and not by works rather seeing that the Law saith that the man that doth the things of the Law shall live by them To this the Apostle here answers q. d. I therefore said not that the way of obtaining justification is by works because no man can be justified by works for the wrath of God is revealed against all the ungodliness and unrighteousnes of men c. Where note that the Apostle by this his answer to this objection cometh to treat of one main Subject of this his Epistle to wit that justification is not by works A way which he often useth in teaching what he hath to teach And by proving that justification is not by works he doth by consequence confirm his former Thesis viz. that justification is by faith by destroying that which was most opposed against it which was justification by works Note here that he which looks for righteousness from his works must so perform the works of the Law as the Law requireth and therefore he must so perform them as that he breaks not the least commandment at any time 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 26. Galat. 3.10 Now then if a man hath sined but in one sin at any time he cannot be justified by the Law or by Works For the man that is justified is blessed Rom. 4. v. 6 7. But he that hath sinned though but in one sin and that but once is cursed untill he cometh to be justified by Faith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven Referr those words from heaven to these the wrath of God q. d. The wrath of God which is from heaven is revealed against all ungodliness c. By saying that the wrath of God is from heaven he sheweth the heaviness and grievousness of this wrath for if this wrath is from heaven it is greater than that which can come out from man Note that the word Revealed signifieth that which is made manifest by its effects as well as that which is made manifest by words And both these wayes is the wrath of God revealed against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men for it is made manifest by the punishments which God inflicteth upon sinners some of which we read of in this Chapter vers 24 26 28 c. And it is made manifest also by the word of God for God hath often in his word and by his word threatned all manner of sinners with judgment which judgment he will be sure to execute upon them if not before yet at the last day 2 Thes 1.8 c. Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men Note that the word ungodliness is to be taken here for those sins which are committed immediately against God And unrighteousness for those sins which are commited immediately against our Neighbour and when he saith al ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men he signifies that the ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men was manifold by reason of their manifold sins Of Men He speaks indefinitely and therefore he is to be understood as if he spoke of all Men or else we must say that there is an Hypallage here and that the Apostle saith against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men For against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of all Men. Note that out of this Generality of Men they are to be excepted who believe for though no other are to be excepted yet they are to be excepted as appeareth as in general by the main Scope of the Apostle here so in particular by Chap. 5 ver 1. c. And by the words immediately following for they which truly believe hold not the truth in unrighteousness Who hold the truth in unrighteousness By Truth I understand here the truth or true knowledge which these men had of godliness and of righteousness and by unrighteousness I understand both the ungodliness and unrighteousness which he spoke of before and therefore unrighteousness is to be taken in a larger signification here than it was immediately before They are said to hold the truth in unrighteousness who have the true knowledge of Godliness and righteousness but by their ungodliness and unrighteousness do so keep in this knowledge and so imprison it as it were as that it cannot go out into act or shew it self or any more be seen than a Prisoner can go out or be seen or shew himself to those which are without when he is kept in and imprisoned in some dark prison or dungeon Knowledge of things to be done cannot be made manifest but by our Actions which are the fruits thereof Therefore evill actions do not manifest but obscure and hide as in a Prison such a Knowledge Note that when he saith who hold the truth in unrighteousness he doth not intend to exempt any man except Believers from what he said as though there were some others who believed not and yet held not the Truth in unrighteousness But he doth it either to declare the common condition of all men that they are such as hold the truth in unrighteousness Or else to give a reason why the wrath of God was revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men which was because they held the truth in unrighteousness For the Pronoune which is sometime put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as a sign of the cause Ver. 19. For that which may be known of God is manifest in them Between this and the foregoing verse understand these or the like words For even the Gentiles have the truth of righteousness q d. For even the Gentiles have the truth of righteousness for that which may be known of God is manifest in them Where note that the Apostle prevents an Objestion here For whereas he said in the foregoing verse generally of all men except Believers to this purpose viz. That they held the Truth to wit of Godliness and righteousnesse in ungodliness and unrighteousness A man might object and say But how can the Gentiles hold the Truth of Godliness in ungodliness or of Righteousness in unrighteousnesse whereas the Gentiles had not the truth either of godliness or of righteousness for they had not the Law to teach them these Truths as the Jews had To this whole Objections the Apostle here answers by Parts And first to that Part of it which concerneth the truth or true knowledge of righteousness he answereth in this verse And Secondly to that part of it which concerns the Truth or true knowledge of godliness he answereth in the verses following That which may be known of God The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which as I conceive is meant either the Law of Nature or that which is commanded by the Law of Nature in order to our Neighbour The verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among other things signifieth statuere constituere decernere to ordain constitute decree Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from thence may
by the Rites and Expiations of the Law otherwise God would have taken vengeance of their sins long before this To this therefore the Apostle answers That it was not because they had not committed such sins nor because their sins were expiated and purged by the Law that God had not punished them in any grievous manner but it was because of his forbearance and long suffering Note that Christ was not a Propitiation for all sins which were past but only for the sins past of such as repented whose sins God punished not so soon as they were committed and for Gods forbearance to them others which repented not did fare the better in that God did forbear them and the sins of them which repented he punished in Christ Ver. 26. To declare I say at this time his Righteousnes The Apostle resumes here what he spoke in the former verse the better to explain himself This word Righteousness is to be taken here both for the Fidelity or Truth and for the Goodness or Mercy of God as I said before For what he meaneth by Declaring the Righteousness of God he expoundeth by those words that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where to be just signifieth the Fidelity and Truth of God in keeping his word To be the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus sheweth the Goodness and Mercy of God Of that that the word Righteousness is sometimes taken for Fidelity and Truth we have an example verse 5. Of that that the word Righteousness is taken for Goodness and Mercy we have an example 2 Cor. 9.9 It may be that the Apostle saith of God That he granted remission of sins that he might appear just in respect of the Jews because of the promise of God made to their Fathers that he would upon their saith and repentance give them remission of sins And that he saith that he granted remission of sins that he might appear the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus in respect especially of the Gentile who had no such promise made to him by God of his justification as the Jew had yet may rejoyce in that that God hath freely justified him At this time By this time he meaneth here the Time of the Gospel and it is opposed to the time of the Law or the time before Christ signified by or intimated in those words of the former verse to wit sins that are past That he might be just q. d That is to say That he might appear to be just That is that he might appear to be True and Faithful in his word These words That is to say are here to be understood and to be is to be taken for To appear to be as ver 4. And Just is to be taken here for True and Faithfull in word as it is also taken 1 John 1.9 And God is said here to be True and Faithfull because he did say and promise in the Law and in the Prophets that he would give remission of sins unto his People and so justifie them and as he said and promised so he did to as many as believed And the Justifi r of him which believeth in Jesus q. d. And that he might appear to be the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus To justifie is to foâ—gâ—ve sins and to absolve from punishment due unto sins and this is an effect of the great mercy and goodness of God Ver 27. Were is boasting then q. d. Being therefore That all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God and that as many as are justified are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus c. Where is Boasting i. e. Where is any just cause of Boasting This is a Corollary drawn from what he said from ver 20. hitherto and the Apostle drawes it to repress the vain boasting of the Jews and to make men seek after Justification not by the Law but by Faith And it is spoken after a kind of insulting manner the Apostle insulting thereby as it were over the Jews who were great boasters Where is boasting Note that the Apostle speaks not here of an unlawfull or unjust or causless boasting or of boasting only before Men for so any man might boast and so did the Jews boast But he speaks of a lawfull just and well grounded boasting and a boasting before God such a boasting where nothing is to be imputed to the grace and favour of God but all to a mans own self And that not in the appearance of man only but in the strict eye and view of God Such a boasting as this is the Apostle demonstratively hath proved cannot have place in a justified Man It is excluded q. d. It hath no place at all in a man which is actually justified but is excluded from his justification By what Law The word Law is to be taken here in a more Lax and Generall signification than commonly it is taken For here are two Species of the Law as it is here used mentioned in this place The Law of works and the Law of faith whereof the Law of works is properly and most usually called the Law and is ordinarily opposed to the Gospel and the other is the Gospel as it is opposed to the Law so strictly taken The word Law therefore is to be taken here for Doctrine q. d. But by what doctrine is boasting excluded That which is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Law is that which is usual in the Hebrew Torah and Torah signifieth not onely the Law in speciall but any doctrine in generall as I said before ver 19. from whence the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our English word Law doth often signifie the like as the Hebrew Torah doth in analogy to that Of Works i. e. By the Law of works The word Law is here to be understood from that which went before By the Law of Works is meant that doctrine which teacheth that a Man which is actually Justified is justified by the works of the Law and that he that would be justified must be thereby justified which cannot be except a man hath most exactly kept the whole Law and never failed in any Tittle thereof at any time Nay The Apostle sheweth here that boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works And indeed it implieth a contradiction to say that a justified man or a man that is actually justified according to the Law of Works is excluded from boasting by the Law of Works For he that is justified according to the Law of Works with Reverence be it spoken is not beholding to God for his justification for he hath perfectly observed the Law in every Apex Tittle and Jot of it so that God who is just in his judgement when he is brought before his Tribunal as a Transgressour of the Law must needs justifie him that is must needs acquit him and pronounce him guiltless and God would be unjust
A PARAPHRASE AND COMMENTARY UPON THE EPISTLE OF Saint PAVL TO THE ROMANS By William Day M. A. Vicar of Mapledurham in the County of Oxon and Divinity Reader in his Majesties Free Chappel of Saint George within the Castle of Windsor The secret things belong unto the Lord our God But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our Children for ever Deut. 29.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact in Argumento Epist ad Romanos LONDON Printed by S. Griffin for Joshua Kirton and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Kings Arms in Saint Pauls Church-yard 1666. IMPRIMATUR Perlegi Paraphrasin hanc cum Commentariis in Epistolam ad Romanos in quâ nihil reperio doctrinae disciplinaevè Ecclesiae Anglicanae aut bonis moribus contrarium Joh. Hall Rev. in Christo Pat. Domino Episc Lond. à sac Domest Ex Aedibus Londinens Feb. 20. 1664. Ornatissimis Doctissimis Viris Richardo Allestry D.T. Doctissimo sacrae Theologiae in Academia Oxoniensi Professori Regio Collegii â—egalis de Etona Praeposito Dignissimo Jacobo Fleetwood D. T. Et dignissimo Collegii Regalis de Cantabrigia Praeposito Omnibusque Vtriusque Collegii Sociis Hanc suam Paraphrasin unâ cum Commentariis in Epistolam Sancti Pauli ad Romanos Gulielmus DayVtriusque Collegii olim Alumnus Cantabrigiensis etiam Socius nunc autem Vicarius de Mapledurham in Comitat. Oxoniensi Praelector Theologiae in liberâ Capellâ Regiâ Sancti Georgii infra Castrum de Windesora D. D. D. The PREFACE THis Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans is set in order of place before all other his Epistles not because it was before all the other in order of time but because it was written unto the Romans whose City at that time excelled all other Cities in dignity and renown and in preheminence of Rule and Dominion for if we look to the order of time in which they were written both the Epistles of Saint Paul to the Corinthians were written before this to the Romans For Saint Paul in his second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 8. and 9. Stirreth the Corinthians up to a liberall contribution for the poor Saints at Jerusalem But in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 15. Ver. 25 26. He telleth the Romans that he was to go to Jerusalem to minister unto the Saints for it had pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia part of which was Corinth to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which were at Jerusalem This contribution therefore was perfected then when he wrote his Epistle to the Romans which was not made when he wrote to the Corinthians and therefore his Epistles to the Corinthians were in order of time written before his Epistle to the Romans though his Epistle to the Romans hath in order of place the Priority before his Epistles to the Corinthians Saint Paul wrote this Epistle in the Greek tongue though he wrote to the Romans whose language was the Latine Because the principle Subject or Argument of this Epistle was not some occasional matter as the Subject or Argument of other his Epistles was but such a Subject or such an Argument in which there was no Church but was concerned For the principle Subject or Argument of this Epistle conteins in a manner the sum of the Gospel or Doctrine of Christ And therefore though he dedicates it as it were to the Church or Saints which were at Rome because Rome was the head City of all the Gentiles and from thence by the frequency of men of all Nations and Countries resorting thither the truth might be carried and spread abroad among other people yet is it likely that he did intend to communicate it to other Churches also and to send them Copies thereof for their instruction and confirmation And for such a purpose it was more suteable to write in the Greek tongue then in the Latine For the Greek was the tongue which was then most generally known and used which even the Roman women could speak and by which Strangers and Travellers had commerce with and understanding one of another But the Latine tongue though it be now the tongue most generally learned and known yet was it at that time confined within narrow limits and not a generall language which Tully confesseth in his Oration pro Archia Poeta For Graeca saith he leguntur in omnibus fere Gentibus Latina suis finibus exiguis sanè continentur That is The Greek writings are read almost in all Nations but the Latine are contained within their own bounds and those but small ones too But of this See more in Brerewoods Enquiries touching the diversity of Languages Chap. 1. and 3. CHAP. I. As for the Subject of this Epistle it is partly Doctrinal and partly Moral And the Doctrinal part thereof is chiefly concerning Justification which he teacheth to be not by Works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ CHAP. II. and III. He teacheth that Justification is not by the works of the Law for that all had sinned both Jews and Gentiles And this that all had sinned he shews as to the Gentiles Chap. 1. from verse 19. to the end of that Chapter And as to the Jews he sheweth it Chap. 2. and 3. from the first verse of the second Chapter to the one and twentieth of the third And by the way he sheweth also that a Jew is not justified neither as he is a Jew according to the flesh neither as he hath the Law and the knowledge thereof neither as he is circumcised and having shewed both of the Jewes and of the Gentiles that they have all of them sinned he concludes that therefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God Chap. 3. ver 20. Then verse 21. He shews That Justification is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe CHAP. IV. Having shewed that none are justified by the works of the Law but by Faith in the fourth Chapter he proves and makes that good which he had said concerning Justification by the example of Abraham and shewes that Abraham who was not unworthily in high esteem among the Jewes was not justified by the Workes of the Law but by Faith CHAP. V. Having thus done in the fifth Chapter he sheweth the blessedness of those which are justified by faith through Christ And at the 12. verse thereof he shews how that original sin entred into the world through Adam and death by sin declaring thereby what Miserie 's both of Sin and Punishment accrued to us by that first man that he might take occasion from thence to magnifie the benefit which we have by Christ by the gratious pardon not onely of that original sin but also of all our actual sins c. So that when sin abounded Grace as he speaks Chap. 5. verse 20. did much more abound CHAP. VI. But now least any one which had been justified by
Apostle For first He was taught immediately of God Gal. 1. v. 11 12. Secondly He was sent to preach the Gospel with an immediate Commission from God Himself Acts 9.15 and 1 Cor. 1.17 Thirdly He had Commission to preach the Gospel where it was never preached before and to constitute and plant Churches where never was Church before Acts 9.15 Rom. 15.20 2 Cor. 10. v. 13 14 15 16. Fourthly He had a Supereminent power over all the Churches of Christ Acts 14.23 1 Cor 4.17 2 Cor. 11.28 Fifthly He had the power of Miracles as a Seal and Sign to confirm his Doctrine and Commission Acts 19.11 Separated to the Gospel i. e. Separated to the Ministery or Preaching of the Gospel The Gospel is put here for the Ministery or Preaching of the Gospel Per Metonymiam Subjecti Paul was seperated to the preaching of the Gospel from his Mothers womb Gal. 1.15 And he was separated again at the command of the Holy Ghost by the imposition of hands Acts 13. v. 2 3. Though they do not much amiss which interpret this place of both or either of these Separations yet I conceive that the Apostle respects here chiefly his separation from the womb of which he speaks Gal. 1.15 q. d. Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ That is to say an Apostle called yea separated from his Mothers womb to the Apostleship or Preaching of the Gospel Paul calleth himself a called Apostle and saith That he was Separated from the womb to the Gospel to shew that he did not intrude himself into the Apostleship and arrogate that Holy Function to himself as some did who boasted themselves to be Apostles yet were never called or separated thereunto which kind we read of 2 Cor. 11.13 As also that he might assert the Dignity of his Office to the end that his Epistle might be the better received of them to whom he wrote To the Gospel The Greek word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth in generall Good news but it is here taken in a particular sence for The good news of mans Redemption and eternal Salvation by Jesus Christ and so is it for the most part used by the Pen-men of the new Testament and by all Ecclesiastical writers from them But the English word Gospel is a word compounded of the word God and the word Spell which last word signifieth a Mysticall Speech or an Oracle or Hidden Knowledge so that the Gospel is as if you should say The Mysticall word or the Oracle or the Hidden Knowledge of God And well may this word Gospel in this sence be taken to signifie The news of mans Redemption and eternal Salvation by Christ for the news of mans Redemption and eternal Salvation by Christ is called the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 And it is called a Mystery Ephes 6.19 And the hidden Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 2.7 and the Knowledge of God 2 Cor. 2.14 To the Gospel of God The Gospel is called The Gospel of God because God is the Author of it and he addeth the Name of God the more to commend the Gospel to which he was called and separated Ver. 2. Which he had promised afore by the Prophets God promised the Gospel by the Prophets before it was revealed in that he inspired the Prophets to foretell and to promise in his name that a great Prophet and a great King should arise for the Redemption and Salvation of his People and in that he inspired them to foretell and make promise in his name of a New Covenant that he would make with his People and that he would send Preachers to preach redemption to them See among other places Deut. 18.15 and compare it with Acts 3.22 See Psalm 2. Psalm 22. Psalm 45. Psal 110. And compare them with Luke 20. v. 41. See also Isaiah 7.14 and compare it with Mat. 1.22 and Isaiah chap. 9.6 and chap. 11. and chap. 53. See also Isaiah c. 42.1 c. compared with Mat. 12.18 c. See also Jerem. 31.33 compared with Heb. 8.10 Afore That is afore it was revealed In the Holy Scriptures The Scriptures which are written by Gods inspiration are called The Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because there are no Writings more holy than they are The Apostle seemeth to adde these words lest any should doubt of the truth of what he said to wit That God had promised the Gospel afore by his Prophets For if any should doubt of this he tells them that the Scriptures which were writ by the Prophets are extant and therein may he finde the Gospel promised And he makes mention of this to wit That the Gospel was promised afore by the Prophets in the Holy Scriptures that he might shew the excellency and dignity of the Gospel For it must needs be an excellent thing which God did not onely think of but did also promise to his people by his Prophets so long a time before it came to pass He did it also that no man might be offended with the Novelty of the Gospel 3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ These words being that the second verse is read with a Parenthesis are to be referred to those to wit The Gospel of God and they shew the Subject of that Gospel For the Gospel of God is wholly conversant about the Son of God namely in delivering the Doctrine which he preached unto men in relating what he did and what he suffered for men in telling of his Birth his Life his Death his Resurrection and Glory and Power over all things c. Jesus Christ is called the Son of God in divers respects First in respect of his eternal Generation whereby he was God of God Secondly in respect of his manner of Conception when he took our flesh upon him For because he was conceived by the power of the most High without the help of a man he was called The Son of God Luke 1.35 In which sence also Adam was called The Son of God Luke 3.38 namely because he was produced by the Supernatural power of God Thirdly he was called The Son of God because The Father sanctified him and sent him into the world John 10. v. 35 36. Fourthly he was called The Son of God because God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places Acts 13. verse 32 33. Now if you ask which of these wayes Jesus is here called The Son of God I say the first or in respect of his Eternal Generation Our Lord Christ is called our Lord not onely as he was Lord of all by vertue of Creation but also because he bought us with a price 1 Cor. 6. ver 19 20. and 7.23 and 2 Pet. 2.1 That is with his blood Acts 20.28 Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Jesus Christ is said to have been made of the seed of David according to the flesh Because he was made as he was Man of the Substance of
there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Defect to be supplied of some of those words Secondly or then or after this Others yet again say that wheresoever this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first is used it is alwayes answered though not with formall words yet with the sence of the place which is enough to make it an Ordinall I thanke my God He called God his God because of that love wherewith God loved him and because of the relation of that service in which he stood to God ver 9. But when he saith I thank my God he speaks with a great deal of feeling of some favour and blessing which God hath shewed to him even in that for which he gives thanks and he accounted it even a favour and blessing to him that the Romans had received the Faith after such a manner as they did because he exceedingly desired that they might believe Through Jesus Christ As we pray unto God through Jesus Christ for what we stand in need off for what we receive we receive for his sake So we give thanks to God for what we receive through him for as he is the Purchaser of all our blessings so is he our High Priest to offer up all our Oblations He is therefore the Mediator of our Prayers and the Mediator of our Thanksgivings and they are all accepted through him and for him For you all He puts no difference here betwixt High and Low Rich and Poor That your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole World i. e. That you so believe the Gospel as that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole world He seemeth to put here the Consequent for the Antecedent that is the report of their Faith for the Faith which was reported and spoken of Throughout the whole World i. e. Through out all the Churches of Christ which are throughout the whole World so Some yet we need not to restrain it to the Churches of Christ only for being that the Romans were the most eminent people in all the world their change of Religion and embracing of Christianity might be taken notice and spoken of of all the strangers throughout the whole world though they were not Christians which had occasion to come to Rome Note here that their is an Hyperbolicall Synechdoche in these words The whole world And it is an usuall thing to put some parts especially the civilest parts of the World for the whole world in generall as Colos 1.6 Ver. 9. For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The Apostle would by this perswade the truth of what he said in the former verse to wit That he did thank God in their behalfe Because the Romans might not otherwise easily believe that Paul should be so Zealous for them whom he never saw in his life and with whom he had no acquaintance at all he that he Might make it the more credible which he saith concerning them confirmes it here with an Oath Whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son i. e. Whom I serve in the preaching and ministration of the Gospel of his Son withall readiness willingness and sincerity of mind Paul addes this that he might not be thought to call God to witnesse what he said rashly irreligiously and with the contempt of God For this sheweth how highly he accounted of the Majesty and Honour of God to say that he served him with his spirit And because he did so highly esteem of him surely he would in no wayes dishonour him as he should do if he should swear falsely by him With my spirit That is as we use to say with my heart which phrase speaketh willingness and readiness and sincerity In the Gospel of his Son This Gospel Paul called the Gospel of God ver 1. Because God was the Author of it Here he calls it the Gospel of his Son because it is concerning his Son Jesus Christ ver 3. And by this Gospel he meaneth the preaching thereof by a Metonimy Without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayer He might make mention of them in his prayers when he gave thanks for them and he might make mention of them in his prayers when he prayed for some blessing to be bestowed upon them and both these wayes may he be understood here to make mention of them In relation to what went before he might be said to make mention of them in that he gave thanks for them In relation to what followed he may be said to make mention of them in that he prayed and made request for them He might say that he made mention of them alwayes in his prayers without ceasing because he prayed often and as often as he prayed he made mention of them For by an usual Hyperbole we are said to do a thing alwayes and without ceasing which we do often and in which we are studious and sedulous So Anna the Prophetesse is said not to have departed from the Temple but to have served God with fasting and Prayers night and day Luke 2.37 Whereas she was but frequent in the Temple and frequent in prayers there So it is said of the Disciples that they were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God Luke 24.53 Whereas they were not allwayes there but onely so often as occasion offered 〈…〉 Ver. 10. Making request c. q. d. And I make not only mention of you in my prayers by thanksgiving but by making request also for you By this he doth yet further insinuate himself into these Romans If by any means now at length c. These words shew the ardent desire which Paul had to obtain that which he speaks of That is To see these Romanes But that particle If doth withall signifie that Paul was not certain whether he should obtain what he prayed for or no and therefore he prayeth for it conditionally If it stood with the glory and good will of God to give him a prosperous journey to them By the will of Ood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred the will of God signifieth sometimes the General Providence of God disposing of our affairs yet we may well think that the Apostle did take his journeys from place to place by the speciall instinct of God especially such journeys as this was Ver. 11. For I long to see you that I may impart c. He shews the reason here why he desired so much to see the Romans That I may impart unto you some spiritual gift The end of Pauls desire to see them was not to receive any worldly profit from them though they were Citizens of a rich City but that he might impart some gift to them but a spiritual gift Some spiritual gift Some interpret this of such gifts as were wont to be given by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles as the gift of
because of these things as that they make the guilty of the deeper condemnation Behold then thou art called a Jew a Jew by Birth and a Jew by Profession and delightest in the Law and boastest of God that he is thy God 18. And knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law 18. And knowest thou saist his will and by thy industry hast found out most excellent Divine documents and approvest of them as of Gold which is pure and precious being instructed from a Child out of the Law 19. And art confident that thou thy self art a guid of the blind a light of them which are in darkness 19. And thou boastest that thou thy self art a guide to them that are blind as concerning knowledge and art able to direct them in the right way and that thou art as a light to them which are in the darkness of ignorance 20. An instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law 20. And that thou by thy Wisdom art an Instructer of such as are foolish and a teacher of those which are but babes for knowledge in respect of thee For thou hast thou saist a Model or Series or Idea of those truths which are in the Law orderly imprinted in thy minde whereby thou perfectly knowest them thy self and canst more speedily and easily teach them others 21. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal 21. Thou therefore which teachest another to know teachest thou not thy self to do Thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit sacriledge 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest Idols because they rob God of his honour doest thou commit sacriledge which is a robbing of God too 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law that thou art perfectly skilled in it and that thou delightest in it as being the Law of God doest thou break the Law and so dishonour God which gave it 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Jews by your sins as it is written and as it was foretold by Isaiah Isa 52.5 that so it would be 25. For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the Law but if thou be a breaker of the Law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision 25. But thou wilt say That thou art circumcised and that by the benefit of circumcision so infallible a sign it is of Gods favour thou shalt escape the judgment of God and be freed from all the mischief of sin and be received into Gods favour But be not mistaken for circumcision indeed will profit thee in this kind if thou keep the Law punctually and exactly But if thou be a breaker of the Law in any part thereof thy circumcision is become as uncircumcision and thou wilt have no more benefit thereby than if thou hadst never been circumcised 26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision 26. Wherefore beeing it is so if the uncircumcised Gentile doth perform that righteousness and do those things which the Law commandeth shall not his uncircumcision be counted as good as circumcision and shall not he be justified as well as if he had been circumcised 27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the Law Judge thee who by the letter and circumcision doest transgress the Law 27. And shall not the Gentile which is uncircumcised as having no right to circumcision by his birth or by his stock as thou hast if he fulfill the Law condemn thee by his example who having both the Law and circumcision doest transgress the Law 28. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh 28. But thou wilt say But for all this I am a Jew and I am sure that a Jew is a favorite of God and one whom God will free from wrath to come because he is a Son of Abraham And I am circumcised and I am sure that circumcision will free us from damnation But be not mistaken for he is not such a Jew whom God makes his favorite and whom he will free from the wrath to come who is only a Jew outwardly that is who is only a Jew by his carnal discent from Abraham and by his Genealogy from him derived Neither is that the circumcision which will free a man from damnation and which God respecteth which is outward in the flesh of the privy members whereby the foreskin thereof is cut off 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 29. But he is the Jew which God makes his favorite and which he will free from the wrath to come who is a Jew inwardly by reason of the faith which he hath in his heart whereby he imitates Abraham and is a Child of Abraham as Abraham is the Father of the Faithful And that is the circumcision which will free us from damnation and which God respecteth which is the circumcision of the heart whereby infidelity and unbelief are cut off The circumcision which is taught and performed by the Gospel not that circumcision which is commanded in the Law The circumcision whose praise is not of men who see only outward things and things obvious to the bodily eyes But of God who seeth and searcheth the Heart and the Reins where this circumcision is seated CHAP. II. Verse 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O Man c. Note that whereas the Apostle did in the eighteenth verse of the first Chapter say That the wrath of God was revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who held the truth in unrighteousness thereby shewing that all men had sinned and whereas he intended to make that his saying good by a Partition that is by shewing it to be true both of Jew and Gentile and shewed it of the Gentile from the nineteenth verse to the end of that Chapter he begins here to shew it to be true of the Jew also and though this is a main drift of his yet he slides to it as it were to a matter only by the bie as his manner is Therefore thou art inexcusable O Man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self c. These words depend as I intimated upon the eighteenth verse
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
Law they see their actions swerving Nor can they excuse them except they have a Rule or Law to judge their actions by agreable to which Rule they find their actions Therefore these thoughts of men accusing or excusing them shew that the Gentiles have a Law written in their hearts and so that they are as a Law unto themselves Ver. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of Man i. e. In that day when God shall judge even the secrets of men These words relate to the twelfth verse by an Hyperbaton so that whatsoever cometh between is to be read with a Parenthesis The Day or Time here mentioned is the Day or Time of the General Judgment God is said to judge the secrets of men in this day not because he will not judge those works which are open and manifest But because he will not judge them only but also the very secret counsels and deeds of men But the Apostle mentioneth here only secrets to shew that this judgment shall be different from the judgment of men who can judge only those things which are apparent and to signifie that they which commit sin though never so secretly shall not escape judgment According to my G spel i. e. According to my preaching or according to that which I teach and preach to all people For in preaching the Gospel I preach that God will judge the world by Jesus Christ The Gospel is to be taken here for the preaching of the Gospel by a Metonymie as it is taken 1 Cor. 9.14 in the latter word Gospel 2 Cor. 8.18 Gal. 2.7 and Phil. 4.15 He calls it his Gospel as it was ministred or preached by him He mentioneth his preaching of the Gospel here because it could not be known by natural reason that the world was to be judged by Jesus Christ As also because God commanded the Apostles to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he to wit Jesus Christ which was ordained of God to judge the Quick and the Dead Acts. 10.42 V. 17. Behold thou art called a Jew In that tacite Objection which the Jew is to be understood to make between the first and second verse of this Chapter and which the Apostle answereth in the second verse c. The Jew relyed upon many Praerogatives and Excellencies which he conceived himself to have and of which he boasted As ex gra that he was a Jew by Nature and so a Child of Abraham And that he was learned in the Law of God Circumcised c. for which he thought he was so far in the favour of God as that he should not be condemned or judged for his sins as the Gentile should which vain conceits and thoughts of his the Apostle confuted before at verse the second c. Now here from this place to the end of the Chapter the Apostle sheweth that the Jew was so far from being in the favour of God so as that he should not be condemned or judged for his sins by reason of those Priviledges and Excellencies which he relyed upon and which he boasted of as that being his life was vitious those Prerogatives and Excellencies should make his sins the greater and so tend to his greater judgment and condemnation For where men have the greater inducements and cause or means to be pious and holy if they are not pious and holy according to those inducements and cause or means there their sin is the greater and their condemnation or judgment the heavier Behold By this word the Apostle rouseth up the careless Jew who through the vain conceits of the Prerogatives and Excellencies which he conceived himself to have snorted in his sins to consider and behold his sins and the judgments due unto him for them Thou art called a Jew The Children of Abraham were commonly called Israelites from Jacob the Grandchild of Abraham who was also named Israel untill the Ten Tribes were carried away Captive into Assyria and their Common-wealth destroyed But after that the Kingdom of Judah remaining of which the Tribe of Benjamin was a part they were called Judaei that is Jews from the chiefest Tribe of that Kingdom which was the Tribe of Judah Thou art called a Jew A Jew was descended from Abraham of which descent he was very proud and thought it enough for him to say I have Abraham for my Father Mat. 3.9 Upon this account that they have Abraham for their â—ather the Jewish Doctors doubt not to reckon that all Israel is to have a share in the world to come Talmud in Sanhedr per. 10. 1. And Justin Martyr saith of the Jewish Rabbius that they suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i e. That the everlasting Kingdom shall be surely given to those that are of the Seed of Abraham according to the flesh although they are sinners and disobedient to God Note that the Apostle saith not Behold thou art a Jew but behold thou art called a Jew And this he saith either in allusion to that that they were very well pleased and delighted to be called Jews Or because they were Jews rather in name than in truth as will appear v 28 29. where he confutes this vain glorying of the Jew because he is a Jew And restest in the Law i. e. And moreover thou takest delight in the Law of God as in that which is most perfect and than which there can be nothing perfecter Or putting the Law per Metonymiam Subjecti for the reading of the Law thus Thou restest in the reading of the Law and desirest to read or know nothing else When we attain to the top of our desires so that we can go no further or desire nothing more of any thing especially the thing not affording it then do we rest in that which we have attained to and delight our selves in it And makest thy boast of God To wit that God is thy God and that he hath made a Covenant with thee and promised to be thy God Gen. 17. And hath given thee his Law and his Statutes Psal 147.19 V. 18 And knowest his will Supple Though thou doest it not And approvest the things which are more excellent That is and thou by examination having found out what those things are which are most excellent in the sight of God thou likest them and approvest them That is thou praisest them and assentest to them as such though thou doest not practice them That word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here rendred Approvest may signifie both examining and approving or liking upon examination wherefore here I interpret it liking or approving or assenting to or praising after examination Being instructed out of the Law i e. As being instructed out of the Law from a Child whereby thou knowest the will of God and whereby thou art able to examine and judge of those things which are most excellent He sheweth the cause here or the means by which he a Jew came to know the will of
God and to be able to judge of those things which are most excellent in Gods sight Ver. 19 And art confident that thou thy self art a guid of the blind i. e. And boastest that thou art such a guid as that thou canst lead those that are blind and bring them into the right way And art confident i. e. And boastest Note that Confidence is put sometimes for Boasting by a Metonymie because boasting proceedeth of confidence so 2 Cor. 10 7. If any one trust to himself or is confident of himself that he is Christs is put for If any one boasteth that he is Christs and trust or confidence is put for glorying 2 Cor. 3.4 A Guide That is a Teacher A Metaphor from a Guide in the way Of the Blind i. e. Of the ignorant By the Blind are here meant literally such as want their bodily sight but by a metaphor the Ignorant And the ignorance of God and of his Will is every where in Scripture called blindness by a metaphor as John 9. ver 39 40 41. Matth. 15.14 and 23. ver 16 17 19 24 26. where our Saviour reproveth the blindness that is the ignorance of the Pharises By the blind or ignorant he meaneth the Gentiles particularly yet he may mean also some of the more ignorant parts of the common people of the Jews for the Apostle seemeth to speak here chiefly of the Scribes and Pharises who were puffed up with a great opinion of their own wisdome and knowledge in the Law Though the meanest of the Jews also thought himself able enough to teach a Gentile A light of them which are in darkness This is a Repetition of what he said before Light is taken here for one that giveth light by a metonymy to wit the light of Knowledge Ver. 20. An instructer of the foolish By the Foolish he meaneth those that are altogether without true Wisdom and Knowledge A teacher of Babes i. e. A Teacher of those which have no knowledge for of such is the name of Babes used by a metaphor 1 Cor. 14.20 Heb. 5.13 This is also a Repetition of what he said before where note that the Apostle doth repeat the same things and use an heap of the like expressions here the more to set out the boasting of these men whereby they boasted of their knowledge Which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law i. e. Because thou art such a one as hast the forme of Knowledge c. He sets down the cause here of their aforesaid confidence and boasting they were therefore confident and did therefore boast as they did because they had the form of Knowledge and of the Truth in the Law What we know we know by the Species or Images of the things known which are printed in our minds These Images or Species or the congeries thereof orderly placed or marshalled are called here the form of Knowledge and of the Truth By which he signifies that whatsoever is written in the Law the Jew said that he had the Image of it exactly and orderly imprinted in his mind by which he presently knew the things themselves Or by the form of Knowledge he may mean the true Method of teaching knowledge where by every particular which is to be known is put in due forme place and order which helps the memory both of the Master and of the Scholler Of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Knowledge and Truth here signifie one and the same thing to wit the Knowledge and Doctrine of those things which appertain to Religion and Godliness which things are contained in the Law and which God would have us know Some think that there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a figure so called in these words Of knowledge and of the Truth And that of Knowledge and of the Truth are put for Knowledge of the Truth or of the true Knowledge In the Law i. e. Of the Law for In may be a note of the Object here or matter of Knowledge Or In may be taken here for By and so In the Law may be interpreted by the Law that is by the benefit of the Law It may also be taken as it is usually taken and the Truth may be taken for the truth of things contained in the Law Note that these Prerogatives and gifts or endowments which the Apostle hath from ver 17. hitherto ascribed to the Jews may be ascribed unto them out of the opinion which they had of themselves not that they were so as he describes them to be indeed for see what our Saviour saith of such men Matthew 23.16 Ver. 21. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self The Apostle doth here shew that the Knowledge which the Jew boasted of was so far from excusing him from sin and exempting him from judgement as that it made his sin the greater and so his judgement the more grievous These men taught others in that they gave them Orall Precepts what they should do but they taught not themselves because they did not practise themselves what they gave in praecept to others Note that the Apostle useth Interrogatoies here the more to shew the indignity of these mens doings Thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal The Apostle doth not bring proofs of these particulars of which he here accuseth the Jews Neither need he so well known at that time were these things which he accuseth them of Ver. 22. Thou that abhorrâ—st Idols doest thou commit sacriledge St. Hierom observeth That the Jews after the Babylonish Captivity never worshipped Idols at least publiquely as they did before that time and so doth the Targum Hierosolomytanum report of those Jews which returned out of the Captivity to their own Land and lived there But as for those which were dispersed among the Gentiles they were not free from Idolatry as appeareth 1 Peter 4.3 Doest thou commit sacriledge Sacriledge is a sin by which an holy thing is violated And it is committed when that which is holy is stoln or unlawfully taken out of an holy Place or when that which is not holy is stoln or unlawfully taken out of a Place that is holy or when that which is holy is stoln or unlawfully taken out of a Place which is not holy The Sacriledge here imputed to the Jews is likely to have consisted in that That some did defraud the Priests and Levites of their Tithes and such things as were due unto them by the Law and others did take those things which were Dedicated to the use of the Temple and convert them to their own private use It may be asked here why Saint Paul said Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge whereas he said before thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal thou that saist a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery For are Idolatry and Sacriledge the same things Answ Idolatry is a spiritual kind of Sacriledge for it takes
am I also judged as a Sinner i. e. With what right or with what justice can I be punished as a sinner Supple whereas I advance the Glory of God by my Lie or by my Sin Why yet am I also Note that this word Also is either redundant or else so to be understood as if he should say Why yâ—t are not onâ—ly others whose sins dishonour God but I also who bring Glory to God by my Lie judged as a Sinner and still ly under judgement Ver. 8. And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evill that good may come Here are these or the like words left to be understood viz. Encouraged by God to say q d. And why am not I and such as I am rather encouraged to say as we Christians be slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say Let us do evill that good may come thereof Or else leaving out those words a while which are here brought in by a Parenthesis to wit As we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say we may thus expound the other words q. d. And not rather do evill that good may come that is And why rather do I not evill with the praise and approbation of God that good may come thereof Where note that these words let us do evill that good may come being that they were the words which others had or were said to have often in their mouthes may be cited by Saint Paul as they spoke them or were said to speak them and they may be used by him without consideration of the Syntax of the place in which he useth them leaving that to the judgement of his Readers See what I said before ver 4. in the like matter As we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Saint Paul speaks this in the person of all Christians who were calumniated by the Heathen as though they taught that it was lawful for a man to do evil if good could come thereof and as though they encouraged one another to evill with these words Let us do evill that good may come whereas the words immediately going before were spoken in the person of a wicked Heathen yet imitating a Christian as I said ver 5. These words therefore are to be read with a Parenthesis Whose damnation is just Note that this relative whose is to be referred to that pronoun or antecedent Some in those words And as some affirm as we say and the sence of the words is this q d. Who are already damned for this their thus slandering us and thus affirming that we say Let us do evil that good may come and their damnation is just Their damnation is just because they thus slandered Christians who would not have deserved damnation for saying this of Christians if Christians had taught or held any such thing Note that because the absurdity of the Objectors Argument was plain and manifest yea plain and manifest even to those that brought that slanderous report upon Christians to wit that Christians said among themselves Let us do evil that good may come as though they taught that a man might lawfully do evil if good could accrue thereby The Apostle doth not think this Argument of the Objector worth a direct answer But being contented with the rejection and detestation of that which it did conclude doth only pronounce them that brought up that slanderous report upon Christians and affirmed that they said Let us do evil that good may come thereon worthy of damnation A good Disputant as he will answer directly to those things which deserve a direct answer So he will contemn and slight those things which are manifestly absurd and not worth an Answer and so doth the Apostle here But if any one should desire a formal answer to this Argument the Answer may be this though the truth of God doth more abound to his Glory by a mans Lie yet ought not man for this end to do any kind of evil or to tell lies But if he doth so he may be justly judged of God as a Sinner for the lies which man tels and the evil which he doth are not the Genuine cause but occasions onely of illustrating and setting forth the truth and Glory of God so that if God be glorified either by the Lie or by any sin of a Sinner it is not out of the nature of his sins but by accident altogether that God came to be thereby glorified and therefore though God be glorified by them the Sinner is and may be justly judged for them Ver. 9. What then are we better than they These words are to be referred to the second verse of this Chapter as having their immediate connexion with that for that which cometh between commeth in as it were by the by by reason of Objections arising What then q. d But what shall we gather from hence or what shall we say by reason of that That the Oracles of God were committed to the circumcised Jews Are we better than they q. d shall we Jews who have been circumcised gather from hence That we are better than they that is that we are better than the uncircumcised Gentiles The betterness here spoken of is to be understood in respect of Justification before God And in this respect the circumcised Jews which had not the Faith of the Gospel though they had the Oracles of God committed to them and though they did surpasse the Gentiles in other outward Praerogatives were not better than the Gentiles for they had sinned as well as the Gentiles Saint Paul doth make himself here by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the number of those Jews whose condition was no better than the Gentiles that he might give no offence to the Jews which were his flesh For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin q. d. For we have upon good grounds and good evidence charged both Jews and Gentiles that they are all of them guilty of sin The Gentiles we charged in the first chapter the Jews in the second And if they are all guilty of sin than is not one better than another in matter of Justification untill he receives the Gospel of Ghrist by Faith that he might be thereby justified We have before proved The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Law terme And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is usually said of those which are Accusers who accuse or charge the Defendant with what they have to say against him Well doth Saint Paul use a Law term here in this his Treatise or Dispute of Justification when as the word Justification it self is a Law term and there is in it an allusion to the custome and practice of courts of Justice and whereas he doth appeal both Jew and Gentile at Gods Tribunal Note that the Apostle speaks here of himself in the plural number as
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
live any longer therein For if they be dead to sin but in promise and profession only they cannot to wit with any face live to sin For who can with any face live to that which he hath promised and professed he hath nothing to do with and which he hath renounced And if they be dead to sin not in promise and profession only but in truth and reality also How can they possibly live to sin For it implieth a contradiction to be truly and really dead and yet to live to the same thing to wit at the same time When therefore Christians may be said to be dead to sin these two manner of wayes I conceive that the Apostle argues here in this part of the Chapter from both these wayes that is from the promise and profession which they make in their entrance and admission into the Church of Christ that they renounce sin and will die unto it which he prosecutes in the third and fourth verses And from that that if they be true Christians they are dead to sin in truth and reality which he prosecutes in the verses following We that are dead to sin We may take notice here of the difference of these two Phrases to wit to be dead to sin which is the Phrase the Apostle here useth And to be dead in sin which is a Phrase the Apostle useth Eph. 2. ver 1.5 c. he is said to be dead to sin which obeyeth not sin nor followeth the lusts thereof He is said to be dead in sin which is so under sins dominion as that he can get no more out of it in a manner than a dead man can get out of the Grave Therein The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be rendred Thereto Ver. 3. Know ye not that as many of us as are baptised into Christ Jesus are baptised into his death i. e. Know ye not that so many of us as by baptism have entred our selves into the number of Christ Jesus his disciples and have by the Susception of baptism obliged our selves to follow him and his doctrine that we I say did by that our baptism and the susception thereof and the ceremonies therein used profess and promise that we would renounce sin and die to her which death was typified as it were and figured in the death of Christ and the death of Christ figured in our baptism that is in plainer and shâ—rter terms have not as many of us as have been baptized professed and promised by or in our baptism that we would renounce sin and die or become dead unto her As Christ once died to this naturall life Note that whereas the Apostle said ver 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein he doth here illustrate and shew the truth of that his saying First by shewing that we Christians are dead to sin in promise and profession at the least And this he doth in this verse And Secondly by shewing that we are therefore dead to sin not that we should live again to her but that we should live a new life to wit a life to righteousness and this he doth in the next verse As were baptized into Jesus Christ To be baptized into Jesus Christ is by the susception of Baptisme or by the promise therein made to subject ourselves to Christ and to acknowledge him to be our Master whom we will readily follow and whose Gospel and Doctrine we will readily embrace and whose commands we will receive and keep without dispute See Acts 19.5 1 Cor. 1.14 The Baptism by which we are baptized into Jesus Christ is not different from that Baptism by which we are baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost yea we are baptized into Jesus Christ by being baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and while we subject ourselvs to them we subject ourselves to Jesus Christ for they are all one their commands one their doctrine one Were baptized into his death i. e. Were baptized into the similitude and likeness of his death for so the Apostle seems to explicate and express himself ver 5. And by consequence into a death to Sin which was typified both by the ceremony of being dipped over head and ears in baptisme as also by Christs Death They were baptized into the similitude of Christs death which were dippâ—d over head and ears in the waters at their Baptism for by being dipped over head and ears in the waters at their Baptisme they were as it were buried in the waters which burial represented the burial of Christ in the bowels of the earth and by consequence Châ—â—sts death This burial in the waters at their Baptism as it did figure and represent Christs death So it did figure and represent the death of those which were baptized unto Sin which the Apostle here intimates and we are to take notice of And as it did figure and represent the death of those which were baptized unto sin so it was a kind of profession that they did renounce sin and would dy thereunto Where note that at this Baptism the party to be baptized did by word of mouth promise and profess that he would renounce sin And what he did promise and profess by word of mouth he did promise and profess by the ceremonies to which he submitted himself in baptism For whether he were sprinkled with water or whether he were dipped over head and ears he did by those ceremonies and either of them promise â—nd profess that he had or would renounce sin and have nothing to do with the foul pollutions of her unclean motions and lusts For by being sprinkled with water he shewed that he had or would cleanse himself and as it were wash himself from sin And by being dipped over head and ears and so by being as it were buried in the water he shewed that he would die or was dead to sin for none but dead men use to be buried Into his death i. e. Into the similitude or likeness of the death of Christ which death of Christ was a figure or representation of our death to sin And by being baptized into that we did profess that we would renounce sin and die to her Note therefore that the death of Christ was not only a cause of our death unto sin But was also a figure and certain Typical representation thereof For it signified or figured our death to sin And did Typically and Figuratively teach us what we should do that is that we should die to sin as Christ died to this mortall life And this is evident by certain passages of the former part of this Chapter And not only the death of Christ but his Resurrection and his Ascention into heaven did figure and typically set forth what we should do who have been baptized into Christ For as Christ was raised from the dead so should we rise to a new
think it not strange my brethren that the sword should be drawn to kill us for this is our portion of old as it is written Psal 44.22 for thy sake O Lord are we which are thy servants and fear thy great Name killed one after another all the day long we are accounted of no oâ—herwise than of sheep appointed to be slain so little esteem is made of our blood 37. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us 37. But shall any of these things I say separate us from the love which God sheweth us for Christs sake No for even in the midst of these things doth God so continue and shew his love to us as that we are through the effects of his love and by the assistance and aid that he out of his love giveth us not only Conquerors over all these things but more than Conquerors 38. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 38. Wherefore I am perswaded that nothing which we can suffer either in our life or at our death no nor whatsoever all the devils of Hell whether they be Angels or Principalities or Powers can lay upon us Nor the afflictions which we suffer at the present nor the afflictions which are threatned against us for the future 39. Nor Height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 39. Nor any creature which is in heaven above or any creature which is in earth beneath or any other creature whatsoever if they should all combine themselves against us to afflict us to the utter most shall be able to separate us from the love of God which he sheweth to us for the merits of Christ Jesus our Lord. CHAP. VIII Ver. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus This Conclusion or Corollary is drawn from that which the Apostle taught in the fifth Chapter of this Epistle and especially in the eighth ninth tenth eleventh verses and so forward Not from that which went immediately before in the precedent Chapter For the sixth and seventh Chapter the Apostle spends in answering objections which rose one after another from the latter end of the fifth Chapter hitherto so that they two chapters come between this and the first Chapter as it were by the By. No Condemnation This is part of the happiness of him which is justified by Faith To them which are in Christ Jesus i. e. To them which believe in Christ Jesus and so are made members of his body and inserted into him by saith as Branches into the vine That is to them which are justified by Faith as he speaks Chap. 5. ver 1. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit i. e. Which follow not their sensual or carnal appetite and affections in whatsoever they move them to Who walk not after the flesh The flesh is to be taken here for the sensual or carnal appetite and affections And to walk after the flesh is to follow that sensual or carnal appetite and affections and to be carried away with them which way soever they move which cannot be done without sin The Speech is Metaphorical But after the Spirit i. e. But after the motions and inclinations of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in them as our Apostle speaks 2 Timoth. 1.14 The Apostle addes this who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit not as a note of distinction as though there were some in Christ Jesus or some which were justified by faith which did or might walk after the Flesh and others which did or might walk after the Spirit but he adds it as a note of declaration to declare what all those are and ought to be for conversation of life which are in Christ Jesus or which are justified by faith They are such or ought to be such as walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And this he adds least that any one when he hears that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus should think that now that he is in Christ Jesus he may securely live in sin or live as he listeth and so bring a scandal on Christian Religion Ver. 2. For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death The Apostle praevents an objection here somewhat like to that objection which he prevented Cap. 7. ver 14. For a weak and faint-hearted Christian might object here and say you require Paul of all that are in Christ Jesus that they would walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit But I hope that I am in Christ Jesus and yet having been a slave to sin and walked so long as I have done after the Flesh I am afraid that I have been so long a slave to sin and so long walked after the Flesh that I cannot be but as a slave to them still and follow them still for how shall I be freed from following sin or from walking after the Flesh who have been so long as a slave to them This objection I say the Apostle doth here prevent saying For the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death i. e. The power and Efficacy of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in me through Christ Jesus and which brings those to eternal life which follow it hath made me free from my custome of sin or sining and so by consequence from walking after the flesh as I was wont to walk which whosoever walkes after whethersoever she leades them shall die everlastingly That the Apostle is frequent in raising and answering or preventing objections and useth that as one way of teaching the Truths which he hath to teach I observed before The law of the spirit of life By the Law of the spirit of life is meant here the efficacy of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in them which are in Christ Jesus For the Holy Ghost is said to dwell in them which are in Christ Jesus by reason of those gifts with which the Holy Ghost endueth them and by which they are also sanctified In Christ Jesus i. e. Which is by Christ Jesus That is which is given to me by and for the merits of Christ Jesus In is put here for By after the Hebrew manner Hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death That is hath enabled me to resist or turn away from following my carnal and sensual appetite or my carnal and sensual affections so that they cannot draw me after them which way soever they will as they were wont to do Note that the Apostle might have said only The Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from sin and death But he saith the Law of the Spirit of life and the Law of sin for the like reason as he said the Law of works and the Law of faith Chap. 3. ver 27 and as he saith the Law of righteousness Chap. 9.31 Note also that when he saith The Law of the Spirit of life hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death he useth a Metaphor drawn from men Enfranchesing slaves and freeing them from that slavery which before time they underwent Note thirdly that the Apostle speaks here in the person of such as were justied by faith and were ingraffed into Christ Jesus as living branches into the living Vine Ver. 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh i. e. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak in comparison of the flesh that God did who sending his own Son in the likeness of a sinful man though he was without sin and for the destruction of sin destroyed sin which reigned in us by his Flesh that is by his Body which was Crucified for us There is an Ellipsis in these words of the Apostle as they are here translated But the words in the Original are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which may be thus interpreted For by reason of the weakness and imbecillity of the Law in that it was weak in comparison of the flesh God sending his own Son c. The Apostle prevents an Objection here For whereas he said ver 2. The Law of the spririt of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death a man might object and say But what needst thou Paul to say The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death when as the Law which was given by Moses can do this To this the Apostle answers after this manner q. d. I said that the Law of the Spirit of life which is by Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death I said not that the Law which was given by Moses hath done this because the Law which was given by Moses was weak in comparison of the flesh and not so able to draw men after it as the flesh was after it and therefore by reason of the impotency and imbecillity of the Law of Moses in that it was weak in comparison of the flesh God sending forth his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for this end that he might be a Sacrifice for sin and destroy sin hath destroyed sin by his flesh that is by his Body which was made a Scrifice for us For what the Law could not do That which is said of the Law here that it could not do is this viz. That it could not destroy sin The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where first we may understand the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter then take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotentiam or imbecillitatem and then interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law of Moses thus For by reason of the impotency and weakness of the Law of Moses c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not only signifie Impossibilis Impossible but Impotens and Imbecillis also Imperfect and Weak and in the Neuter gender with a Prepositive Article Impotentia and Imbecillitas Impotencie and Weakness For that it was weak through the Flesh The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here rendred Through is to be taken in a sence of Comparison as I conceive q. d. In that it was weak in comparison of the flesh And the Law of Moses was weak in comparison of the flesh in that the flesh had more power to draw men after it from the Law than the Law had to draw men after it from following the flesh Through the flesh By Flesh understand here the fleshly that is the carnal appetite of a man God sending his own Son Supple into the World This sets forth the love of God in that he would send a Son and that his own Son into the World for such a purpose In the likeness of sinful flesh Flesh is to be taken here by a Synechdoche for the Body that other part of Man and that again by a further Synechdoche for the whole man q d. In the likeness of sinful man Note that the word Likeness doth not relate here to the word Flesh but to the word Sinful For Christ Jesus was true and real Flesh that is true and real Man but yet not truly and really sinful man he was only like such a man for he himself was without sin Christ was made like to sinful man in that he was made subject to infirmities and miseries as sinful man was for his sin Condemned sin i. e. Destroyed or slew sin To Condemn is taken here for to Kill Per metonymiam Antecedentis or Causae For those Malefactors which are condemned to die are put to death after the Sentence of Condemnation is passed on them to which the Apostle here alludes One way by which Christ is said to kill or slay sin is by purchasing and procuring for us by his death and sacrifice the Holy Ghost or such spiritual gifts by which we are able to crucifie or slay sin which reigned in us and after this way may the Apostle seem to be particularly understood in this place if we consider what he saith of the Law of the Spirit of life in the foregoing verse In the flesh i. e. By his Flesh that is by his Body which was made a sacrifice for us In is put here for By and the Flesh is taken here for his Body by a Metonymie and that as sacrificed and offered upon the Cross as Chap. 7.4 Ephes 2.5 Ver. 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us i. e. That we might perform those righteous Commandments which are contained in the Moral Law which was given by Moses so far forth at the least and in such manner as they are necessary to Salvation to which a most exact and a most perfect keeping of the Commandments is not required In us To wit which are in Christ Jesus Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit See verse 1. This the Apostle repeats here that he may shew the truth of it and press it home upon them to whom he wrote Ver. 5. For they that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit q. d. I say who walk not after the Flesh but after the spirit for they indeed
of men far from Righteousness that is as of men far from Justification and Remission of sins yet thou sayest that ours are the promises If therefore we are far from Righteousness or Justification that is if we are far from Remission of sins and yet thou sayest the Promises are ours Then must thou say that the word of God hath taken none effect that is That the Promise of God made to Israel concerning Remission of sins that is concerning Justification is a void promise and that God is not in that his promise as good as his word for God hath promised to remit the sins of Israel This objection the Apostle here preventeth when he saith Not as though the word of God hath taken none â—ffect The word of God That is The promise of God to wit Of pardoning the sins of the Israelites The word of God is often put by a Synechdoche Generis for the promise of God as Psal 12.6 The words of the Lord are pure words c. Isaiah 4.8 The word of the Lord shall be for ever c. Hath taken none effect i. e. Is a void word or an empty word without performance For they are not all Israel which are of Israel For all they which are born of Israel and so are called Israel or Israelites by reason of their natural descent from him are not that Israel or those Israelites to which the Promise of Remission of sins that is of Justification doth absolutely and immediately belong He gives a reason here why the word of God hath taken none effect That is why the word of God is true notwithstanding that the Jews are far from Righteousness or Justification Note here that this Promise of Remission of sins or Justification was made to all the Sons of Israel that is to all the Israelites conditionally that is upon this condition if they would believe in Christ for the promise is to you and to your children saith Saint Peter to the Jews Acts 2.32 But the absolute and immediate promise of Remission of sins that is of Justification appertaineth only to Believers that is to such as believe in Christ which are Israelites in that that they imitate the Faith of Israel and so it appertaineth not to unbelieving Jews though they are Israelites in that that they descend by true naturall Propagation from the Patriarch Jacob who was called also Israel Now our Apostle when he saith Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect He speaketh of the word of God that is of the promise of God concerning Justification or Remission of sin as it is an absolute and immediate promise and so it belongs only to the faithful which are the spiritual Israel though while it was conditional it belonged even to the Israelites which was or is Israel after the flesh They are not all Israel i. e. They are not all those Israelites or that People or those Sons of Israel to wit to whom the absolute and immediate promise of Remisssion of sins that is of Justification doth belong Israel is put here for the Israelites the Father for the Children per metonymiam efficientis Of Israel Israel is taken here in the second place for the Patriarch Jacob himself who was also called Israel It is our Apostles manner as we have observed before to teach truths and confute errors by raising objections and answering them and this hath he done especially in this Epistle Now because many of the Jews were conceited that it was enough for them that they should be justified from all their sins whereas the Gentiles should be damned for theirs that they were of the stock of Abraham or Abrahams children according to the Flesh the Apostle confutes this their errour taking occasion from an Objection which he here maketh by the by and answers I say by the by For that which the Apostle intended in the beginning of this chapter was as I said a little before to draw the Jews from that error which was most generall among them to wit that Justification was to be sought by works and not by faith which way most of them taking miss'd of what they sought for That there was an opinion among the Jews that it was enough for a Jew to be of the seed of Abraham that he might be justified appears by what John Baptist said to those which came to his Baptism Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham for our father Matth. 3.9 But see further what I said on those words Chap. 2. v. 17. Thou art called a Jew The Jews therefore for the greatest part did think to obtain Justification by works but some thought it enough for Justification that they were Abrahams or Jacobs childring according to the flesh Or if this was a General opinion among them as some say it was then the Jews thought that they had two strings to their bow or two titles to Justification though neither of them was good as the Apostle shews Ver. 7. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children i. e. Neither are all they which are the seed of Abraham children of Abraham because they are the seed of Abraham that is neither are all they which are born of Abraham come out of his loins the children of Abraham to wit those children to which the promises of Justificatlon or remission of sins belonged though they were born of Abraham according to the flesh and came out of his loins Because they are the seed of Abraham That is because they are sprung out of the loins or seed of Abraham by natural generation as children spring out of the loins or seed of their Fathers In the word seed there is Metonymia materiae Are they all children Supple Of Abraham to wit such children as to whom the promise of Remission of sins or Justification doth immediately and absolutely belong They must needs be the Children of Abraham in some regard or other which are the seed of Abraham that is which came out of Abrahams loins therefore the Apostle doth not absolutely deny here that they which are of Abraham are all Children but only in some certain respect that is in regard of the Promise of Justification and Remission of sins made to Abraham and to his seed But in Isaac shall thy seed be called The Apostle after he had said they are not all Israel which are of Israel saith neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children that he might thereby bring an Argument which they call à minori to prove that all are not Israel which are of Israel For if they which are of Abrahams seed are not all the Children of Abraham much less are all they Israel which are of Israel for the promise was first made to Abraham and to his seed and it was made to Israel only as Israel was of the seed of Abraham But in Isaac shall thy seed be called That is but they which were once in the loins
it become thee thus to dispute and argue with God for hardning thy heart The Apostle seemeth here to allude to that of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 45.9 Wo to him that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsheard strive with the Potsheard of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioned it what makâ—st thou Ver. 21. Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honour and another unto dishonour Supple If therefore the Potter hath power over the clay of the same Lump to make one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour much more hath God power over the corrupt mass of mankind where none can challenge desert to make whom he will Vessels of honour in Justifying them and others Vessels of dishonour in hardning them This as I said meets not directly with that Objection mentioned ver 19 viz. Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will But meets with the Core that lay at the Jews heart from whence this Objection sprung as the Cause thereof for this lay as a Core at the Jews heart to hear that the Children of Abraham according to the flesh would be rejected of God and have no interest in his spiritual promises by reason of their parentage and of their works And the Children of Promise that is they which believe though they were Gentiles should be received and entituled to those Promises which they could not think of without imputing unrighteousness to God and by reason of which they would often take occasion to chop Logick with God upon light grounds Thus our Sauiour Christ when the Sadduces had propounded a Question to him Matth. 22. ver 23 24 25 26 27 28. endeavours to take away that errour out of the hearts of the Sadduces which was the cause of that Question Matth. 22. ver 31 32. And now this that God hath as much power over Mankind as the Potter hath over the clay will easily vindicate God from unrighteousness in that he makes not the promise of justification to reach to all them which are the Children of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob according to the Flesh and extends it to all the Children of Primise that is to all Believers and Justifies them though they be Gentiles most of them One Vessel to honour i. e. One vessel to honourable uses as to lay our meat in or hold our drink in at our Tables Another to dishonour i. e. Another to base and dishonourable uses as to be a Chamber pot or that which is yet more base and dishonourable to hold or take away the burden of the belly Ver. 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Ver. 23. And that he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the vesselâ— of mercy which he had afore prâ—pared unto glory Supple What canst thou say against that Or what injustice or unrighteousness is there in that Willing to shew his wrath To wit against the Vessels of wrath And to make his power known To wit in the everlasting destruction or damnation of the vessels of Wrath for that they would not obey the Gospel and believe But persist in their disobedience and unbelief Endured with much long suffering i. e. Hardned and yet not positively but privatively that is by suffering them for a long time together to walk on in their pervicacious wayes without punishment Yet the Apostle saith that the long suffering of God leadeth men to Repentance Though they after their hardness and impenitent heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. ver 4.5 So that God in wrath remembreth Mercy Hab. 3.2 He sheweth here by the way how and by which of the many wayes of hardning God hardneth the hearts of the unbelieving Jews and gives the exposition as it were of that word hardneth which he used ver 18. The vessels of wrath The Vessels on which he will shew his wrath or the Vessels which deserve his wrath By Vessels he meaneth Men which he calls Vessels in allusion to Potters vessels of which he spoke ver 22. Fitted to destruction i. e. Fit for damnation or everlasting destruction that is which deserve destruction and everlasting damnation He persists still in the Allusion to a Potters pot yet think not that God did otherwise fit or make those men fit for destruction than by suffering them and permitting them to walk in their own ways without punishing them for it The Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction I conceive that the Apostle doth in a special manner mean here such as he speaks of Chap. 2.8 That is Such as are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness for unto them he saith there that God will at length render indignation and wrath though they be children of Abraham according to the flesh and seek justification by their works They are such as believed not the Gospel when it was preached unto them which the Apostle here aims at as appeareth by the tenour of his speech and among them especially the Jews whom God rejected from justification because they would not believe the Gospel when it was preached to them And indeed the Jews for the most part when the Gospel was preached to them did not only not barely believe it but were contentious against it and persecuted the Preachers of it As will appear by the History of the Acts of the Apostles Ver. 23. And that he might make known the Riches of his glory c And what if God that he might make known the abundance of his goodness to those whom he decreed to prepare to Glory hath prepared them to glory What canst thou say to that or what unrighteousness is in that The Apostle by the word Riches useth to signifie an abundance as Chap. 2.4 Chap. 11.33 2 Cor. 8.2 Ephes 1.7 and Chap. 2.7 and so he doth here And by Glory he meaneth here the goodness of God So that by the Riches of his glory we may understand the abundance of his goodness as Ephes 3.16 Every attribute of God is glorious and may by a Metonymy be called his Glory Many Interpreters do joyn the 22. and 23. verses together as though their were nothing defective here and that the Apostle would give us to know here that God endured with much long suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and so hardened them for two reasons First that he might shew his wrath and make his power known in the destruction of those vessels of wrath And Secondly that by his severity shewed on the Vessells of Wrath He might make his mercy more conspicuous and higher to be valued which he sheweth to the Vessels of Mercy for a Contrary sets off and illustrates its Contrary And that which is common to many is not so much esteemed of as that which appertains to few Yet notwithstanding I
conceive that there is an ellypsis here to be supplied from the foregoing verse that the sence of these two verses and reading with their Supplement is this q d. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known indured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction What canst thou say against that or what unrighteousness is there in that And what canst thou say against this or what unrighteousness is there in this if God That he might make known the riches of his Glory on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto Glory hath prepared those his Vessels unto glory even us c. By this our Apostle answers to both parts of that unrighteousness which was charged upon God ver 14. That is to the unrighteousness charged upon him for justifying the children of Promise and the unrighteousness which was charged upon him for denying Justification to the children of the flesh And by this he answers both parts of the Potters power mentioned ver 21. in making out of the same lump vessels of honour and vessels of Dishonour The Riches of his Glory The abundance of his goodness On the Vessels of Mercy By Vessels of mercy he meaneth those which believe ver 24. which he calls vessels in allusion to a Potters vessel of which he spake ver 21. And vessels of mercy because he shews mercy to such in remitting their sins and justifying them from their iniquities Which he had before prepared unto Glory i. e. Which he had from all eternity purposed within himself to prepare to glory even everlasting Glory in heaven that is which he had purposed within himself and decreed from all eternity to justifie In the word prepared there is an allusion to a Potters work Which he had before prepared The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie that what God had prepared he prepared before the thing was which preparation therefore must be understood of his purpose or decree to prepare See Chap. 8. ver 29. what is said on that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which he had before prepared to glory i. e. Which he had from eternity decired to justifie To prepare to glory may signifie to Justifie for Justification is a preparation to glory For Rom. 5. ver 20 21. It is said that where sin abounded grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness that is through Justification unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and God glorifies none whom he doth not Justifie therefore Justification is a preparation to Glory Ver. 24. Even us whom he hath called These words depend upon the 23. verse and tell whom and shew whom he meaneh there by the Vessels of mercy which God had before prepared unto glory he means those whom God hath effectually called that is those who believe whether they be Jews or whether they be Gentiles Whom he hath called That is whom he hath called effectually to the grace of the Gospel by the preaching thereof that is who believe the Gospel by hearkning to the call of God by the preachers or ministers of his Gospel Not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles i. e. Whether we be Jews or whether we be Gentiles Ver. 25. As he saith also in Osee Between this and the former verse understand these or the like words For God hath called the Gentiles and so made them his people In Osee to wit Osee Chap. 2.23 The Jews were much offended that the Apostle should preach that salvation should be and was come to the Gentiles That therefore they might know the truth of this and that they might not be offended that he our Apostle and other the Apostles of Christ did extend Justification and other the spiritual mercies of God to the Gentiles aswell as to the Jews Our Apostle as often as he hath occasion speaks of the calling of the Gentiles and in particular sheweth here that by preaching this they preached no more than what the Prophets of the Lord whom they could not except against foretold I will call her my people which was not my People and her belov d which was not beloved i. e. I will make them my people which were not my people and that Nation my beloved which was not beloved of me The Apostle proves here the Calling of the Gentiles and he proves it out of the Prophets that the Jews might the better believe it who were mâ—st against it Note that to Call signifies sometimes to Make See Chap. 4.17 These words of the Prophet Osee Osee 2. 23. are spoken in the Literal or Historical sence of the Ten tribes of Israel whom God had cast off because of their Idolatry and other their sins and dispersed them amongst the Nations whom afterwards he received again into favour And took them for the People of his love again But in the Mystical sence they are to be understood of the Gentiles whom God for time past neglected suffering them to walk in their own ways Acts 14 16. For the Ten tribes of Israel while they were cast off by God for their Idolatry and dispersed among the Gentiles were a Type of the Gentiles which worshiped Idols in former time and which were cast off and neglected of God And Gods taking of the Ten tribes into favour again after they were cast off for their Idolatry and dispersed among the Nations was a Type of Gods calling the Gentiles to him and his blessing them with his spiritual blessings after they had been so long neglected Ver. 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 This is taken also out of the Prophet Hosea Hosea 1.10 And is also in the Literal or Historical sence spoken of the Ten tribes of Israel as the former Testimony was whom God had put away for their sins and said of them That they were not his people yet at length he received them to favour again And said of them That they were the Children of the living God And as there so here the Ten tribes were a Type of the Gentiles who were not the People of God in times past but were such as God cared not for yet are now made the Children of God Almighty through faith And to them do these words in the Mystical sence appertain and of them they may be thus expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it shall come to pass i. e. And this which I now speak of shall come to pass viz. c. That in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my People i. e. That in that place As v. g. In Greece in Italy in France in England Or in what place soever they dwelt of whom God might say Ye are not my People
believed God c. The Apostle brings a new argument to prove that God hath not cast away his people the Jews as he speaks Ver. 1. or to prove that those Jews which stumbled have not stumbled that they should fall as he speaks ver 11. And therefore thither must this causal particle For relate As ye i. e. As ye Gentiles In times past By times past he meaneth the times before Christs comming in which God suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Acts 14.16 Have not believed God i. e. Have not beleived God to wit when God declared to you by his works that he ought to be worshiped but ye worshiped not him but served other Gods But have obtained mercy i. e. But have now believed through the grace and mercy of God and are brought into the Church of God and justified from your sins by reason of your belief Through their unbelief i e By reason of the unbelief of the Jews God calling you to the faith of the Gospel because the Jews would not believe it Ver. 31. Even so have these i. e. Even so have these to wit the Jews for the greatest part of them Now not believed Now for a time not believed the Gospel but rejected it That through your mercy i. e. That by reason of the mercy which ye have obtained They also may obtain mercy i e. They also may obtain the like mercy The Jews which would not believe for a while but should afterwards believe shall when they believe believe as it is probable through the faith of the Gentiles as being provoked to jealousie or emulation through their saith and the mercies bestowed upon them by reason thereof See ver 11.14 Ver. 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief Those words would be better rendred thus For God hath concluded all in unbelief Leaving out that demonstrative pronoun them for which there is no word to countenance it in the Greek For God hath concluded all in unbelief i. e. For God hath partly heretofore and partly now concluded all in unbelief both Jews and Gentiles Gentiles heretofore and Jews now He confirms here what he said verse 30.31 And yet this may be a new argument to prove what he said in the beginning of the first or in the beginning of the eleventh verse and be referred thither God hath concluded all in unbelief The word rendred here unbelief is in the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a pertinacy in unbelief whereby a man is as it were imperswasible or not to be perswaded or induced to believe And to be concluded signifies to be shut up as it were in a prison God is said to conclude men in this unbelief and to imprison them as it were in it by a Metaphor because he doth suffer them to be taken and ensnared in it And suffers difficulties to be laid upon them so that they cannot easily free themselves and get out of this unbelief and break as it were the bolts and open the doors which kept them thus shut up But he concludes or shuts up none after this manner but for their sins Hath concluded This word by a Syllepsis signifies both time past and present yea and time continuing and going on to All Supple Both Jews and Gentiles Yet not all absolutely but far the greatest part of all Hyperbole In unbelief To wit as in a prison That he might have mercy upon all i. e. That he might bring all to believe and to the mercies which he shews them which believe When he saith That he might have mercy upon all it is manifest that by this he cannot mean every singular man There is therefore an other Hyperbole in the speech Ver. 33. O the depth of the Riches both of the wosdom and knowledge of God q. d. O how deep and remote from humane sense is the abundance or greatness of the wisdom and knowledge of God! This Admiration or Exclamation of the Apostle is occasioned especially by what he said ver 30 31 32. For what he saith there makes him admire and admiring to break out into words of Admiration of the wisdom and knowledge of God to think that the Gentiles which in times past believed not should now believe through the unbelief of the Jews and that the Jews which now believe not should hereafter be brought to believe through the faith of the Gentiles which seem to be contrary means and that God should in his due times conclude both Jews and Gentiles in unbelief that he might in his due times bring them both to believe which no creature could ever have dreamed of had not God revealed it to them O the depth of the Riches i. e. O how deep lie the Riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God The Riches i. e. The abundance or greatness The Hebrews call all abundance and greatness by the name of Riches as Cap. 2 4. and Cap. 9.23 The Apostle therefore that he might shew the Abundance and greatness of the wisdom and knowledge of God maketh use of the word Riches here O the depth of the riches c. In an heap of Riches the greater and the more the Riches are the more profound and the deeper is the heap therefore say some to shew the abundance of the Riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God the Apostle useth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or depth here But being that it follows How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out I conceive that the Apostle useth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or depth here to signifie the unsearchableness and difficulty or impossibility of finding out Gods judgements and ways and the Apostle alludeth here to Gold and Silver and other Mettals which lie deep in the bowels of the Earth which the deeper they lie the more remote they are from the sight and more difficult to be found or lit upon A Philosopher said of Truth because she was hard to be found that she lay deep in a pit It is not unusual therefore to say of things difficult to be found that they are deep or lie deep to wit in the earth or the like Of the wisdom To wit by which God ordereth and disposeth in his judgement of the things which he makes or hath made And knowledge of God i. e. And the knowledge of God whereby he knoweth how to effect what he judgeth fit in his wisdom to be done As some do put a difference between the wisdom and knowledge of God here by reason of these distributive particles Both and And So others notwithstanding them take them both to signifie one and the same thing by a Synonymia familiar to the Hebrews How unsearchable are his judgements By the judgements of God are here meant the acts and determinations of his understanding whereby he wisely determins and disposeth of things And his ways past finding out By ways may be here meant the means by which God brings to pass what
one with another making every ones case their own The mind is not to be taken here for the understanding but for the affection For the Apostle doth usually refer the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the affection not to the understanding See Chap. 15.5 Mind not high things i. e. Think not upon high things as Riches Honour and the like which will the more puff a man up and make him proud the more he thinks of them This is a means to make men to be of the same mind that is of the same affâ—ction one towards another to wit for a man not to think of his Riches and Honour and the like when he excells others therein And therefore the Apostle seemeth to mention it here in this place and to give it this order But condescend to men of low estate i. e. But putting away the thought of those high things condescend to your fellow-Christians to consort cordially and lovingly with them though they be men of low-estate as though their outward estates were as good as yours This was spoken to such as were rich or noble or the like Be not wise in your own conceits Then is a man said to be wise in his own conceit when he thinks that his own wit is sufficient and that he needs not to be taught of any or when he thinks that others are not so wise as he is and this puffs him up and makes him proud This praecept is directed to those who were learned in any kind and had knowledge more than others and it is as a means to make them to be of the same mind with the unlearned and ignorant and therefore is it given here Ver. 17. Recompence to no man evil for evil i. e. If any man hath injured thee revenge not thy self upon him This precept concerns private men for he which is in publique authority is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Cap. 13.4 And therefore he may recompense evil for evil The evill of punishment for the evill of Sin Provide things honest in the sight of all men q. d. Look to your selves and to your lives that all things which ye do be so honestly and rightly done as that they may be approved not only of God but also of men that no man be offended thereby but that he may rather from thence have an example of well doing Ver. 18. If it be possible as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men Such is the nature of some men as that there is no peace to be had with them therefore the Apostle gives that in command here not which depends upon other men and is in them but which is in our own power If it be possible That is if it be so that you offend not thereby against the truth or justice or piety or the like For we must not do evill that good may come thereon Asmuch as in you lieth Where a man doth what in him lieth to live peaceably and cannot because of the perversness of other men he hath done his duty Ver. 19. Avenge not your selves i. e. Revenge is not the way to procure peace but rather to begin endless discords and therefore doth the Apostle here in this place command us not to avenge our selves because he gave a precept of ensuing peace immediately before The Apostle touched upon this precept before verse 17. but here he resums it again that he might back it with sound reasons as being a most difficult precept to our nature But rather give place unto wrath i. e. But rather when wrath comes towards you give place to her and get away from her that she may not take hold of you or be with you to stir you up to revenge Where wrath is there is desire of revenge The Apostle speaks here of wrath as of a Person by a prosopopoeia Wrath is apt to stir men up to take revenge on them which anger them therefore doth the Apostle wish men here to give place that is to fly from wrath For it is written Viz. Deut 32.35 Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord This is an argument against our revenging our selves For by revenging our selves we intrench upon that which is Gods peculiar for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. I will repay i. e. I will repay or recompense vengeance upon him which deserveth it There is an Emphasis in the pronoun I. This hinders not but that vengeance may belong to Magistrates for they are Gods Ministers and Revengers Cap. 13.4 And therefore the vengeance which they execute is Gods Ver. 20. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink q. d. Be thou therefore so far from avenging thy self as that if thine enemy hunger feed him or if he thirst give him drink that is if he stand in need of any thing that thou canst do for him do it This is taken out of Proverbs 25 21. If thine enemy i. e. If he who hateth thee For in so doing That is by feeding him when he hungreth and by giving him drink wben he is thirsty that is by giving him freely what he stands in need of Thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head That is thou shalt heap as it were coals of fire on his head that is thou shalt purge him to wit of his enmity towards thee and make him become thy friend whereas he was thine enemy before This sence agreeth with the following verse The Apostle seemeth to me to use a Metaphor here drawn from Metals whose dross is purged by fire for the Refiners use not only to put coals under but also to heap up coals of fire upon the metal or upon the head of the refining pot or crucible wherein the metal is melted that the mettal being covered with coals of fire may the sooner or the better be melted or refined though under ordinary seething pots they onely put coals under to make them seeth In this Metaphor the works of Charity in feeding and giving drink are likened to the coals of fire in the purifying of metals Fire is oftentimes used Metaphorically in the Scriptures yet never oftener than it is for purging or purifying Thus are the words of the Lord said to be pure words even as the silver which from the earth is tryed and purified seven times in the fire Ps 12.17 Ver. 21. Be not overcome of evill i. e. Evil is here a noun of the neuter gender and therefore is to be taken for malice or wickedness He is overcome of evill which will sin against another because another hath sinned against him Or which will do hurt to another because another hath done hurt to him But overcome evil with good He overcomes evill with good which with kindness and works of Charity maketh him who was his enemy and did him wrong before to be his friend and ready to do him good now This is the
use of others Note that what the Apostle says here he says by the Judgement of Charity not out of any certain or infallible knowledge The Apostle is here very favourable to these Romans which being weak in faith did abstain from meats which were forbidden by the Law of Moses and did observe those days as holy which the Law of Moses commanded to be kept holy and makes an Apologie for them Yet he is very angry with the Galatians for observing Moses Law as may appear by divers passages of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Epistle written to them A question therefore may be asked why the Apostle should be so favourable to the Romans in this and so sharp to the Galatians Answ They of which the Apostle speaks here were such as were Jews living at Rome and converted from Judaism to Christianity who therefore were brought up under the Law of Moses and accustomed to those things which were commanded and forbidden therein respectively for which cause the Apostle thought it fit to deal gently with them least by harsh and sharp dealing they should forsake the Gospel of Christ and his faith rather than be suddenly brought off from those observances to which they had been accustomed all their days And for that also that he would shew such reverence to the Law of Moses as that it being dead it should be buried as it were with honour But the Galatians to which he wrote were such as were Gentiles and had been all their life-time brought up in Gentilism never in Judaism Therefore he would never suffer the Law of Moses to be imposed upon them but when they seemed to be willing to receive it when false Apostles would have imposed it upon them he rebukes them sharply for it lest if he should seem to tollerate it or wink at it in them it might be thought that the keeping of Moses Law was necessary to Justification to which faith onely is required Yet though the Apostle dealt thus gently and favourably with these Romans that is with these Jews of Rome here and would not have them to be received to doubtful disputations concerning their opinions yet he did suffer them but for a time and did by little and little instruct them in the truth and perswade them concerning the abrogation of the Law of Moses by Christ as he had opportunity That therefore these weak Jews of Rome did observe days and abstain from meats according to the Law of Moses and not according to the liberty or freedom which was purchased by Christ It was not a thing commendable in them for it did proceed from their weakness in the faith ver 1. but was a fault in them rather yet such a fault as the Apostle would excuse and have others which were strong in the faith to excuse also interpreting what they did to the better part and looking charitably to that which was good or might be good in it Ver. 7. For none of us liveth to himself i. e. For none of us which are Christians doth that which he doth while he liveth for his own profit or for his own glory Of us i. e. Of us Christians Liveth i. e. Doth any thing in his life-time To himself i. e. For himself that is for his own profit or for his own glory Vnderstand chiefly or principally or in comparison of what he doth for the glory of God And no man dieth to himself i. e. And no man which is a Christian doth if he dieth by his death seek profit or glory to himself understand chiefly and Principally here too The Apostle speaks here in the person of a good and faithful Christian such as we must take every one to be in Charity while we have evidence to the contrary And what he saith he saith out of his Charity And by what he saith here he would confirm and prove what he said before to wit that both the weak and strong Christian did what they did there to the honour of God the Lord. Ver. 8. For whether we live we live unto the Lord i. e. For whether we live we do what we do all our life-time to the Glory of the Lord that the Lord may be thereby glorified We i. e. We Christians Whether we live we live c. These two words Live and Live are not to be taken here after the same manner or in the same sence but are so to be distinguished and taken as we have shewed a little before Vnto the Lord i. e. Unto the Honour and Glory of the Lord. See verse 6. And whether we die we die unto the Lord i. e. And whether we die we do by our death glorifie the Lord. Whether we live therefâ—re or die we are the Lords This is the conclusion which the Apostle aimed at and gathers from the sixth verse inclusive hitherto And now having proved that all both strong and weak are the Lords he leaves us as a thing most evident to us to conclude and judge that it is not fit for us either to despise or to judge those which are his Servants Ver. 9. For to this end Christ both died and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living Between this and the former verse Understand these or the like words And this is but meet and just viz. for us to be his servants q. d. And this is but meet and just for us to be his servants For to this end Christ both lived and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living c. He saith that Christ died for this end that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living because Christ gave his blood as a price of our redemption to redeem us out of the hands of the Devil that we might be his Servants and a peculiar treasure to him whether we live or whether we die And he is said to rise again and to revive after his death that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living not that he did redeem us by his resurrection or that his Resurrection was the price or part of the price of our Redemption but because by his Resurrection he shewed that he had paid the full price of our Redemption and by that he came to take possession as it were of that which he purchased or redeemed by his death Neither could he have been Lord of us as he was the man Christ Jesus if he had not risen again For he was not man after death till by his Resurrection his body and soul were reunited which had been severed by his death Christ when he redeemed us to be his Servants he did it that we should be his Servants not onely for term of this life which term civil services among men cannot exceed but also that we should be his Servants for the life to come yea for ever and ever And therefore is he said here to die and rise and revive that he
Jew that Christ came in person to him according to that promise which he did not to the Gentile at all These prerogatives doth the Apostle mention here and make known to the Gentilâ—s that the Gentiles might for these prerogatives sake the more willingly and more heartily receive the Jews Ver. 9. And that che Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy i. e. And I say to you O ye Jews that the Gentiles have received such mercies by Christ as that they have cause to glorifie God therefore For though Christ came not in person to the Gentiles yet he sent his Apostles and ministers to them with the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel By this he shews that they have received great mercies The Apostle makes an Apostrophe here to the Jews Where we must repeat those words I say from the former verse and add these words O ye Jews When he saith The Gentiles may glorifie God for his mercies he signifieth by a Metalâ—psis that God had vouchsafed the Gentiles great mercies such as challenge great acknowledgement and great glory to be given to God from their hands The mercy which God vouchsafed the Gentiles was that though he sent not his Son Christ Jesus to them in person as he did to the Jews yet he sent his Apostles and Ministers to them with the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ These mercies vouchsafed of God by Christ to the Gentiles doth the Apostle mention here to the Jews that the Jews might the more willingly and the more heartily receive the Gentiles Note that what God did for the Jews in sending Christ to them is said to be for the truth of God and for his promise c. But what he did for the Gentilâ—s is said to be of mercy yet we must not think that it was so of debt which God did for the Jews as that it was not of mercy also Indeed a promise doth produce a debt for he which promiseth is bound to perform his promise But yet this promise of God to the Jews did proceed from mercy so that it was Mercy which God shewed both the Jewes and the Gentiles but to the Jews a mercy promisâ—d to the Gentiles a mercy not promised but only foretold by the prophetâ— As it is written Supple In the Scriptures viz Psal 18.49 The Apostle backs this which he saith with proofs out of the Scripture because of the backwardness of the Jews to believe this mercy shewed to the Gentiles And so he doth almost every where where he speaks eâ—ther of the calling or of mercies shewed to the Gentiles for this reason For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles c. To confess is to be taken here for to praise for there is Confessio Laudis as well as Confessio peccatorum c. a confession of praise as well as a confession of sins But note that Confession as it signifieth praise is not given in Scripture to men but only to God And to confess to God signifieth to praise God because to praise God is nothing else but to confess the goodness and power and wisdom and mercy and other attributes of God The sence therefore of these words is this For this cause I will praise thee among the Gentiles c. These words are taken out of the eighteenth Psalm and the 49 verse as I said And they are spoken by David in his own person upon occasion of the deliverances which God wrought for David and the victories which he gave him over all his enemies which were so signal that he says in the words now in hand that he would declare the great mercies and blessing of God vouchsafed to him even to the Heathen that dwelt round about him But David was herein a type of Christ and Davids deliverances from Trouble a type of Christs deliverances from death and the grave c And Davids victories over his enemies a type of Christs victories over his enemies So that as these words were spoken by David in the first or Historical sence they must be understood as spoken by Christ in the second or mystical sence upon his victory over Satan and sin and the world which reigned in the Heathen or over the Heathen before that he subdued them Yet must they not be so understood as that Christ sung them or uttered them in his own person but so as that the Heathen which found Satan and sin and the world which reigned over them subdued in them by the Spirit of Christ did by the same Spirit sing this song of thanksgiving at least in the sence thereof And what is done by the Spirit of Christ is Interpretativè done by Christ himself Oâ— that the Apostles or Ministers of Christ sung this song to the praise of God For what they did Christ may be in some sence said to do When I say The Spirit of Christ I mean that Spirit which the Apostlâ— so calls Chap. 8. ver 9. And sing unto thy name i. e. And sing in the praise of thee The name of God is taken here for God himself by a Metonymie And to sing to is taken for to sing in the praise of See the like Phrase Chap. 14.6 Ver. 10 And again he saith i. e. And again the Scripture saith The Greek is onely this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again He or it saith for not the suppositum or nominative case to the verb but the verb is onely expressed but the nominative case to this verb may be dug out as I may so say of these words ver 9. As it is written that is as it is written in the Scripture Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his People This the Scripture saith Deut. 32.43 And it is part of that prophetical song which Moses sang before his death in which he shews Gods goodness to Israel in taking Israel to be his people then he foretells of the sins of Israel which they would most unworthily commit against God then he prophesieth of the punishment which God would inflict upon them for these their sins and that he would for them deliver them over to the Sword and to Captivity and at last that he would deliver them and destroy their enemies which persecuted them with the sword and held them Captives Whereupon he infers this which our Apostle here quotes Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his People that is Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people Israel Why Gods people Israel should rejoyce here it is clear to wit because after the Sword and Captivity they should be delivered from them which persecuted them But now why should the Gentiles rejoyce with his people I Answer because the Gentiles such as Moses here speaks to by way of prophesie were persecuted by the same sword and held captive by the same men by which the people of Israel were persecuted and held captive and when the people of Israel were delivered from the Sword and Captivity they were delivered too I doubt not but that Moses