be done thereby By the Law understand the Law of Mosos and that not the Ceremonial but the Morall Law by him given He saith that the Gentiles did such things as are contained in the Law not because they performed or kept the Law which the Jews broke or that they did fully answer that knowledge which they had of the truth but because they did many things which the Law prescribed for in making publick Laws and in giving private precepts they did praescribe and give in precepts honest things and forbid things dishonest even as the Law of Moses it self did These having not the Law i. e These though they have not the written Law of Moses given them in Tables of stone or outward writings as the Jews had Are a Law unto themselves That is Are as a Law or instead of a written Law unto themselves The Particle As is here as often it is elsewhere to be understood Therefore they are as a Law unto themselves because they can by the light of Nature which is in them tell themselves what is honest and what dishonest and what is to be done and what to be left undone V. 15. Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts This relative Pronoun which includeth here and intimateth the cause as also it did chap. 1.25 q. d. For they shew Supple by doing by nature the things contained in the Law that the work of the Law is written in their heart And therefore they are as a Law unto themselves They shew the work of the Law to be written in their hearts because they do those things which are contained in the Law verse 14 The work of the Law By the work of the Law some understand the Law it self which is the Work to wit the Work of that great Law-maker the Lord of Heaven and Earth and as for the manner of speech the Law is called the Work of the Law as Circumcision is called the sign of Circumcision Rom. 4.3 Others take the Work of the Law for the effect of the Law to wit the written Law of Moses that is for the knowledge of good and evil for one effect of the Law is to shew what is good and to be followed what is evil and to be shunned q. d. For what the written Law doth work in the Jews to wit the knowledge of good and evill that do they shew written in their hearts which is an argument that They are a Law unto themselves Written in their hearts He opposeth the writing in their hearts to the writing in Tables of Stone after which manner the Law was written which was given by Moses Their conscience also bearing witness q. d. They not onely by shewing the works of the Law written in their hearts testifying that they are a Law unto themselves but their Conscience also testifying the same thing to wit That they are as a Law unto themselves This therefore is another argument to prove That the Gentiles are a Law unto themselves The Conscience is an operative Quality or Faculty or Action as some will of the mind which applieth our deeds to the Principles or Rules or Law of right Actions and thereby sheweth what is done as it ought to be and what is not done as it should be done Or it is a Practique Syllogisme as some call it which by the light of nature or of Grace judgeth and concludeth what is honest what dishonest what is commanded what forbiden what shall be rewarded what punished In this Syllogisme the Major Proposition is either from the light of Nature or from the Scriptures As for example he which sheds mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9.6 This is the Major Proposition which the Conscience takes notice of In the Minor Proposition the Conscience of the Murderer assumeth saying thou hast shed mans blood Then doth the Conscience conclude a-against her own Master Therefore must thy blood be shed by man The Conscience therefore in whom soever it is hath knowledge of the Principles or Rules or Law of Actions and in the Gentiles which have no written Law given them from God as the Jews had she hath this knowledge from what is imprinted by Nature in their hearts Therefore well might the Apostle say that their Conscience testifieth that they are a Law unto themselves And their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another q. d. That is their thoughts in the mean time that they are working or doing any thing either accusing or excusing them respectively that is as they do either evil or good For if they do evil their thoughts will accuse them if they do good their thoughts will excuse them though men accuse them This I take to be the sence of this place as it is here rendered where Tò in the mean time signifies the mean time that they are working and One another is as much as them respectively For I understand this not of the thoughts but of the Men in whom these thoughts are But if you take it as though their thoughts accused or else excused one another So that the Accusers and Excusers were thoughts and the Accused or Excused were thoughts understand it not so as that the thoughts did this Reciprocally That is as if the same thoughts did accuse the same thoughts which accused them c. But so as that when evil thoughts arose in a man other thoughts arose in him and did accuse those evil thoughts of sin and evil and when those thoughts arose in a man which might seem evil and were not so other thoughts arose and did Apologize for and defend these thoughts For the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not alwayes signifie a Reciprocation as will appear by Ephes 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being subject one to another in the fear of God where the Apostle would have Subjects to be subject to their Princes Servants to their Masters Children to their Parents but not Princes again to their Subjects Masters to their Servants nor Parents to their Children And according to this interpretation and exposition To in the mean while must either be redundant or signifie while they are Practically busied in examining what they have done Yet this place is most commonly rendered by other Interpreters thus though the sence be in a manner still the same and their thoughts by turns accusing or else excusing them The sence whereof is this q. d. That is their thoughts by turns either accusing them as when they do ill or excusing them as when they do well Note that the Conjunction And is put here as a Note of Declaration and is as much to say as That is for the thoughts accusing or the thoughts excusing are as two Species or Parts of the Conscience and declare what the Apostle meant by Conscience The thoughts of men cannot accuse men except they have a Rule or Law to judge their actions by from which Rule or
which God gave to the Jew but not to the Gentile and thou art circumcised with that cirrumcision which God appointed as a sign of that Covenant which God made with Abraham whereas the Gentile is uncircumcised and ignorant of the Law of God But though thou judgest thus with respect of persons to thy self yet we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth and without respect of persons against them which do such things be they Jewes oâ— be they Gentiles 3. And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God 3 But tell me in good earnest O thou Jew doest thou that condemnest them which do such things and doest thy self the same doest thou I say think this that thou shalt escape the judgement of God 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance 4. Or presuming that God is well pleased with thee because he doth not execute some signal judgement upon thee but is good and patient and long-suffering towards thee doest thou despise him and fearest him not because of this his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering towards thee not knowing that the end of Gods goodness is to lead thee to repentance 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God 5. But thou through the Blindness and hardness and impenitency of heart which thou contractest to thy self by these means thou I say doest augment the weight of those punishments and encreasest the number of those torments which shall be poured out upon thee by reason of thy sins in the day of Gods wrath when he shall execute his righteous judgements in the sight of all the world 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds 6. Who will then render to every man a reward according to his deeds 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek according to the Gospel for glory and honour and immortality eternal life 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath 8. But unto them which obey not the Gospel which is the word of truth but are contentious against it and against the Ministers thereof and obey lies indignation and wrath 9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile 9. Yea tribulation and anguish shall fall upon the soul of every man that doth evill if he repenteth not of the Jew first and then of the Gentile 10. But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile 10. But glory honour and peace shall be to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and then to the Gentile 11. For there is no respect of persons with God 11. I say to the Jew first and then to the Gentile including the Jew as well as the Gentile in the punishment which I speak of for there is no respect of persons with God 12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law 12. For as for the Gentiles who have not received the written law they as many of them as have sinned shall be condemned Though not by that law because they received it not and as for the Jewes who have received the written law as many of them as have sinned under that law shall be judged by that law 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel 16. In the day wherein God shall judge even the secrets of men by Jesus Christ whom he hath appointed to be judge both of the quick and dead according to the Gospel which I have preached 13. For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified 13. I say as for the Jewes who have received the written law they as many of them as have sinned under that law shall be judged by that law for if we think of obtaining justification by the law not the hearers of the law and the Learned in the law are justified before God but the doers of the law that is to say they which do and have done the works of the law so exactly as the law requires and have never broke the least title thereof at any time they and they onely shall be justified by the law in Gods sight 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves 14. But because I said of the Gentiles who have not received the written law that as many of them as have sinned shall be condemned though not by that law because they received it not I would not have any think that the Gentiles were quite without law for then indeed they could never sin and never be condemned for sin for sin is the breach of a law But though they had not a written law that is a law visibly written in Tables of Stone as the Jews had yet are they not without a law For when the Gentiles which have not the law that written law which was written in Tables of Stone and given by Moses do by the light and instinct of Nature the things which are contained in the written law of Moses these though they have not that law yet they are as a law unto them selves 15. Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another 15. For they shew that that which the Law of Moses enjoyneth is written though invisibly in their hearts when as they make publique Laws and give private Precepts conform thereunto c. And their conscience also beareth witness to this that is to say their thoughts which accuse or else excuse them by course excuse them when they do well and accuse them when they do ill which they could never do if they had not a Rule that is a Law to judge them by a Law which tells what is good and ought to be done and what is evil and to be eschued 17. Behold thou art called a Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God 17. But whereas thou thinkest O Jew that thou shalt escape the judgment of God because thou art a Jew and because thou hast deep knowledge in the Law of God c. I tell thee that thou art so far from escaping the judgment of God
their speech are said to have poyson under or in their lips Of such Saint James saith That their tongue is full of deadly poison James 3.8 The poyson of Asps an Aspe is a little Creature frequent in Africa whose poyson is very venemous Aristotle in his Historiae Animalium lib. 8.29 Saith that the venome of this Serpent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is incureable Is under their Lips He may say under their Lips to signifie that it was not to be seen or perceived And signifie by that again that these were men of flattering tongues but of most bloody hearts or thoughts But others take under their lips barely for In their lips These words are taken out of Psal 140.4 Which Psalm was wrote by David against Doeg and the Ziphites who did malitiously accuse him and speak all evil against him to Saul and by these words the Prophet sheweth how these his enemies dealt with him but being the enemies of David who was a Type of Christ prefigured the enemies of Christ that is such as believed not in Christ The words may be applied to them also in the Mystical Sence Ver. 14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness This is taken from Psal 10 7. and cited according to the Septuagint whereas according to the Hebrew Text it is thus his mouth is full of cursing and deceit Where it seemeth as it is observed by many That the Septuagint did read Vmireroth amaritudinibus i. e. and bitternesses for Vmirmoth fraudibus i. e. and deceits yet as these latter words are not much unlike no more is the Sence For wicked men are wont to speak all manner of evil against the Godly with all bitterness but yet falsly and therefore deceitfully For it is false which they speak though they would have men believe that it is true so deceiving them See Matthew Chap. 5. ver 11.44 By this also doth David describe the nature of his enemies as he did before but by describing them he describes such also as should be enemies to Christ that is to the Faith He saith here whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness Whereas the Order of his speech requireth that he should have said their mouth c. But it is not unusuall to confound Subjunctive Articles or Pronouns with Praepositives An example whereof we may have in that great Master of Rhetorick Cicero Philip 1. Eas leges quas ipse vobis inspectantibus recitavit pronunciavit tulit quibus latis gloriabatur iisque legibus Rempublicam contineri putabat de Provinciis de Judiciis eas inquam Caesaris leges nos qui defendimus acta Caesaris evertendas putabimus Where iis and quibus are mixt together Again in the tenth Psalm 7. verse as it is read according to the Septuagint whom St. Paul followeth It is not a Praepositive but a Subjunctive Article and the Apostle useth for the most part when he citeth any Testimony to cite it as it lieth in the Text out of which he takes it and not to regard the Syntax where he useth it Ver. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known These Testimonies are taken out of Isaiah Chap. 59. v 7 8. but not according to the strict words yet according to the Sence as they which take view of the place may easily perceive And they are spoken there of the Jewes of that time But those Jews were Types of these Jews which lived in Pauls time for Jews of one time are Types of Jews of another time See notes Chap. 2. ver 24 And therefore well may Saint Paul apply what was said of the Jews of that time to the Jews of his time Adde to this that the Jews of which the Prophet Isaiah speaketh were such as were at that time in Captivity under the Babylonians Now the captivity of the Jews under the Babylonians was a Type of the captivity of Man under sin and the Devil while therefore the Prophet Isaiah describeth the manners of those Jews which were in captivity under the Babylonians in the Literal or Historical sence He describeth with all the manners of the Jews yea and of the Gentiles too which were captive under sin and the Devil in the mystical sence Their feet are swift to shed blood i e. They are bloody minded ready upon all occasions to runne and shed innocent blood Note that the feet are put here by a Synecdoche for the whole man and therefore the feet because we post from place to place with them when we have any thing to do Ver. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways i. e. Which way soever they go they bring misery and destruction upon men like a common plague Destruction and misery are to be understood here not as suffered by these men but as wrought by them and that without any respect of Persons at all Ver. 17 And the way of peace have they not known i. e. They have not known how to live quietly and friendly with men Or they have not walked in peaceable ways but are strangers to them as if they knew them not Note that ways and paths are often put for the actions of Men by a Metaphor Some observe here that the Hebrew say of him that doth not care for or regard a thing that he doth not so much as know it as Jerem. 4 22. Ver. 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes i e. They do not consider with the eyes of their mind that God is present to see and behold their doings even that God which they ought to stand in fear of as being a severe punisher of all wickedness Men use to be curbed bridled in that they run not headlong into sin by the fear of God the just Judge Where therefore this fear is not men even rush into all manner of wickedness as an Horse into the Battle This Testimony is taken out of Psalm 36 1. And these words David who was a Type of Christ speaks of his Enemies who were Types of the enemies of Christ that is of the unfaithful as will appear by vers 11 12. of that Psalm So that they may be well applied by the Apostle as they are to all unbelievers which are enemies of Christ and his Servants as spoken of them in the Mystical sence Ver. 19. Now we know that whatsoever the Law saith it saith to them which are under the Law The Apostle prevents an Objection here For whereas the Apostle had alledged many Testimonies out of the Old Testament to prove that Jews and Gentiles are both under sin The Jew might object and say But what do these Testimonies which thou hast alledged concern us These Testimonies concern not us Jews neither are they spoken of us but they concern only the Gentiles and are spoken only of them To this the Apostle answereth Now we know that whatsoever the Law that is the writings