which Adam derived to his was Original sin which I call here the Offence 15. But not as the offence so also is the free gift For if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many 15. But yet not as the offence which Adam derived to his Children so also is the free gift which Christ derived to his for equality but this much exceeds that For if by the offence which was caused by one to wit Adam and by him derived to his Children many to wit so many as are born of him are either already dead or shall surely die In a much higher degree and more plentiful though contrary manner hath the grace of God that is the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ abounded unto many even to so many as are born of Christ that they might live 16. And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification 16. Not I say as was the offence or sin which was by one to wit Adam So is the gift which is by one to wit Christ Jesus For the Judgement of God passed upon the Children of Adam to their condemnation by reason of that one sin or offence which Adam derived to them But the free gift or pardon which is derived by Christ to his Children is the remission or pardon not of that one only offence but of many other offences to their justification 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ 17. Again if by that one sin or offence death reigned by reason of one man to wit Adam who was the cause of that sin or offence and who derived it to his Children over all the Children of Adam After a far more bountiful and glorious manner shall life reign by one to wit Jesus Christ over all the Children of Christ who receive by him abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness by the remission and pardon of their many sins and offences 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life 18. Therefore that I may resume and perfect what I began to say but left unperfect verse 12. As by reason of that original sin or offence which was caused by one and by that one to wit Adam derived to all his Children judgement came upon all men which were born of Adam whereby they were condemned to death Even so by reason of that righteousness or justification which was purchased by one even Jesus Christ and by that one derived to all his Children the pardon or remission of sins which was a free gift from God came upon all men which are born of Jesus Christ so that they are thereby justified and translated from death to life 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 19. I said by reason of the offence which was caused by one to wit Adam and I said by reason of the righteousness or justification which was purchased by one to wit Jesus Christ For as by the disobedience of one man that one man Adam who disobeyed God by eating of the Tree concerning which God had said Thou shalt not eat thereof many yea so many as were born of Adam were made sinners through the offence which was caused by him So by the obedience of one even Jesus Christ who obeyed God unto death even the death of the Cross shall many yea as many as are born of him be justified from their sins through the righteousness which was purchased by him 20 Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound 20. Moreover least any one should say that though sin was in the world untill the Law yet surely when the Law was once entred sin was taken away let me tell you that the Law was so far from taking away sin that sin did abound by the entring in of the Law But yet to our comfort when sin abounded the Grace and Mercy of God through Christ did much more abound 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 21. So that as sin hath reigned unto death by Adam even so the grace and favor of God hath reigned through justification and remission of sins unto Eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. V. Vers 1. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with The Apostle having shewed in the foregoing part of this Epistle that we are justified not by the works of the Law but by faith cometh here to shew the fruit and excellent effects which follow or come by that Justification Being justified c. Concerning the signification of this word See Chapter 6. ver 7. We have peace with God That is God is at peace with us so that though we have sinned yet God will nor pour out his wrath upon us for our sins as he will upon other sinners because we are justified by Faith These words are not so to be understood as though the meaning thereof were that we were peaceably affected towards God But so as that God is peaceably affected towards us And the word Peace here is opposed to Wrath to wit the Wrath of God of which he speaks ver 9. And not God but we are the Object of this Peace or they to whom this peace is shewed and God is as the Subject so when we say we have favour with God God is the Subject we the Object to whom this favour is shewed Through our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. Through the merits and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is called here our Lord because he bought us with a Price 1 Cor. 6.20 2 Pet. 2.1 which Price was his own blood with which price he redeemed us out of the bondage
Faith should think that he might continue in sin that the grace of God might the more abound and so the mercy of God might be the more glorified As some had objected to the Christians that they did and held though falsly to whom he had answered before Chap. 3. ver 6 7 8. In the sixth Chapter he sheweth how inconsistant it is with him who is justified by faith and had his former sins pardoned by Grace to live in sin and useth many arguments to stir him up to live an holy life But least that any faint-hearted Christian in general or Jew in particular for of him by the answer which he gives in this sixth Chapter and which he prosecutes in the seventh he seems especially to speak should say Yea but for my part I cannot follow Righteousness as you would have us nor can I be but a slave to sin having been so great a follower of unrighteousness and sin having had such dmoinion over me The Apostle tells him Chap. 6. verse 14. that Sin should not have dominion over him as it had had for he was not now under the Law but under the Gospel which afforded him these means to free himself from sin which the Law could not afford him CHAP. VII And this his answer he prosecutes Chap. 7. and shews the Jew that the Jews were freed from the Law which was the strength of Sin 1 Cor. 15 56. and were brought under the Gospel that they might serve God by a new kind of Life which the Gospel worketh in us and that they might not follow that old kind of life which they led while they were under the Law through the Motions of sin which were by the Law But now because some might say that there could be no motions of Sin by the Law and others might say that the Law would be the cause of Sin if there were any motions of Sin by it He sheweth verse the seventh and so forward to the end of the Chapter both that the Law was the occasion of sin to those which were under it and that it was not for all that the true and genuine cause thereof wherefore at the seventh verse the better to shew these things which he speaks of and the condition of the Jews which lived before the Law was given by Moses and the condition of the same people when they were under the Law after it was given He puts one in his own person the person of the Jews both as they lived before the Law and under the Law CHAP. VIII Now after the Apostle hath finished these things he comes again in the eighth Chapter to shew the happiness of them who are justified by faith or who are in Christ Jesus for those are all one whom he also describeth by that That they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit in relation to what he had taught in the whole sixth Chapter concerning the Life of a man which is justified by Faith or which is in Christ Jesus that it ought to be such as is Holy and free from all Vnrighteousnesse And to this holinesse of life doth he use here divers new Arguments to excite them from the first to the seventeenth verse of this Chapter at which verse shewing that we must not onely do the works of Righteousnesse but also suffer if need be for Righteousness sake He doth in the ensuing part of the Chapter use divers arguments to move them to suffer afflictions patiently and endeth this Chapter with the narration of the happinesse of those which he spake of from the fifth Chapter hitherto that is of those which are justified by Faith or which is the same of those which are in Christ Jesus CHAP. IX Now in the ninth Chapter reflecting upon what he said before that a man is justified by Faith and not by the workes of the Law and reflecting upon the happinesse of those which are justified by Faith and considering withall that the Jewes for the most part were such as he spake of Chap. 2. Verse 8. That is such as were contentious against the Gospel and obeyed not or believed not that Word of Truth but obeyed Vnrighteousness against whom indignation and wrath is revealed He manifests the great heaviness and continual sorrow which he had in his heart For those Jews which were his Kinsmen according to the flesh and to whom among many other priviledges the promises of God did belong to think that they resisting that way which God had appointed for obtaining Righteousness or Justification should invent another way of their own and go about to establish that their own way and submit not or yield not to follow that way of Righteousness which God had prescribed And this heaviness and continual sorrow of his heart for them he doth shew that they considering and contemplating his sorrow for them might pity their own selves and embrace the truth that they might be saved at the last But though he manifesteth here the great heaviness and continuall sorrow which he had in heart for those his Kinsmen to wit the Jewes yet he doth not here express the cause of this his sorrow being interrupted with an objection which might arise from what he had said and to which he would answer but deferreth it to the next Chapter and there resumeth and perfecteth what he here broke off though in other terms The Objection which might arise from what he had sad is this He said that among other Priviledges which belonged to the Jewes which were the people of Israel according to the flesh this was one That the promises of God were theirs upon which a Jew might thus object and say That if we Jewes who are the Childrn of Israel according to the flesh were not justified but were under Wrath and Indignation as thou Paul sayest Then would the promises of God be void and of none effect which is to make God false in his word For God promised by his servant Jeremy and many other his servants the Prophets that he would make a new covenant with them and justifie them Jer. 31. ver 31 32 33 34. To this objection Saint Paul answers here verses 6 7 8 9. to this effect True it is that God made a promise to the Israelites that he would justifie them but whereas there are to sorts of Israelites one which are Israelites according to the Flesh which descended from Jacob and Abraham by carnall propagation The other which were Israelites and the Children of Abraham according to the Spirit because they did imitate and follow Abraham in this Faith for they which are of Faith they are the Children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 That promise of Justification doth belong absolutely and immediately not to those which are the Children of Jacob or the Children of Abraham according to the Flesh as Such but to those which believe as Such and so are the Children of Jacob and of Abraham according to the Spirit whether they be Jewes or whether
notwitststanding any Antecedent purpose or decree of his going any way before But yet our Apostle attributes our justification wholly to God who calleth Rom. 9.11 And this he doth to signifie that it is wholly of God to prescribe the way to justification who hath prescribed faith to be the way thereunto that justification may be known to be of his meer grace and mercy and that it is not in man to prescribe the way though man makes an account to obtain justification by works as the Jews did who went about to establish their own way to justification Rom. 10.3 and saught it by works Rom. 9.32 which if they could obtain by works the Way of justification would be in man indeed and justification would be not of grace but of debt Again he may ascribe it wholly to God because God is the principle cause thereof For it is usual when two causes concur to the same effect to ascribe the effect wholly to the principal cause yea and so to ascribe it to the principal cause as to deny it to the cause less principal Thus the Apostle saith I labored more then they all yet not I but the grace of God which is in me 1 Cor. 15.10 And again It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7.17 After this manner I say that justification may be ascribed wholly to God Who calleth though Faith be required thereunto Elected Rom. 8. Is taken for Elected to justification that is for them which are justified The Election Chap. 11. ver 7. Is put for the Elected an abstract for a concrete as Circumcision is put for the circumcised Chap. 3.30 And by the Elected are to be understood such as God according to the order which he observeth or decreed to observe in electing or justifying men in time justified or Elected to justification and they were such as believed Beza in his Notes upon those words Mat. 20.16 Viz. Many are called but few are chosen saith the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Elect or chosen are taken there for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For such as answer Gods call when he cals them to eternall Life i. e. For the faithfull or such as believe and so may we take the Election or Elected there Viz. Rom. 11.7 The Election spoken of Rom. chap. 11.28 Is taken for that Election whereby God chose the Jews to be his Church that is to be a peculiar people to himself to serve him and worship him after a religious manner according to that form or prescript of Religion which he should appoint and to be a people whom he would never quite forsake and leave utterly without all means of Salvation and that for their Fathers sake Abraham Isaac and Jacob. This Election God might make of the Jews for their Fathers sake and for their sakes might he not leave them utterly without all means of Salvation For the Oracles of God which none can deny to be a Means to salvation were committed to the Jewes as they were Jews that is as they were the Children of Abraham Isaac and Jacob according to the flesh Rom. 3. ver 1 2. But yet that they or any of them should be Elected to justification or to eternal Glory I dare not say that it was for any other then for Jesus Christ his sake nor dare I attribute any thing flowing from that Election to any other then to him And if our Interpreters render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.2 right when they render it chiefly The greatest or chiefest good which they received as they were Jews that is as they were the Children of Abraham Isaac and Jacob according to the flesh was this That they had the Oracles of God committed to them FAITH The Object of justifying faith is the whole Gospel of God or at least the essentiall part thereof which conteineth the new Covenant which God was pleased to make with sinfull man in Christ Jesus our Lord. For we read Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospell And Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth that is to every one that believeth it And again Rom. 10.16 but they have not all obeyed the Gospel that is they have not all believed the Gospel For Isaiah saith Lord who hath believed our report And it is written Eph. 1.13 Christ in whom ye trusted also after ye heard the word of truth the Gospell of your salvation in whom also after ye believed the said Gospel ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise And Philip. 1.27 Striving together for the faith of the Gospel The Gospel therefore or that essential part thereof to wit the new covenant of God with man is the object of saving or justifying faith Which being so I may say that saving or justifying faith is a full or firm assent of our heart or mind to the Gospel of God or at least to the new Covenant which God was pleased to make with sinful man in Christ Jesus our Lord therein conteined by reason of which we do infallibly set our selves one work one that part of the Covenant which we are to performe according to the ability which God hath given us The new Covenant made by God with man in Christ Jesus consisteth as other Covenants do of two parts One part which God promiseth and covenanteth for himself on his part to perform The other which God requireth us to do and which we must promise and covenant to performe on our part without the performance whereof on our part God is not bound to make good to us what he covenanted and promised to do for us one his part The eye therefore of our Faith must be firmely fixed on both parts of this covenant as well on that part which we our selves are for our part to performe as on that which God is to performe on his part or else our Faith will never avail us to justification But if we look on that part of the Covenant which God hath promised for his part to perform and firmly believe the truth thereof and that our onely happiness consisteth therein And on that part of the Covenant which we for our parts are to performe and firmly believe that by doing our parts we shall attain to that happiness which God for his part promised to bestow upon us and that only by doing so we shall attain to it Surely we shall be justified For this will prove an operative Faith and set us on work according to our power to obtein our only happiness and make us sedulous in the duties of holiness without which no man shall see God Hebrews 12.14 For every one doth naturally desire his own happiness and every one labours for his own blessedness and that so many miss of happiness and come short of blessedness it is not because they desire not to be happy or labour not for it
the same Authour is to be sold at the sign of the Kings Arms in Saint Pauls Church-yard Corrigenda Addenda PAg. 8. col 1. lin 32. read And that by his own power Pag. 11. col 1. lin 24. read Shalom Pag. 12 col 2. lin 37. read To what followeth Pag. 14. col 1. lin 10. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lin 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lin 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 col 2 lin 26. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag 23. col 2. lin 29 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 24. col 1. lin 21. read Tertul. de Idolatria Pag. 26. col 1. lin 42. read And withheld Pag. 28. col 1. lin 3. read In some by wayes and here in particular an erring from that which nature it self shewed Every sin lin 55. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 29. col 1. lin 19. read Thus. Pag. 37. col 2 lin 49. read They had of themselves through Gods long-suffering Pag. 42. col 1. lin 23. read And. Pag. 54. Verse 23. of the Paraphrase read Of the praise of God Pag 60. col 2 lin 5. read When he saith Pag. 63. col 2. lin 8. read Produceth Pag. 72. col 1. lin 47. read The faith of and faith in Pag. 82. col 1. lin 28. read For him Pag. 83. col 1. lin 14. read Worketh not Pag. 89. col 1. lin 34. read Being faith Pag. 90. col 1. lin 41. read Sense is this Pag 97. col 1. lin 17. read That the love of God is made known Pag. 100. col 2. lin 19. read Rom. 8.32 Pag. 102. col 1. lin 41. dele And. Pag. 105. col 1. lin 51. read As it doth verse 9. lin 52. r. Yet they do not so indeed Pag. 106. col 1. lin 36. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 col 2. lin 49. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 107. col 1. lin 9. read Though this Pag. 109. col 1. lin 49. read Was this that sin did abound Pag. 114. col 2. lin 30. read At his baptisme Pag. 116. col 2. lin 30. read Doth commonly infer Pag. 118. col 2. lin 30. read Grace But by what means soever our old man is crucified it is crucified for this end that the body of sin might be destroyed that from thenceforth we might not serve sin Pag. 120. col 1. lin 50. read Nor ever had he any motions of sin in him whereby he might be said to have ceased from yielding to her motions col 2 lin 45. r. Sutable to her Pag. 130 Verse 18. in the Paraphrase read thus No habitual good in me that is in my flesh to quell sin For to will that which is good is present with me Ver. 21. In the paraphrase read thus that no habitual good dwelleth in me But I find also a Law Ver. 23. r. dictates of my mind Pag. 132. col 1. lin 6. read Over a man Pag. 133. col 2. lin 29 read That as Christ was raised Pag. 134. col 2. lin 35. read Not any true Genuine cause Pag. 136. col 2 lin 23. read A Genuine cause Pag. 137. col 1. lin 27. read Acrius urit Pag. 138. col 1. lin 30. read Here from the seventh verse col 2. lin 45. r. A commandement properly taken col 2. lin 56. r. A cause of death Pag. 139 col 1. lin 1. read a cause lin 11. r. a cause lin 44 r. a cause Pag. 139. col 2. lin 5 6 7. read Which was under the imperfection of the Law yet which had atteined to the highest degree in that estate which any one of them whom he personates came to Pag. 140. col 2. lin 21. read Whereby he concludes lin 28. r. That do it Pag. 141 col 1. lin 45. read An habitual good and such an habitual good col 2. lin 45 r. No habitual good lin 47. r. Whereby to subdue sin Pag. 142. col 1. lin 1. read That when I would do good evil is present with me i. e. That there is that in my flesh col 2. lin 4. r. I do not Pag. 143. col 2. lin 11. read Here after this manner through the sense col 2. lin 38. r. The Congeries of particular sins Pag. 144. col 1. lin 24. read But yet such a one Pag. 150. col 2. lin 43. read i. e. Impotent and weak col 2 lin 49. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 151. col 2. lin 21. read With a Noun and Verb or Participle Substantive Pag 152. col 2. lin 57. read To the Objector viz. that they which are in the flesh do walk after the flesh that by granting Pag 159 col 2 lin 54. read A glorious i. e. an incorruptible Pag 160. col 1. lin 46. read And their desire Pag. 163. col 1. lin 51. read Conjugation Pag. 164. col 2. lin 3. read A correction Pag. 170. col 2. lin 10. read Such are often Pag 175. col 1. lin 23. râ—ad Fortassis miserereris Pag 178. col 1. lin 54. read Not taken none effect Pag. 181. col 1. lin 5. read Which was figured Pag. 182. col 1. lin 21. read That doth accord Pag. 185. col 2. lin 52. read These as such Pag. 186 col 1. lin 2. read Of which col 1. lin 34 r. God is not unjust in justifying all those which are the Children of the promise or Children according to the Spirit though they were Gentiles most of them col 2. lin 30. r. As we shall observe Chap. 10.17 col 2. lin 54. r. Having therefore Pag. 187. col 2. lin 35. read Heemaditha Pag. 189 col 1 lin 15. read Satan to harden them and to foster col 1 17. r. As by suggesting col 2. lin 8. r. But he had rather before he gives a direct answer col 2. lin 43. r. Of mankind i. e. over all sinners col 2. lin 50. r. But yet it meets Pag. 190. col 1. lin 12. read That core Pag. 192. col 2 lin 25. read Dwelling and become Proselytes of the Jews Pag. 196. col 1. lin 18. read And ushers in a reason Pag. 200. Verse 14. in the Paraphrase read Note here ye Jews Pag 217. col 1. lin 13. read With a Noun and Verb Substantive Pag. 219 col 2. lin 48. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lin 49. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 224 col 1. lin 36. read For to Abraham and to his seed were many Pag. 227. col 2. lin 18. read Or else to those words Pag. 228. col 1. lin 35. read Decree before he did extend Pag. 2â—9 col 1. lin 31 read In relation to lin 46. r. Doth rather say Pag. 257 col 1. lin 14. read Or it is taken for the carnal affections Pag. 268. col 1. lin 23. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 270. col 1 lin 16. read Not of the evil of sin Pag 276. col 2. lin 17. read Therefore Pag 277. col 2. lin 17. read
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
Law they see their actions swerving Nor can they excuse them except they have a Rule or Law to judge their actions by agreable to which Rule they find their actions Therefore these thoughts of men accusing or excusing them shew that the Gentiles have a Law written in their hearts and so that they are as a Law unto themselves Ver. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of Man i. e. In that day when God shall judge even the secrets of men These words relate to the twelfth verse by an Hyperbaton so that whatsoever cometh between is to be read with a Parenthesis The Day or Time here mentioned is the Day or Time of the General Judgment God is said to judge the secrets of men in this day not because he will not judge those works which are open and manifest But because he will not judge them only but also the very secret counsels and deeds of men But the Apostle mentioneth here only secrets to shew that this judgment shall be different from the judgment of men who can judge only those things which are apparent and to signifie that they which commit sin though never so secretly shall not escape judgment According to my G spel i. e. According to my preaching or according to that which I teach and preach to all people For in preaching the Gospel I preach that God will judge the world by Jesus Christ The Gospel is to be taken here for the preaching of the Gospel by a Metonymie as it is taken 1 Cor. 9.14 in the latter word Gospel 2 Cor. 8.18 Gal. 2.7 and Phil. 4.15 He calls it his Gospel as it was ministred or preached by him He mentioneth his preaching of the Gospel here because it could not be known by natural reason that the world was to be judged by Jesus Christ As also because God commanded the Apostles to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he to wit Jesus Christ which was ordained of God to judge the Quick and the Dead Acts. 10.42 V. 17. Behold thou art called a Jew In that tacite Objection which the Jew is to be understood to make between the first and second verse of this Chapter and which the Apostle answereth in the second verse c. The Jew relyed upon many Praerogatives and Excellencies which he conceived himself to have and of which he boasted As ex gra that he was a Jew by Nature and so a Child of Abraham And that he was learned in the Law of God Circumcised c. for which he thought he was so far in the favour of God as that he should not be condemned or judged for his sins as the Gentile should which vain conceits and thoughts of his the Apostle confuted before at verse the second c. Now here from this place to the end of the Chapter the Apostle sheweth that the Jew was so far from being in the favour of God so as that he should not be condemned or judged for his sins by reason of those Priviledges and Excellencies which he relyed upon and which he boasted of as that being his life was vitious those Prerogatives and Excellencies should make his sins the greater and so tend to his greater judgment and condemnation For where men have the greater inducements and cause or means to be pious and holy if they are not pious and holy according to those inducements and cause or means there their sin is the greater and their condemnation or judgment the heavier Behold By this word the Apostle rouseth up the careless Jew who through the vain conceits of the Prerogatives and Excellencies which he conceived himself to have snorted in his sins to consider and behold his sins and the judgments due unto him for them Thou art called a Jew The Children of Abraham were commonly called Israelites from Jacob the Grandchild of Abraham who was also named Israel untill the Ten Tribes were carried away Captive into Assyria and their Common-wealth destroyed But after that the Kingdom of Judah remaining of which the Tribe of Benjamin was a part they were called Judaei that is Jews from the chiefest Tribe of that Kingdom which was the Tribe of Judah Thou art called a Jew A Jew was descended from Abraham of which descent he was very proud and thought it enough for him to say I have Abraham for my Father Mat. 3.9 Upon this account that they have Abraham for their â—ather the Jewish Doctors doubt not to reckon that all Israel is to have a share in the world to come Talmud in Sanhedr per. 10. 1. And Justin Martyr saith of the Jewish Rabbius that they suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i e. That the everlasting Kingdom shall be surely given to those that are of the Seed of Abraham according to the flesh although they are sinners and disobedient to God Note that the Apostle saith not Behold thou art a Jew but behold thou art called a Jew And this he saith either in allusion to that that they were very well pleased and delighted to be called Jews Or because they were Jews rather in name than in truth as will appear v 28 29. where he confutes this vain glorying of the Jew because he is a Jew And restest in the Law i. e. And moreover thou takest delight in the Law of God as in that which is most perfect and than which there can be nothing perfecter Or putting the Law per Metonymiam Subjecti for the reading of the Law thus Thou restest in the reading of the Law and desirest to read or know nothing else When we attain to the top of our desires so that we can go no further or desire nothing more of any thing especially the thing not affording it then do we rest in that which we have attained to and delight our selves in it And makest thy boast of God To wit that God is thy God and that he hath made a Covenant with thee and promised to be thy God Gen. 17. And hath given thee his Law and his Statutes Psal 147.19 V. 18 And knowest his will Supple Though thou doest it not And approvest the things which are more excellent That is and thou by examination having found out what those things are which are most excellent in the sight of God thou likest them and approvest them That is thou praisest them and assentest to them as such though thou doest not practice them That word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here rendred Approvest may signifie both examining and approving or liking upon examination wherefore here I interpret it liking or approving or assenting to or praising after examination Being instructed out of the Law i e. As being instructed out of the Law from a Child whereby thou knowest the will of God and whereby thou art able to examine and judge of those things which are most excellent He sheweth the cause here or the means by which he a Jew came to know the will of
away from God the honour which is holy to him Therefore might the Apostle say Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge As if he should say Thou that abhorrest Sacriledge in one kind doest thou commit it in another Again the reason why the Jews abhorred Idols was because Idols were injurious to the Glory and Majesty of God and as Idolatry is injurious to Gods Glory and Majesty so is Sacriledge too Read Malach. 1. When therefore the Apostle saith Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge It is as if he should say Thou that abhorrest Idols because they are injurious to the Glory and Majesty of God doest thou commit Sacriledge which is injurious to the same Glory and Majesty Ver. 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law i. e. Thou that makest thy boast that God hath given thee his Law and so honoured thee above the Gentiles Psalm 147.19 Or thou that makest thy boast of the knowledge which thou hast in the Law c. It was no contemptible Priviledge which God gave to the Jew above the Gentile in giving him the Law Read Deut. 4. v. 6 8. and Psalm 147. v. 19 20 Therefore no wonder that the Jew boasteth of it and of his knowledge therein By breaking the Law dishonourest thou God i. e. Doest thou break the Law which thou boastest of and so dishonourest God the giver of it q. d. Doest thou turn that in which thou gloriest to the dishonour of him which is the Author thereof and should receive Glory thereby As God is honoured by our obedience to his Law So is he dishonoured by the disobedience which is thereto offered For the breach of a Law turns to the contumelie and reproach of the Law-maker And it makes unbelievers to speak ill of him who giveth the Law when they to whom he gave it thus break it For they think that either he did delight in or connive at wickedness and forbid it only in a kind of formality or that he did not see it or that he was not able to punish it if he saw it and the like The Apostle after that he hath instanced in some particular sins of the Jews contrary to their Doctrine and Profession whereby they were made more liable to judgment than otherwise they would be wraps up the rest in this General Thou that makest thy boast of the Law by breaking of the Law dishonourest thou God Ver. 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you i. e. For God is evil spoken of among the Gentiles and ye are the cause that he is evil spoken of Blasphemy is commonly taken in the Scripture and in Ecclesiastical writers for evil speaking of or against God And they which profess God to be their God do make the Heathen which know not God to speak evil of God or against God when they sin contrary to the commandment of God For the Heathen when they see them sin and commit those things which are evil they say that that God whom they worship doth either delight in evil or sees not nor can see their evil deeds or if he doth see them and take notice of them yet he is not able to punish them or is willing to connive at them all which are evil speakings of God As it iâ— writtten To wit Isaiah 52.5 My Name continually every day is blasphemed and according to the reading of the Septuagint there is added amongst the Gentilâ—s How these words are applied by the Apostle to his present purpose may be asked Most Interpreters think that they are applied only by Accommodation which is when words are only used for the present purpose without any relation to the matter which is handled in that place from whence the words are taken As if the Apostle should say Through breaking the Law dishonoâ—rest thou God For what is written by the Prophet Isaiah Chap 52.5 may be said of you viz. The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you But yet the Apostle may alledge that place of Isaiah as a reall proof to prove that the Name of God was blasphemed that is dishonoured and evil spoken of among the Gentiles by reason of the sins of the Jews The blasphemy which the Prophet Isaiah speaketh of was that by which the Babylonians and other Gentiles bordering upon them or living among them did blaspheme the true God But this blasphemy was occasioned partly by the fault of the Jews which were then in Captivity to the Babylonians for many of the Jews which were in Babylon lived not so strictly as their Religion required and when God sent his Prophets to tell them in his Name that he would deliver them out of the hands of the Babylonians they considering the great Power of the Babylonians who lay heavy upon them more than they did the Omnipotency of God would not believe the word of the Lord which made the Babylonians to think and say that the God of Israel was a wicked God because his Servants were wicked And that he was a poor weak God in respect of them because he was not able to deliver his Servants out of their hands neither did his Servants think him able to do it This then was spoken by the Prophet of the Babylonians and other Gentiles who were moved to blaspheme God by the evil carriage of the Jews which lived in the time of the Babylonish Captivity But those Jews which lived in the time of the Babylonish Captivity might be in respect of their evil carriage a Type of those Jews which lived in the time of the Gospel and so what is litterally or historically spoken by the Prophet Isaiah touching them of that time might be Prophetically spoken by him of those which lived in the time of the Gospel And so our Apostle may take it For proof of this that the Jews of one time may be Types of the Jews of another time observe that the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Jews of his time wherein he lived saith in the Person of God This people draweth near me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear toward me is taught by the Precepts of men Isa 29.13 Now what the Prophet saith there is plain that he saith litterally or historically of the Jews of the time in which he lived Yet because as it seems these Jews were a Type of those Jews which lived in our Saviours time these words of Isaiah are taken not only as an Historical narration of those Jews which lived in Isaiah's dayes but also as a Prophesie concerning those Jews which lived in the dayes of our Saviour for thus saith our Saviour to them Mat. 15.7 Well did Isaiah prophesie of you saying This People draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me But in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men
am I also judged as a Sinner i. e. With what right or with what justice can I be punished as a sinner Supple whereas I advance the Glory of God by my Lie or by my Sin Why yet am I also Note that this word Also is either redundant or else so to be understood as if he should say Why yâ—t are not onâ—ly others whose sins dishonour God but I also who bring Glory to God by my Lie judged as a Sinner and still ly under judgement Ver. 8. And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evill that good may come Here are these or the like words left to be understood viz. Encouraged by God to say q d. And why am not I and such as I am rather encouraged to say as we Christians be slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say Let us do evill that good may come thereof Or else leaving out those words a while which are here brought in by a Parenthesis to wit As we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say we may thus expound the other words q. d. And not rather do evill that good may come that is And why rather do I not evill with the praise and approbation of God that good may come thereof Where note that these words let us do evill that good may come being that they were the words which others had or were said to have often in their mouthes may be cited by Saint Paul as they spoke them or were said to speak them and they may be used by him without consideration of the Syntax of the place in which he useth them leaving that to the judgement of his Readers See what I said before ver 4. in the like matter As we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Saint Paul speaks this in the person of all Christians who were calumniated by the Heathen as though they taught that it was lawful for a man to do evil if good could come thereof and as though they encouraged one another to evill with these words Let us do evill that good may come whereas the words immediately going before were spoken in the person of a wicked Heathen yet imitating a Christian as I said ver 5. These words therefore are to be read with a Parenthesis Whose damnation is just Note that this relative whose is to be referred to that pronoun or antecedent Some in those words And as some affirm as we say and the sence of the words is this q d. Who are already damned for this their thus slandering us and thus affirming that we say Let us do evil that good may come and their damnation is just Their damnation is just because they thus slandered Christians who would not have deserved damnation for saying this of Christians if Christians had taught or held any such thing Note that because the absurdity of the Objectors Argument was plain and manifest yea plain and manifest even to those that brought that slanderous report upon Christians to wit that Christians said among themselves Let us do evil that good may come as though they taught that a man might lawfully do evil if good could accrue thereby The Apostle doth not think this Argument of the Objector worth a direct answer But being contented with the rejection and detestation of that which it did conclude doth only pronounce them that brought up that slanderous report upon Christians and affirmed that they said Let us do evil that good may come thereon worthy of damnation A good Disputant as he will answer directly to those things which deserve a direct answer So he will contemn and slight those things which are manifestly absurd and not worth an Answer and so doth the Apostle here But if any one should desire a formal answer to this Argument the Answer may be this though the truth of God doth more abound to his Glory by a mans Lie yet ought not man for this end to do any kind of evil or to tell lies But if he doth so he may be justly judged of God as a Sinner for the lies which man tels and the evil which he doth are not the Genuine cause but occasions onely of illustrating and setting forth the truth and Glory of God so that if God be glorified either by the Lie or by any sin of a Sinner it is not out of the nature of his sins but by accident altogether that God came to be thereby glorified and therefore though God be glorified by them the Sinner is and may be justly judged for them Ver. 9. What then are we better than they These words are to be referred to the second verse of this Chapter as having their immediate connexion with that for that which cometh between commeth in as it were by the by by reason of Objections arising What then q. d But what shall we gather from hence or what shall we say by reason of that That the Oracles of God were committed to the circumcised Jews Are we better than they q. d shall we Jews who have been circumcised gather from hence That we are better than they that is that we are better than the uncircumcised Gentiles The betterness here spoken of is to be understood in respect of Justification before God And in this respect the circumcised Jews which had not the Faith of the Gospel though they had the Oracles of God committed to them and though they did surpasse the Gentiles in other outward Praerogatives were not better than the Gentiles for they had sinned as well as the Gentiles Saint Paul doth make himself here by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the number of those Jews whose condition was no better than the Gentiles that he might give no offence to the Jews which were his flesh For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin q. d. For we have upon good grounds and good evidence charged both Jews and Gentiles that they are all of them guilty of sin The Gentiles we charged in the first chapter the Jews in the second And if they are all guilty of sin than is not one better than another in matter of Justification untill he receives the Gospel of Ghrist by Faith that he might be thereby justified We have before proved The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Law terme And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is usually said of those which are Accusers who accuse or charge the Defendant with what they have to say against him Well doth Saint Paul use a Law term here in this his Treatise or Dispute of Justification when as the word Justification it self is a Law term and there is in it an allusion to the custome and practice of courts of Justice and whereas he doth appeal both Jew and Gentile at Gods Tribunal Note that the Apostle speaks here of himself in the plural number as
For my self I take these words as actully referred to the words going next before them to wit to these Through faith but as Potentially relating to the former words also q. d. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through his blood and to be enjoyed and made ours through faith in that his blood So that by what is expressed in the latter sentence we are to understand what is defective in the former Yea these words By his blood may relate actually both to those words Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation to those By faith See the like chap 9. v. 12. In these words By his blood there is as we said an allusion to the Sacrifices of the Law which were but Types of Christ the substance Yet here and in other places also where there is mention of the blood of Christ by the blood of Christ is to be understood by a Synechdoche whatsoever Christ did or suffered for us from the first time of his taking our Flesh upon him Through faith in his blood Note here that Faith when it is joyned with In as here it is signifieth for the most part Trust and Confidence or Relying upon a thing And here it signifieth Trust or Confidence or Relying upon the blood of Christ And truly he that doth believe the Gospel and the Death of Christ therein recorded as he ought to do cannot but trust and confide in the death or blood of Christ and relye upon it Hence it is that such kind of phrases as these The faith of and Faith from are often confounded in Scripture and taken for one and the same thing To declare his Righteousness The word Righteousness signifieth here both the Fidelity or Truth and the Goodness or Mercy of God as will appear by the following verse where it is repeated And it is frequent for one word thus to carry with it two significations but more of this in the next verse Note that these words To declare his Righteousness depend on those Whom he hath set forth and shew the final cause or end of that That God set forth a Propitiator which was to shew that he was righteous for or by remitting of sins For the remission of sins which are past i. e. For that he remitteth the sins which are past The words in the Original are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where some interpret the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter that is For others Per By or Through According therefore to the interpretation of the first the words must run thus For the remission of sins which are past and then they are to be referred to those words Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation and there must be a Comma between these and the words which go immediately before them for they signifie a more special end why God did set forth Christ to be a Propitiation He did it for the remission of sins According to the Second interpretation the words must run thus Through the remission of sins which are past and then they are to be referred to the words immediately going before and shew how God was declared to be Righteous He was declared to be Righteous by the remission of sins which are past or In remitting of sins which were past For remission of sins declare God to be Righteous that is to be merciful for it is mercy in God to forgive sins whereas he might punish the sinner with eternal death and remission of sins declare God to be righteous that is True and Faithful because whereas God did say and promise That he would forgive sins by the remission of sins he did shew himself to be as good as his word For the remission of sins that are past i. e. For the remission of sins which were committed in the Time of the Law which is now past He mentioneth only those sins which were committed under the Law not because God gave a Propitiation for remission of those sins only and not for the remission of the sins committed under the Gospel But that he might shew the weakness of the Old Law of which the Jews with whom he hath to do for a great part in this his Epistle did glory And that he might declare that those Expiations or Purgations which appertained to the Law were not true Purgations and Expiations indeed but only shadows of true Purgations and Expiations For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin Heb. 10.4 And as the Apostle doth here so doth he also Heb. 9.15 mention the redemption only of the Transgressions that were under the Old Testament saying And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Tâ—stament that by the means of death for the redemption of the Transgressions which were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal Inheritance But by the remission of sins that are past and by the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first Testament we must understand in both places all other sins too And that not without reason for if the blood of Christ was able to deliver men from their sins committed before it was shed much more is it able to deliver men from their sins which have been committed since the shedding thereof Yet note that some understand The sins that are past not of the sins commiâ—ted under the Law as so but of the sins committed by a man before his conversion whether under the Law or not And they say that the Apostle mentioneth only the remission of sins committed before a mans conversion to signifie not that sins committed after conversion were unpardonable as Novatus is said by some to hold but that they which were justified had no licence given them to sin by reason of that grace For this is the manner of the Gospel to threaten woe to him that shall sin and yet to â—ffâ—r pardon and mercy upon repentance to him that hath sinned But I embrace the former exposition before this Through the forbearance of God i. e. And which God hath not punished with any dreadful punishment not by reason of that that they did not deserve dreadful punishment nor by reason of that that they were expiated and purged by other means than by the blood of Christ but through his forbearance and long-suffering And therefore did God forbeare to punish the sins of men committed under the Law according to their desert because he had determined to set forth a Propitiation for those their sins in his good time to wit the Time of the Gospel A Propitiation which should reach even to sins committed under the Law In these words therefore there is an Ellipsis and these words contain a prevention of an Objection which a Jew might make For a Jew might say That either they Jews had not committed any such sin as deserved dreadful punishment or that if they had committed such sins they were expiated and purged
life ver 3. And as Christ is ascended into heaven so should we have our conversation in heaven and place our affections there Coloss 3. ver 1 2 3 c. Ver. 4. Therefore are we buried with him by Baptism unto death that like as Christ was raised from the dead c I take this Conjunction Therefore to be here in this place not as a note of Illation inferring any thing from what went before But as a note of demonstration shewing or pointing at the end of that which was there said and is here repeated or assumed to shew that end q. d. Now for this end or for this cause were we baptized into the death that is into the similitude of the death of Christ and so by consequence into the death of sin to profess and signifie that as Christ was raised from the dead we also should walk in newness of life We are buried with him by baptism into death This is that which he said ver 3. We were baptized into his death Which words he repeateth or assumeth again here to set forth the end thereof But note that whereas he said onely We were baptized into his death in the third verse here he saith We are or were rather buried with him by Baptism to death where he expresseth our being baptized with the Ceremony which was then used in baptism which was such as that the parties baptized were dipped over head and ears and so buried as it were in the water as Christ was buried in the bowels of the earth So that these words We are or were buried with him by baptism into death do speak explicitely and at large what he said in fewer words when he said We were baptized into his death And what he said implicitely and in fewer words when he said We were baptized into his death He saith more explicitely and at large when he saith We are buried with him by baptism into death We are buried with him by Baptism into death i. e. We are or were baptized into the similitude of Christs death Buried with him by Baptism i. e. Buried in the waters by being dipped over head and ears therein at our baptism as he was buried in the bowels of the earth and so by consequence baptized into the similitude of the death of Christ and representing his death at or in our baptism The Apostle as I said expresseth here being baptized by being buried by baptism which was a Ceremony used in those days in baptism For whereas we sprinkle or pour water upon those which we baptize they of old dipped them over head and ears and so buried them as it were in the waters whom they baptized And the Apostle may seem thus to express their being baptized and to make mention of this Ceremony here because it did more plainly represent the burial of Christ to which this Ceremony doth allude and by consequence the death of Christ to the natural life which he lived before his Passion and so by consequence our death to sin which they which were baptized did profess by submitting themselves to that Ceremony and suffering themselves to be dipped over head and ears in the waters at their baptism Note here that those which the Apostle here speaks of were men of ripe years and understanding and such when they were baptized were wont for the most part to be dipped over head and ears and buried as it were in the waters when they were baptized But this dipping over head and ears and burying as it were in the waters was not essential to baptism For the use of water in baptism is and was to signifie outwardly the inward cleansing of the soul from sin which water doth aswell by sprinkling as it doth by our being dipped and overwhelmed therein And it is more than probable that though they of the primitive times used to dip over head and ears in baptism yet they used sprinkling also especially when the parties to be baptized were either Infants or sick or weak of body For whereas we read Act. 2.41 that in one day and that not an whole day neither three thousand souls were baptized by the Apostles and that at Jerusalem where there was no great Rivers fit for such baptism or dipping It is not likely that they did it or could do it by dipping them every one whom they did baptize over head and ears and burying them as it were in the waters in so short a time but that they did it by sprinkling or pouring water upon them And in the time of Cyprian Bishop of Carthage who was promoted to that his Bishoprick Anno 250 that sprinkling was used as well as dipping in baptism and that not as a new thing will appear by his 76. Epistle the ninth Paragraph which beginneth Quaesisti c. That the Ceremony of dipping or burying as it were in Baptisme was of ancient use and long continuance in the Church of Christ cannot be denyed though now the pouring on of water or sprinkling is in a manner altogether used But when dipping and burying as it were in the water was so frequently used they which were baptized were for the most part men of stronger years converted from other Religions to Christianity But when Christianity had extended it self almost to all parts of the known earth and few men of years were now baptized who could better endure dipping than Children and Infants could And when most that were now to be baptized were Infants to whose tender bodies dipping might be offensive for their health pouring on of water or sprinkling came to be in a manner altogether used in the place of dipping With him i. e. Like unto him or like as he was buried Note that the preposition With is to be taken here for a note of similitude and is as much as to say Like as and so it is to be taken ver 5 6 8. Into death This is that which he said ver 3. Into his death the exposition of which words see there That like as Christ was raised from the dead c. i. e. To signifie and profess thereby that like as Christ when he was dead was raised from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also shall or should rise again to a new life and walk therein By the glory of the Father i. e. By the glorious power of God the Father The power of God is called a glorious power Coloss 1.11 And it is glorified and often commended for raising up Jesus from the dead as Ephes 1. v. 19 20 c. We may take the glory of the Father also by a Metonymy for the Father himself who is glorious Even so we also should walk in newness of life Even so we also should or would rise from the death of sin to a new life and live therein and if we do so we can no longer live either in or to sin There is an Hebraism in these words viz Newness of life which are put for
without that defect aforesaid which otherwise they suffer The words then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being thus taken may be thus translated Know ye not that in as much as ye yield your selves servants to obey ye are servants in as much as ye do obey and that either of sin which brings to death or of the Law or doctrine of obedience which leads to righteousness The Apostle argues here and in the verses following against the foresaid Objection which some might by a miss-construction of his words raise out of the former verse as though by those words he gave there a freedom to sin And in his arguing he useth this methode First he lays this for a ground that Christians they at least to whom he wrote were the Servants of Righteousness and not of sin Secondly he builds this upon that or infers this from that That being they were the servants of Righteousness and not of sin they ought to obey Righteousness and not sin That which he lays for his ground he lays and makes good in the 16 17 18 verses That which he builds upon that and infers from that he doth in the 19 verse but yet he doth it not in Categorical terms but winds it up in an Exhortation as his manner sometimes is The ground to wit That they were the servants of Righteousness and not of sin he makes good by a Syllogism thus To whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whatsoever he be And this he lays down ver 16. But ye have yielded your selves servants to righteousness to obey her and not to sin to obey her And this he lays down ver 17. Therefore ye are the servants of Righteousness and not of sin This he lays down ver 18. The Major proposition of this Syllogism needed not any proof it is cleer they themselves knew it therefore he saith Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey ver 16. The Minor proposition he proves first by removing that which might be objected in the behalf of sin against it Secondly by shewing that which would make for Righteousness by matter of fact and both of these he doth ver 17. Of sin He speaks of Sin still as of a Person yea a Queen to whom to obey is to sin Vnto death That is which bringeth unto death yea death eternal Of obedience Obedience is to be taken here for the Law or Doctrine of obedience by a Metonymie as is plain by the next ensuing verse The Gospel may be called the Law or doctrine of obedience because it teacheth men to follow not their own sence and the motions of sin but to obey God who only is to be obeyed and not only teacheth them but enableth them also to obey him which may be called an inward teaching The Apostle speaketh of obedience that is of the Gospel which is the Law or Doctrine of obedience as of a person yea as a Queen by a Prosopopoeia Vnto Righteousness i. e. Which leadeth unto Righteousness the end whereof is everlasting life Ver. 17. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine delivered to you The sence of these words is this q. d. But for which ye have cause to thank God whereas ye had been the servants of sin and obeyed her ye have now at length obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Note that the Apostle doth not give God thanks here for that they were sometimes the slaves or servants of sin as though that had been the gift or blessing of God to them for which they ought to give thanks for that would be absur'd but he gives thanks to God for that that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered them whereas they had in foretime been the servants and slaves of sin This giving of thanks therefore must be referred to the latter sentence not to the former And for such progress of the Gospel we ought to give God thanks as well as for the Gospel it self See Chap. 1.8 This phrase ye were the servants of sin is as much as whereas ye have been the Servants of sin Like phrase to this we meet with in many places See one Luk. 15. ver 23 24. In these words Let us eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine c. By this Doctrine he means the Gospel with its precepts and commands And by obeying is meant believing and doing according to it He speaks of this doctrine as of a Queen or Lady or Mystress by a Prosopopoeia This is that which he gives God thanks for to wit that they obeyed the Gospel by which giving of thanks we are admonished First that to obey the Gospel is the gift of God Secondly we are admonished that to obey the Gospel is a great blessing and so to be esteemed From the heart i. e. Not only in shew and outward appearance but also in truth and in inward sincerity as your holy conversation will testifie That form of doctrine By the doctrine here mentioned is meant the Gospel which is also called the doctrine of Christ 2 John 9. This doctrine he calls a form or mould and saith the form or mould of Doctrine by a Metaphor taken from a form or mould which Goldsmiths or some such Crafts-men use to cast an Image or thing in that they would form into any shape For as that Silver or Gold or whatsoever mettal else it is which is cast in such a form or mould is made like unto it So should they which believe the Gospel conform themselves and their lives unto the Gospel that they may represent it and carry the likeness of it in their lives and actions Ver. 18. Being then made free from Sin ye became c q. d â—herefore being made free from sin yee became c. This is the conclusion of the Syllogism which we spoke of Being made free from Sin ye became the servants of Righteousness Righteousness is to be taken here by a Metonymy for the Gospel which containeth precepts and prescripts of Righteousness or for the Laws prescripts and precepts of Righteousness therein contained He speaks both of Sin and Righteousness as of Ladies Queens or Mistresses by a Prosopopoeia Being then made free from Sin When a Man is so weak and so unable by his custome in sin or otherwise to resist the motions and temptations of Sin as that he is overcome with every little temptation this his â—state the Apostle calls an estate of servitude and thus to yield to every little temptation of sin he calls to serve Sin by a Metaphor When therefore we receive grace from Christ and strength and ability to withstand the motions and lusts
long as it standeth in force and is not abrogated Surely you do For the case between them which were under the law and the law it self is as the case which is between a woman and her husband 2. For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth but if the husband be dead she is loosed from the law of the husband 2. Now then as the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband to cleave to him and to take him onely for her husband so long as he liveth but if her husband be dead she is free from the Law by which she was bound to her husband to have him only and may now lawfully be married to another man So the man whâ—ch is under the Law of Moses is bound to that Law so that he cannot free himself from the obligation thereof and betake himself to any other praescript of Religion so long as that Law which is as it were an husband to him liveth and is in force but if the Law which is as his husband be dead and out of force he may betake hâ—mself to another praescript of Religion without offence 3. So then if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an Adulteresse but if her husband be dead she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man 3. So then as if while her husband liveth the wife be married to another man she is an adulteresse But if her husband be dead she is free from the Law that bound her to that her husband onely and she is now no adulteresse though she be married to another man Even so a man which is under the Law as a wife under her husband if while the Law liveth and is in force he betakes himself to another manner of Religion is a kind of adulteress and may suffer punishment for so doing But if the Law be dead and out of force he is now free from the Law and is no adulteress though he betake himself and is married to another praescript of Religion 4. Wherefore my Brethren ye also are becom dead to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we shovld bring forth fruit unto God 4. Wherefore Brethren that ye may not be accounted as spiritual whores or adulteresses by being married to another husband because ye were once under the Law of Moses and married as it were to that as to an husband The Law is become dead being mortified by the body of Christ upon the Crosse that ye should be lawfully married to another even to Christ the Author and Subject of the Gospel which is a prescript of Religion different from that of the Law who though he was dead yet is raised from the dead again that we should bring forth good works as Children to him who though he was Man yet was God also 5. For when ye were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death 5. And this that we should bring forth good works as children to him is but just and aequal for when we were under the law in a carnal and fleshly condition the motions of sin which were occasioned by the law did work so in our members as that they brought forth evil works as children unto the law as the law is the ministration of death 6. But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter 6. But now we are delivered from the Law the Law being dead under which we were held that we should serve God and his Christ in that new kind of life which the Gospel worketh and not live in that old course of sin which was occasioned by the lavv 7. What shall we say then Is the law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the law for I had not known lust except the law had said thou shalt not covet 7. But because I said we were delivered from the Law and that we should not live in that old course of sin which was by the law what shall we conclude from thence Shall we conclude from thence that the law is a genuine cause of sin God forbid Nay to confute that I had not known sin at least so vvell as novv I do but by the lavv For I had not knovvn sin to have been sin in the invvard motions and desires thereof though they broke not out into outvvard act except the lavv had said as it saith in the tenth Commandment thou shalt not covet 8. But sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence For without the Law sin was dead 8. But yet Sin taking occasion by that Commandment of the law viz. Thou shalt not covet vvrought in me all manner of lust and concupiscence for before the law entred sin lay as it vvere a sleep yea and vvas dead in comparison of vvhat she vvas after the Lavv came in 9. For I was alive without the law once but when the commandment came sin revived and I died 9. For that I might here feign such a Person as had lived both before the law and under the law and put on such a Person the better to teach what I am about to teach I lived an innocent life once before the law was given by Moses in comparison of what I lived afterwards But when the law was given by Moses and that commandment of the law viz. Thou shalt not covet came to my knowledge sin shewed her strength and power by stirring up all manner of lusts in me and I died to innocency so that I was not so innocent and unblamable now as I was before 10. And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death 10. And that commandment viz. Thou shalt not covet which was given and ordained of God as a means to bring men to an holy and righteous life and which rewarded them with life that kept it I found by experience to be an occasion to bring me to death the death to innocency first and after that to death everlasting 11. For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me 11 For sin taking occasion by that commandment allured me with the baits of pleasure and honour and profit and the like which she pretended to me to follow her motions contrary to the Commandment and so I following her she deceived me and by it slew me by depriving me of that innocency which otherwise I should have retained and making me guilty of eternal death 12. Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good 12. Wherefore notwithstanding what I
wedlock when he saith That we may bring forth fruit unto God The sence therefore of these words is q. d That being married to him that is raised up from the dead we should by the seed of his grace conceive and bring forth fruit unto him who also is God Note that the Apostle changeth the person here from the third to the first which he doth for modesty sake that he may comprehend himself in this his speech The fruit or children here spoken of or meant are good works Vnto God That is unto Christ who was raised from the dead who though he was true man yet was he true God also Wives bring forth children to their own husbands not to others by God therefore is meant Christ here Note that the Apostle proves here that the believing Jews were delivered not only from the imperfection of the Law but also from the obligation of it to wit as it was given by Moses though it had been sufficient for his purpose to shew that they were delivered from the Imperfection of the Law only Ver. 5. When we were in the flesh That is When we were Carnal or in a Carnal estate addicted to the profits and pleasures of this life c. There were few under the Law which were spiritual and minded spiritual things but they were for the most part carnal and minded carnal things And they which were spiritual and minded spiritual things were not so nor did they so by the sole power of the Law so that being that all which were under the law that is under the imperfection of the Law and which had no help but what the Law afforded were Carnal and minded Carnal things The Apostle takes those which were in the flesh while he speaks of the Jews which were under the Law And those which were under the Law that is which were under the Imperfection of the Law for the same For the deliverance from this estate which he here speaks of he calls the Deliverance from the Law ver 6. The motions of Sins i. e. The motions of sins which we felt in our selves provoking moving or enticing us to commit sin or produce sin or to follow them Note that this Genitive of sins is Genitivus Causae And that Sins raise motions in us sub ratione causae finalis while we apprehend them as some pleasant or profitable things Which were by the Law That is which were occasioned by the law Supple as by our husband For he speaks of the law still in allusion to an husband as he did before These motions are said to have been by the law because sin being refrained and curbd in by the Law doth the more she is refrained and curbd in the more break out and shew her self in these her motions in sinful men and so will do in sinful men till grace be poured into their hearts whereby they restrein sin and hold her in Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata This is the manner of sinful nature and such as are accustomed to sin always to endeavour for that which is forbidden and to desire that which is most denied The law doth in a manner speak only to the outward ear and that is not of power alone to turn the hearts of carnal men from their carnal ways yea it makes them the worse by her speaking to them But yet the fault is not in the Law but in them The Law is only the occasion of evil motions not the true Genuine natural cause thereof And that which is good yea very good may be the occasion of that which is evil yea very evil Did work in our members That is q. d. did play their part in our members where they were not idle but very active In our members i. e. In the members of our Body See Notes Chap. 6. ver 13. To bring forth fruit unto death q. d. So that we did bring forth fruit or children and such fruit or children as death did delight and take pleasure in By death he meaneth eternal death and he speaks of it here as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia The fruit or children here spoken of or meant are evil works or actual Sins which are therefore pleasing unto death and such as death delights in because they make them which commit them food for her For as the temporal death feeds upon the bodies of some in the Grave Psal 49.14 So doth eternal death feed upon the souls of others in Hell Note that the particle To signifieth here not the intent only but the event also A question may be here asked why the Apostle did not say to bring forth fruit unto the Law as he said ver 4. That we should bring forth fruit unto God that is to Christ when as he is treating here of the opposition between the Law and Christ Answ Because Sins may not be said to be the fruit of the Law because they are both forbidden and punished by the law But they may be said to be the fruit of death because they make men children of death as the Hebrews speak that is worthy of death Thus some But yet I conceive under correction that by death the Law may be here meant which is called the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3. ver 7. 9. And therefore may be called death by a Metonymie And it is no absurdity to give the effects which are attributed to death to the Law when we give them and attribute them to the Law not as to the cause but only as to the occasion thereof For it is written ver 10 And the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death And thus the Antithesis here in hand will well hold out The Apostle seemeth to mention this and to shew how it was with them while they were under the Law in the flesh That now being they were delivered from the Law and from the flesh they might be more careful and more diligent to do those things which were pleasing to God in newness of Spirit abandoning the oldness of the Letter V. 6. But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we held i. e. But now as the Wife is loosed from her Husband if he be dead ver 2. so are we who were as a Wife to the Law delivered from the law which is or was our husband by the death of the Law The Law is to be taken here as it was Chap. 6.14 and Chap. 7. ver 1 viz. For the whole Law of Moses as it was given by Moses and so precisely given without the grace of the Gospel And in this sence to be delivered from the Law and to be delivered from the flesh will signifie both one and the same thing That being dead wherein we were held i. e. The Law under which we were held bound as a Wife under her Husband so long as he liveth being dead By the death of the Law he
means the abrogation or expiration thereof but he speaks of the Law as of an Husband by an Allegory therefore saith rather That being dead wherein we were held than That being abrogated or expired wherein we were held Wherein we were held The particle In in Wherein is to be taken here for under So is the Greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word in the Greek here interpreted under Matth. 7.6 In those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translatours render under their feet That we should serve i. e. That being now married unto Christ and so strengthned by his Grace in the inward man we should serve Christ or we should serve God We should serve Supple God or serve Christ. The Apostle seemeth here to leave his Allegory of an Husband and Wife and Children and to speak more plainly and literally than he did before For whereas he saith here That we should serve he said in the same sence before That we should bring forth fruit ver 4. In newness By newness understand here Newness of life or a new kind or course of life rather by an Hebraism a kind or course of life different from that which we led before while we were under the Law and in the flesh In newness therefore is by a new life Before they led a sinful and ungodly life Now he would have them to lead a Righteous and a Godly life Of Spirit i e. Which the Spirit that is which the Gospel worketh or is able to work under which ye are brought For the Spirit is opposed here to the letter that is to the Law and what is more usually opposed to the Law than the Gospel So is it opposed and so is the word taken 2 Cor. 3.6 The Gospel is called the Spirit because of the Spirit of God which goeth along with it wherby man is brought to believe the Gospel and is renewed and strengthened to walk according to the Gospel by reason of which Spirit accompanying it it is also called the power of God unto salvation Chap. 1.16 To serve God therefore in newness of Spirit is to serve God by a new course of life such a course of life as the Gospel doth not only require of us but enable us also to lead For they which are under the Gospel are both required and enabled by the Gospel to lead a new life And not in the oldness of the letter i. e. And not with our old manner of living or with our old course of life which we led while we were under the Law and which was occasioned by the Law This the Apostle adds and speaks with a kind of Sarcasm because many Jews were so addicted to the Law as that they would hardly here of the abrogation or expiration of the Law as though that life which they lead under the Law before they were engrafted into Christ or had received his Gospel or his Grace was a life pleasing unto God And not in the oldness Oldness is to be taken here by an Hebraism for our old course and manner of living which was a course of life led in sin occasioned by the Law In is to be taken here for With after the Hebrew manner Of the Letter The letter is to be taken here for the Law of Moses that is for the Law as it was given by Moses and as it is precisely considered without the grace of the Gospel as it was taken Chap. 6 14 c. He calls the Law as it was given by Moses and as it is precisely considered without grace the Letter because it was described by Letters that is because it was written or given in writing and because it was in a manner but as a bare Letter or bare writing only which had no more or little more power to make a man good than by telling him what was good and commanding him to do it And being the Law was but a bare letter and did in a manner tell a man only what was good and command him to do it it did by Accident when he was bad make him worse for except a Carnal man hath grace given him to keep the commandments he runs contrary to the commandments and grows the worse by being commanded When therefore the Apostle saith And not in the oldness of the Letter we must not understand the words so as if he meant only thereby their old course of life led under the Letter that is under the Law But we must also understand them so as that he meant thereby that that course of life was occasioned at least in part by the Letter that is by the Law while they were under it as will appear by the Objection following and by the eighth verse So that these Genitives of the Spirit and of the Letter may be taken for Genitivi Efficientis Ver. 7. What shall we say then i. e. What shall we conclude then from that which we said viz. From that The Law is dead by the body of Christ And from that that we called Our former oldness The oldness of the Letter Is the Law sin q. d. Shall we conclude that the Law is a true and Genuine cause of sin Sin is to be taken here by a Metonymie for the cause of sin and the Law is to be taken here as it was taken Chap. 6.14 and Chap. 7. ver 1. 4. And as it signifieth the same with the Letter ver 6. God forbid By these words as he did before the Apostle detesteth and putteth from himself the thought of such a thing or such a conclusion as this is that the Law is a true and genuine cause of sin Nay I had not known sin i. e. Nay so far is the Law from being a true and genuine cause of sin as that I had not known sin at least so well as now I do c. But by the Law i e. But by the Law which was given in writing by Moses which did forbid sin If the written Law did forbid Sin and make it at least more known to be Sin than otherwise it would be by forbidding it surely the Law was not the genuine cause of Sin nor did it prompt or move thereunto For I had not known Lust Supple to be a Sin That is For I had not known that the inward lust and inward desire onely of that which is evil though it did not break out into any outward Act was Sin at least so well as now I do Thou shalt not covet This is the tenth Commandment of the Decalogue the Apostle omits here the object which is mentioned by Moses in that commandment viz. Thy neighbours house thy neighbours wife c. for brevities sake But though in that commandment at large there is no other object named but that which is the object of the Sixth and that which is the object of the seventh Commandment yet the object of this Commandment seems to me to be as large as the object of all the other nine
Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin It seemeth to be most probable under correction that S. Paul speaks not here either in his own person or in the person of a Regenerate man For the Law of the Spirit of life hath made me free from the Law of Sin and of death saith S. Paul while he speaks in the person of a Regenerate man Chap. 8.2 And Chap. 8. ver 9. speaking to those which are in Christ Jesus he saith ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit that is ye are not carnal but spiritual if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And Chap. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live S. Paul therefore speaks not here in his own person nor in the person of a Regenerate man but in the person of a man that is under the Law and unregenerate and as yet without Christ but yet not far from the Kingdom of God as I said before Ver. 15. For that which I do I allow not c. In this verse he proves that which he said in the latter part of the former verse To wit that he was sold under Sin That is that he was as very a servant or slave to sin as he which is bought in a Market is to him which buys him For a servant or slave which is so bought is not at his own disposal or under his own power to do any thing which he himself likes or would do but is at the disposal of his Lord and Master which bought him and is under his power to do whatsoever he would have him to do That which I do I allow not i. e. That which I do I approve not of in my mind as of a thing well done Note that these words I do extend further than to positive doing for they extend aswel to what he did not as to what he did as will appear by the subsequent words where that which is here spoken in generall and in gross is divided into particulars For what I would that I do not q d. For whereas I have at sometimes some light desire and will to do that which is good and which is câ—mmanded by the Law of God I do it not but am drawn away from it by contrary lusts and affections of Sin He speaks here of a light and inefficacious will to do good He proves also here that he was sold under Sin But what I hate that do I But whereas I am unwillng many times to do that which the Law forbids yet I do it being drawn by contrary lusts and affections of Sin to do it The hate here spoken of is not to be understood of a perfect hatred but of some light unwillingness neither is this unwillingness to be thought to be in him at all times when he sins against a Negative Law or Command but at sometimes onely And as this hatred is but a light unwillingness to do that which he doth So is that willingness to do that which he doth not a light and in efficacious willingness and such as takes him only at sometimes The word rendred I hate is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not always signifie a perfect hatred as may be seen Gen. 29 31. Mat. 10 37. John 12. 25 c. Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor Saith Medea in the Poet. I see better things and allow of them in my judgement but I follow and do those which are worse Such an affection as is in the Poets Medea is in the man which the Apostle here personates or somewhat better Ver. 16. I do that which I would not These words are the same for sence and Latitude with those words of the former verse viz. That which I allow not And the Inference or Conclusion mentioned or collected here in this verse is drawn from thence If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good The Consequence of what the Apostle here says depends upon that which yet is a true supposition that what he would not do he would not do because it was forbidden by the Law Note that from the discourse immediately foregoing the Apostle draws a double conclusion one contained in this verse whereby he proves that the law was good and therefore Spiritual in relation to what he said ver 14 viz. For we know that the law is Spiritual The other in relation to what he said in the same verse viz. But I am carnal sold under sin which conclusion is contained or set down in the verse following in those words Now then it is no more I that do but Sin which dwelleth in me Ver. 17. Now then it is no more I that do it but Sin that dwelleth in me This conclusion is drawn not from the Sixteenth but the fifteenth verse of this Chapter and relates thither q. d. Now then if I do that which I allow not of according to my mind it is no more I that do it to wit as I am under the law and taught and directed thereby but Sin that dwelleth in me and so by Consequence I am as I said I was verse 14. Carnal sold under Sin It is no more I that do it i. e. It is not I that do it viz. as I am taught and directed by the Law Or he may say that he did it not but Sin which dwelleth in to shew that sin swayed him to do what he did when he would not do it For when two causes concur to one effect the effect is oftentimes attributed to the prime and principal cause and denied to that which is less principal though that did act also So S. Paul saith that he laboured more than all the other Apostles yet not he but the Grace of God which was with him 1 Cor. 15.10 Where he attributes his labour to the Grace of God which was the Principal cause of that his labour and denies himself to be cause thereof because though he did labour himself himself was the less principal cause of that his labour No more The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes redound and become superfluous in a sentence But Sin that dwelleth in me By Sin he means here that Sin or those Sins to which he was accustomed and which reigned in him or had dominion over him which Sins are said to dwell and may be said to reign in him by reason of those habits which they through custom and often repetition had produced in him And as Sin is said to dwell in a man by reason of that vitious habit which she produced in him So on the contrary is the holy Ghost said to dwell in us by reason of the gifts which it infuseth into us 1 Cor. 3.16
is an Ellipsis in these words The words therefore may be made up thus q. d. I thank God that he hath delivered me from this deadly body that is from this company of deadly enemies through our Lord Jesus Christ If we take these words in this sence then we must say that the Apostle speaks these words in his own person as he was regenerated and delivered from the Law and then they are to be read as it were with a Parenthesis He that sees the misery of other men how grievious it is and was in the same misery once himself or liable thereunto and is delivered from it will break out in thanks to God for his great goodness in delivering him upon sense of that mercy The aforesaid words of the Apostle may also be made up thus q. d. I thank God that he hath shewed me a way how to be delivered from this deadly body or from this body of deadly enemies For he hath made away to deliverance by Jesus Christ our Lord. And this may he speak which is under the Law and yet hath so well profited as that seeing no hope of salvation by the Law sees salvation in Christ though he be not as yet engrafted into Christ for the Law was a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we may be justified by faith saith our Apostle Gal. 3.24 Such a one though he be yet under the Law I account not to be altogether under the imperfection of the Law though he be not yet engrafted into Christ and Regenerate So then with my mind I my self serve the Law of God q. d So then I my self though I am carnal do with my mind serve the Law of God and by so doing do acknowledge that the Law of God is spiritual This hath its immediate connexion with the 21 or 23 verses And he speaks it in the person of such a man as I told of v. 14. He saith that he serves the Law of God with his mind because he approves of the Law of God as good with his mind and propounds it with his mind to his will to be embraced and followed by her as a real good which is the duty of the mind to do and in which the mind by so doing is subservient to the Law of God whose duty is to teach men what they should do and to stir them up to the doing of it But with the flesh the Law of sin What is meant here by flesh See ver 18. By the Law of sin he means sin it self which he calls the Law of sin that it may answer those words The Law of God And because it doth as a Law incite men to follow her lusts which are as it were her commands See ver 21. They serve sin which follow the lusts and desires of sin and put those things in practice which she allureth or inciteth to By saying But with the flesh I serve the Law of sin he acknowledgeth that he is Carnal and sold under sin So that in this last verse he brings up his Conclusion which he draweth from his discourse from the 14. verse hitherto to that which he said in the 14 verse viz. We know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin CHAP. VIII 1. THere is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 1. I said Chap. 5. ver 20 21. That when sin abounded grace did much more abound so that as sin hath reigned unto death even so grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Wherefore that being so there is now no Condemnation to them which are engrafted by faith into Christ Jesus who are such as walk not after their sensual and carnal appetite and affections but walk after the spirit to wit the spirit of Regeneration with which we are endued and follow her inclinations and so serve not sin 2. For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death 2. And let not any one which is in Christ Jesus say nay but I cannot but serve sin For the spirit of Regeneration which giveth life the spirit which we have received by Christ hath made us free from sin which bringeth unto death so that sin hath now no power or dominion over us whereby to make us to obey her will 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh 3. I say that the spirit of Regeneration that spirit which giveth life and which we received by Christ I say not that the Law hath made us free from sin For by reason of the impotency of the Law in that it was weak in comparison of sin which dwelt and reigned in us God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man and for this end that he might destory sin hath destroyed sin by his body which was crucified for us by which also he purchased and gave us the Spirit of Regeneration 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 4. That by the spirit of Regeneration which he purchased for us and which he hath given us the Righteousness which the Law prescribes should be fulfilled in us which are justifyed and are engrafted into Christ by faith who are such as walk not after our carnal or sensual appetite and affections But such as walk after the spirit of Regeneration with which we are endued and follow her inclinations 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit 5. I say who are such who walk not after our sensual or carnal appetite or affection but such as do walk after the spirit of Regeneration with which we are endued and follow her inclinations For though they which are carnal love and follow after their sensual and carnal appetite and affections they that are spiritual do love follow after and delight themselves in these things to which the spirit which is in them inclineth them to 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace 6. And not without cause for to love follow and delight in those things which the sensual or carnal appetite or affection moveth to will certainly bring everlasting death But to love follow and delight in those things which the spirit of Regeneration inclineth is that which brings everlasting life and peace 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity againsh God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 7. For the man which loves follows after and delights in those things to which his sensual or carnal appetite and affections tempt him to is an
who are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but they that are after the spirit as they are which are in Christ Jesus do mind the things of the spirit He grants that of those which are after the Flesh which he denies of those which are after the spirit to wit that they mind the things of the Flesh By them which are after the Flesh he means those that are Carnal The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned with a noun substantive turns it to the nature sometimes of an adjective and sometime of a participle Do mind the things of the flesh i. e. Do mind those things which the sensual or carnal appetite and affections move them to and delight in them and follow after them Do mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Greek word here and though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly spoken of the mind or understanding yet here it is spoken of the Will But they that are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit By the Spirit he meaneth that which he calleth the Law of the Spirit of life ver 2. And by such as are after the spirit he meaneth such as are spiritual and such are they which are in Christ Jesus ver 9. The things of the spirit i. e. The things to which the spirit inclineth or moveth them to Ver. 6 For to be carnally minded is death Betwixt this and the foregoing verse we may understand these or the like words and it is no wonder or and not without reason q. d. And it is no wonder or it is not without reason that they that are after the spirit do mind the things of the Spirit for to be carnally minded is death c. He proves here that which he said ver 5. That they which are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit To be carnally minded That is to mind the things of the flesh as ver 5. That is to think of follow and delight in the things to which the sensual or carnal appetite and affections move to Is death i. e. Is deadly or that which will certainly bring everlasting death Metonymia effecti He proves here not that they which are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but that they which are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit He that is after the flesh doth not consider that it is death to be carnally minded therefore he mindes the things of the flesh But he that is after the Spirit he knows it and considers it therefore he mindes not the things of the Flesh but of the Spirit To be spiritually minded That is to mind the things of the Spirit as he spoke ver 5. Is life and peace i. e. Is that which will bring life and peace through the goodness and mercy of God For as the wages of sin is death so the gift of God to those that follow his Spirit is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Chap. 6.23 Is life By life understand eternal life and take it Metonymically for the cause or for that which will procure or bring after it such a life And peace By peace understand first after the Hebrew manner the heap or plenty or plentifull return of all good things and then take it Metonymically for that which will procure or bring after it such an heap or plenty or plentifull return Ver. 7. Because the carnall mind is emnity against God i. e. Because he that is carnally minded is an enemy to God The carnal mind is put here by a Metonymy for the man that hath a carnall mind or for the man that is carnally minded or which mindeth the things of the Flesh And enmity is put here for an enemy An Abstract for a Concrete What it is to be carnally minded or to mind the things of the Flesh See verse 5. He proves here that which he said ver 6. To wit that to be carnally minded is death And certainly if to be carnally minded will make us enemies to God it will bring death upon us for all the enemies of God shall be destroyed For it is not subject to the Law of God He proves here that the carnall minded man is an enemy to God and he proves it by this that such a man as is carnally minded doth not obey the Law of God and do as God would have him do and as he is bound to do See Saint James Chap. 4. ver 4. Neither indeed can it be That is neither indeed can he be Subject to the Law of God or obey it to wit so long as he is such Ver. 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God q. d. So then they indeed that are in the Flesh c. By those which are in the Flesh he meaneth such as he said were after the Flesh that is such as were carnal Cannot please God i. e. Cannot but walk after the Flesh which is a thing displeasing to God He takes here that that they cannot please God for that that they walk after the Flesh or that that they cannot but walk after the Flesh by putting the Consequent for the antecedent This phrase therefore Viz. They cannot please God is the same for the sence with that viz. Who walk after the Flesh and it is occasioned from an objection starting from the first verse though this Corollary or Conclusion be drawn from that which went immediately before If you aske therefore to what end the Apostle drawes this Conclusion and Corollary here for it seemeth that it might have been well spared as not being to the purpose of what he had in hand I answer The Apostle prevented as I said an Objection in the second verse an Objection made against that which he said ver 1. Who walk not after the Flesh but after the spirit for a weak and faint-hearted Christian though he were in Christ Jesus yet might say in opposition to that yea but I cannot but walk after the Flesh now therefore the Apostle saith here in reference to that That it is true indeed and it would appear out of what he had said That they which were in the Flesh cannot but walk after the Flesh But yet though they cannot but walk after the Flesh yet they which were in Christ Jesus might do otherwise than walk after the Flesh for they which are in Christ Jesus are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit and so may walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit The Apostle therefore doth draw this Conclusion here that he might grant so much to the Objection that by granting so much he may the better induce him to yield to that viz. That they that are in the Spirit or They that are in Christ Jesus walk after the Spirit Cannot please God That is cannot while they are such but walk after the Flesh which is displeasing to God He takes here that viz.
will say that this is no good news to you For if they should be provoked thereby and should regain Gods love ye Gentiles which were received into Gods love by reason of the fall of the Jews should be cast out again if the Jews were again received But fear not this for if the fall and diminution of the Jews was the occasion that the Gentiles were enriched by faith and justification and other spiritual blessings How much more will their recovery and their nation being full be the cause of such blessings 13. For I speak to you Gentiles in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I magnifie mine office 13. But that you may not believe that the Jews stumbled that they should fall without hope of ever rising again I tell you Gentiles in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles That I do labour abundantly in the ministration of my office by preaching the Gospel to you 14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save of them 14. And I do it for this end that if by any means I can I may provoke the Jews which are my kinsmen according to the flesh to emulation that is to imitate the believing Gentiles in their faith that so I might bring some of them to salvation 15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead 15. And think not that if I should bring some of them to salvation that this would be a means to cast you off again For if the casting away of the Jews was an occasion of that that God reconciled the Gentiles to himself What would Gods receiving the Jews to favour again be but a cause or means of bringing more Gentiles yet to the life of grace which are as yet dead in their sins 16. For if the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches 16. Again being that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob which were the first of the Nation of the Jews were holy it is credible that all their Posterity is holy too so holy as not to be utterly deprived of the means of salvation and holiness For Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were as it were the first fruits and the Nations of the Jews are as it were the lump they were also as it were the Root and Bulk and the Nation of the Jews were as it were the branches of the Olive-tree Now if the first-fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the Root and Bulk be holy so also are the branches 17. And if some of the branches be broken off and thou being a wilde olive tree wert graffed in amongst them and with them partakâ—st of the root and fatness of the olive tree 17 But now if some of the branches be broken off of this tree and thou O Gentile which wast as a branch or cion of the wild Olive-tree art graffed into this Olive-tree among those branches which yet hold their own and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive-tree that is of all the rich promises which were made to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and their seed 18. Boast not against the branches but if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the root thee 18. Boast not against the branches that is boast not against the Jews which are the children of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob But if thou boastest remember this that thou bearest not the Root but the Root thee that is remember this that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and their seed partake not of thy blessings but thou partakest of theirs and this may somewhat allay thy boasting 19. Thou wilt say then the branches were broken off that I might be graffed in 19. But thou wilt say nevertheless in a kind of pride The branches were broken off that I might be graffed in that is the Jews were cast out of the Church of God that thou maist be taken in in their room 20. Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith Be not high minded but fear 20. Well be it so because of unbelief they were broken off from the Oâ—â—ve-tree that is for their infidelity they were cast out of the Church and thou because of thy faith art grafted into that ree that is art received as a member into the Church of God and so standest be not therefore high-minded and puffed up against the Jew because of thy high calling for that may make thee lose thy faith by which thou standest but fear least God should cast thee off again that so thou maist hold thy faith the faster 21. For if God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee 21. Fear I say for if God spared not the Jews which were as it were the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee 22. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them which fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off 22. That therefore thou maist not boast against the branches that is against the Jews and that thou maist stand fast in the faith which thou hast embraced behold and look on the one side on the goodness and mercy on the otherside on the severty of God On the Jews which fell and were cast out of the Church of God severity but towards thee whom God recieved in their room goodness and mercy which goodness and mercy thou shalt still partake of if thou continuest in the faith which is also an effect of Gods goodness and mercy otherwise thou also shalt be cast of as the Jews were 23. And they also if they bide not still in unbelief shall be graffed in for God is able to graffe them in again 23. And they also even the Jews themselvs which are cast off if they abide not still in unbelief shall be graffed in again into the sweet Olive tree that is they shall be received again as members into the Church of God For God is able to bring them in again 24. For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature and went graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree how much more shall these which be the natural branches be graffed into their own olive-tree 24. For if thou wert cut out of the Olive tree which is wilde by nature and wert graffed contrary to nature into the good Olive-tree how much more easily shall these which be the natural branches be graffed in again into their own Olive tree that is if thou which art taken out of on idolatrous people whose Ancestours alwayes served stocks and stons and wast contrary to thy education and to the Religion of thy Predecessours inserted into the Church of God and made a member thereof How much more easily
happy as they To Emulation Emulation is a grief of mind whereby we grieve for the good of another not because that good is in him but because that good which we see in him is not in us Envy is a grief of mind for the good of another as well as Emulation But here is the difference Envy is joyned with a desire and endeavour to diminish that good which is in an other upon a perswasion that our excellency is thereby obscured But Emulation is not joyned with a desire to diminish his good but with a desire to make our selves as good as he Them which are my flesh i. e. Them which are my Kins-men according to the flesh as he speaks Chap. 9.3 They are said to be the same flesh who are made or who spring from the same flesh by a Metonymie He means the Jews here which were all of the same flesh with him to wit The flesh of Abraham Isaac and Jacob And might save some of them i. e. And might bring some of them at least to Salvation by the Gospel which I preach which is the power of God unto Salvation Cap 1.16 Ver. 15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world i. e For if the casting away of the Jews be an occasion of the reconciling of the Gentiles unto God The casting away of them i. e The rejecting of the Jews for their unbelief Be the reconciling of the wâ—rlâ— i. e. Be an occasion of the reconciling the world to God Metonymia Of the world i. e. Of the Gentiles See ver 12. What shall tâ—e receiving of them Supple To the savour of God Be Supple To the world or to the Gentiles But life from the dead i. e. But yet a further cause of a spiritual life to righteousness from death in sin or from among those which are dead in sins His meaning is that by this means more Gentiles would be brought to the faith then now are brought By Life is here meant a Spiritual life led by the Faith of God per Synechdochen generis And that is put again for the cause of such a life per Mytonymiam effecti And by the dead are meant such as are dead in sins And this life so taken is to be understood here as a life coming to the Gentiles by the receiving of the Jews to favour For this verse is the very same for sence with the Twelfth verse And prevents the like objection as that doth and yields the like argument or proof to shew that the Jews stumbled not that they should fall as that also doth wherefore between this and the former verse we may understand these or the like words Neither need ye fear that if the Jews should be brought to salvation ye Gentiles would be cast off again q. d. Neither need ye fear that if the Jews should be brought to Salvation the Gentiles will be cast off again for if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world c. Ver. 16. For if the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy q. d. For seeing that the Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob which were as it were the first fruits and the Root of the people or Nation of the Jews were holy the people or Nation of the Jews which spring of them shall also be esteemed holy This is to be referred to the first part of the first verse viz. I say then hath God cast away his people God forbid Or which some account the same to the first part of the eleventh verse viz. I say then have they stumbled that they shovld fall God forbid And it may â—ave its immediate reference to the fourteenth verse also As if the Apostle would also shew by this that what he â—here said of magnifying his office as he was the Apostle of the Gentiles for this end that he might provoke the Jews to emulation and save some of them was not a groundless conceit as though there was no hope of bringing the Jewes to Salvation But that what he did in this he did upon good ground being that the whole people of the Jews were holy as their fore-fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob were holy and therefore might in all probabilities be saved Such is the Apostles skill and artifice that while he brings a proof to prove a thing which is further off he will by the same proof often prove the thing that went immediately before also The Apostle Supposeth here that the Patriarchs or forefathers of the Jews viz Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. were holy and from thence gathereth or concludeth that if they were holy the whole people or Natâ—ion of the Jâ—ws where holy also and this his conclusion he proveth or illustrateth rather by two similitudes or comparisons The first from the first fruits with which the lump doth agree in nature The other from the root and the branches of a Tree which naturally follow the condition one of the other If the first fruit be holy By the first fruit is here Metaphorically understood the Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. which were the fore-fathers of the Jews and the holiness here spoken of is not the holiness of Regeneration or the holiness which consists in the conformity of our actions with the Law of God but that holiness whereby God hath separated the fathers of the Jews and by vertue of his promise to them Gâ—n 17.17 Their seed also after them throughout all generations from the common ranke of men to be a God to them So as not utterly to forsake them at any time and to leave them without all means of Salvation which is a blessing peculiar to them above all the Nations of the world For though God doth afford mâ—ans of Salvation to other people also yet this proceeds not from the promise of God to them or to their Ancestors as it doth to the Jâ—ws neither have they any thing to the contrary but that God will and may forsake them utterly if they should be disobedient to him as the Jews have been But yet he wâ—ll never leave the whole nation of the Jews without the meaâ—s of Salvation neither will he but save them if â—hey imbrace the means foâ— thâ—ir unbelief shall not make the faith of God without effect Chap. 3.3 See Cap. 15. ver 8 9. Note that Holiness signifieth a Separation of some things from others or some persons from others by way of Eminâ—ncy And so the Jâ—ws and their forefathers may be called holy here because God had separated them from all other People by a peculiar blessing the blessing which I have spoken of The first fruit The Apostle aâ— some say alludes here to the sheaf of the first fruits Lev. 23. ver 9 10 14. where the Lord speaks thus to the poeple of Israel When ye come into the Land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof then shall ye bring a sheaf of the first fruits of yâ—ur
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