condition required to all the spiritual seed of Abraham that is to all the faithfull not only to that which is of the Law and under that as the Jews are but to that also which followeth the Faith of Abraham though they be not under the law as the believing Gentiles doe which Abraham is the Father of us all which believe whether we are Jews or Gentiles and under the Law or without the Law 17. As it is written I have made thee a Father of many Nations before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were 17. As it is written of him Genesis 17.5 I have made thee a Father of many Nations I say which Abraham is the Father of us all before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth those which are dead in unbelief with the life of Faith and maketh those which are not faithfull as they which are so raising up spiritual seed to Abraham 18. Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy seed be 18. Who against all hope which he could conceive by the course of nature of having a childe believed in hope which he grounded upon the truth and power of God That he should become the Father of many nations according to that which is written of him Gen. 15.5 As the Stars of the Heavens for number so shall thy seed be 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred year old neither yet the deadness of Saras womb 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now old and feeble and unfit for generation and as it were dead in respect of that when he was now about an hundred years old nor did he consider the barrenness of Sarahs womb and the indisposition and inability thereof to conception so as to doubt or dispair by reason of them of the promise of God 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God 20. He staggered not at the word of God through unbelief But was strong in faith giving glory to God by relying upon his word 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness 22. And therefore it is written to his immortal praise that this his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him 23. But now it was not written for his sake alone that he might thereby be praised that it was imputed to him 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead 24. But it was written for our sakes also to assure us that our beliefe also shall be imputed to us for righteousness if we believe on God who raised up Jesus our Lord from the Dead 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 25. Who was both delivered to death and raised again from the dead for our Justification that is that we might be thereby justified CHAP. IV. Verse 1. What shall we say then i. e. How or by what way or after what manner shall we say then What is to be taken here for How or after what manner for the Apostle speaketh here not so much of Justification it self as of the way or manner of attaining it And so the word What is sometimes taken elsewhere For whereas it is said Marke 4.23 Take heed what you hear It is said Luke 8.18 Take heed how you hear That Abraham our father as pertaining to the Flesh i. e. That Abraham who is the Father of all us Jews after the flesh i. e. by carnal Propagation whether we be of the Law or whether we be of the Faith Abraham was a Father two manner of wayes to wit according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit according to the flesh Abraham was a Father of all Jews whether they believed or no. But according to the spirit he was the Father only of Such Jewes as did believe and imitate his Faith verse 12. The Apostle calls Abraham his Father as other Jews also did to shew that he did esteem of Abraham as his Father aswel as they and therefore what he was to say of Abraham he would not say out of desire he had of diminishing Abrahams glory but out of meer love which he bore to the Truth Hath found i. e. Hath obtained or attained to Supple Justification Note that to find is put here for to obtain or to attain to as Prov. 8.35 and 17.20 and so it is taken so often as one is said to find grace in the sight of another a phrase which the Scripture often useth as Gen. 18.3.30.27 Numb 11.11 Deut. 24.1 2. Sâ—m 15 25 c. Note also that here is somewhat to be understood to wit Justification for it is not to be doubted but that the Apostle speaks here of Justification for this is the subject of all his discourse in this place Our Apostle doth suppose here that Abraham was justified and doth enquire only how he was justified I say he doth suppose that he was justified which he might well suppose for none of the Jews with whom he hath here to do did ever doubt of that or deny it Ver. 2. For if Abraham were justified by works Between this and the former verse we must understand these words to wit by Works No surely q. d. How then or by what means shall we say that Abraham who is the Father of us all after the Flesh hath obtained Justification by works No surely For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory before God in the matter of justificationâ— But he hath not whereof to glory before God in the matter of justification Therefore he is not justified by works He is said in our Apostles sence to be justified by works which hath so strictly observed the Law by which he should walk and walked so strictly according to it as that he never offended in the least manner that is either in thought word or deed For whosoever hath offended against that Law in never so small a matter cannot be said to be justified by morks He hath whereof to glory Supple even before God By glorying is not meant here any Thrasonicall vaunting or any unjust glorying but such a glorying which he might both justly and seemly use which had perfectly kept the Law and never offended against it in the least point which glorying is nothing else but the attributing of his justification or that that he is not condemned but acquitted when he
are left to be made up Who against hope i. e. Against all hope which he could conceive by the course of nature of having a child By the course of Nature there was no ground of hope either in Abraham that he should be a Father being that he was now old his seed cold and without spirits Or in Sarah that she should be a Mother having been all her time barren and being now stricken in years and it having long before this ceased to be with her after the manner of women as the Scripture speaketh Gen. 18.11 Believed in hope i. e. Believed God promising him children which should multiply as the Stars of Heaven for number and did so believe as that he hoped through the power of God that he should become the Father of so numerous an Off-spring The hope here spoken of was founded upon the Omnipotent power of God and his Veracity or Truth apprehended by Faith That he might become the Father of many Nations i. e. To wit That he should be the Father of many Nations This word That is to be taken here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as specifying the Object or Thing which Abraham believed According to that which is spoken To wit Genes 15.5 So shall thy seed be i. e. Thy seed shall be as the Stars of heaven which cannot be numbred These words contain the promise of God which Abraham believed and they are taken out of Genes 15.5 where it is written that the Lord brought Abraham forth abroad and said Look now towards heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy seed be V. 19. And being not weak in faith The Apostle commendeth here the faith of Abraham and he doth it after the manner of the Hebrews by denying the contrary of that which he would strongly affirm which kind of figure the Grammarians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is said to be weak in faith which doubteth of any thing See Chap. 14.1 And compare it with 1 Cor. 8. v 7 12. He considered not his own body now dead i. e. He considered not that feebleness or disability of his own body so as by reason of that to doubt or despair of the promise of God These words are thus to be understood and with this or the like limitation for otherwise Abraham did consider both his own body now dead and the deadness of Sarah's womb Genes 17.17 Now dead i. e. Now old and feeble and unfit for generation and as it were dead in respect of that See notes ver 17. The deadness of Sarah's womb i. e. The barrenness of Sarah's womb and the indisposition thereof to Conception V. 20. He staggered not at the promise of God i. e. He doubted not of the Promise of God He which doubteth is like a staggering man for as a staggering man reeleth now to one hand and now to another So doth the man that doubteth lean sometimes to one thing and sometimes declins from it again There were two things considerable here in this case of Abraham the Power and Veracity of God on the one side and the deadness of his own Body and of Sarah's Womb on the other Though Abraham might believe the promise of God when he considered the Power and Truth of God yet if he had not been exceeding strong in faith he might have declined and leaned to unbelief when he considered that he himself and Sarah his Wife were both dead that is both unfit he to beget and she to conceive Children by the course of Nature Giving glory to God i. e. Believing God and relying upon his promise He is said to give glory to God which doth or saith or thinketh any thing which is honourable to God or which is sutable to his Majesty and Attributes Therefore because it is honourable to God to say or think that God is true and able to bring to pass whatsoever he will and in consideration and faith thereof to rely upon his promises Abraham is said here to give glory to God when he believed God and relyed upon his word So when Joshua would have Achan to confess his sin he said My Son give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel Josh 7.19 And this he said because by this confession Achan would declare that God saw secret things and that he was not deceived in that he saw Achans sin and singled him out among all the men of Israel as guilty of that sin which was a thing honourable to God V. 21. He was able also to perform Promises are taken for as good as Performances where there is no doubt either of the will or of the power of him which promiseth Now that God had a will to perform what he promiseth is easy to believe But not so easy to believe that he hath a power to perform what he promiseth for many wise men of the world took God to be nothing else but Nature and therefore believed nothing which was promised above Nature But Abraham believed that which was abo ve Nature here and therefore it is said to his praise here that he was fully perswaded that what God promised he was able also to perform Ver. 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness And because Abraham was thus perswaded and did firmly believe that God was able to make him the Father of a Seed as many as the Stars of Heaven for number therefore was this his faith or this that he was thus perswaded and that he did thus believe imputed or counted to him for righteousness This Illative Therefore doth not signifie that the faith which was here imputed or counted rather to Abraham for righteousness did merit the righteousness for which it was imputed or counted to him but only sheweth the soundness and sincerity of his faith or that that God saw it to be true sound and sincere Imputed to him for righteousness The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be rendred Was counted or set upon accounts to him for righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth properly to Enter any thing upon the accounts of a man And it is a word as I have said before borrowed from Merchants which upon their Book of accounts with a man enter the Wares which they have had of him and the price or goods which they are to give in exchange for them Here faith is as it were the Ware Righteousness the Price or Goods to be given for it The Object of this faith which is here said to be imputed or counted rather to Abraham for Righteousness is this as plainly appears by the Context that God promised Abraham to make him a Father of many Nations and to give him a Seed as the Stars of heaven for multitude and that out of his own Body by carnal Propagation The belief of that I say is that which is counted here to Abraham for Righteousness Where note that though never
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
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
Law as he ought to do and as the Law requireth Ver. 7. Blessed are thâ—y That is Just are they or rather they are Justified See the notes on that word Blessedness ver 5. Whose Inquities are forgiven Then are Iniquities said to be forgiven when God doth pardon him that commits them and punisheth him not for them according to his desert And Iniquities are here likened to a debt which the Creditor forgiveth and sets not down upon Accounts And whose sins are covered These words are the same for sence with those Whose iniquities are forgiven When God is said not to behold or not to see iniquity in sinful men he doth forgive them Numb 23.21 The contrary whereof is when he is said to set mens iniquities in His sight as Psal 90.8 Now because when a thing is covered a man cannot see it therefore when our sins are said to be covered they are forgiven So when Hezekiah said Thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back Isai 38.17 It is as if he should say Thou hast forgiven me my sins for we see not those things which are behind our back So when David saith Hide thy face from my sins Psal 51.9 It is as if he should say Pardon my sins for we see not those things from which we turn our face V. 8. To whom the Lord will not impute sin i e. Upon whose account the Lord will not set down sin as a debt for him to pay or satisfie by punishment For that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth most properly to wit to set down upon account as a debt That sins are often called debts we may learn Matth. 6.12 and as of such doth the Apostle speak of them here V. 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision onely or upon the uncircumcision also q. d Cometh then this justification which is by faith upon those onely that are circumcised or upon those also which are not circumcised This blessedness By Blessedness is here meant Righteousness or justification for he calls that Blessedness here which he calleth Righteousness in the last word of this verse See ver 6. Vpon the Circumcision By the Circumcision are here meant the Jews which were circumcised Per Metonymiam Adjuncti as Chap. 2.27 Vpon the uncircumcision By the uncircumcision are meant the Gentiles which were not circumcised by the same figure as Chap. 3.30 Note that the Jews even they which were converted to Christianity could not be perswaded that the uncircumcised that is the Gentiles whom they held as unclean could have any benefit of the Messiah which is Christ but held and maintained the contrary Therefore Saint Paul as often as he hath occasion in this his Epistle doth confute this their erronious Tenet and Perswasion And it stood him upon so to do For whereas he wrote to the Romans which were Gentiles but among whom many Jews of this judgment and perswasion lived to convert some to and confirm others in Christianity his labour might have proved in vain if he had not confuted those Jews and made it appear that the believing Gentiles though they were not circumcised had as great benefit in matter of justification as the Jews had which were circumcised For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness That which he saith concerning this That faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness he saith ver 3. from thence therefore doth the Apostle take an occasion to shew here that the uncircumcised Gentiles were through their faith accepted of God for Righteousness aswell as the circumcised Jews For here by these words which we have in hand He declares upon what occasion he moveth the Question which he moved in the former part of the verse And to the third verse doth that which he here saith relate Only he makes use of the word blessedness for justification by occasion of the word so used ver 6. For Righteousness i. e. For justification This is that which he called Blessedness in the former part of this verse V. 10. How was it then reckoned i. e. When was this faith then reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness How is put here for when Reckoned i. e. Counted The Greek word is the same here as ver 3. When he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision i. e. Was faith then first reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness when he was in Circumcision that is when he was circumcised or was it reckoned to him when he was in uncircumcision That is before he was circumcised The Apostle moves this question to resolve that question which he made ver 9. to wit Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also For by the Answer which he will give to this Question it will appear for resolution of the first Question That this Blessedness cometh aswel upon the uncircumcision which believeth as upon the Circumcision Not in Circumcision but in uncircumcision i. e. Faith was then first reckoned to Abraham when he was in uncircumcision that is before he was circumcised The truth of this Answer will appear out of the History of Abraham and of his Circumcision which we read of Gen. 15.16 17. And by this Answer it is evident that if a Man which is uncircumcised believes God his uncircumcision shall not hinder his faith from being imputed to him for Righteousness V. 11. And he received the Sign of circumcision a seal of the Righteousness which he had yet being uncircumcised i. e. And he was circumcised not before but after that he had believed And after that that God had imputed this his belief unto him for Righteousness And this his Circumcision was a seal or testimony to confirm unto him from God that God had accepted that belief of his which he had of his promises in the time of his uncircumcision for Righteousness and that he had justified him for that The Sign of uncircumcision That is circumcision which is a Sign Circumcision is the cutting off of the Foreskin which covereth the head or nut of a mans yard Gen. 17.11 And Circumcision is here called a Sign First because it was a Sign between God on the one partâ— and Abraham and his children on the other part of that Covenant which God made with Abraham and his seed Gen. 17.11 Secondly because it was a Sign of distinction whereby the seed of Abraham were distinguished from other People Thirdly it is called a Sign here because it was a Sign that God did accept of the faith of Abraham for Righteousness A seal of the Righteousness of Faith c. That is as a seal or testimony to confirm or assure to Abraham that God did accept of that faith which he had while he was yet uncricumcised for Righteousness Among divers uses of a Seal this is one to confirm and ratifie that to which it is put Abraham therefore is said to have received Circumcision as a Seal of the Righteousness of the faith which he had being yet
difference to be observed between the Verbal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which are englished Called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are such as are called whether they answer or no or whether they believe being called or no. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are they which are not onely called but answer the call and believe Grotius observeth this difference or distinction in his Commentaries upon those words of our Saviour Matth. 20 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For many are called but few are chosen But he saith withall that this difference or distinction is not alwayes observed because these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are promiscuously used Mat. 22. And Beza in his notes upon the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. observeth the same difference or distinction between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 20.16 For speaking there of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nam alioqui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ii demum sunt qui Deo ad vitam ipsos vocanti responderunt i. e. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used here as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are they which answer God when he calls them to life immortall Schinidius in his Annotations upon Mat. 22.3 observes the same difference or distinction between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and makes it perpetuall and among other rules which he gives concerning verbals in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there he gives this Verbalia deducta à verbis verè activis non neutralibus quibus offertur vel confertur aliquid alteri quod accipere vel non accipere potest aut quibus verè vel non verè aliquid de altero dici potest differunt à Participiis ut id quod est ab eo quod esse poterat vel debebat i. e. Verbals drawn from verbs truely active not neuters by which something is offered or conferred upon another which he may take or not take or by which something may be said truely or not truely of another differ from Participles as that which is from that which might be or ought to be So from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach or instruct cometh the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught taught to wit so far as was in the power of the teacher whether he that was taught become learned by his teaching or not And from thence cometh also the verball 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth one who by teaching is truely learned And so from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to call cometh the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth called whether he which is called answereth or no and the verbal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth him which is called too but being called answereth to the call so that every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus he in whom you may read more to this purpose When our Apostle makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Act of God and expresseth not the object to which God calleth them whom he calleth if the circumstances of the Place intimate no other object we must understand that the prime though more remote object thereof is Salvation or Gods heavenly Kingdome and Glory According to that which is written 1 Thes 2.12 That you would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdome and Glory And according to that which is written 2 Thes 2. ver 13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obteining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ And according to that which is written 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all grace who hath called us to eternal glory c. And that the nearer object which is subordinate to that former and is as a means or way conducing to the obteining thereof is Holiness according to that which we read 1 Thes 4.7 God hath not called us to uncleanness but to holiness And that the way by which God calls us to those objects is the preaching of the Gospel according to that which we read in the forecited place 2 Thes 2. ver 13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel And now according to that which hath been said whereas there is often mention made in this and other Epistles of Saint Paul of The called or of them which are called Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the object thereof is Salvation or Gods heavenly Kingdome or Glory which I may call the Grace of the Gospel It doth signifie Them which believe for it doth signifie not them which are barely called but them in whom their calling hath some effect so that they believe the Gospel by which they are called So that in conclusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The called and The faithfull or They which believe are the same Whereupon such as our Apostle called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The called of Jesus Christ Rom. 1.6 He calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The faithfull in Christ Jesus Ephes 1.1 And perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.28 may by a Metonymie moreover signifie in that place Them which are justified by Faith For they which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is They which are so called as that they believe are justified by their Faith And the Apostle from the beginning of the first Chapter hitherto speaks of those which are justified by faith which he also calleth Them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 And now if this interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.28 be accepted of Then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the following verse must be interpreted Them whom he did determine so to love as to justifie them For whatsoever the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth is to be included in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being he gives a reason of or doth assert in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what he said in those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d. I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle useth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in divers places of this Epistle as Rom. 1.32 Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the just or righteous sentence of God given as it were in Judgement upon a man brought before his judgement seat and there accused or arraigned It is used also Rom. 5. vers 16 and 18. And in
it is revealed I say a Righteousnesse or Justification which is of faith for that you may know that I speak not of any new thing or that I vent a figment of mine own brain it is written Habakkuk 2.4 That the just shall be justified by their faith 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness 18 A man shall not be justified by his works as they teach who are the greatest opposers of righteousnesse or justification by faith for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven both by his word and by the plagues which we see poured down upon sinners against the ungodlinesse and against the unrighteousnesse of all men whether they be Jewes or Gentiles because they hold the known truth which they have both of godlinesse and righteousnesse in ungodlinesse and in unrighteousnesse as in a Prison so that the known truth which they have thereof can no more shew it self nor no more go forth into good or virtuous deeds or actions than a Prisoner can shew himself or go forth which is shut up or imprisoned in a close Prison or Dungeon 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them 19. But some man may here object and say That surely the Gentiles do not hold the known truth of godliness and righteousness in ungodliness and unrighteousness for being that they never had the Law given to them as the Jews had they cannot have the true knowledge of godliness and righteousness as the Jews have But to this I answer That the Gentiles though they had not the Law given to them as the Jews had to whom it was given fairly written in Tables of Stone yet they have the true knowledge both of godliness and of righteousness For to speak of Righteousness first which concerns our duty towards our Neighbour the Gentiles have the true knowledge of this because that which God hath appointed by his Law to be done by one neighbour to another is manifest to them for God hath shewed it unto them by that light of Nature which he hath set up in their hearts 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse 20. And as for Godlinesse which concerns our duty towards God They have the true knowledge of this also for those things of God which cannot be seen by our bodily eyes nor perceived by our outward senses to wit his eternal power and God-head by which understand his Providence and Goodness to his Creatures too have been ever since the world was made and are clearly known being understood by the things which are created so that the Gentiles are without excuse 21. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned 21. Because that when they knew God to be a powerfull God and a good God ruling by his Providence and providing for his Creatures all things which were necessary and convenient for them they glorified him not neither were thankful to him for his benefits but became vain in their imaginations and had their foolish heart darkned and over-spread with mists of errour 22. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools 22. And though they professed themselves to be wise yet they became fools 23. And changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things 23. For they changed the glorious and incorruptible God whom they should have adored for an Image made like to corruptible man and for birds as the Ibis and for four-footed beasts as Crocodiles Wolves Lions Dogs Cats c. And for creeping things as Serpents Fishes c. And for their Images giving Divine Worship to them 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves 24. Wherefore God did in the way of retaliation to them give them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts which he restrained not to dishonour their own bodies between themselves 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever Amen 25. Because they changed the true God for that which was not God and worshipped and served the creature passing by the Creator so dishonouring him who is blessed for ever though they thus neglect and passe him by And ever may he be blessed Amen 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for even their women did change their naturall use into that with is against nature 26. For this cause I say God gave them up to vile affections and base lusts to be slaves to them and to obey them and to do whatsoever they tempted them or moved them to For even their women did change the natural use of their bodies into that which is against nature carrying themselves as men in those acts which should tend to Generation 27. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet 27. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman which is such as husbands have of their wives became Buggerers Ganimedes and Catamites c. and burned in their lust one towards another men with men working that which is most filthy and more than beastly and receiving by hemselves themselves being the Authors and Actors of their own shame and punishment that recompence of their wickednesse and of their dishonour which they did to God which was meet and answerable in a general way to their sin 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledg God gave them over to a Reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient 28. And even as they did not approbate or like to retain God in their knowledge by worshipping him whose worship would have been as a Remembrancer to them of him so he gave them over to a reprobate or base mind a mind so perversly judging of virtue and vice as that it called evill good and good evill light darknesse and darknesse light bitter sweet and sweet bitter that they might do those things which are most foul and worthy even of eternal death 29. Being filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy murther debate deceit malignity whisperers 29. So that they were filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse and were full of envy murther debate deceit malignity and became
because God is the Author of it and because we are thereby justified before God Revealed The Righteousness of God is not only revealed or manifested in the Gospel but it is exhibited also and wrought by the Gospel so that by these words For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed We must understand effectuall Revelation and that justification is not onely manifested in the Gospel but also that it is exhibited and wrought thereby by an Hebrew Syllepsis For the Hebrewes do oftentimes with the Antecedent Sylleptically understand the consequent also Note that the Apostle doth go about here to prove that which he said before in the 16. verse To wit That the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth But he proveth it by parts For whereas Salvation compleat consisteth of two parts justification and glorification He proves it of justification here in this verse and of glorification Chap. 5. Where he saith that being justified by Faith we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope maketh not ashamed c. From Faith Repeat those words the Righteousness of God here q. d. I say the Righteousness of God which is not from or by works but from or by Faith Or refer these words from Faith To those the Righteousness of God that the Sentence may run thus therein the Righteousness of God which is from Faith is revealed The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth here the instrumental cause as some call it Or the Condition required in him that would be justified As others which they so call because Faith is a condition required on our part in that new Covenant which it pleased God to make with us for justification Now that we may understand what that Faith is which is here required and mentioned as a cause or condition of our Justification I say that the faith here required is an explicite and firm assent to the Gospel of God or at least to so much thereof as containeth the New Covenant and all the Essential Parts thereof which it pleased God through Christ to make with man in his Misery for his Salvation and to reveale in the Gospel an assent so firm so strong and arising so high as that it doth immediately and infallibly set the Believer on work as he hath opportunity to do those things which God requireth on mans part to be done in that Covenant He that hath such a faith cannot but trust in God nor can he be without repentance Whosoever hath such a faith as this and thus believeth I doubt not from this and other the like places but that he hath a justifying Faith and that by reason of this his Faith God will deal with him as with a Just and Righteous Man and as though he had never transgressed the Law of God But I dare not call that a Justifying Faith which cometh not up to this There be many which read Histories and give credit to the Histories which they read yet they only read them because they are delighted with them and with the various passages and accidents therein contained without any regard of imitating them or putting what they read in practice If any one should so read or hear the Gospel he may be said so have an Historical Faith but a Justifying Faith he hath not For good works can no more be separated from a true justifying faith than light can from the Sun or heat can from the fire For faith without works is dead James 2.20 And was not Abraham our Father justified by works saith Saint James James 2.20 That is was not Abraham our Father justified by faith such a faith as produceth works For Saint James puts works there by a Metonymie of the effect for a faith which produceth works Object But you will say There is a great deal of strength required to such a faith as this but God accepteth even of a weak faith Answ To this I answer That faith may be considered two manner of wayes First in Genere Entis Secondly in Genere Morum as I may so speak In Genere Entis that is a true faith which assenteth to the word of God as to that which is Truth In Genere Morum that and that onely is a true faith which so assenteth to the word of God as that it setteth the believer infallibly on good works as he hath strength and opportunity to do them The former faith God accepteth not of be it what it will be and as strong as may be while it is only faith in Genere Entis But as for the latter that faith which is true faith in Genere Morum God accepteth of though it be never so weak being sincere From faith to faith i. e. From a faith which ought not to stand at a stay but to go on from a lesser to a greater faith So some which referr the words to faith to the words immediately going before them viz. from faith But I think the words To faith may be better referred to the word revealed than to the words immediately going before them As if he should say Therein is the Righteousness of God revealed a Righteousness which is of faith And it is revealed for this end that men may believe or yield their faith to that which is revealed The last words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I conceive to be the same for sence with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 5. which is there rendered for Obedience to the faith And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 16. vers 26. which is there rendered for the Obedience of faith In both which places the end is set down why the Mistery of the Gospel is revealed which is that it might be believed and received by faith And as there so here the end may be set down why the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for faith That is for this end that it may gain faith and be believed of the Sons of Men. Note therefore that the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here may be rendred For and be a sign of the Final cause as it is verse 5. of this Chapter and Chap. 16. v. 26. Now if Justification by faith be revealed for faith That is That men may believe Then ought the Apostle to preach the Gospel wherein this Justification is revealed For how shall they believe except they hear and how shall they hear without a Preacher chap. 10.14 By this therefore may the Apostle also intimate that he is a debter and ready to preach the Gospel to the Romans also Justification by faith was the great Controversie at this time between Paul and the Jews and this is that which is the main drift of this Epistle to shew that justification is by Faith and this he now falleth upon as his chief businesse though he seemeth to speak of it
their own gods Despightful They are despightful which do a man a mischief on a spight though they themselves do neither receive nor can hope to receive any good thereby But the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which carrieth reproach with it and signifieth such as being not content to do man a bare injury do it with a great deal of petulancy contempt and disdain as Julian the Apostate did when he gave the Christians a box on the ear in reproach Proud They are called Proud here which contemn others in respect of themselves A vice as one saith familiar to men of high birth Boasters They are Boasters which boast of that they have not but would seem to have Inventers of evill things He calls them Inventers of evill things who find out new sins and new pleasures and new fewell and provocations to sins as also new traps engines and devices to catch and hurt others which are innocent Disobedient to Parents i. e. Not giving honour to their Parents whose honour consisteth first in obedience to their commands so long as they are not contrary to the commands of God Secondly in succouring them if they stand in need of succour And thirdly in yielding to them the outward signes of reverence Ver. 31. Without understanding That is men inconsiderate in their actions considering neither the circumstances of things nor of Persons Not thinking how they carry themselves to other men nor that they may expect to have the same measure which they mete to others met to them again by which many have ruined themselves their Families yea and endangered the Commonwealth in which they live That which is rendred here without Vndestanding is in the Greek now extant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so is the word usually rendred as coming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intelligo to Understand But because the Apostle speaks not here of the faults of the Vnderstanding but of the sins and vices of the Will some would not give this word a place here but conceive that it hath crept in by the fault of the writers who of one word to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diversly written have made two I had rather say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coëo and render it by a word which A. Gellius useth to wit Incoibiles that is such as will not come together to wit into the Band of Society with other men that is Insosiable Covenant-breakers i. e. Such as will not stand to the Covenants and Bargains which they have made Without natural affection They are said here to be without natural affection who have put off their nature and have quenched that fire or sparks at least of love and affection which nature had kindled in their hearts towards those which were near in blood or alliance to them so as that they shew no more love and kindness Son to Father Father to Son Brother to Sister Sister to Brother Husband to Wife Wife to Husband c. than they do to meer strangers which is little enough Implacable They are said to be Implacable which being once offended will never be reconciled Vnmerciful They are called Vnmerciful who are not touched with the feeling of other mens misery so as to relieve them when they stand in need of relief but are more ready to bring new miseries upon them and be hard-hearted towards them Ver. 32. Who knowing the Judgment of God That is And such who knowing the Sentence of God as of a Judge that He hath Judged such Men worthy of Death This Sentence or Judgment of God to wit That they which do such things are worthy of Death These men knew partly by the Dictamen or Light of Nature which God set up in the heart of every man whereby he might know what ought to be done and what left undone and what actions are worthy of punishment and what not partly by Tradition from better times That they which Commit such things are worthy of Death Note that the Conjunction That is to be taken here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it specifies in particular what the Judgment or Sentence of God here spoken of is and shews it to be this to wit that they which do such things are worthy of Death That there are such sins as that Nature by her own light judgeth worthy of death or at least are known by Tradition to be such will appear by Acts 13.28 23.29 and 25. v. 11 25. and 26.31 and 28.18 Not only do the same This is enough to make these men inexcusable and most worthy of death But have pleasure in them that do them i. e. But take pleasure and delight to see men do them This makes a man far more inexcusable and far more worthy of death For it is far worse for a man to take pleasure and delight in seeing another man sin than it is for him to sin himself For a man may be carried away with his lusts and allured by the allurements of sin to commit sin himself But what is it but the height of wickedness which will make him take delight to see another man sin where he neither enjoyeth the pleasure of the sin nor reapeth any profit by it Whereas the Apostle undertook to shew of the Gentiles in Generall that they were sinners he speaks here onely of the Philosophers and the Wisemen which were among them But he leaveth us to gather that if the Philosophers and Wisemen amongst the Gentiles were such sinners then the meaner sort could not be without sin For if they which excell others in Wisedom and Knowledge and from whom righteousness and vertue was to be expected were unrighteous and vitious who could expect vertue and entire righteousness from them who neither minded Wisdom nor Knowledge CHAP. II. 1. THerefore thou art inexcusable O Man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest doest the same things 1. And now that I may turn my speech to thee O Jew Thou holdest the truth in unrighteousness as well as the Gentile and yet thou takest upon thee to censure the Gentile and condemn him for doing such things which I reckoned up in the last part of the foregoing Chapter as worthy of death Thou therefore art inexcusable O thou Jew whosoever thou art that thus condemnest the Gentile for these things for with the same sentence wherewith thou condemnest him thou condemnest thy self for thou thy self doest the same things for hainousness as the Gentile doth 3. But we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things 2. But me thinks I hear thee say that though thou condemnest the Gentile yet thou doest and mayest acquit thy self because the Gentile is of an unclean race but thou art a Jew and of the holy seed of Abraham And thou art expert in the Law
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
of the first Chapter and are an Illation from thence yet have they some reflection upon that latter part of the first Chapter also which mentioneth and setteth forth the sins of the Gentiles For whereas the Apostle did there reckon up many sins of the Gentiles and shewed that they were by the judgement of God worthy of death We must conceive that the Jew hearing this did approve the Sentence of God and proudly condemn the Gentiles as worthy of death for these their sins whereupon the Apostle taketh an occasion to condemn the Jew out of his own mouth seeing that he held the truth in unrighteousness as well as the Gentile and did the same things as the Gentiles did whom he condemned Thou art inexcusable i. e. Thou canst not be excused nor defended from being worthy of the same death as the Gentile is worthy of O Man That is O thou Jew For he turnes his speech here to the Jew that he might shew him in particular that he hath held the truth of God in unrighteousness as well as the Gentiles according to what he said Chap. 1. ver 18. Whosoever thou art that judgest i. e. Whosoever thou art which judgest the Gentile to be worthy of death because of the sins which he hath committed The Apostle supposeth here that the Jews had judged the Gentiles to be worthy of death by reason of their sins And this supposition was not avain supposition For the Jews were a censorious People ready upon all occasions to condemn the Gentiles and to justifie themselves Wherein thou judgest another c. i. e. With the same judgement or with the same sentence with which thou condemnest the Gentile and judgest him worthy of death thou condemnest thy self and judgest thy self Wherein i. e. Wherewith or by which Supple judgement Note that the Praeposition In according to the Hebrew manner may be taken for with or by Thou judgest The Apostle speaks not here of Publique judgement whereby a Publique Judge doth by his Authority condemn a Malefactor that is brought before him But of private censure and judgement whereby a Private man taketh upon him to censure or judge another Another By this other understand the Gentile For thou that judgest doest the same things i. e. Thou which judgest the Gentile to be worthy of death for his sins doest the same things and committest the same sins thy self for which thou judgest and condemnest the Gentile He that condemneth a man and judgeth him worthy of death for committing such or such a sin if he himself hath committed the like he condemns himself though not in words yet in deeds by condemning him Doest the same things These words are not so precisely to be understood as though the Apostles meaning were that every Jew which judged a Gentile worthy of death for his sins were alwayes guilty of the same special sins for which he did condemn the Jew though it fell out oftentimes even so to be But the words are generally to be understood As if he should say For thou which judgest another worthy of death for such and such sins Thou thy self doest the same though not in Specie yet in Genere and committest sins of as hainous a nature as those are of which he committeth He that condemneth a man for Adultery though he himself hath not committed Adultery yet if he hath committed Murther or a sin which deserveth as great a punishment as Adultery doth he condemneth himself and judgeth himself to be as worthy of punishment as he which commited Adultery Ver. 2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things Between this and the foregoing verse we must understand that the Jew hearing the Apostle say that he to wit the Jew condemned himself in that wherein he judged the Gentile because he did the same things grew hot and angry with the Apostle for that the Apostle made no difference between a Gentile and him which was a Jew and broke out into these or the like words But what if I condemn the Gentile for doing those unseemly things which you reckoned up must I therefore condemn my self Is there no difference between a Gentile and me A Gentile he is of an unclean Stock he is blind and ignorant and uncircumcised by nature but I am a Jew by Birth and therefore one of that holy People which the Lord the God chose to be a special People to himself Deut. 7.6 And I am skilled in the Laws and Statutes which God gave to us but not to the Gentiles Psalm 147.19 And I am circumcised with that circumcision which is a token of the Covenant made between God and the Children of Abraham Gen. 17.11 I may therefore condemn a Gentile and yet not condemn my self though I had committed the same things which the Gentile had And to this Obiection of the Jew doth the Apostle here answer q. d. Thou O Jew art partial in passing thy Sentence For though thou condemnest the Gentile for the sins which he committeth yet thou wilt not give judgment against thy self though thou thy self doest the same things which the Gentile doth But yet we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against all them which commit such things And therefore it is as well against thee who art a Jew and art instructed in the Law and art circumcised as it is against a Gentile Note here that it is the Apostles usual manner of teaching to teach by answering tacite Objections and Questions The chief Scope of the Apostle in the first part of this his Epistle is to shew That Justification is not by the works of the Moral Law Yet because the Jew thought that he might be justified though he had not observed the Moral Law by being a Jew that is by being a Child of Abraham Matth. 3.9 And by the knowledge and skill that he had in the Law And by his circumcision the Apostle doth by the bie as he hath occasion confute this conceit also That he might shew that a man is justified by Faith onely We are sure i. e. We who have the Spirt of the Lord or we who have the true knowledge of Gods word and the right understanding thereof we are sure According to truth i. e. According to the true doings of men without any respect to their persons And therefore this that thou art a Jew and instructed in the Law and Circumcised shall profit thee nothing if thou hast sinned Ver. 3. And thinkest thou this O Man c. q. d. But tell me seriously O thou Jew which judgest the Gentiles worthy of death which do such things and doest the same thy self doest thou think in thy conscience that thou shalt escape the judgement of God only because thou art a Jew and art circumcised and learned in the law Such things i. e. Such sins as are mentioned from Chap. 1. ver 29. to the end of that chapter Shalt
purpose when Christ came into the world he was generally rejected of the Jews John 1.11 which argued that they believed not the promises of the Messias and of the Redemption to come by him Hence that of our Saviour John 5.46 Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me The Jews at this day though they reject Jesus Christ and all his benefits yet they say that they receive the Oracles of God and believe the promises therein made to their Fathers concerning the Messias for they look for a Messias to come though they reject Jesus Christ and acknowledge him not to be the Messias But being that Jesus Christ was the promised Messias and the promises made to their Fathers were fulfilled in him though they say they believe the promises they believe them not but believe only their own phansies For they which believe the promises which God made otherwise than God meant them believe not what God promised but believe only their own conceits They which rejected Christ and so believed not the promises of God were the farr greater part of the Jews yet as though they had been but a very small part the Apostle saith What if some have not believed But note that in this place this word Some is not opposed to Many as usually it is but to All and so to be here taken And so is it taken Chap. 11 17. where the Apostle speaking of the unbelieving Jews which were the far greatest part of that Nation saith If some of the branches be broken off and Heb. 3.16 we read that Some when they had heard did provoke Howbeit not all that came out of Aegypt by Moses Where you see that Some is opposed not to Many but to All. Saint Paul therefore useth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here that he might bear up the Jew against the too much heavy load which the Novice Gentile-Christian was ready to lay upon him Shall their unbelief make the Faith of God of none effect i. e. Shall they because they do not believe the promises of God which were contained in the Oracles committed to them and so do impiously detract from his truth make God not to be so good as his word or provoke him not to keep his promises with the whole people of the Jews By the Faith of God is here meant the Truth and Fidelity of God in keeping promise which faith is said to be of none effect when the thing promised is not performed according to the prâ—mise made Ver. 4. God forbid These words shew a detestation of the very thought of that which is here spoken of to wit that their unbelief should make the faith of God of none effect That is that the unbelief of some of the Jews should provoke God to break his promise which he made to all the rest That wherein the unbelief of the Jews was seen was that that they believed not the promises of God made to them or to their Fathers And that wherein the faith of God was seen is this that God notwithstanding their unbelief was as good as his word and performed to them what he promised either to them or to their Fathers What therefore were the promises that God made to the Jews or to their Fathers He promised to their Fathers and so to them that He would be a God to them and their Seed after them Gen 17.7 And in order to this among many other things which he did He promised them a Redemer which was the Messiah Isa 59.20 and performed it Rom 15.8 He promised that he would take away their sins Jerem. 31.34 Rom. 11.27 But this was a Conditional promise and the condition was If they would believe and as many as did believe had their sins forgiven The unbelief of the greatest part of the Jews did not make God to break promise with those which did believe but they which believed though they were but a Remnant were saved from their sins Chap. 11. v. 1 2 3 4 5 c. Yea the unbelieving Jews which persisted not in their unbelief but embraced the faith were admitted to Gods favour and had their sins forgiven them notwithstanding their former unbelief And so shall they which persist in unbelief be admitted to Gods favour Rom. 11.23 and have their sins forgiven if they will believe repent at the last He promised that He would not cast them away neither would he abhor them to destroy them utterly Levit. 26.44 And notwithstanding the unbelief of the greatest part of the Jews God will not so wholly cast them off and so wholly be angry with them as to shut up the way of Salvation against them all He promised that there should come out of Sion a Deliverer which should turn away ungodliness from Jacob Isa 59.20 Rom 11.26 And notwithstanding their unbelief God shall make this his promise good For blindness in part is happened to Israel untill the fulness of the Gentiles be come in And so all Israel shall be saved Rom. 11. vers 25 26. The unbelief therefore of some yea of the greatest part of the Jews shall not make God to fail in these his promises towards that people and so shall not make his promise without effect Yea let God be true i. e. Yea rather let God manifestly appear by this their unbelief to be true in his promises and not a breaker of his word and let this use be made of their unbelief The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where note that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea rather And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit Let God be is put for Appareat Let him appear For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie the manifest appearance of the thing which is spoken of and not meerly the existency thereof so we read vers 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus For That he might appear or be known to be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus The greater their demerits and unworthiness is to whom God performeth what he hath promised and the more they provoke him with their sins the greater doth the truth of God and his Fidelity appear in keeping promise if he keeps his promise with them But every man a liar i. e. But let every man Supple which shall say that God is not true in his promises appear by this their unbelief to be a liar As God will appear the more manifestly to be true by the unbelief of the Jews if he keeps promise with them notwithstand their unbelief So will they which any way accuse him of unfaithfulness in his promises appear more manifestly by this to be liars Every man a liar The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same words which the Prophet David hath according to the Septuagint Psalm 116.11 To
which place the Apostle may seem to allude and which words he may make use of here from thence by an Accommodation and so apply them to his present purpose leaving the generality of the words themselves to be restrained by the circumstances of the place in which he useth them As it is written That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged i. e. q. d. That by their lie as by an evident Testimony of Gods truth God may according to that which is written of him Psalm 51.4 be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged and questioned as it were in a Court of Justice by these liars concerning the truth of his promises and the fidelity of his sayings This is the sence of these words as they are here used and this is the connexion of them as will appear by that Objection verse 7. If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie to his glory why yet am I also judged as a sinner which Objection is raised from these words which we have in hand When a man is accused by liars and especially such as are found and known before hand to be liars in that very thing whereof they accuse him There is no doubt but that he which is accused shall be justified that is shall be acquitted and shall overcome in judgment and that his Righteousness shall appear the more and be more taken notice of than if he had never been questioned or accused by such men It may be Objected here and said that I have interpreted those words viz. That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged in the Third Person whereas it is plain that they are of the Second Person and therefore my Interpretation may seem faulty To this I answer that those words viz. That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art juged are of the Second Person and directed to God yet may they be interpreted here in the Third Person as spoken not to but of God For note that these words are cited out of Psalm 51. v. 4. Where they are used in the Second Person and therefore are here cited in the Second Person But though they are here cited in the Second Person yet may they be interpreted as if they were spoken in the Third For the Apostle when he brings any testimony out of Scripture he cites it for the most part as it lyeth in the text from which he brings it not regarding the Grammatical Syntax of the place where he useth it but he leaveth that to be understood of his Reader These words viz. That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged are the words of the Prophet David written by him Ps 51.2 and they are used here by our Apostle by an Accommodation and yet there is more than an Accommodation in them for though they do not particularly shew in that Psalm that God may be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged and so be glorified by the lie of a liar yet they shew that God may be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged so be glorified by the sin of a sinner And this will appear by the words as they lye in the Psalm it self which words we come now to handle as they lye there That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged These words as I said are taken out of the 51. Psalm v. 4 which is a Poenitential Psalm where in David confesseth the sin which he committed in going into Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah and slaying Vriah her husband with the Sword of the Ammonites and pleads for pardon for this his sin And among many other Motives which there he useth to move God to pardon him this is one That whereas God had promised him to wit David That he would establish his seed for ever And build up his Throne to all Generations Psalm 89.4 And David had now sinned whereby God might be provoked to cut him and his seed off and to cast his Throne down to the ground yet if God would be pleased to pardon his sin and not cut off him and his seed nor cast his Throne down to the ground by reason of that his sin his sin would the more set out the veracity and truth of God in his promises and from his sin this fruit would redound to God who can bring Light out of Darkness that thereby God would appear and be pronounced just in his sayings or promises and would overcome whensoever any one should accuse him of falshood in his word For if any one should say unto the Lord Thou art not just in thy sayings He may say look then upon David to whom I performed my promises though he provoked me by his sins to cut him and his Posterity off and to cast his Throne down to the ground For the further understanding of these words take in the whole fourth verse of Psalm 51. which runs thus according to the Septuagint Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art juged which Paraphrase thus Against thee thee only O Lord have I sinned and done this evil in lying with Bathsheba and killing Vriah the Hittite her Husband but yet O Lord whereas thou hast been pleased to promise that thou wilt prosper me and establish my seed for ever and build up my Throne to all Generations if thou wilt not be provoked to repent thee of this thy promise by this my sin but wilt pardon my sin and go on with thy promise notwithstanding that I have thus sinned against the then will it fall out that by this my sin thou wilt be clearly pronounced and acknowledged to be just in thy sayings and thou wilt clearly overcome when any one shall contend with thee and say Thou art not just and true in thy promises thus get glory by this my sin That thou mightest be justified That is That thou mayest be pronounced or declared or acknowledged to be just and mayest be acquitted from the accusation of those which falsly accuse thee of Infidelity in thy word And mightest overcome He is said here to overcome which hath the better of the cause which is pleaded before a Judge When thou art judged i. e. When thou art sued as it were in a Court of Iustice and accused of a breach of promise before a Iudge and Sentence is to pass upon thee In these words there is an Allusion to what is done in a Court of Iustice wherein God is as we call it a Defendant sued and accused as a breaker of his promise Ver. 5. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God The Christians in Saint Pauls time were reported to hold That they might do any evil for a good
if he did not so Such a man therefore as is justified according to the Law of Works hath good cause of boasting even before God Chapter 4.2 But by the Law of Faith That Law that is that doctrine which teacheth that a man is justified by Faith doth exclude boasting and takes away the cause or ground of boasting from a justified man For it teacheth that he that is justified according to that hath sinned and therefore if he be justified he is justified by Grace that is by the meer favour and mercy of God which cannot stand with boasting It teacheth I say that every man hath sinned and so that every man is under the Curse for cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut 27.25 Galat. 3.10 And being now cursed he cannot get out from under that curse without the favour and mercy of God For having broken the Law he cannot be justified by the Law for that implies a Contradiction And therefore if he be justified he must be justified by Faith and so by the meer grace and favour of God with which boasting cannot consist The Apostles scope in this verse is as I said as to repress the vain boasting of the Jews so to take men off from seeking after justification by works or by the works of the Law and to bring them to seek after justification by Faith and his Argument is valid to this purpose upon supposition which yet he hath proved to be a most certain Truth that all have sinned For if all men have sinned which is an undeniable truth and which the doctrine of Faith teacheth then no man can boast before God for whosoever hath sinned hath need of the grace and favour of God And whosoever receives any thing of the grace and favour of God cannot boast 1 Cor. 4.7 Now if thou canst not boast thou seekest in vain to be justified by the works of the Law for no man can be justified by the works of the Law but he which keepeth the Law and hath always kept it in every point And he that keeps it so may boast Therefore being thou canst not boast seek not for justification by the works of the Law which makes them boast which are justified thereby but seek for it by faith For though thou canst not boast and so canst not be justified by the works of the Law yet thou mayest be justified by Faith It is not unlikely but that among the Jews which were blinded by reason of their unbelief Chap. 11. ver 7. There were some who though they were convinced that they could not boast yet did seek for justification by the Law not perceiving how incompatible these two things are Not to boast or not to have matter of boasting and to be justified by the Law But by the Law of Faith Note that whereas the Apostle might have said thus Where is boasting then It is excluded By what By Works Nay but by Faith He saith Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of works Nay but by the Law of Faith And this he doth by a Mimesis mentioning and repeating the word Law that he might in a slighting manner imitate the Jews who did crack of the Law and had the Law alwayes in their mouths though they kept it not intimating thereby that if they gloried in the word Law he could say that they which were Justified were justified by a Law too but not by the Law which they cracked of to wit the Law of Works but by a Law differing from that to wit the Law of Faith Ver. 28. We conclude therefore that a man is justified by faith This conclusion the Apostle draws not from the verse immediately going before but from his whole discourse which he hath had from the 17. verse of the first Chapter of this Epistle hitherto and especially from that which he taught and discoursed of Chap. 3. ver 23 24 25 26. A Man i. e. Any or Every man that is justified The word Man is to be taken here indefinitely q. d. We conclude therefore that a man be he Jew or be he Gentile or whatsoever he is that is justified is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law Without the Works of the Law i. e. Though he be without the Works of the Law that is though he be without that that he hath perfectly observed and kept the Law Without the Works of the Law is the same here as Not by the Works of the Law Gal. 2.16 By the Works of the Law are meant Works done exactly according to the Praescript of the Law so that if a man hath at any time transgressed the Law either positively or privatively he cannot be said to have the works of the Law in the Apostles sence here Ver. 29. Is he the God of the Jews only For God to be the God of any one doth sometimes signifie that God is held as a God and worshipped and obeyed as a God of him whose God he is said to be In this sence Jacob said that the Lord should be his God Gen. 28.21 Sometimes again and that most frequently for God to be the God of any one signifieth that God is an Egregious Benefactor of him whose God he is said to be In which sence it is said Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord Psalm 33.12 And in which sence God is said to be the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Exod 3.6 And in which sence God saith that he would be a God to Abraham and to his Seed after him Gen. 17.7 Now of these two sences the latter is that in which God is said here to be a God of the Jews and not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles also For God is a Benefactor to them both not only in Temporal blessings but in Spiritual blessings also and in such as concern Eternal Salvation The Apostle speaketh by an Interrogative here first to signifie that the thing which he speaks of is so plain as that it cannot be denied Secondly to take up the Jews a little who entertained a base esteem of the Gentiles Is he not of the Gentiles also i e. Is he not the God of the Gentiles also and doth he not wish and do well to them also that they may be saved Yea of the Gentiles also q. d. Yea he is the God of the Gentiles also and wisheth and doth well to them that they may be saved and will be a Benefactor to them in those things which concern their Eternal welfare if they believe As for the Connexion of this verse with what went before It is this The Apostle had said vers 28. That a Man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law where he took the word Man indefinitely for men of any Nation by reason therefore of that word he had a good opportunity given him to speak to
is said to be poured out which is abundantly bestowed and given with a liberal hand as Act. 2. v. 17 18 33. Act. 10. ver 45. Tit. 3. ver 6. When the Apostle saith The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost he is so to be understood as if he had said that the love of God is sensibly shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost so that our hearts do thereby palpably as it were feel or perceive that love So that their is a Metonymy here which some place in the noun love q.d. The sense of the love of God c. Others in the verb shed abroad q.d. The love of God is sensibly shed abroad so that we may feel it and palpably perceive it c. By the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is taken here by a Metonymie for the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Gost to wit those gifts and graces which we have experience of by our patience in tribulations and of which we spoke a little before The gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost are as the Effects so Signs also of Gods love And not only so but they are as Earnests also of everlasting Glory 2 Cor. 1. v. 21 22. Ephes 1. v. 14 The Apostle doth in these words Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us prove what he said immediately before to wit that the hope which they had of Eternal Glory maketh not ashamed And he proves it by this that their hope is known to their hearts by the gifts of the Holy Ghost which are given to them which gifts are not only the Effects and Signs of the Law of God but also Pledges and Earnests of everlasting Glory Ver. 6. For when we were yet without strength i. e. For when we were yet ungodly and sinners Note that whom the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or men weak and without strength here he calls ungodly in this verse and sinners verse 8. So that to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or without strength and to be ungodly and sinners are here all one and the same thing He calls the ungodly and sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or men weak and without strength because the ungodly and sinners are as sick men sick in their soul with sin In which sence our Saviour calls himself a Physitian of such as were sick Mat 9.12 And they which are so sick are weak and of none or small strength to serve God The Apostle did verse 3 4 5. answer an Objection which might be made against the truth of those two Propositions which he laid down verse 1. and 2. to wit that being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we rejoyce in the hope of the Glory of God which objection being answered he goeth about here to confirm the truth of those Propositions against which the Objection was raised to wit That being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ notwithstanding which some object against it our many tribulations And that notwithstanding our many tribulations we can truly and upon good ground rejoyce in the hope of the Glory of God for saith he when we were yet without strength c. But though this causal For relateth to those two Propositions which we spoke of and which are laid down in the first and second verses yet it may serve also to shew a reason of that which went immediately before in the fifth verse for such is the Apostles Art that while he goes about to give a reason of what went some distance before he doth give with that a reason also of that which went immediately before But the chief relation is to the two Propositions aforesaid In due time Christ died for the ungodly i. e. In due time Christ died for us which were without strength that is which were ungodly I observed before that he took them which were without strength and those which were ungodly for the same men In due tâ—me God had appointed a certain time for the death and passion of our Saviour in which he should die for our sins Hence it is that our Saviour often maketh mention of his hour as Mat. 26.45 Luke 22.53 John 7.30 and 8.20 And of his time as Mat. 26.18 c. And this the Apostle calls here The due time Christ died for the ungodly i. e. Christ died for the sins of us which were ungodly that they might be remitted and we our selves reconciled to God and saved from his wrath Ver. 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die Between this and the former verse we must understand these or the like words And that Christ died for us which were ungodly It is a great Argument of the love of God to us Then follow these words For scarcely for a righteous man will one die c. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die Some take a righteous and a good man here for one and the same man As if he should say There is scarce any to be found which would dare to die for a good man yet perhaps there may be some such found which would die for a good man but God c. Others make a difference here between a righteous man and a good man For why else say they should the Apostle change the word if he intended the same man of kind of man But note by the way that the Apostle delighteth sometime to change his words whiles he speaks of the same things as Chap. 3.30 Chap. 4.25 and here Chap. 5.19 By a righteous man therefore these understand a man which doth no wrong or injury to another and by a good man they mean such a one as is or hath been beneficial to another and liberal to him and hath deserved well at his hands For in this sence is the word Good sometimes taken as Prov. 22.9 He that hath a good eye according as it is read in the Hebrew is translated He that hath a bountiful eye And 1 Sam. 25.15 it is said These men have been very good to us that is These men have been very beneficial and friendly to us and deserved well of us And Psalm 73.1 Truly God is good unto Israel that is truly God hath been Beneficial and bountiful to Israel c. The sence therefore of these words according to these men is this viz. Scarcely for a righteous or plain dealing man will one die yet peradventure for a man that hath been beneficial to him and deserved well at his hands some would even dare to die But God commendeth his love c. Would even dare to die The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signâ—fieth not Audere to Dare But Sustinere to Abide or Endure rather Or Even to dare to die may be simply
the Sea wherein they were wont to drown those which were accounted Malefactours and were persons condemned to die Others by height understand heaven by depth hell And by those again such as were in heaven and in hell q. d. Nor can heaven nor hell that is nor can any in heaven or in hell if they should set themselves against us be able to separate us c. Nor any other Creature i. e. Nor any other thing whatsoever From the Love of God i. e. From the love which God sheweth us Which is in Christ Jesus i. e. Which love he sheweth to or towards us for Christ Jesus our Lords sake The Preposition In is taken here after the Hebrew manner for For the sake of For the Hebrews take this Preposition In for almost any Preposition whatsoever CHAP. IX 1. I Say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost 1. I have hitherto plainly and undeniably shewed that Justification is not by works but by faith And I have declared the rich blessings and mercies which God bestoweth on them which are Justified by faith wherefore I say the truth in the sight of Christ my conscience also bearing me witness before the holy Ghost who knows my heart and will require it of me If I say false 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh 3. For my brethren the Jews who are my kinsmen according to the flesh for I could wish if yet I might lawfully wish it that I were accursed and everlastingly separated from Christ for them 4 Who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises 4. Who are so great priviledges and prerogatives have they above all people the children of Israel which was the friend of God by true lineal descent of blood and to whom pertaineth the Adoption by which they are made Sons of God And the glory which appertaineth to them which are Gods people and the Morall Law which was given by Moses in Tables of Stone And the Judicial Law which was given them for the maintainance of Civil Society among themselves and the Ceremonial Law which taught them the manner of Gods service and worship and all the promises contained in the books of the Old Testament 5. Whose are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen 5. Whose are the Fathers those Ancient Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob and of whom Christ was born as he was Man even Christ who is Lord over all and God as well as Man yea God blessed for evemore Amen 6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect For they are not all Israel which are of Israel 6. But here before I can finish my sentence and speak out my mind which I will do Chap. 10. ver 1 2 3. I must prevent an Objection which here ariseth For whereas my Brethren the Jews know that I exclude them all from Justification which seek not after it by faith They will be ready to tell me that whereas I said that the promises appertain to them I make the promises of God of none effect except I grant them to be justified for among the promises of God there is a promise made to the Israelites which they say they are that he will cleanse them from all their iniquity and pardon all their sins Jer. 31. ver 31 34. Jer. 33.4 Micah 7.18 But for an answer to this though I say that the promises appertain to them and do acknowledge such a promise as they make mention of yet let no man think that I have so spoken as that it may be gathered from my words that the promise of God is of none effect because I will not grant them to be justified for though that promâ—se of God be made to all Israel and so to them upon condition yet if we speak of that promise absolutely All they which are descended from Israel by lineal succession of blood are not that Israel or those sons of Israel to whom that promise of Righteousness or Justification doth absolutely belong 7. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called 7. For neither are they which are of Abraham upon that meer account that they are descended from Abraham by carnal Generation to be accounted that seed and those children of Abraham to whom the Spiritual promise of justification doth absolutely belong For the seed or children of Abraham to whom the promise of the Land of Canaan did appertain were not that seed or those children of Abraham which were in the loins of Ishmael which yet came our of the loins of Abraham but that seed or those chidren of Abraham which were in the loines of Isaac according to that which was said to Abraham by the Angel Gen. 21.12 But in Isaac shall thy seed be to wit that seed of thine which shall inherit the Land of Canaan which I have promised to thee and to thy children 8. That is they which are the children of the flesh these are noâ— the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed 8. That is according to the Mystical meaning of the words for not the literal but the Mystical sence is that which makes for my purpose and that for which I alledge these words they which are the children of Abraham according to the flesh which children were typified in Ishmael these are not the children of Abraham to which God promised that spiritual gift of justification which was typified by the Land of Canaan But those spiritual children which God promised to Abraham in a Mystical sence Genes 17.5 When he said I have made thee a Faâ—her of many Nations that is the faithful or they which are of faith whether they be Jews or whether they be Gentiles by birth and which were typified by Isaac they and they only are to be accounted that seed of Abraham to which the promise of justification doth absolutely belong 9 For this is the word of promise At this time will I come and Sara shall have a son 9. I say which were typified by Isaac for Iâ—aac was a son of promise that is Isaac was born to Abraham by vertue of Gods promise whereby he said by his Angel to him at this time the next year will I come unto thee And then Sara thy wife shall have a son whom thou shalt call Isaac Gen. 18.10 And because Isaac was a son of promise or because he was born of Abraham's body by vertue of Gods promise made to Abraham his Father He was a type of that spiritual seed to
thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus 20. Nay but that I may reply O man who art thou that repliest against God and choppest Logick with him Shall the thing formed if it likes not its shape say to him which formed it Why hast thou made me thus 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour 21. Hath not the Potter power of the clay out of which he makes his pots and dishes of the same lump of clay to make one pot or dish for an honourable use to wit to hold wine or meat for the Table or the like And another to abase and dishonourable use as to receive the excrements of the belly or the urine or the like Now then if the potter have this power over the clay Much more hath God power over the mass of sinfull men who are all sinners and none of them deserve to be justified to make one as a vessel of Honour by justifying him and another as a vessel of dishonour by hardening him 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endurâ—d with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 22. But what if God willing to shew his anger and to make his power known in their destruction hath hardned by enduring them with a great deal of patience and long suffering the vessells of wrath fitted to destruction I mean those who do not obey or believe the the truth but obey unrighteousness or believe a falshood whose portion is indignation and wrath What I say if God hath hardened them what unrighteousness canst thou find in God for so doing 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory 23. And what if God that he might make known the abundance of his goodness on the vessels of mercy whom he decreed from all aeternity to fit and prepare for Glory by justifying them hath justified them and so fitted and prepared them for Glory as he hath decreed What unrighteousness is there in God for this 24. Even us whom he hath called not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles 24. Which vessells of mercy we are Whom God hath effectually called to the grace of the Gospel so that we do truely believe We I say not of the Jewes only but also of the Gentiles 25. As he saith also in Osee I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 25. For whatsoever some perswade themselves to the contrary God hath effectually called the Gentiles and foretold long ago that he would make them his people as he saith in Osee Osee 1.23 speaking of them I will make them my people which are not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 26. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the children of the living God 26. And ver 10 It shall come to pass that in the place were it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the Children of the living God 27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea a remnant shall be saved 27. But as for the Jews Esaias which pierceth my heart for grief to think of crieth concerning them Chap. 10 ver 22. Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea for multitude yet a very few of them and a remnant only shall be saved from their sins 28. For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth 28. For the Lord will finish the work which he intendeth with them and will cut it short in rigour yea a short work will the Lord make with them upon the earth 29. And as Esaias said before Except the Lord of sabbaoth had left us a seed we had been as Sodoma and been made like unto Gomorrah 29. And Esaias also said before he said this to wit Chap. 1. ver 9. Except the Lord of hosts had left us a seed which is but little in respect of the whole harvest we the people of Israel had been as Sodom was utterly consumed and we had been made like unto Gommorrah an utter desolation 30. What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith 30. What shall we say then or what shall we collect out of these Scriptures we collect this to wit That the Gentiles which followed not after Justification in fore time have now attained to Justification if you ask what Justification I answer even the Justification which is of Faith 31. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness 31. But the Jews which followed and sought after Justification all this while have not attained to Justification 32. Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone 32. And wherefore have they not attained to it because they sought it not by faith but by the works of the Law And therefore sought they it nor by faith because they stumbled at the stumbling block that is they were offended at Christ and believed not in him who is the object of our belief for Christ was a stumdling block to the Jews 33. As it is written behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed 33. As it is written of him Isaiah 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling block and rock of offence yet notwithstanding that that he was a stumbling block to the Jews for a great part of them whosoever believeth and relies on him for Justification shall not be dispointed of it CHAP. IX Ver. 1. I say the trueth in Christ c. The Apostle having shewed in the beginning of this Epistle That Justification is not to be attained by works but by faith only and having set out from the beginning of the fift Chapter hitherto the great benefits and happiness which accrue to them which are justified by faith breaks out here into a Patheticall expression of exceeding great grief which he hath for his brethren and Kinsmen the Jews to think that their is no way to attain to Justification but by Faith and that yet they have not submitted themselves to this way nor will imbrace it And he shews this his exceeding great grief that he might therby induce the Jews to consider how miserable and deplorable their condition is that they might at length
Law of Moses ye Jews which are strong in the faith receive ye but when I bid you receive him my meaning is not that ye should receive him to disputations concerning his tenets or opinions the event whereof will be doubtfull whether you will thereby convince him of his error or make him fall back again to Judaisme but my meaning is that ye should receive him into your company with all meekness and gentleness and into your hearts with all tender affection And this mine admonition is not without cause 2. For one believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs 2. For one of you believeth that he may lawfully eat all things yea those things which were forbidden to be eaten by the Law of Moses Another who is weak and doubteth or is not perswaded of the abrogation of that Law eateth onely herbs and such meats as that Law did permit 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth For God hath received him 3. Let not therefore him that eateth all meats indifferently despise him as an ignorant or superstistious fellow and neglect his spiritual welfare who eateth not all things indifferently as he doth and he that eateth not all things indifferently but onely such things as the Law of Moses did permit to be eaten let not him judge or condemn him as a sinner or transgressor of the Law who eateth all things indifferently yea though he eat those things which Moses his Law did forbid for not withstanding this his eating God hath received him into his favour 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand 4. Who art thou O thou weak in faith that thou judgest and condemnst another mans servant yea the servant of God he shall be acquitted or condemned as he deserveth by his own Master yea he shall be acquited for this that he eateth all things indifferently For God who is his Master is able I hope to acquit him 5. One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day a like Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind 5. One of you esteemeth one day for holiness above another another esteemeth every day alike none more holy or more unholy than another Now therefore that you might not wound your consciences in observing or not observing days after this manner Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind that what he doth is lawful 6. He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks 6. He that observeth a day as holy because Moses commanded it observeth it to the glory and honour of the Lord And he that observeth not a day as holy which yet was commanded to be kept holy by Moses his Law to the glory and honour of the Lord he observeth it not He that eateth all things indifferently yea even those things which were forbidden by Moses he eateth them to the glory and honour of the Lord for he giveth God thanks that he hath given him that liberty of meats under the Gospel which he had not under the Law And he that eateth not all things indifferently but only such things as Moses did permit to be eaten to the honour and glory of the Lord he eateth not and to the honour and glory of the Lord he abstains from those meats which Moses forbad for he giveth God thanks for that that though the use of some meats were forbidden yet he gave him and allowed him the free use of others 7. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself 7. For my charity tells me that no Christian doth that which he doth in his life-time for his own glory and honour nor doth he in his death seek his own glory and honour 8. For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords 8. For whether we live we lead our life to the honour and glory of the Lord or whether we die we do in our death seek the honour and glory of the Lord. Whether we live therefore or whether we die we shew our selves to be the Lords Servants by our doings 9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 9. And this is but just and meet for us to do and just and meet for me to think For to this end Christ both died and revived and rose again that he might be Lord and Master both of the dead and living 10. But why doest thou judge thy brother or why doest thou set at naught thy brother we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ 10. But why dost thou which art weak in the faith judge and condemn thy brother as a sinner Or why doest thou which art strong in the faith set at naught thy brother as though thou carest not if he perished We shall all stand before the judgement seat of God there to give an account to God for these things 11. For it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God 11. For it is written Isaiah 45.13 As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall glorifie me 12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God 12. So then every one of us shall appear at the last day before God and therefore shall we appear that we may every one give an account of our selves to him 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more not the weak the strong as a sinner not the strong the weak as one that is culpably ignorant of the truth or superstitious or the like lest by so doing we should make our accounts the greater against our selves in that day of Judgement But as for thee O thou that art strong in the faith judge thou this rather and determine of this as of a truth that no man ought to put a stumbling block or an occasion to sin in his brothers way 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean 14. But thou wilt say to me Paul How can I put a stumbling block or occasion to sin in my brothers way by eating any thing when
as there is nothing which I eat is unclean in it self To this I answer That I know by the light of nature and am perswaded by the knowledge which I have gained by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in it self but yet to him that esteemeth or is perswaded that any thing is unclean though erroniously to him it is as if it were unclean and he is as much bound to abstain from eating of it as if it were unclean indeed Thy eating therefore of that which is not unclean in it self may be to thy brother as a stumbling block and an occasion to sin if he esteemeth it to be unclean 15. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died 15. But if thou doest grieve thy brother by drawing him by thy example to eat any thing against his conscience which he esteemeth to be unclean which must needs be somewhat grievous to him or if thou grievest him any other way with that thy meat whereby thou makest him to sin thou walkest not charitably towards thy brother but dost even slay his soul by making of him thus to sin But O destroy not him with thy eating or with this thy meat for whom Christ died 16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of 16. And being that Christ hath made thee free from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law which put a difference between meats which freedom we cannot look upon but as on a great good conferred upon us by Christ Let not this good this freedom by our abuse of it be evil spoken of as it must needs be if you abuse it to the grief and destruction of your weak brethren 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost 17. But thou wilt say I may justly fear that God will be angry with me and good men will blame me if I should not make use of that liberty which Christ hath purchased for me And that I should not advance the Kingdom of God as I ought to do if I should neglect to exercise so great a grace of Christianity as this liberty is But fear not this for the advancement of the Kingdom of God consisteth not in eating of meats and drinking of drinks without discrimination but it consisteth in Righteousness and peace and joy through the holy Ghost 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ in the advancement of his Kingdom is acceptable to God and approved of all good men 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another 19. Being then that the advancement of the kingdom of God consisteth in Righteousness and Peace let us follow after the things which make for peace and after Righteous things wherewith we may edifie one another which will be the cause of a true and holy joy in us 20. For meat destroy not the work of God all things indeed are pure but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence 20. For by using thy liberty in eating meats without any difference destroy not thy weak brother whom God hath created in Christ Jesus But thou wilt say are not all meats clean and pure why then may I not eat them to this I answer that all meats are pure indeed in themselves so that that they cannot in themselves defile a man But yet notwithstanding it is evil for that man who eateth any meat with the offence and destruction of his weak brother 21. It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak 21. It is good for a man neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor to do any thing whereby his brother stumbleth or is offended or is made to shew his weakness 22. Hast thou faith Have it to thy self before God Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth 22. But thou wilt say I believe and am perswaded that I may lawfully eat all manner of meats through Christ shall I then have this Christian faith or perswasion and yet never be suffered to make use of it I say therefore to thee dost thou believe and art thou perswaded that thou maist lawfully eat all meats whatsoever make use of this thy faith and perswasion but make use of it not before thy weak brother but only before God and thy self where none else may see For happy is that man which in the use of that thing which he approves of and is perswaded that he may lawfully use doth not that for which he may be condemned 23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin 23. And not only he which is perswaded that he may lawfully eat all manner of meats without any dâ—fference may do that in eating for which he may bring damnation upon himself but he also which doubteth whether he may lawfully eat of such or such meats is damned if he eat of them Because he eateth not out of a perswasion that he may lawfully eat of what he eats For whatsoever we do if we do it not out of a full perswasion that we may lawfully do it it is sin CHAP. XIV Ver. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive but not to doubtful disputations q. d. Ye which are strong receive them which are weak in the faith But when I bid you receive them my meaning is not that ye should receive them to doubtful disputations By disputations He means disputations concerning their opinions which he calls doubtful because the Issue thereof will be doubtful It being uncertain whether they can bring them by disputing with them to a full perswasion of the truth or whether they will make them thereby to revolt and forsake the faith of Christ which they have already embraced Concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receive ye See more Chap. 15. ver 7. The Apostle speaks here to such as were strong in the faith that is to such as were perswaded that the Law of Moses was abrogated by Christ and had not power to obliege Christians to the observance of meats and days as it did the Jews while it was in force So that they might lawfully eat those meats which were forbidden to be eaten by the Law of Moses And might lawfully omit the Sanctification of those days which the Law of Moses made holy And he speaks to them concerning the weak that is concerning such as were not so perswaded but observed the choise of meats and days as Moses had commanded out of the weakness of their judgement towards whom he would have them carry themselves withall prudence and charitableness Whether
labours 21. But as it is written To whom he was not spoken of they shall see and they that have not heard shall understand 21. But where Christ had been never before preached or heard of there have I preached So that that is in part fulfilled by me which was written Isa 52.15 To whom Christ was not spoken of they shall see and they that have not heard of him shall understand him 22. For which cause also I have been much hindred from coming to you 22. For which cause also among others I have been much hindred from coming to you whom I have desired of a long time to see 23. But now having no more place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come unto you 23. But now finding no place in these parts in which I have not preached the Gospel already so that there is no necessity now of my continuing here any longer and having a great desire these many years to come unto you 24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain I will come to you For I trust to see you in my journey and to be brought on my way thitherward by you if first I be somewhat filled with your company 24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain I will come to you For I trust to see you in my journey and to be brought on my way thitherward by you when first I have been somewhat filled with your company and have enjoyed that and a while 25. But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints 25. But for the present though I much desire it I cannot come to you for I am going to Hierusulem to carry to the poor Saints there those almes which I have received of the Churches of Macedonia and Achaia for them 26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem 26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Hierusalem who are in much want at this time 27. It hath pleased them verily and their debtors they are For if the Gentiles have been made partkers of their spiritual things their duty is also to minister unto them in carnall things 27. It hath pleased them I say and indeed they could not well do any less for their debtors they are so to do in a certain manner for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things their duty is truly to answer this and to minister to them in carnal things 28. When therefore I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit I will come by you into Spain 28. When therefore I have performed this journey to Hierusalem and this service which I spake of and have delivered to them that mony which the Churches of Macedonia and Achaia have contributed to them which by Gods grace I will do without any diminution of it at all which is the fruit of their faith I will come by you when I go to Spain 29. And I am sure that when I come unto you I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ 29. And when I come unto you I am sure I shall so come as that you shall receive abundance of blessing by the Gospel of Christ which I shall preach unto you at my coming 30. Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me 30. Now because I am imployed in this business to Jerusalem of carrying alms thither I beseech you Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake and for the loves sake which the holy Ghost worketh in us Christians one towards another that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me 31. That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints 31. That I may be delivered and kept safe from them that believe not in Judea which bear a cruel hate against me And that my Service which I have for the Saints at Hierusalem may be accepted of them 32. That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may with you be refreshed 32. That so I may come to you with joy if it be Gods will and may be refreshed with you 33. Now the God of peace be with you all Amen 33. Now God which is the Author of peace be with you all and grant you his peace Amen CHAP. XV. Ver. 1. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak The Apostle having in the former Chapter instructed the Christian Jew which is strong in the faith how he should carry himself to the Christian Jew which is weak turns his speech here from him to the strong Christian in general whether he be Jew or whether he be Gentile by an Apostrophe and whereas he spake in the former Chapter and treated there of such days and such meats only as had been differenced by the Law of Moses Here he speaks of all things which are any waies differenced by the opinion of men He speaks here I say in general to the strong Christian whether he be Jew or Gentile and instructs the strong Jew how he should carry himself to a weak Gentile and a strong Gentile how he should carry himself to a weak Jew and this he seems to do especially though a strong Gentile may also learn from hence how to carry himself to a Gentile which is weak We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak This is inferred from the last verse of the fourteenth Chapter for it is a general truth which he there saith viz. that he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin Or rather it is inferred from those words of the 21 vers It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is weak We that are strong Those he calls strong here which are strong in faith that is which are so well skilled and so well perswaded of the lawful use of things which are indifferent in their own nature as that they can use them without scruple or doubt of conscience Ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Those he calls weak here which are weak in faith as he said Chap. 14.1 that is such as have not attained to so much knowledge as to know what they may lawfully do or what they may lawfully leave undone in such things as are in their own nature indifferent and are soon offended at other mens doings in such matters And this their ignorance and aptness to be offended he also calls their infirmity or weakness Then do