is preached all are not conuerted by it Verse 16. Doct. The Gospel was preached to all the world in the time of the Apostles Verse 18. Doct. The corruption of our hearts leades vs to the practice of those things which we know to be sinne Verse 19. Doct. 2. God will forsake them which forsake him Doct. Ministers are boldly to preach the Truth Verse 20. Doct. 2. Our Conuersion and Calling is onely from Gods mercy Doct. Disobedience and persecution of Gods messengers was the cause of the reiection of the Iewes Verse 21. CHAP. XI Doct. 1. ALl the Iewes are not cast away from the hope of saluation Verse 1. Doct. 2. The Elect of God are sure of their estate and know it and shall neuer perish Doct. 1. It is profitable to be acquainted with the Histories of the Bible and to make vse of them Verse 2. Doct. 2. We must be zealous for the Lord. Doct. 1. God suffers sometimes the enemies of his Church to preuaile against it Verse 3. Doct. 2. The Enemies of True Religion are sauage and cruell Doct. 1. All doubts in matters of Religion are to bee decided by the Word of God Verse 4. Doct. 2. The Church of God shall neuer be in such an exigent but that there shall be many thousands to worship God in Spirit and in Truth Doct. 3. Those which in dangerous times are preserued in grace it is by the power and goodnes of God Doct. 4. Sincere worshippers of God must not in the least manner worship an Idol Doct. The cause why some are reserued in dangerous times is their Election Verse 5. Doct. Election and Saluation are of Grace not of Merite Verse 6. Doct. No Elect cast away No Reprobate but cast away Verse 7. Doct. God in his iust iudgement giues ouer such as are enemies to the Gospell to the Diuell to be blinded that they cannot conuert Verse 8. Doct. Persecutors of Christ and his Gospell are iustly accursed of God Verse 9 10. Doct. 1. The Iewes are reiected that the Gentiles might be called Verse 11. Doct. 2. The Vocation of the Gentiles is the prouocation of the Iewes Doct. The generall Calling of the Iewes shall be the enriching of the world Verse 12. Doct. The way for a Minister to make his office glorious is to bee diligent in preaching Verse 13 14. Doct. The Calling of the Iewes shall be a new life and happinesse to the world Verse 15. Doct. The Iewes are still a people Verse 16. Doct. The Gentiles may not despise the Iewes Verse 17 18. Doct. Our standing is by Faith our breaking off by Infidelitie Verse 19. Doct. 1. Faith shuts out boasting Verse 20. Doct. 2. He that beleeueth feareth God Doct. All without respect which continue not in Grace shall be broken off Verse 21. Doct. 1. It is the duty of all diligently to keepe a note-booke of the mercies of God to themselues and of his Iudgements to others Verse 22. Doct. 2. Perseuerance is a necessary condition of true sauing Faith Doct. Whatsoeuer sinner beleeueth and repenteth it is possible he should be saued Verse 23 24 25 Doct. 2. Before the end of the world the Iewes in regard of their multitude shall be Called Doct. Not onely some now and then but the people of the Iewes shall be Called Verse 26 27. Doct. The Iewes are beloued of God Verse 28. Doct. God repenteth not of his gifts and Calling Verse 29. Doct. The Gentiles were Infidels Verse 30. Doct. The Iewes are now in an estate of vnbeliefe but they shall be receiued to mercy Verse 31. Doct. God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe that he might haue mercy on all Verse 32. Doct. It is neither lawfull for man to search nor possible to finde the hidden wayes of God Verse 33 34 35 Doct. God is of all his Creatures specially of his Church to be praised glorified Verse 36. THE SVMME OF THE Eleuen first Chapters of the EPISTLE to the Romanes SAint Paul in the eleuen first Chapters of this Epistle intreateth of Iustification his order is this In the fiue first hee proueth against all obiections of Iewes and Gentiles that all men are iustified by the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ apprehended by Faith In the sixe next hee ouerthrowes the engines whereby Satan went about to oppugne this heauenly Doctrine These Engines were 4. First that this Doctrine brings in liberty and licentious liuing 2. That it makes God inconstant and not so good as his word to the Iewes 3. That it abolisheth the righteousnesse of the Law 4. That from thence it followes that GOD hath quite cast away the people of the Iewes The first of these Paul remoues Chapter 6. 7. 8. the second Chapter 9. the third Chapter 10. the fourth Chapter eleuen Chap. 6. The Doctrine of Grace teacheth men not to liue loosely but to deny all vngodlinesse and to walke in newnesse of life Therefore all beleeuers are to fight against sin which they may doe with so much the more comfort in as much as they are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace Chap. 7. Indeed before they were conuerted they were subiect to the curse of the Law and by it became more sinfull but hauing receiued Grace to beleeue they are freed by Iesus Christ notwithstanding the lusting of the flesh against the Spirit which is the condition of euery regenerate man in this life Chap. 8. Therefore though sinne remaine in them and for it they bee chastised of God yet it raignes not in them nor can condemne them neither can any tribulations separate them from the loue of God in Christ AN EXPOSITION vpon the eighth ninth tenth and the eleuenth Chapters of the Epistle to the ROMANES CHAP. VIII THis Chapter hath two parts First a sweet consolation to all that are regenerate to the 31. verse Secondly a conclusion to the end The Consolation is double against two speciall sore tentations whereby it might seeme that a regenerate man were miserable and destitute of inward peace the one arising from the remainder of sinne then which nothing is more heauy the other from the Crosse then which nothing is more bitter Against the first hee dealeth from the beginning of the Chapter to the 17. verse Against the second from thence to the 31. verse The first hath 4. parts First the Consolation it selfe propounded verse 1. Secondly the Confirmation to the 9 verse Thirdly an Application from the 9. to the 11 verse Fourthly an Exhortation from thence to the 17. verse VERSE 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit IN this verse are two things 1. The Consolatory proposition There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ 2. A description of one of the Termes namely Who are in Christ such as walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit In the Proposition as in all of this kind there are 3. parts 1. The subiect or
Iustice is a certaine equality If therefore there be no equality then suffrings merit not and if not Martyrdome then no other vertue Glory followeth the Crosse but not for the merit of it but for the free promise of God The Papists answere that suffrings in themselues are not worthy but as they proceed from Grace and Charity Christ hauing merited this honour for them that they should bee meritorious Wee deny suffrings to merit as they proceed from Charity from this Text for Paul speakes of such suffrings vnlesse wee would say that the Regenerate are without Grace and Charity or that hee goes about to comfort such Their distinction takes away Pauls argument who comforts the Regenerate against the bitternesse of the Crosse which is as well when it proceeds from Charity as when not Wee deny also that Christ purchased this Grace to our suffrings that they should merit No maruell if the Papists differ in this from vs when they differ from themselues Ornelius Cornelij a lapide in locum For they affirme such a power to be in suffrings to bring forth glory as in seed to bring forth fruit and yet they say that the condignity of suffrings is not Naturall but Morall when as seed not Morally but Naturally brings forth Besides they agree not whether this Merit bee onely for the dignity of the Worke or onely for the promise of GOD or partly for the Worke partly for the Promise or whether according to distributiue or commutatiue Iustice Vse 2. The Crosse is a signe thou art a Co-heyre with Christ it is a suffring with Him It is a way to Glory Yea it is not worthy of the glory following Though the Crosse bee bitter yet it is but short A little draught and the Sugar is ready A little storme as one c Nubecula cito transitura Athā said of Iulians persecution and an eternall Calme followeth And because short therefore to be accounted tolerable though great d Omnia breuia tolerabilia esse debent etiamsi magna sint Cicero Besides the shortnes infinite glory followes So much glory that if a man could fulfill all Obedience and suffer Hell torments yet hee could not deserue it The diseased man endures cutting searing for a short vse of a miserable life Shall we refuse to suffer any thing for that glory Many Heathens haue suffred great things for a little vaine approbation of the vulgar What would they haue done for this glory if they had known it If they so much for a shadow what ought wee for the substance Dost thou whine and lament Al that thou suffrest is not worthy to bee named on that day that this glory is spoken of Remember this glory and be comforted So Moses and Christ did Heb. 11.25,26 Heb. 12.2 and for this cause he shewed Stephen his glory at his stoning Acts 7.55 What therefore if the world speake ill of thee and persecute thee What is a word or two to that glorie Nay what is a few drops of bloud to the Kingdome of Heauen O happie change Wouldest thou haue this Glory without suffring Hee is too nice that would here reioyce with the world and after raigne with Christ Few there are who if God should bring his fanne would bee ready to suffer My reason is because there are so many which will not be perswaded to leaue their sinnes I will neuer belieue that he will leaue his life for Christ that will not leaue his sinnes at his commandement Vse 3. The godly man hath his suffrings heere his glory afterward If in this life onely we had hope we were of all men most miserable 1. Cor. 15. The Motto of the Children of God is Spero meliora We are not destitute of comfort euen here blessed be God but this is nothing to that which is to be reuealed Marke the end and thou shalt see what difference is betweene the wicked and the Godly Psal 37.37 The end of the iust is peace So on the contrary the end of the wicked is fearefull Lazarus ended his miseries in Abrahams bosome and Diues his pleasures in hell torments Consider wisely the difference betweene a moment of sorrow here and eternall happinesse in Heauen and a moment of pleasure heene and eternall torments in hell VERSE 19. For the earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God 20. For the creature was made subiect to vanitie not willingly but by reason of him who hath subiected the same in hope 21. Because the Creature it selfe also shall bee deliuered from the bondage of Corruption into the glorious libertie of the Children of God 22. For we know that * Or euery Creature the whole Creation groneth and trauelleth in paine together vntill now 23. And not onely they but our selues also which haue the first fruits of the Spirit euen we our selues grone within our selues waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body IN these verses the Apostle brings an excellent example both to shew the greatnesse of the glory to be reuealed and to mooue vs to the patient expectation of it For all delay is long and troublesome to them which expect great matters We expect great glory Therefore we must be patient The summe is this The whole Creation or euery Creature is patient and expects therefore also ought we In this example wee haue two things First the example vers 19. 20 21 22. Secondly the Application verse 23. In the Example are two things 1. The thing Affirmed verse 19. 22. 2. The Reason verse 20 21. The thing affirmed is that the Creatures expect the reuelation of the Sonnes of God wherein wee haue first the Action Expecteth Secondly the Amplification 1. From the partie expecting The whole Creation 2. The thing expected The manifestation of the Sonnes of God 3. The manner deliuered in diuers borrowed termes With feruent desire Groaning Trauailing in paine All the Creatures or the whole Creation or the frame of the world for here are not to bee vnderstood Angels or Men Good or Bad. Bad Angels and Men long not for that time Good Angels desire it not with groaning And good men are the other terme in opposition Whether euery particular Creature be heere meant is doubted I take it not euery particular for those onely are heere meant which shall be deliuered into the liberty of the Sonnes of God Which cannot in my opinion be said of the Horse Dog c. For then there should be a resurrection of them which is onely to be beleeued of men Also there is no promise of their restoring as there is of Heauen and Earth Thus I take it we may distinguish the vnreasonable Creatures Esay 66.22 2. Pet. 3.13 All of them groane and trauaile in paine but wayt not for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God All of them shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption not all into the glorious libertie of
and vnto workes are no workes or bad workes contrary So that the contrarietie here to be holden is not simply but in the case of iustification and saluation Vnderstand not here workes themselues but the merit of workes and yet not the merit of all workes as Christs but of Our workes And then the rule of contraries here takes place that one being put the other is taken away The nature of grace is to be free the nature of workes to be of due debt so that if it be free it is not of debt else were grace no grace if it be of due debt it is not free else were workes no more workes The legerdemaine of the Papists is here to be noted who leaue and wipe out the last halfe of this verse And if of workes then not of grace else workes are no more workes blasphemously saying that it is superfluuos But we can easily spie out the reason of this their doing namely because their doctrine of merit is hereby ingulated As they haue dealt with the bookes of other writers so haue they attempted here purging and curtailing off that which makes against them And then they would make vs beleeue that their absurd vulgar Translation is perfecter then the originall Greeke text it selfe As if a man hauing but one eye or oneleg should thinke all others deformed that had two eyes or legs The summe is that what is of grace is not of workes and è diuerso doctrine Election and saluation are of grace not of merite Act. 15.11 Ephes 2.8.9 Tit. 3.5 and this that God might haue al the glorie but if it be of merit then corrupt flesh will boast Vse 1. The Popish conceit of Merit of their workes of congruitie which they say it is fit that God should reward and of condignity and supererogation which it is iust that God should reward is by this text like chaffe blowne away and blasted The finite creature cannot merit of the infinit Creator The Papists haue three shifts for this 1. They say that Paul is to be vnderstood of the workes of Nature not of grace If so then the Pharisee also the Pelagian is not to be blamed for he acknowledged his goodnes in which he trusted to bee a gift of God Luk. 18.11 I thanke thee Lord that I am not c. And all merit is contrary to grace Besides our Sauiour bids his disciples Luk. 17.10 when they haue done all they can to thinke themselues vnprofitable seruants I trow they will not deny that the Apostles were in the state of Grace 2 Their second euasion is that saluation is of grace indeed but also of workes making a mingle-mangle of grace and workes which is as if a man should attempt to make fire and water agree But Saint Augustine takes away this in a word Grace saith he is grace no way if it be not free euery way It is all of grace or no whit at all of grace This golden saying is digged out of this mine 3 They exclaime against vs that we are enemies to good workes Why doe they so Not because we doe those euill works which they auoid but because we doing good works which they neglect yet ascribe our saluation only to grace They deale with vs as the Pharisies with Christ He tels them that Harlots shall goe before them into the kingdome of heauen and they presently say that hee is a friend of Publicans and sinners and an enemie to good workes Concerning good workes this wee hold that they are necessary to saluation not by a necessity of efficiency but of presence and that in three respects 1. Of worship for God is serued by doing them 2. Of good conscience which is lost by the neglect of good works 3. Of duty to our neighbors who is hereby to be wonne to God we must do good works if we will be saued but we must not looke to be saued by their merit Vse 2. Many ignorant soules say they hope to be saued by their seruing God and their good prayers They know no other Diuinity but this which is Popish and naturall These are not past grace they are not yet come at it Alas if there were no other way to come to heauen but this no flesh should be saued but only the humanity of our Lord Iesus The Diuels prime desire is to draw thee to abominable courses if he cannot preuaile this way but thou wilt be doing good workes this will please him if thou wilt be conceited of meriting thereby For a trust in thine owne righteousnesse will bring thee to hell as well as vnrighteous living Trust perfectly on the grace of God saith Peter 1. Pet. 1.13 if wee trust to any thing else it wil lay vs in the dust and bee as a broken reed which if a man leane vpon it the shiuers runne into his hand Vse 3. Gods children onely discerne a world of wickednesse in themselues for which they are much cast downe comfort thy selfe God elected thee freely to saluation and not for thy worthinesse If we were to be saued for our workes then wee had cause to doubt because of their defects This must be wel learned it is soone said but not so soone practised if a man haue fruit of his own planting he thinkes there is no fruit like to his So by nature wee are opinionated of our owne goodnesse Hence is it that God suffers many times euen his deare children fouly to fal to cure them of this pride as Peter or to suffer them to be sore tempted and buffeted that they may giue God the glory as Paul Vse 4. This teacheth vs humility because all is giuen of meere grace Vse 5. The grace of God teacheth to be gracious not gracelesse because of the mercies of God we must offer vp our selues to his seruice Rom. 12.1 Then cōclude thy selfe to be of the number of the saued when thy conuersation is godly If you sayest thou hopest to be saued by Gods grace and yet liuest in vile sinnes thou art a presumptuous and blasphemous Atheist Presumptuous because thou lookest to be saued in an estate to which is threatned damnatiō blasphemous because thou deniest God in thy life whose grace thou wouldest seeme to implore VERSE 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Or hardned IN these words and so to the end of the 10. verse is the last part of Pauls answer which is the determination of the question in hand namely that God hath cast away onely the reprobate Iewes but the Elect obtaine the promises God casteth away the chaffe but loseth not one kernell of good corne Paul enters vpon this in this 7. verse by a Prolepsis for thus some Iew might obiect If God cast not away the Elect and yet they obtaine saluation not by workes but onely by free grace Then Paul you make a faire hand
possesse the Ancient Inheritance of our Progenitors if there bee any dramme of spirituall wisedome and courage in vs let vs striue to recouer that stocke of grace which our first Parents spent by the subtiltie of the Diuell Vse 4. Our Conuersion is contrary to our present nature God will inuert the nature and course of things for the saluation of his Elect. This also sheweth that wee are conuerted by the omnipotent power of GOD which Arminius stiffely deny Vse 5. The state of Nature and Grace is easily discerned He that despiseth the Gospel and liueth wickedly is a naturall wretch but to beleeue and repent is a state of grace Vse 6. Contrarie to Nature keepe diligent watch ouer thine heart which is not as yet wholly and perfectly changed Bee daily renuing thy repentance or else Nature will soone runne after her olde course and byas Naturall inclinations are forcible Bend the bough of a tree downeward when thou lettest it goe it will striue vpward by and by Matth. 23.37 water-fowles hatched vnder a land fowle will quickly to the water by nature So though by the warmth of the spirit we be hatched vnder the Word and become Gods chickens as Christ compareth vs yet wee will be drawing to corruption if wee dayly mortifie it not By nature boates go downe the streame but by the force of wind and oares they be got vp the streame and if such meanes cease they go faster downeward then they were forced vpward so to proceed in grace is against the streame of nature If Gods Spirit like a good winde blow not a prosperous galâ—… vpon vs and we labour in the meanes of grace we are easily carried downe the streame of our corruption into the pit of perdition as the fishes of Iordan into the dead sea VERSE 25. For I would not brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery left you should be wise in your owne conceits that blindnesse or hardnesse in part is hapned to Israel vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in 26. And so all Israel shall be saued IN these words the Apostle proues the certaintie of the calling of the Iewes and he takes his argumeÌ„t from a revelation of this secret vnto him by the Spirit of God to be made knowne to the Gentiles so that this Scripture is a prophesie and is of the nature of a demonstration Here and so to the 33. verse are three things first the preface secondly the prophesie thirdly the proofe The preface is in these words I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this mysterie lest you should be wise in your owne conceits Where are two things first the nature of this prophesie secondly an admonition concerning it The nature of it is set downe in this word mysterie Mysteries are of two sorts first when some spirituall thing is shadowed vnder visible signes so the Sacraments are called mysteries improperly secondly when some sacred thing is reuealed by speciall illumination or by the euent which could neuer be vnderstood by studie but by the Spirit of God so the doctrine of the Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of the Godhead the personall vnion of the two natures in Christ the mysticall vnion of Christ and his Church the resurrection of the dead the calling of the Gentiles the recalling of the Iewes of which we speake This is a great secret and in Pauls time more secret to the Gentile then to the Iew for these had a glimmering of a deliuerance to come but how what and when they knew not In the admonition are three things first the persons admonished which are the Gentiles whom Paul a Iew calleth brethren The profession of the Gospell makes all professors brethren Therefore we should all liue in vnitie Secondly the admonition which is that the Gentiles should not be ignorant of this secret How well doe they follow Paul who contradict this as false Againe this mysterie is necessary to be knowne much more other mysteries Thirdly the vse of the knowledge of this secret that the Gentiles should not be arrogant in themselues that their pride in which they contemned the Iewes might be curbed Paul touched them for this before v. 18.20 here also he meets with them for it so profitable is it for vs often to be admonished of that vice to which we are most inclined The second generall thing is the prophesie it selfe in these words Blindnesse is partly come to Israel vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saued Here are two things first a description of the present estate of the Iewes Blindnesse in part is happened to Israel Secondly a reuealing of some secret things concerning this estate which are two first how long this blindnesse is to endure namely till the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in This is one secret Secondly what shal become of them when this fulnesse is come in then all Israel shall be saued ver 26. In the description of their present estate are foure things first the persons Israel secondly the thing blindnesse thirdly the manner is hapned fourthly the degree in part 1. The persons Israel this terme is three wayes taken first for a name of Iacob the Patriarke not so here secondly figuratiuely for all the elect nor so here because of the opposition betweene Israel and Gentile thirdly for the people of the Iewes which are the carnall seed of Abraham Isaac and Iacob so it is here to be taken which is confirmed from the thing it selfe which speaketh as much namely the present blindnesse of that people 2. The thing blindnesse of mind which is the cause of their reiection the cause put for the effect 3. The maner is hapned not at aduenture but is cast vpon them by the iust iudgement of God a iudiciall hardnesse beside thir naturall 4. The degree in part this word either notes the time or is added to the thing or to the persons Ambrose referres it to the time which and may be very well is receiued of many Caluin referres it to the thing as if Paul should say mitigating the matter They are become blind after a sort or in some part But this I take it cannot be first because Paul hath before aggrauated their hardnesse and here to vnsay it agrees not with the Spirit by which Paul wrote secondly all experience shews that the Iewes are not after a sort in a small measure but in a wonderfull high degree hardned still railing at and blâ—spheming Christ and his Gospell neither is their punishment light which for such blindnesse is inflicted The best in my opinion is to attribute it to the persons In part that is not all not to euery indiuiduall amongst them but to some and so it agrees with the sence of the first part of the Chapter that the reiectioÌ„ of the Iews is not totall also with that 17. verse Some of the branches are broken off and with