there is no proportion betwixt his works and that glory which shall be revealed in the Saints But perhaps you will say that eternal glory would be due to such a one for his works by a contract or covenant of works which God made with Adam But suppose that God had made such a covenant or a contract with Adam yet would not eternal glory be due to the works of such a man of debt without the grace and favour of God For it would have been the meer grace and favour of God to covenant or promise such a reward to such a man for his works nor would that reward which is due even to such works upon this account be due to them of merit which is that which our Apostle means by debt Rom. 4.4 c. but onely by reason of that gratious promise or covenant by which God freely and graciously bound himself to reward the works of such a man with eternal glory so that in our Apostles language the reward would be still of grace For if the covenant or promise which God made to Adam of rewarding such works with eternal glory were enough to make the reward to be due to such works of debt and not of grace Why should not the New Covenant or Promise which God hath made to them which believe that he will reward their Faith if they continue in it to the End with eternal glory as Saint John 3.16 c. make the reward to be due to Faith of debt and not of grace as well as that old Covenant would to works But yet notwithstanding the Apostle saith The reward is therefore of Faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4.16 The Election therefore which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 11.5 cannot be an Election immediately to glory And if the Election there spoken of cannot be immediately to glory then surely neither is the Election here spoken of viz. Rom. 9.11 an Election immediately to eternal glory But may justification be a reward due to works of debt that is suppose that a man did perfectly keep the Law and as exactly as the Law requireth as suppose Adam would have done if he had continued in his innocency would justification be due to him of debt by reason of his works and not of Grace I answer it would be due to him of debt and not of grace For with reverence be it spoken God would be unjust if when such a one as had exactly kept the Law and never broke it at any time in the least tittle thereof should be accused as a sinner before him he should not justifie him that is if he should not acquit him and clear him of sin but should condemn him for a sinner But that there should be unrighteousness with God God forbid for then how should God judge the World And thus by what I have said it may appear that the Election which is spoken of Rom. 9.11 is immediately not to eternal Glory but to justification Now in the last place as God may be said to Elect or choose and doth elect or choose men in time and as he may be said to elect or choose men in being in time to justification and doth so elect them So his Election of such is as I conceive by his actual but free and gratious taking of them by justifying them out of the number of those which are not justified For a man may be said to make choice of a thing by some external but free action of his towards or about the thing which he is said to choose For when certain of those which were bidden to a dinner sat down in the highest places our Saviour is said to have marked them how they chose out the chiefest rooms Luke 14.7 They chose therefore the highest or chiefest rooms by their seating themselves in them For to sit down in the highest Rooms and to choose the highest rooms are there both one And when our Saviour said when thou art bidden to a wedding sit not down in the highest room Luke 14.8 It is as if he should say when thou art bidden to a wedding choose not the highest room Now as a man may be said to make choice of a thing by some external but free action of his towards or about the thing which he is said to choose so may God But to come closser to the business in hand and to shew you how God chooseth whom he chooseth in time It is said to Israel Deut. 7. ver 6 7. Thou art an holy People unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that are upon the face of the Earth The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh King of Aegypt Here we see how God chose Israel it was by bringing them out of Aegypt and redeeming them out of the house of bondage by which he took them to be a peculiar people to himself And so in all those places aforementioned which mention Gods choosing in time we may say that God is said actually to have chosen them of whom he speaks when he did put them into that Estate into which he saith he would choose them But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken and is often taken for the actual choosing of a thing by a real and actual separating of that thing from other things which are left See Badoeus in his Commentaries Page 645. Now the Apostle may seem to make choise of this word Election for Justification in this place of Rom. 9.6 not only to shew Gods free act about the believer viz. that he so justified him as that he might choose whether he would have justified him or no because he could not challenge it of debt But also to shew that whereas one Jew stood for justification because of his discent from Abraham according to the flesh Another because he sought it by works And the Believer sought it by faith God chose the Believer though a Gentile and justified him whereas he passed by those Jews If it be asked therefore who it is which God thus chooseth or purposed thus to Elect to justification I say it is the Believer For whatsoever Gods primary decree was in the execution of that decree and in the bringing of men to justification or salvation in time he justifies none but such as do first truely believe and all such he justifieth and he saveth none but such as do truely believe and persevere therein to the end and all such he will save and so to do in time and to observe that order he purposed to do from eternity
notwitststanding any Antecedent purpose or decree of his going any way before But yet our Apostle attributes our justification wholly to God who calleth Rom. 9.11 And this he doth to signifie that it is wholly of God to prescribe the way to justification who hath prescribed faith to be the way thereunto that justification may be known to be of his meer grace and mercy and that it is not in man to prescribe the way though man makes an account to obtain justification by works as the Jews did who went about to establish their own way to justification Rom. 10.3 and saught it by works Rom. 9.32 which if they could obtain by works the Way of justification would be in man indeed and justification would be not of grace but of debt Again he may ascribe it wholly to God because God is the principle cause thereof For it is usual when two causes concur to the same effect to ascribe the effect wholly to the principal cause yea and so to ascribe it to the principal cause as to deny it to the cause less principal Thus the Apostle saith I labored more then they all yet not I but the grace of God which is in me 1 Cor. 15.10 And again It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7.17 After this manner I say that justification may be ascribed wholly to God Who calleth though Faith be required thereunto Elected Rom. 8. Is taken for Elected to justification that is for them which are justified The Election Chap. 11. ver 7. Is put for the Elected an abstract for a concrete as Circumcision is put for the circumcised Chap. 3.30 And by the Elected are to be understood such as God according to the order which he observeth or decreed to observe in electing or justifying men in time justified or Elected to justification and they were such as believed Beza in his Notes upon those words Mat. 20.16 Viz. Many are called but few are chosen saith the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Elect or chosen are taken there for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For such as answer Gods call when he cals them to eternall Life i. e. For the faithfull or such as believe and so may we take the Election or Elected there Viz. Rom. 11.7 The Election spoken of Rom. chap. 11.28 Is taken for that Election whereby God chose the Jews to be his Church that is to be a peculiar people to himself to serve him and worship him after a religious manner according to that form or prescript of Religion which he should appoint and to be a people whom he would never quite forsake and leave utterly without all means of Salvation and that for their Fathers sake Abraham Isaac and Jacob. This Election God might make of the Jews for their Fathers sake and for their sakes might he not leave them utterly without all means of Salvation For the Oracles of God which none can deny to be a Means to salvation were committed to the Jewes as they were Jews that is as they were the Children of Abraham Isaac and Jacob according to the flesh Rom. 3. ver 1 2. But yet that they or any of them should be Elected to justification or to eternal Glory I dare not say that it was for any other then for Jesus Christ his sake nor dare I attribute any thing flowing from that Election to any other then to him And if our Interpreters render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.2 right when they render it chiefly The greatest or chiefest good which they received as they were Jews that is as they were the Children of Abraham Isaac and Jacob according to the flesh was this That they had the Oracles of God committed to them FAITH The Object of justifying faith is the whole Gospel of God or at least the essentiall part thereof which conteineth the new Covenant which God was pleased to make with sinfull man in Christ Jesus our Lord. For we read Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospell And Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth that is to every one that believeth it And again Rom. 10.16 but they have not all obeyed the Gospel that is they have not all believed the Gospel For Isaiah saith Lord who hath believed our report And it is written Eph. 1.13 Christ in whom ye trusted also after ye heard the word of truth the Gospell of your salvation in whom also after ye believed the said Gospel ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise And Philip. 1.27 Striving together for the faith of the Gospel The Gospel therefore or that essential part thereof to wit the new covenant of God with man is the object of saving or justifying faith Which being so I may say that saving or justifying faith is a full or firm assent of our heart or mind to the Gospel of God or at least to the new Covenant which God was pleased to make with sinful man in Christ Jesus our Lord therein conteined by reason of which we do infallibly set our selves one work one that part of the Covenant which we are to performe according to the ability which God hath given us The new Covenant made by God with man in Christ Jesus consisteth as other Covenants do of two parts One part which God promiseth and covenanteth for himself on his part to perform The other which God requireth us to do and which we must promise and covenant to performe on our part without the performance whereof on our part God is not bound to make good to us what he covenanted and promised to do for us one his part The eye therefore of our Faith must be firmely fixed on both parts of this covenant as well on that part which we our selves are for our part to performe as on that which God is to performe on his part or else our Faith will never avail us to justification But if we look on that part of the Covenant which God hath promised for his part to perform and firmly believe the truth thereof and that our onely happiness consisteth therein And on that part of the Covenant which we for our parts are to performe and firmly believe that by doing our parts we shall attain to that happiness which God for his part promised to bestow upon us and that only by doing so we shall attain to it Surely we shall be justified For this will prove an operative Faith and set us on work according to our power to obtein our only happiness and make us sedulous in the duties of holiness without which no man shall see God Hebrews 12.14 For every one doth naturally desire his own happiness and every one labours for his own blessedness and that so many miss of happiness and come short of blessedness it is not because they desire not to be happy or labour not for it
they be Gentiles Now because the same or another Jew might reply upon this and say Yea but for all thy saying Paul though I should grant that that promise doth not belong to us Jewes as we are the Children of Jacob or of Abraham according to the Flesh as Such yet surely it doth appertain to us as we seek justification by the works of the Law and we are or shall be justified by so doing To this objection the Apostle answers verse 10 11 12 13. to this effect No neither shall ye be justified for this neither which may be proved by that which God said unto Rebecca while she had two Twins Esau and Jacob the heads of two People in her womb For at that time when the Children were not yet born before they had done either good or evil he said unto her The Elder shall serve the Younger and this God said to her at that time to signifie in a type that his purpose concerning his actual Electing men to Justification which Election is performed in time by justifying them was and should be to elect or justifie them not for their workes sake for which no man can be justified and if he could he might claim justification of debt but for his own Mercy and Grace sake who calleth us by the preaching of his Gospel that we may believe and believing may be justified and hath appointed that to be our way for Justification But because a Jew would be apt to say that if it were so as St. Paul had said Viz. That God would not justifie a Jew though he were a Jew by birth and though he did moreover seek justification by works if he believed not and yet would justifie every one which believeth though he were a Gentile Then there would be unrighteousness with God Saint Paul takes away this objection shewing first That there is no unrighteousness with God in justifying those which believe though they be Gentiles for he may justly have mercy on whom he will have mercy ver 15. And by the by ver 16 he shews them who being ignorant of Gods way of Righteousness or Justification went about to establish a way of their own that it was not in them who chose a way of Righteousness or Justification of their own though they were zealous in that way and run earnestly in it to attain to Justification but it was onely in God who sheweth mercy to whom he will and to what way he will Then as he had shewed that there was no unrighteousness in God if he did justifie those which did believe though they were Gentiles He shewes verse 17. by the Example which God shewed upon Pharaoh that there is no unrighteousness in God if he did not justifie a Jew though he were a Jew by birth and sought Justification by works if he believed not And concludeth verse 18. That God doth justly justifie whom he will and doth justly deny justification to whom he will yea and harden them too And now being that God doth every where complain of the Jewes and threatneth to destroy them for the hardness of their heart A malepart Jew starts up and hearing Paul say that God hardeneth whom he will Sayes But if God hardeneth whom he will why doth he now find fault with us and threatneth us for our hardness of heart For it is he that hardneth whom he will and if he will harden us how can we help it are we able to resist him To this objectian made verse 19. Saint Paul answers first by rebuking the Objector for his Sauciness who dares to chop Logick thus with God verse 20 21. Then verse 22 23. he gives a more direct answer by which he shews that God did harden them onely occasionally in that he did not cut them off but did endure them with much long-suffering by which those vessels of wrath that is they which were contentious and obeyed not the truth but obeyed unrighteousness fitted themselves for destruction for though by his long-suffering God led them to repentance yet they by the abuse thereof contracted hardness and an impoenitent hearts upon themselves heaping up wrath against the day of wrath and Revelation of the Righteous judgement of God and therefore there was no unrighteousness in God if he being willing to shew his wrath upon those vessels of wrath if they would not repent he found fault with them when they repented not And if by so doing he shewed the abundance of his goodness also to the vessels of mercy by justifying them and so preparing them to glory as he had before determined Which vessels of mercy he shews verse 24. to be them which believe not of the Jswes onely but of the Gentiles also Then to confirm what he had said concerning those disobedient Jews and the believing Gentiles he brings divers testimonies out of the Scriptures verses 25 26 27 28 29. And then he gathers out of what he had said that the believing Gentiles had attained to Justification by their Faith ver 30. But the Jewes for the greatest part of them missed of Justification because they sought it not by Faith but by the works of the Law And so having made way to that which he left imperfect at the sixth verse of this Chapter CHAP. X. In the tenth Chapter he sheweth what that was which he said in the beginning of the ninth did grieve him for the Jews which was this that they being ignorant of Gods way of Righteousness and going about to establish their own way of Righteousness submitted not themselves unto that way of Righteousness which God had appointed verse 3. but he ushereth it in Verse 1 2. with other words then he used in the beginning of the ninth Chapter Then verse 4. he sheweth why they submitted not themselves to that way of Righteousness or Justification which God had appointed The reason was because they were offended at Christ who was the end of the Law for Righteousness Then he shews that the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of Faith are not all one Verse 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Then from verse 14 to the end he sheweth that the Gospel ought to be preached to the Gentiles and was preached to them and they received it gladly But though it was preached to the Jewes yet they refused it and would have none of it Wherefore because some might doubt concerning the perversness of the Jewes whether God had not or would not cast them off wholly for this their perverseness CHAP. XI The Apostle in the eleventh Chapter moves the question whether God had cast off his people the Jews or no And answers it in the negative verse 1. And to prove that he had not cast them all off he shews that he was a Jew and yet was accepted of God And that the Jews were a people whom God did foreknow that is whom God did determine from eternity so to love as not utterly to forsake them verse 2. and
Church of God that is the company of them which served him were to do when the Law was dead or ceased otherwise not to be taken for his Church or any of them for Members thereof Note that the Church of God is but one and was but one from the beginning though that Oeconomy thereof as I may so term it was divers in divers times according to the Will and Wisedom of God Though the greatest part of the Jews were broken off from the Olive-tree by those means which I have spoken of that is by their unbelief and disobedience to the Gospel of Christ yet God left them not without all means of being engraffed into the same again which our Apostle seems to say when he saith If the root be holy so are the branches and that by reason of the promise of God that God would be a God to Abraham and to his seed in their generations and that he would never utterly forsake them to destroy them Of which I have spoken before in the word Foreknow In the first to the Corinthians 7.14 The Apostle saith that the children of such parents whereof one is a Believer the other an Vnbeliever if their Parents live together are holy And therefore are they called holy not because they would otherwise be Bastards but because by reason of their Parents living together they would have by their believing Parent the means of salvation and the opportunity of coming to the knowledge of Christ which the Children of those Parents which were both Infidels or where both were not Infidels yet if they parted one from the other the children being in danger to follow the unbelieving parent had not and now if such children may be called holy because they had this Advantage above the children of Infidels How much more may the Jews be called holy yea even then when they are broken off from the Olive tree and have lost that part of holiness which consisted in being actual members of the Church of God and part of the people which served him during the time of their unbelief when as God hath promised not so to leave them as that they should be utterly without all means of salvation IN. In is a Preposition which the Apostle useth with more variety of significations then the Greeks do their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latines their In. And this he doth because he useth it as the Hebrews use their praefix Beth which though it doth most commonly signifie In. Yet they put it for almost any Praefix or preposition whatsoever TO JVSTIFIE TO BE JVSTIFIED JVSTIFICATION To justifie as it is most frequently used in this Epistle of Saint Paul is a Law term used and borrowed from Courts of Justice wherein he is said to be justified who is absolved or freed or acquited or cleared from some capitall crime whereof he was accused by the Sentence pronounced by the Judge and being acquited or absolved from the Crime is also absolved or acquited from the punishment which the Accusers asked against him as due to the crime whereof they accused him and is dealt with as with an innocent and upright man Hence to be justified and to be condemned are opposed as contraries one to another as Mat. 12.37 By thy works thou shalt be justified and by thy works thou shalt be condemned To be justified therefore is for a man to be absolved or acquited by the Judge from those crimes and accusations which are laid to his charge by his accusers Now he that is accused may be either an upright and innocent man or he may be a Delinquent or Offender And either of these may be justified that is may be acquited of the crimes laid to his charge and the punishmont due to those crimes by this Judge The former that is to say the upright and innocent man by reason of his innocency or by reason of that that he was not found guilty of the crimes whereof he was accused The other to wit the Delinquent or Offender by reason of the mercy and favour of the Judge to him who notwithstanding that that he was guilty of the crimes laid to his charge did acquit him of the Action or Accusations put in against him and absolve him from it and give him a free pardon of those his offences To the first to be justified or to be cleared or absolved from the accusation wherewith he was accused did appertain of due or of right or of justice For the Judge would have been unjust if he had not acquited him But to the Second to be justified or to be cleared or absolved from the accusation wherewith he was accused was meerly an Act of grace and favour in that the judge did out of Grace and favour acquit him or absolve or clear him from the action or crime laid unto his charge and the punishment thereunto due and did pardon his offences whereas he might justly have condemned him for them Now according to this or in allusion to this which I have said He that doth the works of the Law so strictly and exactly as the Law requireth is said by our Apostle to be justified by his works for the doers of the Law shall be justified saith he Rom. 2.13 That is they shall be justified by their doing the Law And they which are so justified are said to be justified of debt For to him that worketh is the reward which is Justification not reckoned of grace but of debt saith our Apostle Rom. 4.4 And again If it to wit justification be of works then it is not of grace otherwise work is no more work saith he Rom. 11.6 And indeed if Satan should accuse such a one before God as a sinner and require that he might be cast into the same condemnation with himself God would with reverence be it spoken be unjust if he should not acquit him and clear him of that for which Satan accused him and this justification may be called the justification of an innocent or righteous man Again according to that which I said Is he which believeth justified For a man which Believeth is justified by his faith Rom. 3.27 But this justification is not of debt but of Grace For therefore it is of faith that it may be by grace saith our Apostle Rom. 4.16 I say such a man which believeth is said to be justified because though Satan should accuse him before God the Judge of all as such a one who hath broken the Law and should require of him that he should be damned for it yet would God absolve him and give him a free pardon of all his sins and deal with him as with an innocent and righteous man for Jesus Christ his sake in whom he believeth And this may be called the justification of a sinner The justification of the former man is reckoned to him for his works sake The justification of this latter is imputed to him through the Grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus and
would be due not of debt but of grace But they are not requisite to justification for they follow it But yet they are requisite to Eternal Salvation For If we live after the flesh we shall die but if through the Spirit we mortifie the deeds of the flesh we shall live Rom. 8.13 But yet though the works which Saint Paul speaks of do require a most exact conformity with the Law throughout a mans whole life without the least interruption or deviation from the Law otherwise a man cannot be justified by them yet may a man be saved though after his justification by faith when the works which Saint James speaks of do begin there be some failer in those his works and they do not exactly answer the rigour of the Law To these words which I have treated of might be added the Explication of other words but because they will be found sufficiently explained as I hope in their places in these ensuing Commentaries I add no more But as the Explication of these words afore explained is convenient for the better understanding of divers passages of this Epistle so would the explication of those Figures of Speech which Saint Paul useth be for the Vulgar who are unacquainted with them But because I have been more large upon these elsewhere viz. in the Preface of my aforenamed Book I shall be the briefer here and only give the description of those following to wit Metaschematismus Prosopopoeia Synechdoche with some examples of each METASCHEMATISMVS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metaschematismus is a Figure by which a man speaks of that as done by himself and in his own person which was done or acted by others in their persons An evident example of this we have 1 Cor. 4 6. where Saint Paul when he had spoken of some things which were done by others as if they had been done by himself and by Apollos saith And these things Brethren I have in a Figure transferred to my self and to Apollos for your sakes c. This same Figure doth Saint Paul also use Rom. 7. verse 7. c. where he saith I had not known sin but by the Law and so forward For from that place to the end of the Chapter he acts in his own person a Jew or rather the whole people of the Jews among whom were divers of divers dispositions as they lived both before and under the Law and transfers their manners and doings to himself And that it may not seem uncouth for one man to act the part of a whole people and that in several estates in his own single Person That Polite Historian L. Florus considered the people of Rome in their several ages and estates as one single Man For Siquis populum Romanum quasi hominem consideret totamque ejus aetatem percenseat ut coeperit atque adoleverit ut quasi ad inventae florem pervenerit ut postea velut Consenuerit quaâ—â—or gradus processusque ejus inveniet saith he in the Proaeme of his History i. e. If any one shall consider the people of Rome as it were a man and throughly consider its whole age how it began how it grew up to its stripling and how it came to its more manly age and how afterwards it did as it were wax old he shall find as it were four degrees or proceedings thereof c. But that I may take occasion here to speak more fully of those whom Saint Paul personates from the seventh Verse of the seventh Chapter to the Romans to the end thereof I conceive that the Apostle doth from those words of the seventh Verse of that Chapter viz. Nay I had not known sin but by the Law c. and so forward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that he speaks not in his own peroson but in the person of others that is that he personates here the people of Israel that is the Jews which lived both before the Law and under the Law which was given by Moses and so personates them as if they were but one single Man and yet not all the Jews neither but the greatest part of them and these considered not as they might have been for surely they might have been better if they had put out themselves to the utmost and used their utmost endeavours to have been better but as they were And they were for the most part of them a carnal untoward stubborn and rebellious people and a people of the worst Natures I said first that the Apostle doth not as I conceive speak here in his own person nor yet in the person of a regenerate man for reasons which I gave in my Commentaries on those words Ver. 14. But I am carnal sold under sin Secondly I said that the Apostle doth speak here in the person of the People of Israel or of the Jews for it is most evident that in the former part of the Chapter he spoke of the Jews and they are they who he said were delivered from the Law wherein they were held that they should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter verse 6. And from that that the Apostle said that they had lived in the oldness of the Letter is the ground of that Objection which is made in the seventh verse viz. What shall we say then is the Law sin which Objection the Apostle could not better or more aptly answer than by shewing what kind of people the Jews were both as they lived before and under the Law and thereby clear the Law of sin And therefore doth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or take upon him their person Thirdly I said that he doth not here personate all the Jews and therefore I said it because all the Jews were not such as he speaks of here to wit carnal and sold under sin and such as in whom sin wrought all manner of concupiscence for it is written of Zachary and Elizabeth his Wife that they were both righteous before God walking in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless Luke 1.6 Of David it is said that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite 1 Kings 15.5 And of Asa that his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes ibid. ver 14. The like we read of others which lived under the Law And what shall we say of Isaiah Jeremy and other Prophets of the Lord what of those worthy Jews which the Apostle commendeth Heb. 11. shall we say that they were carnal sold under sin and that they were forges of all manner of concupiscence where doth ever the Scripture speak such things of such men These and all such as these were were not carnal but spiritual and though they lived under the Law that is under the obligation of the Law yet were they not under the imperfection of
justification before God better than the Gentiles because of this No in no wise for we have before accused and charged and that justly too both Jews and Gentiles I speak of such as are out of Christ that they are all under the guilt of sin and so subject to damnation 10. As it is written There is none righteous no not one 10. For that all are under the guilt of sin and so subject to damnation Jews as well as Gentiles I shall besides what I have already said to this prove even out of the Scriptures of the Old Testament For it is written Psalm 14. vers 1 2 3. There is none righteous no not one 11. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God 11 There is none that understandeth what the will of the Lord is that he may yield obedience thereunto There is none that seeketh after God that he might be instructed by him and do as he would have him 12. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doeth good no not one 12. They are all gone out of the way of Gods commandments which they should walk in they are altogether become unprofitable and not fit for any holy service There is none that doth good no not one 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poison of Asps is under their lips 13. And Psal 5.9 Their throat is as an open sepulchre out of which not onely soul and filthy words do proceed as filthy and noisome smels proceed out of an open sepulchre wherein dead carkasses have been buried But also as an open Sepulchre is laid open to receive a dead body that it may consume it and bring it to dust So are their throats opened to utter words whereby they may destroy them whom they speak against With their tongues they have used deceit while they speak fair but think foul and would entrap men and bring them into danger and ruine by their flattering speeches Their words are as hurtful as is the poyson of an Aspe to the body that is tainted therewith So that there is as it were the poyson of Asps under their lips poysoning and invenoming their words that they may even kill them of whom or to whom they speak 14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness 14. And Psal 10.7 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood 15. And Isa 59.7 8. They are ready to run upon all occasions to shed innocent blood 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways 16. Which way soever they go they destroy and work misery as a destroying plague 17. And the way of peace have they not known 17. They are Strangers to the way of peace neither can they live peaceably with other men 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes 18. And Psal 36.1 though the fear of God be the only curbe to keep in and refrain us from evil yet there is no fear of God before their eyes 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God 19. But thou wilt object O thou Jew against these testimonies of Scripture and say that these testimonies appertain not unto thee they concern only the wicked Gentiles But thou art under the Law O thou Jew in that thou art a disciple of whatsoever is delivered in the Old Testament for by the Law here I mean whatsoever doctrine or writing is contained in the Old Testament and we know that whatsoever the law saith it saith to them who are under the Law and therefore these testimonies concern thee So that every mouth is stopped No man whatsoever can glory in his righteousness before God yea which is yet less no man can excuse himself from unrighteousness So that all the men in the world having nothing to say for themselves are become apparently guilty of condemnation before God the Judge of all 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin 20. Therefore by what I have said from the beginning of this Epistle hitherto it appeareth that no man is justified in the sight of God by the deeds which he hath done of the law and yet let no man say that the law is needless for by the law is the knowledge of sin and by that we may know what we should do though we do it not 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifâ—sted being witnessed by the law and the prophets 21. But thou wilt say if by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God then is the condition of man most miserable for how can any one be saved Now therefore to raise all drooping Spirits the righteousness or justification of God that is the righteousness or justification of which God is the Author and which will justifie them even before God which attain to it a righteousness or justification attainable without the works of the Moral law is manifested by the Gospel and to vindicate it from all novelty or phansy of man as the Author of it it is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference 22. Even the righteousness of God who is the Author and Approver thereof which righteousness cometh by the Faith of Jesus Christ that is by the faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto all and onely to all them that believe the Gospel For in the matter of righteousness or justification there is no differenre in the way or means of attaining to it 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God 23. For all have sinned and come short of the praise of that is of being praised of him for doing their duty or for keeping the law and doing the works thereof as exactly as the law requireth 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ 24. So that as many as are justified are justified freely by his grace and favour through that righteousness or justification that Christ Jesus hath merited for us 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 25. Whom God hath given setforth proclaimed by his Ministers to be the Appeasour of his wrath and displeasure and to be enjoyed and made ours as such by the faith which we repose in his death and for this end hath he given him and set him forth to be the Appeasour of his wrath and displeasure that he might
the Jew of the good will of God towards the Gentiles from that therefore he inferreth this Corollary Is he the God of the Jews only c. As if he should say and now O thou Jew is God the God of the Jews only is he not the God of the Gentiles also Yes he is the God of the Gentiles also seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through Faith And this or the like opportunity he takes often to declare the good will and favour of God towards the Gentiles because the Jews counted the Gentiles but as brute Beasts to whom God had no respect in comparison of themselves Ver. 30. Seeing it is one God which shall justifie It would have been better rendred thus Seeing God is one who justifieth c. That is Seeing God is one and the same God which justifieth the Circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through Faith God is called One here not in respect of his Essence or in opposition to a multitude of gods but in respect of his carrying himself to all alike whether Jews or Gentiles q. d. Seeing God is one and the same towards all who shall justifie c. Which shall justifie the circumcision by faith Note that the Circumcision is taken here for the Circumcised that is for the Jews who were Circumcised by a Metonymie and that shall justifie is put here for doth justifie A Future for a Present tense after the manner of the Hebrews which use so to do especially when they would signifie a continued Act. And the uncircumcision through faith By the uncircumcision are here meant the Gentiles who used not Circumcision as the Jews did who were enjoyned by God to it but were uncircumcised And yet we read of some Gentiles which were Circumcised as the people of Colchis Aegypt and Aethiopia as Herodotus relates in his Euterpe yet they come under the name of uncircumcision here because the Circumcision which they received they received from among themselves the use thereof was not enjoyned to them of God as that Circumcision which the Jews used was to them Gen. 17. v. 10 11 c. Note that these Phrases By faith and Through faith signifie one and the same thing and that there is no difference in the sence of the Phrases though there be in the words In that God justifieth both Jew and Gentile after the same manner it sheweth him to be the same in his love and affection to both Ver. 31. Do we then make void the Law through faith q. d. Do we then say that the Law is useless and as an idle thing and a thing of no effect by those things which we have said of faith To make void is put here for to say that it is void by a Metalepsis Note that the Apostle doth prevent an Objection here for because he said v. 28. We conclude that a Man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law And again v. 30. It is one God or God is One which shall justifie the Circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith A Jew might object and say If it be so that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law and God doth justifie the Circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision throuh faith then is the Law void for to what end should it stand if it did not justifie a man To this the Apostle answers That notwithstanding that which he had said concerning faith the Law doth stand yea what he said concerning faith doth establish the Law For though the Law doth not justifie a man yet the Doctrine of faith doth enjoyn those which believe to lead a pious godly and religious life according to the Praescript of the Law and to follow those things which the Law commandeth And by faith we attain to more ability for the performance of the Law than the Law it self can give Note that what is here spoken must be understood of the Moral Law Through faith i. e. Throuh the Doctrine of faith or through those things which we have said of faith We establish the Law i. e. We maintain the Law in its standing and keep it up That is we take not the Law away but let it stand in its due place and give it its due honour How Saint Paul established the Law by faith we shewed a little before in the Exposition of this verse He establisheth it by making it or teaching that it is a Rule of our Lives though he denies to be the means of justification And that we attain more ability to the keeping of the Law through faith than the Law it self could give us CHAP. IV. 1. WHat shall we say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the flesh hath found 1. We have taught hitherto that the man that is justified is not justified by the works of the Law but by faith And let us now enquire in particular concerning Abraham's justificâ—tion to wit how he was justified How shall we say then that Abraham who is our Father as concerning the flesh attained to justification Shall we say that Abraham attained to justification by works No in no wise 2. For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God 2. For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory or boast even before God but he hath not whereof to glory or to boast before God therefore he is not justified by works 3. For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness 3. Now that Abraham hath not whereof to glory or boast before God is apparent for what saith the Scripture It saith that Abraham believed God and that that was set down upon his account to him to receive righteousness or justification for it that is in fewer words it saith That Abraham believed God and for that he was justified Gen. 15.5 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt 4. Now to him that worketh the works of the Law so punctually and so exactly as that he never failes at any time in performing the least title of the Law to him indeed the reward that is righteousness or justification is set down upon accompt to be paid him as a thing not of grace and favour but of debt for with reverence be it spoken God would be unjust if he should not justifie him that is if he should not acquit him but condemn him for a sinner who had never sinned So that he indeed hath whereof to glory or boast even before God 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness 5. But to him that worketh not the works of the Law so punctually and so exactly as the Law requires but believeth on God who justifieth sinners his faith is set down upon accompt to him for him to receive
which they are borrowed For Righteousness i. e. For Justification Supple to be payed or allowed to him in consideration of that his faith Note that the Hebrew Text which our Apostle relates to Gen. 15.6 being translated word for word is thus And he believed in the Lord and he to wit the Lord counted it to him for righteousness But our Apostle followed the Septuagint which was then commonly received among the Jews which speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But which way soever we take these words whether according to the Hebrew or according to the Septuagint the sence is one and the same For it is all one to say It was counted to wit by God and God did count it And these phrases To believe God and To believe in God are often confounded and taken one for the other in Scripture although to believe God properly signifieth to give assent to the words of God And to believe in God signifieth properly to put our hope and affiance in God because when God promiseth any thing to any one he that truly believes his promise cannot but put his trust and affiance in him for performance of that his promise Note that as we have said before the Apostle proveth here the Minâ—r Proposition mentioned in the foregoing verse to wit that Abraham had not in the matter of justification whereof to glory before God And he proves it by this that Abraham's faith was counted to him for righteousness that is that Abraham was justified by his faith And they that are justified by faith cannot glory before God of that their justification because justification is not due to them of debt but is bestowed upon them upon grace and where it is of grace glorying is excluded Ver. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt q. d. Now to him indeed that fulfilleth the works of the Law as the Law commands them to be done justification is reckoned not of grace and favour but of debt and merit Supple therefore he indeed may glory before God in the matter of justificâ—tion He grants that here to him that worketh which he denieth in the next verse to him which believeth To him that worketh By him that worketh is meant here he which doth perfectly perform the Law of God and continue in it for to such a one only doth justification appertain as a debt Not to him that doth a good work now and then no nor to him that hath but once sinned if any such were Is the Reward c. By the Reward is here meant justification For though justification that is Remission of Sins or To be absolved or acquitted from the punishment due to sins is not the whole reward which God giveth to him whom he justifieth yet it is the whole Reward which such a man which hath kept the Law can challenge of debt And this to wit Justification that is an absolution or immunity from punishment is that and that only which the Apostle speaks of and treats of in this place By the reward therefore is here meant Justification and Justification only by a Synechdoche integri Ver. 5 But to him that worketh i. e. But to him which doth not performe the works of the Law as the Law requireth c What is meant by him that worketh not we may understand by him that worketh ver 4. But believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly i. e. But onely believeth God or only believeth in God for these phrases are all one as we said ver 3. which justifieth him who worketh not that is which justifieth him which hath not kept the Law as Abraham had not The ungodly By the ungodly he meaneth here him that worketh not that is him which hath not kept or persevered in keeping of the Law as he should For even such a one may go under the name of an ungodly man especially before he is justifyed His faith is counted for Righteousness This his Faith only to wit without works is counted to him for Righteousness and therefore being that he is justified not by works but only by faith his justification is not of debt or merit but of meer Grace and favour See ver 16. And being that it is not of debt or merit but of meer Grace and Favour he hath not whereof to glory in that matter The Apostle you see is curt here in his expression and leavs much to be understood yet that which may be easily understood by a judicious Reader and which is necessarily implied in what he hath said His Faith i. e. His faith only to wit without works This word onely is often left to be understood Ver. 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works For the connexion of this verse with the former thus it is in the former verse the Apostle said That righteousness was imputed to him that worketh not yea to the ungodly Now a Jew who sought righteousness by the works of the Law chap. 9 32. might object against this and speak thus But what is it that thou sayest Paul Sayest thou that Righteousness may be imputed to him that worketh not and to him that is ungodly To this the Apostle answereth though concisely to this effect Yea I say that Righteousness may be imputed to him that worketh not and is ungodly even as David also describeth the blessedness or righteousness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works c. Even as David also describeth i. e. Even as David also in the Psalmes describeth c. The Psalm which the Apostle alluds to is Psal 32. ver 1 2 The blessedness of the man Or the blessedness of a man that is The justification of a sinner Blessedness is to be taken here for justification as will plainly appear both by what went before and by what is said ver 9. Where the Apostle calls that blessedness in the former part of the verse which he calls Righteousness that is justification in the latter part thereof The word Blessedness in its Latitude includes Glorification as well as justification when therefore it is taken for justification barely it is so taken Per Synechdochen integri Vnto whom God imputeth Righteousness i. e. Unto whom God doth as it were set down Righteousness or Justification upon his Accounts which he obligeth himself thereby to give or pay to him The word here rendered imputeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to set down on a Mans account See ver 3. By these words it is most evident that the Apostle takes righteousness and Remission or not imputing of sins for one and the same thing for that which he calls Righteousness here he calls the forgiveness of iniquities and Covering of sins and not imputing of sin or setting down of sin upon accounts in the verses next following Without Works i. e. Without the strict observing of the Law or though he hath not observed the
of a man by an Anthropopatheia And by the stretching out of the hands is meant a readiness to receive in the arms of mercy in allusion to a father which stretcheth out his hands when he would receive his little Child running towards him Or because the stretching forth of the hand was also a Gesture which was wont to be used by those which preached to the people either to raise attention as Acts 26.1 Or to move affection The stretching out of the hands may be put here for preaching And to be understood of Gods preaching by his Servants whom he had appointed thereunto Vnto a disobedient and gain-saying people By these he meaneth the Jews who were always disobedient to the word of God and contradicting it See Acts 7. verse 51.52 CHAP. XI 1. I Say then hath God cast away his people God forbid For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin 1. But what then shall we infer or conclude out of these Scriptures which I have alledged concerning the rejection of the Jews shall we infer or conclude I say From thence that God hath utterly cast them off God forbid for I also am a Jew of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin 2. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying 2. If therefore I being a Jew am not cast off it must needs follow that God hath not utterly cast away his people the Jews whom he decreed from all eternity to take to be a peculiar people to himself and so to love as never to cast them out of his love wholly Know ye not what is reported in the Scripture concerning the Prophet Elias How he maketh intercession to God against the people of Israel saying 3. Lord they have killed thy prophets and digged down thine altars and I am left alone and they seek my life 3. Lord they have killed thy Prophets and digged down thine Altars and I am left alone and they seek my life also 4. But what saith the answer of God unto him I have reserved to my self seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal 4. But what answer did God make to him For all thou thinkest that thou art left alone yet I have reserved to my self seven thousand men saith the Lord who have not bowed the knee to Baal nor worshipped him 5. Even so then at this present time also theâ—e is a remnant according to the election of grace 5. As then therefore there were seven thousand Israelites which had not worshipped Baal though Elias thought that he was left alone Even so at this present time also there is a little company of Jews whom God because they have believed hath elected to Justification through his Grace and favour though some perhaps may think that the Jews are totally rejected and cast off 6. And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then is it no more grace otherwise work is no more work 6. But now if they are elected to justification by grace and favour Take notice of this here by the way All ye that seek justification by works and say that so it ought to be sought For if justification be by grace and favour then truly it is not of works For if it were by grace and yet of works too it would follow that grace were not truly grace but falsly so called for Grace and works in the matter of justification are so opposite one to another as that they cannot stand together But if it be of works then it is no more of grace for if it were of works and yet of grace too it would follow that works which essentially include merit in this point would not be truly works but works falsly so stiled 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded 7. But if it cannot be gathered out of the Scriptures which I have alledged concerning the rejection of the Jews Chap. 9. 10. That God hath utterly cast away his people as I said ver 1. have I then alledged those Scriptures in vain and is nothing to be gathered from thence Not so But this may be gathered from thence viz. That the Jews for the greatest part of them have not obtained justification which they seek for But the Election that is They whom God intended to make choice of when he rejected those that sought for justification by works which are the Faithful they have obtained it and the rest which would not believe were blinded 8. According as it is written God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not bear unto this day 8. According as it is written Isaiah 29.10 God hath given them the Spirit of slumber by which the faculties of their soul are so tyed up as that they cannot understand and believe what is preached to them Eyes of the mind so affected as that they cannot see with them and ears of the understanding so affected as that they cannot hear with them unto this day 9. And David saith Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a recompence unto them 9. And David saith Psal 69.22 c. Let the talk which they use at their table be as a snare and a trap to catch them and hold them in blindness and a stumbling block at which they may stumble and fall into hardness of heart that so they may be punished and rewarded for their unbelief 10. Let their eyes be darkned that they may not see and bow down their back alway 10. Let the eyes of their understanding be darkned that they may not understand the riches of the Gospel and let them not be able to look to the mysteries of salvation so as to believe them 11. I say then Have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid But rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie 11. Being then that a great part of the Jews have stumbled have they which stumbled at the stumbling block Christ Jesus so stumbled and faln as that they should have no hope of ever rising again God forbid But rather through their stumbling and fall salvation is come to the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie that they being jealous of Gods love to the Gentiles may be the more careful to please God and to get deeper root in his affections and recover what they have lost 12. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness 12. But now when I speak of the Jews being provoked to jealousie ye Gentiles
continued in his innocency justification would be due to him of debt so that with reverence be it spoken God would be unjust if he when he were accused as a sinner before him should not justifie him that is if he should not acquit him of sin but condemn him as a sinner Of Grace i. e. Of favour or through the favour to wit the favour of God Ver. 6. And if by Grace i. e. And if they are elected to Justification by favour Then it is no more of works i. e. Then truly it is not of works that they are justified or then are they not justified by works The Greek rendred here no more is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies truly not where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth often times elegantly abound And by works are to be understood works exactly done according as the Law requireth without the least breach thereof for so doth the Apostle call works every where almost in this Epistle which works so done create right to a debt Otherwise Grace is no more Grace That is Otherwise if it were by Grace and yet of works too that they were justified it would follow that Grace were not Grace but Grace falsly so called For Grace and debt are opposite one to the other and can never stand together But if it be of works To wit that they are justified Then is it no more of grace i. e. Then is it not of Grace that they are Justified or then are they not elected to Justification by Grace Otherwise work is no more work By work understand here the work of the Law exactly performed according to the Law which work meriteth Justification of due and creates a right thereunto so that men would be injured if any such were who should not be justified for this there work Otherwise work is no more work q. d. Otherwise if it were by works and yet of grace too it would follow that work which essentially includeth merit would not be truly work but falsly so called What the Apostle hath said here concerning works he said to convince the Jew of his errour who sought Justification by works Ver. 7. What then i. e. What shall we say then or what shall we gather out of what I have said Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for i. e. The Jews for the greatest part of them have not obtained Righteousness or Justification which they seek after By Israel are here meant the Jews which were the Children of Israel that is of Jacob And yet not all the Jews but the greatest part of them only by a Synechdoche And by that which they seek after is meant Righteousness or Justification as appeareth Chap. 9.31 Chap. 10.3 But the Election hath obtained it i. e. But the Remnant or those few which God hath elected to Justification or intended or decreed to Elect which are the faithful or such as are of faith they have obtained what they sought for The Election is put here by an Hebraism for the Elected or those whom God intended or decreed to Elect that is for the Remnant according to the Election of Grace as he called them Ver. 5. And the immediate object of this Election is Justification And the rest were blinded i. e. And the other which were not Elected or whom God intended or decreed not to elect which were they which would not believe the Gospel but were rather contentious against it were blinded Were blinded Supple so that they could not or cannot see the clear light of the Gospel much less believe it This useth to be the punishment of those which will not believe the Gospel when it is preached to them to wit spiritual blindness See Matth. 13. ver 13 14 15 c. And this being a punishment following unbelief is in some wise opposite to Justification which Justification consisteth in the pardon or remssion of his sins which believeth and so is a gratious râ—ward or consequent of faith when as this is a Punishment of unbelief going before Ver. 8 According as it is written Viz. Isaiah 29.10 God hath given them the spirit of slumber Supple by reason of which they are in a Spiritual kind of Slumber and Sleep by which their Senses are so tied up as that they cannot see and perceive that is that they cannot understand and believe what is preached to them It is usual in the Scriptures to express the inward operations of the Reasonable soul by the outward operation of the sensitive soul So to see and perceive are put for to know and understand Matt. 13. v. 14. yea for to believe as will appear by Acts 28. v. 24. And because Sleep or Slumber ties up the outward senses so that they cannot do their office therefore by a Metaphor is Slumber or the Spirit of Slumber put here for such a condition of estate in which whosoever is he cannot understand and believe those things which are preached to him so long as he is in that Estate Note that these words are in the first and Historical sence spoken of such Jews and men of Hierusalem as would not believe the destruction of the Army of the Assyrians which besieged Hierusalem in the days of Hezekiah and the delivery of Hierusalem from that siege though it were preached to them by the Servants of the Lord his Prophets But in the second and Mystical sence they are spoken of such Jews as in the days of our Saviour and his Apostles would not believe the Gospel when it was preached to them which contained the good news of mans Redemption from sin and of the destruction of sin by Christ Where note that the delivery of the Jews from the Assyrians was a type of the delivery of the faithful from their sins Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they should not hear i. e. Eyes so affected as that they should not see with them And ears so affected as that they should not hear with them The eyes and the ears when they are properly taken are spoken of the eyes and ears of the body but here they are Metaphorically to be understood of the mind or understanding of the Reasonable soul These words are taken for their sence for the Apostle doth not always tie himself to the Letter in his citations out of Isaiah 6.9 And they are there spoken of the Jews of his to wit Isaiahs time in the first and Historical sence but in the second and Mystical sence they are taken of the unbelieving Jews in our Saviour and his Apostles time which were typified by those former See what we said immediately before on these words God hath given unto them the spirit of slumber unto this day Some refer these words to the latter part of the seventh verse q. d. And the rest were blinded even unto this day And the Intervening words they read with a Parenthesis But some again refer them to the words immediately going before but
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
of one and sometimes in the person of another but most commonly his objections are to be understood as made in the person of a Jew and yet not alwayes of one kind of Jew but sometimes of one and sometimes of another according to the diversity of opinions which were among the Jews For some Jews thought it enough to their Justification that they were the Children of Abraham others that they were circumcised others which were more learned that they had excellent skill in the Law And others who were highly conceited of the purity of their lives relied upon their works for justification c. Know secondly That the Apostle when he hath treated of a matter and is passed from that particular matter of which he treated and is upon another subject if in treating of this latter subject any thing may arise to prove his former matter he takes notice of it oftentimes though it be but by the by and though he hath no other reason so to do but because it proveth his former matter An Example of this you may have Rom. 10.17 in those words So then Faith commeth by hearing which was not the conclusion of the subject which he had then in hand For the subject which he was then about was to prove that all the Jews believed not For they that is the Jews have not all obeyed the Gospel saith he Verse 16. And this he proves there Verse 17. by the testimony of the Prophet Isaiah For saith he Esaias saith Lord who hath believed our report Now out of this testimony of Esaias this conclusion may be as well drawn Viz. That Faith cometh by hearing as that Viz. That the Jews did not all believe Wherefore because this conclusion Viz. Faith cometh by hearing may be drawn thence as well as that other he maketh mention of it here verse 17. only to prove that which he said before ver 14. Viz. That none could believe in him of whom they have not heard And after this manner as I conceive doth the Apostle bring in those words of the Ninth Chapter to the Romans and the sixteenth verse Viz. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Which conclusion he draws and it evidently follows out of those foregoing words Verse 15. Viz. For he saith unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion But yet this is not that for which he quoted those words but he quoted them to shew that there was no unrighteousness in God in shewing mercy to or in justifying those which were figured either in Isaac or in Jacob that is in justifying the faithfull though they were Gentiles But yet because he had bewailed the Jews for that that they being ignorant of Gods Way of righteousness or Justification went about to establish a way of their own and had not submitted themselves to Gods way and because that from these words of the fifteenth verse an Argument might be drawn to convince them of their error he draweth that Argument from thence though by the by and though it was not that conclusion or Thesis which he was to prove in this place when he was as I said to prove here that there was no unrighteousness in God for shewing mercy to or justifying those which were typified either in Isaac or in Jacob that is for justifying the faithfull though they were Gentiles The third thing which I said was expedient to be known for the better understanding of this Epistle of Saint Paul was to know how the parts of Scriptures which he alledgeth â—herein so often make for the purposes for which he alledgeth them For indeed if any one should turn to the several places out of which he taketh his testimonies of Scripture it would seem strange at the first to see how Paul could bring them to prove such things by them as he bringeth them for But that it may not seem strange this must be observed that many places of the Scriptures of the Old Testament have a double sense One concerning terrene and corporeal things and things to come to pass before the dayes of the Messiah Another concerning heavenly and spiritual things of which those terrene and corporeal things were a Type The first may be called the Literal or Historical or meaner sense The second the Mystical or Sublime sense Of which because I have spoken fully in my Preface to my Exposition upon the Prophet Isaiah I shall speak no more here only this I add that the Jews did acknowledge this twofold sense Now the Apostle in his testimonies of Scripture which he brings to prove several matters which he handles takes those testimonies of Scripture for the most part not as they are in their first literal historical or meaner sense but as they are to be taken in their Mysticall and Sublime sense according to which I have also interpreted them in these my Commentaries respectively The fourth thing which I said was expedient to be known for the better understanding of this Epistle of Saint Paul was to know how he useth many words which he useth herein and in what Sense he useth them and of as many of such words as I think convenient I shall now speak in their Alphabetical order adding some things also by occasion of those words which will make to the further explication of some passages of this Epistle The words are as follow Call Called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Election Faith Flesh Foreknow Hardning Holy In. Justification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Long-suffering Righteousness Spirit World Works TO CALL CALLED Our Apostle doth make often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to call an act of God as Rom. 9.11 That the promise of God may stand not of Works but of him that calleth And verse 24. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles And that act of calling doth oftentimes by a Metonymie include the effect intended by the act so that because God intendeth by the calling of men by the preaching of the Gospel to the grace therein conteined that they should believe the Gospel preached to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom he hath called is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who believe and so in the aforenamed place Rom. 9.24 Viz. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jews onely but also of the Gentiles is put for Even us which believe not onely of the Jewes but also of the Gentiles and after the same manner they to whom any thing is revealed when it is revealed with effect are said to believe that which is revealed As Isaiah chap. 53. verse 1. Who hath believed our report or to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed That is Who hath believed how great the strength of the Lord is which he declareth by his Prophets that he would shew for the deliverance of his People There is a
Righteousness and by which we are enclined to Holiness and Righteousnese as Rom. 8.13 Where it is said that If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Flesh ye shall live after which manner the gifts of the Holy Ghost are called the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Where he saith the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us In this sense of the word Spirit the Spirit is most frequently opposed to the Flesh as Rom. 8. Galat. 5. c. Sometimes our Apostle takes the Spirit for the Gospel and then he opposeth it to the Letter that is to the Law as Rom. 2.29 and 7.6 which also he doth 2 Corinth 3.6 And sometimes again he takes it for the soul of man as Rom. 8.10 where the Spirit is opposed to the Body WORLD The world as it is most properly taken is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Philosopher defines it Arist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 2. that is The World is a Cistern or Fabrike consisting of heaven and earth and those Nature which are therein conteined In this sense our Apostle takes the word World Rom. 1.20 and 16.25 He takes the world sometimes also for all the men of the world whether good or bad as Rom. 3.6 19. Sometimes he takes it for the wicked men of the world or men adicted to the profits pleasures and vanities of the world as Rom. 12.2 Sometimes he takes it for the Gentiles in general as Rom. 11.12 15. Sometimes he takes it for the whole habitable earth as Rom. 10.18 Sometimes he takes it for the Land of Canaan which was but a little part of the world yea a little part of the whole earth as Rom. 4.13 And marvel not that our Apostle should take the world for the Land of Canaan when the Prophet Isaiah takes the earth yea the world for the Land of Israel which was but part of the Land of Canaan Isaiah 24 4. And here by the way observe that as Joshua was a Type of Jesus Christ so was the Land of Canaan into which he brought the Israelites a Type of all and every part of that blessedness into which Jesus Christ hath and will bring us WORKS WORKETH Our Apostle doth often make mention of Works in this his Epistle while he treats of Justification as Rom. 3.23 Where is boasting then It is excluded by what Law of works Nay and Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he had whereof to glory and verse 4. Now to him that worketh i. e. to him which hath works is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt and verse 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works and Rom. 11.6 If it be of works then it is no more of grace and Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds or works of the Law In all which places and the like he takes works for works exactly done according to the Law so that the doer of them did never through the whole course of his life break the Law either in thought word or deed either by commission or by omission or by any other way in the least tittle or point thereof which works if we should suppose that any one had so done he would be justified by his works and that of debt for otherwise if God should not justifie him with Reverence be it spoken he would be unjust as I have said before Whereas therefore it is said that Abraham was not justified by works and that no man is justified by the deeds or works of the Law and that the purpose of God should stand not of works c. It is not so to be understood as that either Abraham or any other had such works and yet were not or should not be justified by them But it is so to be understood as that neither Abraham nor any other ever had hath or will have any such works And therefore as many as are justified are justified without them or though they have them not And for this reason it is that no man is said to be justified by the works which he doth or hath done or shall do I may add or can do because no man doth keep hath kept will keep or can keep the Law so strictly and exactly as the Law requireth so as that he hath not doth not or will not break it at any time For our Apostle to prove that no man is justified by the works of the Law proves that every man hath sinned Rom. Chap. 1.2 3. And therefore because every man hath sinned no man hath works in that sense which he speaketh of For if a man hath sinned but never so little he hath not works as our Apostle takes works in the places first named For cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them In the voice of the Law Galat. 3.10 and Deut. 27.26 Our Apostle denies plainly that Abraham was justified by works Rom. 14. verse 1 2. And yet Saint James saith that he was when he saith Was not Abraham our Father justified by works James 2.21 what then shall we say that Saint Paul and Saint James thwarted or contradicted one the other God forbid For they were both led by the same Spirit even the Spirit of Truth and therefore could not erre or contradict one the other They take works therefore in several senses one after one sense the other after another Saint Paul speaks of works exactly done according to the command of the Law from the very birth or infancy of a man which works Abraham had not But Saint James speaks of such works as Abraham had and therefore not of works which Abraham did in the first part of his Age who no doubt in the first part of his Age was an Idolater Saint Paul speaks of works which Abraham should have done if he had been justified by works before his Call Saint James speaketh of works which he did after his Call Saint Paul speaks of works done without faith for he opposeth such works as he speaks of to faith and faith to works Rom. 3.27 28. And it is his scope to prove the necessity of faith because no man had done or could do such works but Saint James speaketh of works proceeding from faith yea Saint James takes works by a Metonymie for faith it self And therefore doth he so do that he may shew against such as are contented with an empty and barren faith that justifying faith is an operative faith and fruitful of good works To the works which Saint Paul speaks of justification is due of debt otherwise those works would not be works in his sense Rom. 11.6 and 4.4 But to the works which Saint James speaks of if we should suppose they were requisite to justification justification
it is revealed I say a Righteousnesse or Justification which is of faith for that you may know that I speak not of any new thing or that I vent a figment of mine own brain it is written Habakkuk 2.4 That the just shall be justified by their faith 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness 18 A man shall not be justified by his works as they teach who are the greatest opposers of righteousnesse or justification by faith for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven both by his word and by the plagues which we see poured down upon sinners against the ungodlinesse and against the unrighteousnesse of all men whether they be Jewes or Gentiles because they hold the known truth which they have both of godlinesse and righteousnesse in ungodlinesse and in unrighteousnesse as in a Prison so that the known truth which they have thereof can no more shew it self nor no more go forth into good or virtuous deeds or actions than a Prisoner can shew himself or go forth which is shut up or imprisoned in a close Prison or Dungeon 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them 19. But some man may here object and say That surely the Gentiles do not hold the known truth of godliness and righteousness in ungodliness and unrighteousness for being that they never had the Law given to them as the Jews had they cannot have the true knowledge of godliness and righteousness as the Jews have But to this I answer That the Gentiles though they had not the Law given to them as the Jews had to whom it was given fairly written in Tables of Stone yet they have the true knowledge both of godliness and of righteousness For to speak of Righteousness first which concerns our duty towards our Neighbour the Gentiles have the true knowledge of this because that which God hath appointed by his Law to be done by one neighbour to another is manifest to them for God hath shewed it unto them by that light of Nature which he hath set up in their hearts 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse 20. And as for Godlinesse which concerns our duty towards God They have the true knowledge of this also for those things of God which cannot be seen by our bodily eyes nor perceived by our outward senses to wit his eternal power and God-head by which understand his Providence and Goodness to his Creatures too have been ever since the world was made and are clearly known being understood by the things which are created so that the Gentiles are without excuse 21. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned 21. Because that when they knew God to be a powerfull God and a good God ruling by his Providence and providing for his Creatures all things which were necessary and convenient for them they glorified him not neither were thankful to him for his benefits but became vain in their imaginations and had their foolish heart darkned and over-spread with mists of errour 22. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools 22. And though they professed themselves to be wise yet they became fools 23. And changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things 23. For they changed the glorious and incorruptible God whom they should have adored for an Image made like to corruptible man and for birds as the Ibis and for four-footed beasts as Crocodiles Wolves Lions Dogs Cats c. And for creeping things as Serpents Fishes c. And for their Images giving Divine Worship to them 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves 24. Wherefore God did in the way of retaliation to them give them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts which he restrained not to dishonour their own bodies between themselves 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever Amen 25. Because they changed the true God for that which was not God and worshipped and served the creature passing by the Creator so dishonouring him who is blessed for ever though they thus neglect and passe him by And ever may he be blessed Amen 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for even their women did change their naturall use into that with is against nature 26. For this cause I say God gave them up to vile affections and base lusts to be slaves to them and to obey them and to do whatsoever they tempted them or moved them to For even their women did change the natural use of their bodies into that which is against nature carrying themselves as men in those acts which should tend to Generation 27. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet 27. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman which is such as husbands have of their wives became Buggerers Ganimedes and Catamites c. and burned in their lust one towards another men with men working that which is most filthy and more than beastly and receiving by hemselves themselves being the Authors and Actors of their own shame and punishment that recompence of their wickednesse and of their dishonour which they did to God which was meet and answerable in a general way to their sin 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledg God gave them over to a Reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient 28. And even as they did not approbate or like to retain God in their knowledge by worshipping him whose worship would have been as a Remembrancer to them of him so he gave them over to a reprobate or base mind a mind so perversly judging of virtue and vice as that it called evill good and good evill light darknesse and darknesse light bitter sweet and sweet bitter that they might do those things which are most foul and worthy even of eternal death 29. Being filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy murther debate deceit malignity whisperers 29. So that they were filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse and were full of envy murther debate deceit malignity and became
because God is the Author of it and because we are thereby justified before God Revealed The Righteousness of God is not only revealed or manifested in the Gospel but it is exhibited also and wrought by the Gospel so that by these words For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed We must understand effectuall Revelation and that justification is not onely manifested in the Gospel but also that it is exhibited and wrought thereby by an Hebrew Syllepsis For the Hebrewes do oftentimes with the Antecedent Sylleptically understand the consequent also Note that the Apostle doth go about here to prove that which he said before in the 16. verse To wit That the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth But he proveth it by parts For whereas Salvation compleat consisteth of two parts justification and glorification He proves it of justification here in this verse and of glorification Chap. 5. Where he saith that being justified by Faith we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope maketh not ashamed c. From Faith Repeat those words the Righteousness of God here q. d. I say the Righteousness of God which is not from or by works but from or by Faith Or refer these words from Faith To those the Righteousness of God that the Sentence may run thus therein the Righteousness of God which is from Faith is revealed The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth here the instrumental cause as some call it Or the Condition required in him that would be justified As others which they so call because Faith is a condition required on our part in that new Covenant which it pleased God to make with us for justification Now that we may understand what that Faith is which is here required and mentioned as a cause or condition of our Justification I say that the faith here required is an explicite and firm assent to the Gospel of God or at least to so much thereof as containeth the New Covenant and all the Essential Parts thereof which it pleased God through Christ to make with man in his Misery for his Salvation and to reveale in the Gospel an assent so firm so strong and arising so high as that it doth immediately and infallibly set the Believer on work as he hath opportunity to do those things which God requireth on mans part to be done in that Covenant He that hath such a faith cannot but trust in God nor can he be without repentance Whosoever hath such a faith as this and thus believeth I doubt not from this and other the like places but that he hath a justifying Faith and that by reason of this his Faith God will deal with him as with a Just and Righteous Man and as though he had never transgressed the Law of God But I dare not call that a Justifying Faith which cometh not up to this There be many which read Histories and give credit to the Histories which they read yet they only read them because they are delighted with them and with the various passages and accidents therein contained without any regard of imitating them or putting what they read in practice If any one should so read or hear the Gospel he may be said so have an Historical Faith but a Justifying Faith he hath not For good works can no more be separated from a true justifying faith than light can from the Sun or heat can from the fire For faith without works is dead James 2.20 And was not Abraham our Father justified by works saith Saint James James 2.20 That is was not Abraham our Father justified by faith such a faith as produceth works For Saint James puts works there by a Metonymie of the effect for a faith which produceth works Object But you will say There is a great deal of strength required to such a faith as this but God accepteth even of a weak faith Answ To this I answer That faith may be considered two manner of wayes First in Genere Entis Secondly in Genere Morum as I may so speak In Genere Entis that is a true faith which assenteth to the word of God as to that which is Truth In Genere Morum that and that onely is a true faith which so assenteth to the word of God as that it setteth the believer infallibly on good works as he hath strength and opportunity to do them The former faith God accepteth not of be it what it will be and as strong as may be while it is only faith in Genere Entis But as for the latter that faith which is true faith in Genere Morum God accepteth of though it be never so weak being sincere From faith to faith i. e. From a faith which ought not to stand at a stay but to go on from a lesser to a greater faith So some which referr the words to faith to the words immediately going before them viz. from faith But I think the words To faith may be better referred to the word revealed than to the words immediately going before them As if he should say Therein is the Righteousness of God revealed a Righteousness which is of faith And it is revealed for this end that men may believe or yield their faith to that which is revealed The last words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I conceive to be the same for sence with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 5. which is there rendered for Obedience to the faith And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 16. vers 26. which is there rendered for the Obedience of faith In both which places the end is set down why the Mistery of the Gospel is revealed which is that it might be believed and received by faith And as there so here the end may be set down why the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for faith That is for this end that it may gain faith and be believed of the Sons of Men. Note therefore that the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here may be rendred For and be a sign of the Final cause as it is verse 5. of this Chapter and Chap. 16. v. 26. Now if Justification by faith be revealed for faith That is That men may believe Then ought the Apostle to preach the Gospel wherein this Justification is revealed For how shall they believe except they hear and how shall they hear without a Preacher chap. 10.14 By this therefore may the Apostle also intimate that he is a debter and ready to preach the Gospel to the Romans also Justification by faith was the great Controversie at this time between Paul and the Jews and this is that which is the main drift of this Epistle to shew that justification is by Faith and this he now falleth upon as his chief businesse though he seemeth to speak of it
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
declare his righteousness that is that he might declare his fidelity and his mercy by the remission of those sins which were committed before the Gospel was proclaimed and which went unpunished at that time and went unpunished not for any other reason than because God would forbear to punish them 26. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which helieveth in Jesus 26. Thus he might declare I say at this time the time of the Gospel his righteousness that is his faithfulness and his mercy his faithfulness that he may appear to all to be just and faithfull in performing his promise of remission of sins to the Jews if they do believe And his mercy that he may appear to all to be the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus though he made no such promise to him as he did to the Jew that is that he may appear to be the justifier of the believing Gentile who may thank God for this his mercy 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith 27. Where is boasting then O thou Jew which so much boastest of thy justification It is excluded by what law or by what doctrine or lesson is it excluded Is it excluded by that Law or Doctrine or Lesson which teacheth that a man may be yea is justified by the works of the law Nay for if a man could be justified by the works of the law he had whereof to glory even before God But it is excluded by the law doctrine or lesson which teacheth that a man is justified by faith for he that is justified by faith hath nothing to boast or to glory of 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law 28. Therefore we conclude out of what we have said from the beginning hitherto that a Man is justified by faith and not by the deeds of the law 29. Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also 29. Now after this our discourse let me ask thee O Jew which wilt not suffer the Gentile to have a part with thee in the favour of God Is God the God of the Jews onely is he not the God of the Gentiles also Yes he is the God not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles also 30. Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith 30. Seeing that God is one and the same to both for that he justifieth them both by one and the same means the circumcised Jew by faith and the uncircumcised Gentile by faith likewise 31. Do we then make void the law through faith God forbid yea we establish the law 31. Do we now make the law void and of none effect by that which we have said of Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law and confirm it in its right use for though we deny the law to be the means or cause of our justification yet we allow it to be the director of our lives and manners even after our justification and we teach that by faith we have that strength to performe the precepts of the law which the law it self could not give CHAP. III. Ver. 1. What advantage then hath the Jew or what profit is there of circumcision i. e. What priviledge then hath the Jew by birth above the Gentile or what profit hath he by being circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh The Apostle taught in the former Chapter that a Jew which was only a Jew outwardly could not by being a Jew escape the wrath and judgement of God neither had he the imediate benefit of Justification by being outwardly circumcised whereupon it might be asked what advantage then hath the Jew which is a Jew by birth or what profit is there of outward circumcision which question the Apostle here moveth the better to clear what he had said of the Jew and of circumcision and that he might make way to some other doctrines which he would teach Ver. 2. Much every way Note that these words every way are so to be taken as that they have no other efficacy than to make a strong asseveration or affirmation as if he should say very much Chiefly because unto them were committed the Oracles of God i. e. Chiefly because the Oracles of God were committed to them which were Jews by birth and which were circumciâ—ed By the Oracles of God understand the Word of God written in the Books of the Old Testament but especially the promises therein contained of the Mâ—ssias and of justification and other benefits and blessings which occur by him in which the Jews excelled the Gentiles Of other Priviledges than these that the Jews had we read Rom. 9. v. 4 5. but this the Apostle makes the chiefest These Oracles are said to have been committed to the Jews not as a pledge or thing in trust to the use and benefit only of others but as their own proper goods and as a Treasure to serve them and enrich them So that whatsoever was therein contained appertained to the Jews Promises and all Ver. 3. For what if some did not believe shall their unbelief c Between this and the foregoing verse we must understand an Objection made by a Gentile which had newly received the Gospel of Christ to this effect q. d. Yea but the circumcised Jews have no such Prerogative now For though God committed unto them his Oracles and made the promises which are therein contained of the Messias and of the Redemption which should be by him to them yet now they have deprived themselves of that Prerogative and they have deprived themselves of the benefit which they might have had by those promises because they have not believed them And God because of their unbelief hath utterly cast off all the Jews To this the Apostle here answers q. d. True it is indeed that some of the Jews have not believed but shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect so that he shall no longer keep the promises made unto the Fathers concerning the Jews but cast off that whole People What if some did not believe What if some of the circumcised Jews have not believed the promises of God made to them or to their Fathers concerning the Messias and the Redemption which should come by him contained in the Oracles that is in the Word of God which was committed to them c. The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I have rendred But what if some have not believed The Jews were very incredulous and unbelieving at all times and we finde them often taxed for this sin of unbelief as Deut. 1.32 and 9 23. 2 Kings 17.14 Psalm 78.32 Psalm 106.24 and which makes in its mystical sence greatly to this place Isa 53.1 And which is to our
as if by these words Vpon all were signified the actual bestowing thereof But others take these words Vpon all to be but a repetition of those words Vnto all and conceive that they were iterated or repeated the more to inculcate the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and the more to comfort and hearten those which believed q.d. which cometh unto all them and upon all them which believe whether they be Jews or Gentiles Yet we must understand the word Only here which is often left to be understood For the Apostle would shew here that they whom God justifieth do not attain to justification by several wayes as the Jews by the Law and the Gentiles by Faith But that both Jews and Gentiles obtain it by one and the same way namely by Faith Wherefore when he saith unto all and upon all them which believe it is as if he should say Vnto all them and only upon all them which believe For there is no difference Supple between Nations or Persons in respect of the way or manner of justification For all whether they be Jews or Gentiles circumcised or uncircumcised or whatsoever they be which are justified are justified after one and the same way or manner to wit by Faith He sheweth the Reason here why he said unto all and only upon all them which believe Ver. 23. For all have sinned He gives a Reason here why there is no difference in the way of justification and the reason is because all have sinned Had not all sinned but some sinned and others lived and continued without sin then had there been a difference in the way of justification For they that had not sinned would have been justified by the works of the Law and they that had sinned would have been justified if they had been justified at all by Faith But being that all have sinned and God hath appointed no other way for the justification of sinners but by Faith all that are justified must be justified by Faith and so after one and the same way or manner of justification And come short of the glory of God That is and come short of fulfilling of the Law or and come short of the praise of God for fulfilling the Law or for their Innocency And come short of the glory of God The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where note that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be taken here for the praise of God that praise wherewith he praiseth and commendeth men for their well-doing as it is also taken John 12.43 Yea for that praise wherewith he praiseth or commendeth men for their innocency or for that that they have perfectly done their duty and failed in nothing at all So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God is not here Genitivus Objecti but Genitivus Efficientis as Grammarians speak And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word which may be rendred Non assequuntur i. e. They attain not to q. d. All have sinned and none hath attained to the praise of God or to that that God should praise him for his innocency or for so doing the Law as that he hath failed in nothing thereof In Courts of Justice where a man is accused of some grievous crime against the Law and he is found innocent and clear of the crime whereof he is accused the Judge useth to commend the party accused and found clear for his innocency and integrity that he may incourage him to persevere and keep himself innocent from the breach of the Law Hence that Rom. 13.3 Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same To this usage doth the Apostle seem here to allude who in the Treaty of Justification which is the main Subject of this his Epistle borroweth many Metaphors from the Courts of Justice Some conceive that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is properly taken is spoken of such as running with others in a Race are cast behind through weariness and faintness or some other accident or disability so that they come not to the Goale so as to have any reward or fruit of their pains and labour and to attain the prize So that by putting the Antecedent for the Consequent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Not to attain to The Apostle therefore according to these useth a Metaphor here not from the Courts of Justice but from a Race in which Metaphor Man is as the runner in a Race the Race is the Commandments of God The End of the Race is the perfect keeping of the Commandments the Agonotheta is God himself The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Reward which he propoundeth is his Praise and Approbation The like Metaphor they observe Heb. 4 1. Ver. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace i e. That they may be justified freely by his Grace Supple As many as are justified Being justified The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is a participle which is as much here as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that they are justified So the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being filled is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that they are filled chap. 1.29 Freely by his grace i. e. Freely by his Favour and so not of Debt or of Merit He saith both freely and by his grace doubling as it were the same word that he might the more exclude Debt and Merit Through the Redemption which is in Jesus Christ That is By the justification which is by Christ Jesus Note that the word Redemption at it is here taken and justification signifie both one and the same thing to wit a freedom or delivery from the guilt and punishment of sin only the Metaphor is diverse For Justification is a Metaphor taken from Courts of Justice where a man is said to be justified when he is acquitted or absolved from that crime of which he was accused And Redemption is a Metaphor taken from Captives which are redeemed with a price out of the hands of those to whom they were in Captivity and who had power to kill them This Justification or Redemption is said to be by Christ Jesus because we are justified by his merits and we are redeemed by his Blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19. That is in Christ Jesus i. e. That is by Christ Jesus or through Christ Jesus as the meritorious cause thereof Note that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In answereth to the Hebrew Prefix Beth and therefore may be taken for By or Through yea for almost any Preposition whatsoever Ver. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation i. e. Whom God hath given set forth and proclaimed to be a means to appease his displeasure God may be said to give set forth and proclaim Christ as a means to appease his displeasure because as he hath appointed and ordained him to be our Propitiator So he gave him and he made it known to all that he had given him to be such by the
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
if he did not so Such a man therefore as is justified according to the Law of Works hath good cause of boasting even before God Chapter 4.2 But by the Law of Faith That Law that is that doctrine which teacheth that a man is justified by Faith doth exclude boasting and takes away the cause or ground of boasting from a justified man For it teacheth that he that is justified according to that hath sinned and therefore if he be justified he is justified by Grace that is by the meer favour and mercy of God which cannot stand with boasting It teacheth I say that every man hath sinned and so that every man is under the Curse for cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut 27.25 Galat. 3.10 And being now cursed he cannot get out from under that curse without the favour and mercy of God For having broken the Law he cannot be justified by the Law for that implies a Contradiction And therefore if he be justified he must be justified by Faith and so by the meer grace and favour of God with which boasting cannot consist The Apostles scope in this verse is as I said as to repress the vain boasting of the Jews so to take men off from seeking after justification by works or by the works of the Law and to bring them to seek after justification by Faith and his Argument is valid to this purpose upon supposition which yet he hath proved to be a most certain Truth that all have sinned For if all men have sinned which is an undeniable truth and which the doctrine of Faith teacheth then no man can boast before God for whosoever hath sinned hath need of the grace and favour of God And whosoever receives any thing of the grace and favour of God cannot boast 1 Cor. 4.7 Now if thou canst not boast thou seekest in vain to be justified by the works of the Law for no man can be justified by the works of the Law but he which keepeth the Law and hath always kept it in every point And he that keeps it so may boast Therefore being thou canst not boast seek not for justification by the works of the Law which makes them boast which are justified thereby but seek for it by faith For though thou canst not boast and so canst not be justified by the works of the Law yet thou mayest be justified by Faith It is not unlikely but that among the Jews which were blinded by reason of their unbelief Chap. 11. ver 7. There were some who though they were convinced that they could not boast yet did seek for justification by the Law not perceiving how incompatible these two things are Not to boast or not to have matter of boasting and to be justified by the Law But by the Law of Faith Note that whereas the Apostle might have said thus Where is boasting then It is excluded By what By Works Nay but by Faith He saith Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of works Nay but by the Law of Faith And this he doth by a Mimesis mentioning and repeating the word Law that he might in a slighting manner imitate the Jews who did crack of the Law and had the Law alwayes in their mouths though they kept it not intimating thereby that if they gloried in the word Law he could say that they which were Justified were justified by a Law too but not by the Law which they cracked of to wit the Law of Works but by a Law differing from that to wit the Law of Faith Ver. 28. We conclude therefore that a man is justified by faith This conclusion the Apostle draws not from the verse immediately going before but from his whole discourse which he hath had from the 17. verse of the first Chapter of this Epistle hitherto and especially from that which he taught and discoursed of Chap. 3. ver 23 24 25 26. A Man i. e. Any or Every man that is justified The word Man is to be taken here indefinitely q. d. We conclude therefore that a man be he Jew or be he Gentile or whatsoever he is that is justified is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law Without the Works of the Law i. e. Though he be without the Works of the Law that is though he be without that that he hath perfectly observed and kept the Law Without the Works of the Law is the same here as Not by the Works of the Law Gal. 2.16 By the Works of the Law are meant Works done exactly according to the Praescript of the Law so that if a man hath at any time transgressed the Law either positively or privatively he cannot be said to have the works of the Law in the Apostles sence here Ver. 29. Is he the God of the Jews only For God to be the God of any one doth sometimes signifie that God is held as a God and worshipped and obeyed as a God of him whose God he is said to be In this sence Jacob said that the Lord should be his God Gen. 28.21 Sometimes again and that most frequently for God to be the God of any one signifieth that God is an Egregious Benefactor of him whose God he is said to be In which sence it is said Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord Psalm 33.12 And in which sence God is said to be the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Exod 3.6 And in which sence God saith that he would be a God to Abraham and to his Seed after him Gen. 17.7 Now of these two sences the latter is that in which God is said here to be a God of the Jews and not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles also For God is a Benefactor to them both not only in Temporal blessings but in Spiritual blessings also and in such as concern Eternal Salvation The Apostle speaketh by an Interrogative here first to signifie that the thing which he speaks of is so plain as that it cannot be denied Secondly to take up the Jews a little who entertained a base esteem of the Gentiles Is he not of the Gentiles also i e. Is he not the God of the Gentiles also and doth he not wish and do well to them also that they may be saved Yea of the Gentiles also q. d. Yea he is the God of the Gentiles also and wisheth and doth well to them that they may be saved and will be a Benefactor to them in those things which concern their Eternal welfare if they believe As for the Connexion of this verse with what went before It is this The Apostle had said vers 28. That a Man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law where he took the word Man indefinitely for men of any Nation by reason therefore of that word he had a good opportunity given him to speak to
righteousness or justification for it that is he is justified by his faith So that he hath not whereof to glory or boast before God in the matter of his justification 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works 6. But methinks I hear a Jew cavil here and say but what Paul can he be justified that worketh not that is which doth not do the works of the Law so punctually and exactly as the Law requires Can the ungodly and sinner be justified To whom I answer that they may for even David also as well as the Ministers of the Gospel give us a description of the blessedness that is of the justification of a man to whom God imputeth righteousness though he never performed the will of the Lord according to the strict Prescript of the Law saying Psalm 32.1 2. 7. Saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered 7. They are blessed and therefore blessed because justified whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin 8. Blessed is the man and therefore blessed because justified to whom the Lord imputeth no sin 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness 9. Cometh this blessedness that is cometh this justification then upon those who are circumcised only or upon those that are not circumcised also That is Cometh this justification only upon the Jews or comes it upon the Gentiles also I move this question upon occasion of that which I said verse 3. That faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness 10. How was it then reckoned When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision 10. When was it then reckoned for by the answer to this question we shall know how to answer the former was it reckoned when he was in circumcision that is after he was circumcised or was it reckoned when he was in uncircumcision that is before he was circumcised It was reckoned to him not when he was in circumcision but when he was in uncircumcision that is not after but before he was circumcised 11. And he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also 11. And after that that it was reckoned to him for righteousness or justification he received circumcision which is a sign of that Covenant which God made with him and his seed and which is a sign of distinction whereby he and his posterity are distinguished from all other people he received circumcision I say as a seal of the righteousness or justification which he had by faith while he yet was uncircumcised to testifie and assure him thereby from God that God had even then justified him for his faith And it was so ordered by the providence of God that he should be justified by his faith before he was circumcised and should afterwards receive circumcision as a seal to confirm or assure him of that his justification that he might be a Father of all them which believe in the time or state of uncircumcision that it might appear by the example of Abraham who was justified while he was yet uncircumcised that righteousness or justification should be imputed to them also 12. And the Father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only but also walke in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised 12. And that he might be the Father of those which are circumcised also yet so as that they are not circumcised only as Abraham was but also imitate the faith of Abraham treading in his steps and following him in that faith which he had when he was as yet uncircumcised And now by what I have said we may answer to that question which I propounded verse 9. Cometh this blessedness that is cometh this justification upon those which are circumcised onely or comes it upon them which are uncircumcised also For it cometh not upon the circumcised onely but upon them also which are uncircumcised 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the World was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith 13. But because I denyed that Abraham was justified by works verse 2. Thou wilt here object against me that the Land of Canaan was a Type of Justification and that Abraham had that promised to him and his seed through the Law therefore he was justified by the works of the Law but this I deny For the promise that he should be the Owner or Possessor of the Land of Canaan was not made to Abraham or to his seed through the Law or through that that they performed or should perform what the Law exacted but it was made to them through faith which justifieth a Believer And now as the promise that he should be the Owner or Possessor of the Land of Canaan was not made to Abraham or his carnal seed through the Law or through that that they performed or should perform what the Law exacted but it was made to them through faith so the mystical promise of Justification was not made to Abraham or to his spiritual seed through the Law or the works thereof but through Faith which justifieth those which believe 14. For if they which are of the law be heirs Faith is made void and the promise made of none effect 14. For if they be heirs and Enjoyers of Justification and shall inherit that who are the Children of the Law and under that and that by virtue of the Law exactly kept by them then is the way of obtaining just fication by faith void and the promise it self of Justification is of none effect 15 Because the Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no Transgression 15. For the Law is so far from making those which are her children acceptable to God and such as may be justified before him as that she occasioneth them to sin the more and so stirreth up the greater wrath of God against them For where there is no Law their is no Transgression nor sin so frequently or so often committed and with so high an hand as where their is a law 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all 16. Therefore the promise of Justification was through faith so that it is of Grace for this end that it might be sure by reason of the possibility of the
condition required to all the spiritual seed of Abraham that is to all the faithfull not only to that which is of the Law and under that as the Jews are but to that also which followeth the Faith of Abraham though they be not under the law as the believing Gentiles doe which Abraham is the Father of us all which believe whether we are Jews or Gentiles and under the Law or without the Law 17. As it is written I have made thee a Father of many Nations before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were 17. As it is written of him Genesis 17.5 I have made thee a Father of many Nations I say which Abraham is the Father of us all before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth those which are dead in unbelief with the life of Faith and maketh those which are not faithfull as they which are so raising up spiritual seed to Abraham 18. Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy seed be 18. Who against all hope which he could conceive by the course of nature of having a childe believed in hope which he grounded upon the truth and power of God That he should become the Father of many nations according to that which is written of him Gen. 15.5 As the Stars of the Heavens for number so shall thy seed be 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred year old neither yet the deadness of Saras womb 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now old and feeble and unfit for generation and as it were dead in respect of that when he was now about an hundred years old nor did he consider the barrenness of Sarahs womb and the indisposition and inability thereof to conception so as to doubt or dispair by reason of them of the promise of God 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God 20. He staggered not at the word of God through unbelief But was strong in faith giving glory to God by relying upon his word 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness 22. And therefore it is written to his immortal praise that this his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him 23. But now it was not written for his sake alone that he might thereby be praised that it was imputed to him 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead 24. But it was written for our sakes also to assure us that our beliefe also shall be imputed to us for righteousness if we believe on God who raised up Jesus our Lord from the Dead 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 25. Who was both delivered to death and raised again from the dead for our Justification that is that we might be thereby justified CHAP. IV. Verse 1. What shall we say then i. e. How or by what way or after what manner shall we say then What is to be taken here for How or after what manner for the Apostle speaketh here not so much of Justification it self as of the way or manner of attaining it And so the word What is sometimes taken elsewhere For whereas it is said Marke 4.23 Take heed what you hear It is said Luke 8.18 Take heed how you hear That Abraham our father as pertaining to the Flesh i. e. That Abraham who is the Father of all us Jews after the flesh i. e. by carnal Propagation whether we be of the Law or whether we be of the Faith Abraham was a Father two manner of wayes to wit according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit according to the flesh Abraham was a Father of all Jews whether they believed or no. But according to the spirit he was the Father only of Such Jewes as did believe and imitate his Faith verse 12. The Apostle calls Abraham his Father as other Jews also did to shew that he did esteem of Abraham as his Father aswel as they and therefore what he was to say of Abraham he would not say out of desire he had of diminishing Abrahams glory but out of meer love which he bore to the Truth Hath found i. e. Hath obtained or attained to Supple Justification Note that to find is put here for to obtain or to attain to as Prov. 8.35 and 17.20 and so it is taken so often as one is said to find grace in the sight of another a phrase which the Scripture often useth as Gen. 18.3.30.27 Numb 11.11 Deut. 24.1 2. Sâ—m 15 25 c. Note also that here is somewhat to be understood to wit Justification for it is not to be doubted but that the Apostle speaks here of Justification for this is the subject of all his discourse in this place Our Apostle doth suppose here that Abraham was justified and doth enquire only how he was justified I say he doth suppose that he was justified which he might well suppose for none of the Jews with whom he hath here to do did ever doubt of that or deny it Ver. 2. For if Abraham were justified by works Between this and the former verse we must understand these words to wit by Works No surely q. d. How then or by what means shall we say that Abraham who is the Father of us all after the Flesh hath obtained Justification by works No surely For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory before God in the matter of justificationâ— But he hath not whereof to glory before God in the matter of justification Therefore he is not justified by works He is said in our Apostles sence to be justified by works which hath so strictly observed the Law by which he should walk and walked so strictly according to it as that he never offended in the least manner that is either in thought word or deed For whosoever hath offended against that Law in never so small a matter cannot be said to be justified by morks He hath whereof to glory Supple even before God By glorying is not meant here any Thrasonicall vaunting or any unjust glorying but such a glorying which he might both justly and seemly use which had perfectly kept the Law and never offended against it in the least point which glorying is nothing else but the attributing of his justification or that that he is not condemned but acquitted when he
is judged modestly to his own innocency not to the pardon or favour or indulgence of the Judge when he is asked How he came to be acquitted in Judgement For otherwise to vaunt and glory would savour of Pride and so be it self sin for which he would come into condemnation and so could not be justified which is against the Apostles supposition A man may glory of his innocency before men who hath not perfectly and sincerely kept the Law but kept it onely in outward appearance for when man cannot see to the Heart and to the thoughts and Intentions but only to the outward appearance of Actions he cannot condemn him who in outward appearance hath kept the Law though inwardly he hath broke it in every point but he that can justly glory before God must perfectly and sincerely keep the Law as well in his inward heart and thoughts as in his outward words and deeds And he that hath done so may glory in that sence which we have spoken of For our Apostle faith it here and Chap 3 ver 27. He saith that boasting that is that Glorying for the Greek words in both places are as one being derived from the same fountain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other is not excluded by works Note that the Apostle doth prove in this verse that Negative answer which we must suppose him to give to the Question made in the former verse that is That Abraham did not obtain justification by works And this he doth by this Syllogisme If Abraham where justified by works then he hath whereof to glory even before God But Abraham hath not whereof to glory before God Therefore Abraham is not justified by Works The Major and Minor Proposition of this Syllogisme the Apostle hath here set down in this verse but not so but that we must understand something of the Major Proposition from the Minor and something of the Minor Proposition from the Major The Conclusion is totally left to be understood If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory this is the Major Proposition which I spoke of and this is defective in its words and the defect is to be made up from that which we have in this verse of the Minor Proposition namely from that But not before God from which words we make the Major Proposition entire thus If Abraham were justified by works he had whereof to Glory even before God But not before God This is the Minor Proposition or Assumption which we spoke of which is also defective in its words and to be made up from the Major Proposition as the Major was from this This Minor Proposition or Assumption therefore entire is thus viz. But Abraham hath not whereof to glory before God This Minor Proposition or Assumption the Apostle proveth in the verses following Ver. 3. For what saith the Scripture Supple Gen. 15.6 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness q. d. Abraham believed God and that that he believed God was that which God counted or reckoned to him for justification Supple Therefore being that that that Abraham believed God was counted to him for justification Abraham had not whereof to glory Abraham believed God We read Gen. 15 5. That God brought Abraham forth abroad and said Look now toward Heaven and tell the Stars if thou art able to number them And he said to him so shall thy seed be Then followeth that which is here quoted by the Apostle viz. He believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness That therefore for which Abraham was justified of God here was this and this only that Abraham believed God when he promised him that his Seed should be as the Stars of heaven for multitude See more of this v. 18. of this Chapter And it was counted unto him for righteousness i. e. And it was accounted to Abraham to wit by God Gen. 15.6 at such a rate as that God did set down upon his accounts to Abraham that he would repay or requite him for that his belief only with justification The meaning of this whole verse is this That Abraham did believe God and God did so value and respect this that Abraham did believe him as that he was pleased in his Grace and Favour to recompence this faith of Abraham though it were but for this with justification that is to justifie Abraham from all his sins and to deal with him as with a just man which had never transgressed the Law in any point only because he had thus believed him Note if God did justifie Abraham only for this that he did thus believe him Abraham had not whereof to glory before God in matter of justification For he could not claim justification by debt and he which cannot claim justification of debt but hath it of grace and favour he cannot glory of his justification before God The Law requireth exact obedience whether it be the Law of Nature or the written Law of Moses so that he is cursed which continueth not in all things which the Law commandeth and therefore he which hath broken the Law in the least tittle thereof is cursed and being now cursed he cannot be justified but by grace and favour If God therefore accept of our faith for or to justification so that he justifieth us because we believe it is the meer Grace and Favour of God and of such justification we cannot glory as we might do in our Apostles sence if we had so kept the Law as that we had never broke the least Apex of it Note that this Phrase It was counted to him for righteousness is Metaphorical and it is drawn from Merchants or Tradesmen or the like where one accounts with the other for what he hath received of him and in his accounts enters or sets down that for such or such a parcel of Wares or in consideration of such or such a thing done from him he is indebted to him and will willingly repay him such or such a summe of money in lieu thereof or requite him after such or such a way For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which among other things signifieth Alicujus rationibus inferre that is to bring or enter such or such a thing upon the accounts of such or such a man But let no man mistake here as though because this phrase is drawn from this Metaphor it would thence follow that Abraham's faith was equivalent to his justification and of as great value as that For even in such accounts as we have spoken of men will often when they are well pleased set down more for themselves to pay than the thing which they have received or which was due from them is worth However this is to be remembred that Similitudes run not as they say upon four feet nor do Metaphors agree in every particular with the things from
are not only circumcised but also c. Of the Circumcision To be of the circumcision is as much to say as to be children of the circumcision and to be Children of the circumcision is as much to say as to be circumcised by an Hebrew kind of phrase or speech which we meet with often in Saint Pauls Epistles But also in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised i e. But also imitate our Father Abraham and follow his example in so believing as he believed while he was yet uncircumcised This Phrase To walk in the steps is Metaphorical taken from one which following another close steppeth in the steps of him which went before and it signifieth to imitate Note that those words that righteousness might be imputed to them also which are expressed in the latter end of the eleventh verse are to be repeated or understood here in the latter end of this verse also The Apostle because there were such of the circumcision that is such of the circumcised Jews as were circumcised and did not believe And others which were both circumcised and did believe also doth shew here to which of these two Abraham was to be accounted a Father He was to be accounted a Father not to those which were only circumcised but to those which were circumcised and did believe too Ver. 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his Seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith i. e. For the promise which was made to Abraham or to his Seed to wit That he should be Lord or Owner of the Land of Canaan was not made to Abraham or to his Seed through the Law which was given by Moses or for that that he or they kept the Law of Moses fully and exactly as the Law requireth but through faith that is for that that he or they believed God This is another Argument by which the Apostle proveth that Abraham was not justified by works And it hath its immediate relation to the second verse that which cometh in between coming in by the current of his speech and that which he gathers out of it For whereas he saith in the second verse that if Abraham were justified by works he had whereof to glory c. A Jew might say but how could he otherwise be justified than by works when as the promise that he and his Seed should be heirs of the world which was a Type of their justification was through the Law of Moses To this the Apostle here answers by denying that the promise was to Abraham and his Seed through the Law and by affirming that it was through the righteousness of faith For the promise that he should be heir of the world saith he was not to Abraham or his Seed through the Law c. That he should be the heir By He is meant Abraham and by an Heir is meant the Lord here that is the Owner or Possessor of a thing For both the Hebrews and also the ancient Latins called Lords Haeredes Heirs And according to this a Possession is called an Inheritance Psalm 2. v. 8. Where it is said Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance that is for thy Possession Of the world By the World is meant here the Land of Canaan which was but a part yea a little part though once a fruitful part and containing in it many petty Kingdoms of this Transitory World by a Synechdoche Was not to Abraham or his Seed That is was not made to Abraham or to his Children to wit Isaac and Jocob c. The promise of the Land of Canaan was made to Abraham and his Children Isaac and Jacob. And not for their own righteousness but for the promise made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob their forefathers did the Israelites afterwards possess that Land Deut. 9.5 Through the Law i e. Through the works of the Law or because they had kept the Law which was given by Moses strictly and exactly as it ought to be kept Nor Abraham nor Isaac nor Jacob could be said to keep the Law which was given by Moses for it was not given till a long time after their death and that the promise of the Land of Canaan was made to them before the giving of the Law it was a Type that justification which was typified by the Land of Canaan should not be by the Law or to them which were under the Law as such The Land of Canaan was a Type of all Spiritual and Heavenly Happiness and therefore a Type not of justification only but of glorification also but it is here put only as a Type of justification by a kind of Synechdoche But through the righteousness of faith That is but through faith which justifieth a man The Righteousness of Faith is put here Per Metonymiam effectus for Faith it self which conferreth or procureth Righteousness or Justification Note â—hat that which the Apostle hath said in this verse is the literal or Historical sence of what he saith out of which he leavs us to gather the Spiritual or Mystical sence which is this Now as the Promise that he should be heir of the Land of Canaan was not made to Abraham or to his carnal seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith So the Spiritual or Mystical promise of Justification was not made to Abraham or his Spiritual seed through the Law or with respect to that no not when the Law should come but through faith and with respect only to that which should not fail to justify those that believed Ver. 14. For if they which are of the Law be heirs i. e. For if they shall be the Heirs to wit of justification which was typified by the Land of Canaan and shall inherit that who are the Children of the Law and under that and that by vertue of the Law c. These Words have their dependance upon the verse going next before but not as it is taken in the Literal sence but in the Mystical sence which we gave of it For the Apostle leaving the literal sence of what he said there comes here to the Mystical sence Faith is made void The way of obtaining Justification by Faith which was the way by which Abraham was justified and by which God promised to justifie his children is made void And therefore is it made void because God hath appointed but one way for justification for there is no difference of wayes as to that Chap 3. ver 22 And Faith and the Law are so different as that they cannot stand together for faith supposeth sin in him that is to be justified but the Law excludes all sin So that he that is justified by the Law is supposed never to have sinned Read Chapter 10. from ver 5 to ver 12. And the promise made of none effect i e. And the promise of
any man of years was justified without saith Nor ever any man was justified without the merits of Christ And that whosoever is justified now under the Gospel by faith must have an Explicit and particular faith of Jesus Christ yet before the Gospel a General faith was sufficient to justification For as the Gospel was but rudely drawn to them which lived before Christ So was the faith required of them but rude as I may say and general and such as if they did believe the general promises of God made to them and relie upon them and live or resolve to live as those that did expect the performance of those promises their faith should for Christs sake which was to come be counted to them for Righteousness Ver. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was counted to him c. Now this that the faith or belief of Abraham was imputed or counted rather to him for Righteousness was written indeed for Abraham's sake Gen. 15.6 But it was not written for Abraham's sake alone that it was imputed or counted to him for Righteousness but for our sakes also c. That which is written Gen. 15.6 That Abraham believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for Righteousness was written for Abraham's sake that Abraham might be praised and had in repute amongst men for this his faith and accounted by them worthy to be the Father of many Nations But yet it was not written for his sake alone or for this end only that he might be praised and had in repute among men and accounted by them worthy to be the Father of many Nations But it was written for our sakes also to assure us that if we believe the Gospel as firmly as Abraham believed what God promised him we shall be justified by our faith as Abraham was by his Ver. 24. But for us also i. e. But for our sakes also To whom it shall be imputed i. e. To whom that that we believe shall be imputed or counted for Righteousness If we believe on him i. e. If we rely on him and trust on him for the performance of his promises made to us Whom he means by Him he sheweth in the next words If we truly believe the promises of God we cannot but trust in God and rely on him for performance of those his promises Wherefore as I have observed before by reason of the near connexion of these two one with the other To rely on God and trust in him or believe in him is often put Per Metonymiam Consequentis for to believe him and his promises Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead By this Periphrasis he meaneth God for God is said to have raised up Jesus having loosed the pains of death Acts 2.24 He describeth God here by this That he raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead because it containeth a notable Argument to induce us to believe in God as Saint Peter teacheth 1 Pet. 1.21 And because this that he raised up Christ from the dead is as it were a Compendium of our faith For he that believeth this believeth that Jesus is the Christ and that he is the Saviour of the world who dyed and rose again for our Salvation and that he shall be our Judge at the last day Acts 17.31 c. Again he describeth God by this That he raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead in this place because he would allude to that which Abraham believed here who though he saw both his own Body now dead and the deadness of Sarah's Womb v. 19. yet he believed that God could raise them both from that death or deadness Ver. 25. Who was delivered To wit to death Jesus Christ was delivered to death by God the Father Rom. 8.32 The Apostle had rather say who was delivered to wit to death than who dyed because the Expiation of our sins did depend upon the good pleasure of God who would this way be appeased for the sins of Man For our offences i. e. For the Expiation and taking away of our sins Metonymia Objecti And rose again To wit from the dead For our Justification i. e. For the Remission of our sins This is as if he should have said who both dyed through the appointment of God and rose again for our justification or for the remission of our sins The Apostle therefore expresseth one and the same thing here by two several phrases the like to which he did Chap. 3. verse 30. Christ dyed that he might as a Surety for us pay the debt which was due from us for our sins to wit death and so deliver us from those our sins hence Christ is said to redeem us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 But yet the death of Christ and his undergoing the Curse of the Law for us would have availed us nothing if that Christ had alwayes lyen under death and alwayes lyen under the Curse of the Law as being overcome and conquered and kept Captive thereby For to be detained alwayes a Prisoner in that Prison from whence there is no coming forth before the payment of the uttermost farthing Mat. 5.26 is to be always under execution and to evacuate and null the Plea of the full payment of our debt for which our Surety stood engaged for us Therefore it was necessary that Christ that he might redeem us fully and pay our full debt should not only dye for us but also rise again and upon this ground doth our Apostle rightly conclude that if Christ be not raised our faith is vain we are yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15.17 And hence it is that he saith Rom 8.34 It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again And not only for this reason may Christ be said to rise again for our justification but also for that That he when he arose from the dead he arose that he might ascend into Heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 Where he is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.38 CHAP. V. 1. THerefore being justified by saith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 1. I have shewed you hitherto that we are not justified by works but by faith And now that I have shewed you that we are justified by faith let me shew you how many and great benefits do accrue to us by this justification Therefore being justified by faith the wrath of God is appeased towards us and God is at peace with us for our Lord Jesus Christs sake 2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God 2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace and favour of Justification wherein we stand And we have hope of the glory of God to wit that we shall one day enjoy it and be
which is the wages of sin and which never falls upon any one but for sin reigned over all men from the days of Adam to the days of Moses though they had not sinned as Adam had who transgressed against a law which God gave him to keep with his own mouth which Adam was a Figure of Christ who indeed was then to come but is since come among us And therefore was he a Figure of Christ because as Christ derived something to his children so did Adam before Christ came derive something to his But yet if we come to particulars that which Christ derived to his children was Grace and the free gift of God But that which Adam derived to his was Original sin which I call here the Offence 15. But not as the offence so also is the free gift For if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many 15. But yet not as the offence which Adam derived to his Children so also is the free gift which Christ derived to his for equality but this much exceeds that For if by the offence which was caused by one to wit Adam and by him derived to his Children many to wit so many as are born of him are either already dead or shall surely die In a much higher degree and more plentiful though contrary manner hath the grace of God that is the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ abounded unto many even to so many as are born of Christ that they might live 16. And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification 16. Not I say as was the offence or sin which was by one to wit Adam So is the gift which is by one to wit Christ Jesus For the Judgement of God passed upon the Children of Adam to their condemnation by reason of that one sin or offence which Adam derived to them But the free gift or pardon which is derived by Christ to his Children is the remission or pardon not of that one only offence but of many other offences to their justification 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ 17. Again if by that one sin or offence death reigned by reason of one man to wit Adam who was the cause of that sin or offence and who derived it to his Children over all the Children of Adam After a far more bountiful and glorious manner shall life reign by one to wit Jesus Christ over all the Children of Christ who receive by him abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness by the remission and pardon of their many sins and offences 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life 18. Therefore that I may resume and perfect what I began to say but left unperfect verse 12. As by reason of that original sin or offence which was caused by one and by that one to wit Adam derived to all his Children judgement came upon all men which were born of Adam whereby they were condemned to death Even so by reason of that righteousness or justification which was purchased by one even Jesus Christ and by that one derived to all his Children the pardon or remission of sins which was a free gift from God came upon all men which are born of Jesus Christ so that they are thereby justified and translated from death to life 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 19. I said by reason of the offence which was caused by one to wit Adam and I said by reason of the righteousness or justification which was purchased by one to wit Jesus Christ For as by the disobedience of one man that one man Adam who disobeyed God by eating of the Tree concerning which God had said Thou shalt not eat thereof many yea so many as were born of Adam were made sinners through the offence which was caused by him So by the obedience of one even Jesus Christ who obeyed God unto death even the death of the Cross shall many yea as many as are born of him be justified from their sins through the righteousness which was purchased by him 20 Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound 20. Moreover least any one should say that though sin was in the world untill the Law yet surely when the Law was once entred sin was taken away let me tell you that the Law was so far from taking away sin that sin did abound by the entring in of the Law But yet to our comfort when sin abounded the Grace and Mercy of God through Christ did much more abound 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 21. So that as sin hath reigned unto death by Adam even so the grace and favor of God hath reigned through justification and remission of sins unto Eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. V. Vers 1. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with The Apostle having shewed in the foregoing part of this Epistle that we are justified not by the works of the Law but by faith cometh here to shew the fruit and excellent effects which follow or come by that Justification Being justified c. Concerning the signification of this word See Chapter 6. ver 7. We have peace with God That is God is at peace with us so that though we have sinned yet God will nor pour out his wrath upon us for our sins as he will upon other sinners because we are justified by Faith These words are not so to be understood as though the meaning thereof were that we were peaceably affected towards God But so as that God is peaceably affected towards us And the word Peace here is opposed to Wrath to wit the Wrath of God of which he speaks ver 9. And not God but we are the Object of this Peace or they to whom this peace is shewed and God is as the Subject so when we say we have favour with God God is the Subject we the Object to whom this favour is shewed Through our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. Through the merits and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is called here our Lord because he bought us with a Price 1 Cor. 6.20 2 Pet. 2.1 which Price was his own blood with which price he redeemed us out of the bondage
Fathers in a second sence interpret of Christ c. See Bishop Andrews's sermon upon that Text being his Second Sermon of the Passion V. 30. Whom he did predestinate To wit to be conformed to the image of his Son in sufferings Them also he called To wit to that to which they were predestinated that is to be conformed or to be made like to the image of his Son that is to suffer whereby they might be made conform and like to Christ Or to put on the image or likeness of Christ in suffâ—rings Hereunto are we called to wit to suffer saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2.21 using the same word which Saint Paul useth here in the same sence as he doth And yourselves know that we are appointed to wit to afflictions saith Saint Paul in the like sence 1 Thes 3.3 And whâ—m he called q. d. But whom he called to wit to be conformed or to be made like to the image of his Son that is to suffer c. Them he also justified i. e. Them because they are accounted by the world as the Chief of sinners by reason of their sufferings And because the world thinks that their sufferings befall them by reason of some enormous wickedness in them will God justifie and clear from the hâ—rd and unjust censure of the world And he will clear them from this That he called them to suffer because they were the worst of men And whom he justified To wit from the hard and unjust censure of the world Them he also glorified Them will he also glorifie And so glorifie that the greater their afflictions and sufferings are here the greater shall their glory be hereafter Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding weight of Glory saith our Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 Note that he puts here a Praeterperfect tense for a future to shew that what he speaks of shall as surely come to pass as if it were already done Ver. 31. What shall we then say to these things i e. What shall I say more or what shall I add to these things which I have already said that is What shall I say more in this case q d. I need not say more yet will I add what followeth in way of triumph If God be for us who can be against us i e. Seeing that God is for us who can be against us to wit so as to hurt us Note that the Conjunction If is not put doubtingly here but affirmingly and is as much to say as Seeing that Who can be against us i. e. Who can be against us so as to do us any hurt for otherwise the faithfull have many Adversaries In these words If God be for us who can be against us The Apostle seemeth to allude to an Advocate in a Court of Justice who faithfully pleadeth the cause of his Client Ver. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all i. e. He that did not pity his own Son for the love which he bore to us but delivered him up to death for the good of us all That spared not God is said not to have spared his own Son not because he saw in him that which was worthy to be punished but because he delivered him to death though in himself most innocent for our sakes His own Son There is an Emphasis in these words His own Son for by these he signifies not a common Son as they are which are his Sons by adoption or which are called his Sons in Scripture by reason of some Praerogative bestowed upon them but his Peculiar Son which is his naturall Son But delivered him up God is said to have delivered his Son up to wit to death because he having decreed from all eternity that he should die for our sins did by his Providence so order it that he should and did die by the hands of wicked men How shall he not freely with him give us all things q. d. How can he stick to give us and that most freely and most liberally too all things which we stand in need of or which may be any way beneficial to us when he hath given to us his own Son in comparison of whom all things else are as nothing Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect i. e. Who shall accuse or lay to the charge of those whom God hath elected and made choice of to Justification any crime whatsoever it be whether they have commited or not commited it so that thereby they shall be condemned for it Of Gods Elect He seemeth to speak here of such as are actually elected not such as are elected only in the decree and purpose of God and the immediate object of this election seemes to me to be Justification For our Apostles scope from the beginning of the fift chapter hitherto is to shew the Priviledges and happiness of those which are justified by faith Note that the words elâ—ct and electon do not in themselves signifie the Object to which the Election tends nor do they signifie or specifie the Persons elected what they are nor the Author of the election who he is These things must be gathered from the circumstances of the place When therefore the Apostle treats here of such as are justified by faith the Author of this election is God the Parties elected are Believers the Object or that to which they are immediately elected is Justification See Chap. 11. ver 5. Three sorts of People we read of in this Epistle which look and stand as I may say for Justification First some Jews pretending the works of the Law Secondly Other Jews as they are the Sons of Abraham or Israâ—lites by birth And thirdly the faithful Believers God may confer Justification upon every one of these or deny it to every one if he pleaseth But omitting the other two he makes choice only of the faithfull believer that he may justifie him therefore may be well be called the Elect of God In those words Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect. The Apostle alludes to the manner of Courts of Justice and the pleadings and impeachings there used It is God that justifieth Supple Them that is It is God which absolveth them from all which is laid to their charge whether it be true or salfe That it is God which justifieth them which believe or those that are justified by faith the Apostle teacheth Chap. 5. ver 2 6. And being it is God which justifies them or absolves them from all accusations which are laid against them all the charges and accusations of their adversaries can do them no harm For there is no power like to the power of God He speaks here of God as of a Judge yea as of supream King and Judge alluding notwithstanding to Courts of Justice Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth i. e. Who is he that can condemn us either by his Oratory or by
wit the faithful which God also promised to the same Abraham and which are called the children of promise 10 And not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac 10 But some will perchance object and say But grant that the promise of justification doth not absolutely apperâ—ain unto the children of Israel according to the flesh and that they are not justified by reason of their carnal descent from Israel yet surely they shall be jâ—stified as they are under the Law and seek justification by works But to this I answer As the children of Israel according to the flesh shall not be justifiâ—d for this that they are children of Israel according to the flesh so shall they not be justified neither for thâ—s that they seek Justification by works For when Rebecca her self had conceived by one even by our father Isaac and had two twins in her womb it was even then said unto her that Esau the El er who was a type of the Israâ—liâ—es according to the flesh should serve Jacob the younger who was a type of the faithful and â—uch as should believe And in that this was said unto her concerniâ—g Esau at that time when she had conceived It is an argument to prove that the Israelites according to the flesh should not be justified for or by their works 11. For the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth 11. For therefore did God say to Rebecca concerning Esau who as I said was a type of the Israâ—lites according to the flâ—sâ— the Elder shall serve the younger at that time when she had conceived and when the children of which she conceived were not yet born neither had done either good oâ— evil to signifie in a type or in a mystâ—ry that his purpose concernâ—ng the Eâ—â—ction of men to just fication was and should immutably be to elect them thereunto whom he would elect not for their works sake but for his own mercies sake who calleth us to the grace and promises of the Gospel by the preaching thereof that we might believe and believing might be justified 12 It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger Ver. 12. And with that which was said to Rebecca when she had conceived concerning Esau and Jacob to wit the elder shall serve the younger Accordeth that 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated 13. Which was afterwards written Malacht 1.2 3. Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated if we look into the Mystical meaning of the words 14 What shall we say then Is there unrigteousness with God God forbid 14. But now because I have said that they which are the children of Abraham according to the flesh they as such are not those children of Abraham to which God hath made the promise of justification absolutely no not though they seek justification by works but that spiritual seed to wit the faithful which God promised to Abraham they whether they be Jews or whether they be Gentiles they I say and they only are the children or seed of Abraham whom God hath absolutely promised that he will justifie Some will conclude from hence that if this be so then shall I make God to be unjust for by this he wâ—ll have no account at all of the pure and holy seed of Abraham which are flâ—sh of his flesh and bone of his bone though they seek justification by works if they believe not and will prefer before them in the matter of justification the unclean and unholy seed of the Gentiles if they do but believe But what if God doth prefer the Gentiles if they believe before the Jews who are children of Abraham according to the flesh and seek justificâ—tion by works in the matter of justification if hey belâ—eve not and accepts of them and rejects these Is there therefore unrighteousness with God for so doing God forbid 15. For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion 15. There is no unrighteousness in God if he accepts them to jâ—st fication who believe no though they be Gentiles for the Lord said unto Mo es against whose words ye cannot except when the people of Israel made a Calf and committed Idolatry and had therefore deserved to be destroyed all of them I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have a mind to have compassion Exod. 33.19 16 So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy 16. Where by the way take ye notice of this O ye Jews which go about to establish your own way of Justification but have not submitted to that way of Justification which God hath prescribed that to attain to Justification is not of him which willeth or inventeth or chooseth to himself a way of Justification nor to him who travelleth or runneth in that way which he will and he hath invented and chosen and is zealous therein but it is of God who sheweth mercy to whom he pleaseth and justifieth whom he will 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my Name might be declared throughout all the earth 17. But to return to the matter in hand as there is no unrighteousness in God if he accepts of them to Justification who believe no though they be Gentiles So there is no unrighteousness in him if he rejects them from Justification which will not believe no though they be Jews lineally descended from Abraham and Isaac and Jacob according to the flesh and seek Justification by works For whereas God might have justly dealt with others as he did with Pharaoh and have destroyed them with as great a destruction as he did him yet he did not so but said of Pharaoh Exod. 9 16. Even for this same purpose have I hardened thine heart and so stirred and raised thee up against my people that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth by thy destruction 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth 18. Therefore he sheweth mercy to whom he will shew mercy without violation of of his justice and whom he will harden he justly hardeneth 19. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet find fault For who hath resisted his will 19. But thou wilt say unto me O Jew that if he hardeneth whom he will why doth he yet find fault with us Jews for the hardness of our heart for who hath resisted his will so that he is not hardened if He whill harden him 20. Nay but O man who art
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
Justification which were figured by the Land of Canaan But those spiritual children which God promised to Abraham that is the faithful those which are like to Abraham in faith and which are typified in Isaac who was a child of promise they and they only are to be counted and are indeed the seed of Abraham to which God made that spiritual promise of Justification That is q. d. That is to say by Interpretation They which are the children of the Flesh i. e They which are the children of Abraham descended of the flesh of Abraham Or taking a Substantive of the Genitive case after the Hebrew manner for an Adjective they which are the Fleshly and Bodily children of Abraham and sprung out of Abrahams loins by bodily or fleshly Generation as such Such children as these were which were children of Abraham only because they descended out of the loins of Abraham were typified by Ishmael whom Abraham begot by the ordinary course of nature while nature was strong in him and he needed not any extraordinary renewing of his strength from God as he needed when he begat Isaac These are not the children of God i. e. These are not the children of Abraham whom God promised to bless with the Spiritual blessing of Justification which was typified by the Land of Canaan But the children of the promise i. e. But the spiritual children which God promised to Abraham that is the faithful they are they to whom God promised the blessing of justification In these word to wit the Children of the Promise these words viz. of the promise are put for promised after the manner of the Hebrews who put a Substantive of the Genitive case often for an Adjective or Participle You will ask who or what are these children of Abraham which are called here the children of the promise I answer They which are of the faith of Abraham that is the faithful and such as believe they are the children of Abraham which are called here The children of promise whether they be Jews or whether they be Gentiles See for this Rom. 4.16 Gal. 3.7 where it is said that they which are of Faith the same are the children of Abraham You will ask again Why they are called the children of promise I answer because they are not such as were born of Abraham by carnal Propagation But such as God gave him by promise and called his Children only because they imitated his vertues but principally his faith You will ask yet again where God promised these or such children as these are to Abraham I answer He promised them Gen. 17.5 Where he saith to Abraham I will make thee a Father of many Nations for proof of this read Rom. 4. verse 16 17. These children were typified in Isaac and Isaac in that he was promised to Abraham before he was born when Abrahams body and Sarahs womb were now both dead Gen. 18.10 Rom. 4.19 might be in particular a Type of that Spiritual seed which God promisâ—d to Abraham that is of the Faithful Ver. 9. For this is the word of promise at this time will I come and Sara shall have a Son q. d. For Isaac was a Son of Promise as appeareth by that word of promise which we read Gen. 18. ver 8 10. where God or an Angel in the person or behalf of God said to Abraham and to Sarah his wife At this time the next year I will come and Sarah shall have a son which son was Isaac As Isaac was a son of promise so are they which are typified in Isaac the children of promise And therefore as not any other sons of Abraham but only Isaac who was born by Vertue of Gods promise and the seed in him had the promise of the Land of Canaan So they only which are the children of the promise that is the faithful which were typified in Isaac have the spiritual promises of justification which was typified by the Land of Canaan Ver. 10. And not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived c. The Apostle in this and the Verses next Following prevents and answers an objection For whereas he had shewed in the foregoing verses that the promise of justification belonged not to the Jews or to the Israelites as they were Israel according to the Flesh It might be objected that though it were granted that the promise of justification belonged not to them meerly as they were the children of Israel according to the Flesh yet surely it belonged to them and they would be justified as They sought justification by their works This objection I say The Apostle here prevents and answers after this manner q. d. But as the promise of justification did not belong to the Jews or children of Israel according to the Flesh as such So neither shall they be justified though they seek justification by their works For when Rebecca her self who was the wife of Isaac had conceived by our Father Isaac her husband It was said unto her when she had coâ—ceived and while two twins were in her womb The elder which was Esau who was a type of the Jâ—ws or Israelites according to the Flesh shall serve the younger which was Jacob who was a type of the faithful with which sayings both shall accord which was written afterwards Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now in that it was then said to Rebecca The elder shall serve the younger when she had conceived It is an Argument to prove that the Jews or Israelites according to the Flesh should not be justified by their works Though they sought justification thereby For it was therefore said unto Rebecca by the word of God the elder shall serve the younger at that time when she had conceived when the children of which she conceived were not yet born neiâ—her had done either good or evil To signifie in a type or mystery that the purpose of God concerning the election of men to justification was and always should be to elect them not for their works sake but for his own mercy and good pleasure sake who calleth us to the Grace and promises of the Gospel that we might believe by the preaching thereof and so be justified by his mercy But when Rebecca also had conceived by one c. Rebecca was the wife of Isaac who conceived at this time by Isaac her husband and conceived of two children which children between the time of her conception and their birth kept a great strugling and striving in her womb at which Rebecca was much troubled and desiring to know what it meant she went to enquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her Two Nations that is the heads of two Nations are in thy womb and two manner of people that is And two twins from whom two manner of people shall proceed shall come out of thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger than the other And the elder that is they which shall be born of the
elder Twin shall serve the younger that is shall serve those which shall be born of the younger Twin Genes 25. verse 22 23. Had conceived by one These words viz. by one are emphatically put That the more notice might be taken of the fruit of this Matrimonial Act of Isaac which was double to wit Twins and to signifie that though these twins had both one and the same father and one and the same mother and were begot at one and the same time yet their destinies and the destinies of their children were not one and the same but various Note that where it is said when Rebecca had conceived It is not to be understood that presently upon her conception this hapned which befel her but after she had conceived in the time which was between her conception and her bringing forth Our father Isaac The Apostle saith Our father Isaac because he also was an Israelite and of the seed of Abraham by Isaac aswel as other Jews The Apostle suspendeth the accomplishment of this sentence till the twelfth verse by reason of that which he interposeth by way of Parenthesis in the eleventh verse And there he makes it up And from thence must we make this up which he saith here q d. But when Rebecca also had conceived by One even by our father Isaac it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated And this that it was thus said unto her when she had conceived is a Typical argument to prove that the Israelites according to the Flesh should not attain to justification by their works nor was the promise of justification made to them upon that account Ver. 11. For the children being not yet born c. This particle for relates to those words when Rebecca had conceived and here he shews by way of exposition what he means by those words had conceived And also unfolds the Argument against justification of Israel according to the flesh by works which lay vailed over in the latter words of the tenth Verse That which he saith therefore is this that when Rebecca had conceived by her husband between that time and the birth of the children which she had conceived that is when the children were not yet born nor had done either good or evil it was said unto her the Elder shall serve the younger And that those words were said to her at that time to shew that justification is not of works That which was said unto Rebecca ver 12. was not said unto her so soon as ever she had conceived nor was it said unto her after the children were born But it was said unto her while the children were yet in her womb and so strong as to struggle there Gen. 25. ver 22 23. But yet before they had done or could do any good or evil And this the Apostle takes punctual notice of that he might shew from thence that the purpose of God concerning election to Justification doth stand not of works but of him that calleth Neither having done any good or evil He speaks of doing good or evil in a moral sence which they could not do until they had the use of reason which they had not while they were in the womb yet was not that their strugling which the History speaks of Gen. 25.22 without reason or counsel but the counsel not of them but of God to whom not only rational creatures which want the Actual use of reason but also Irrational and Inanimate Creatures are in an Obediential power That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth i. e. To signifie that the purpose of God concerning Election was and should immutably be not of works or for works sake but of for and from the mercy and the good pleasure of him who calleth us to the Grace and promises contained in the Gospel that we might believe by the preaching thereof and so be justified That the purpose of God according to Election might stand i. e. To signifie that the purpose of God concerning Election was and should immutably be Note here that verbs which import the being of a thing are sometimes taken for verbs signifying that being and so to stand is taken here for to signifie that it should stand or firmly be without any alteration See what I said to this purpose Chap. 3.4 Chap. 4.16 According to Election i. e. Concerning Election to wit Election to Justification The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred here According to Election but it would be better rendered Concerning Election For the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be taken as a Sign of the Subject as it is also taken 2 Cor. 11. ver 21. where the Apostle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak not according to reproach but I speak concerning reproach The Election here spoken of is as I conceive under correction to be taken for Election to Justification of which I spoke something Chap. 8. ver 33. For the word it self signifieth only the Act of electing or choosing But the Agent or Efficient cause the Subject or material cause the Object and final cause are left to be gathered from the Circumstances of the place And to me it appeareth more than probable by the circumstances of the place that Mans Justification is the immediate Object of the Election here mentioned For justification hath been the Apostles main Subject hitherto which he seemeth yet to pursue and to follow as the main Subject of the Doctrinal part of this his Epistle this he intended to perswade the Jews to in the beginning of this present chapter this is the Conclusion of this Chapter verse 30 31. This is that which he resumes Chap. 10. ver 1 2 3 c. and which he continues to Chap. 12. And the Election which he speaks of Chap. 11.5 as it seems to me cannot be meant of an Election to any other immediate Object than that of Justification for the reason which I shall there give Might stand i. e. To signifie that it was and should be without change or alteration Not of works i. e. Not of or for the works sake which men do as though there were any desert in them A Question may here be asked viz. How S. Paul can draw an Argument from this That it was said to Rebecca while her children were yet in her womb before they had done any good or evil the elder shall serve the younger to prove that the purpose of God concerning Election was and should immutably be without consideration or regard of the works of the Elected For though a man cannot work before he is born yet might God foresee what works he would do after he was born and deal with him in his Election accordingly I answ That if S. Paul should have gone about to draw an Argument from hence Ex natura rei or
ex vi terminorum or by necessary consequence to shew that the Election of God was not of works or for works because it was said to Rebecca while her two children were in her womb the Elder shall serve the younger his Argument would not have been solide because God might foresee what workes a man would do after his birth even before he was born But it was not the Apostles intent to draw such an argument from hence but onely to use argumentum a typo or Argumentum a signo which consisteth only in the setting out or declaring of Gods intent Viz. That intent which he had in giving that Answer to Rebecca to wit that the Elder shall serve the younger before the children were born whose intent was to signifie or typifie thereby that his purpose concerning election of man to justification was and should so remain to be to elect not for mans work sake but for his own good will and pleasures sake But whereas we said that the Apostle meaneth here by Election Election to justification and whereas where he speaks of Justificati n he saith every where that that is of faith not of works it may be objected that by Election the Apostle cannot mean here Election to justification because he never excludes faith when he speaks of justification but includes it and asserts it rather But here when it is said that the Children being not yet born not having done any good or evil it was said the Elder shall serve the younger Faith is excluded from the El ction here mentioned as well as works For as a child cannot work before he is born the consideration whereof seemeth to be that that made the Apostle to infer here that Election was not of works so can he not believe before he is born Answ I said that the Argument which the Apostle here useth is not Argumentum à natura rei or ex vi terminorum or an argument of necessary consquence when he proves that the purpose of God concerning Election was not of Works because it was said unto Rebecca while the children were yet in her womb before they had done any good or evil the Elder shall serve the Younger But it was only Argumentum à Typo or Argumentum à Signo An Argument from a Type for there are verbal types as well as real or an argument from a sign Now to a Type or Signe there are two things required First the Aptitude of the thing which is to be a Sign or Type to signifie or represent the thing to be typified or signified And secondly the actual application by God of that sign or type to signifie or typifie that thing if either of these be wanting it is not a type or sign and this is plain to reason for were all the things in the world which might have been types or Signs types or signs indeed Surely no and what is the reason Not because all things wanted aptitude to typifie or signifie which were not actual signs or types but because they were not actually applyed thereunto Now this that God said to Rebecca the Elder shall serve the Younger before the Children were yet born and before they had done any good or evil hath indeed an aptitude to signifie the exclusion of Faith from the purpose of God concerning Election as well as of works but yet because they are not actually applyed by God so to do they may not do it but exclude works only and not faith But of him that calleth i. e. But of for and from the mercy and the good pleasure of God who calleth us to the grace of the Gospel that we might believe through the preaching of it and believing it might be justified That to which this call is is the grace of the gospel and the precious promises therein contained This is most frequently taken for the objest of Gods call in our Apostles writings if the circumstance of the place hold not out another object In these words but of him that calleth it is intimated that God had respect to faith in this Election to justification For God doth therefore call men to the grace of the Gospel and the promises therein conteined that they might believe them and believing might be justified Ver. 12. It was said unto her the elder shall serve the Younger These words have a double or twofold relation for they relate to the tenth verse and they relate to the eleventh verse The manner how is this q. d. When Rebecca had conceived by one even by our Father Isaac it was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger I say when she had conceived for it was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger when she had conceived that is while the children being in her womb were not yet born neither had done any gord or evil And that to signifie that the purpose of God concerning election should stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her Viz. By God Gen. 25.23 The children being not yet born neither having done either good or evil The Elder shall serve the Younger i. e. Esau in his Posterity shall serve Jacob in his This which is here said of the Elder serving the Younger is to be understood of Esau and Jacob but not of Esau and Jacob in their persons but in their posterities For if we consider Jacob in his person Jacob might be said to serve Esau rather than Esau Jacob for he termed himself Esau's servant Gen. 32.18 And he called Esau his Lord Gen. 33. v. 13 14. And he did him homage bowing himself down to the ground many times before him Gen. 33.3 And where the words cited by the Apostle are read Gen 25.23 It is plain that they extend rather to the Nations that should come from Jacob and Esau than that they are tyed up to Esau and Jacob themselves Though therefore Esau in his person served not Jacob in his person yet the posterity of Esau served the Posterity of Jacob in Davids time when the Idumaeans or Edomites which were of the Posterity of Esau were subdued by the Israelites which were the Posterity of Jacob and brought under their Subjection made servants to them 2 Sam. 8.14 Esau and his posterity as they were descended from Isaac according to the Flesh to whom the promise of the Land of Canaan was made as well as to Abraham do signifie or typifie here the children of the flesh as Ishmael did in the Story before And Jacob signifieth or typifieth the spiritual seed or the faithful which were called the Children of Promise ver 8. As did his Father Isaac in the former story And by Esaus servitude is meant or typified the continuing of such as were typified by Esau that is of the children according to the flesh under sin as under a Tyrant as under a Lord without deliverance from either the dominion or Guilt of it And by Jacob's being a Lord and so free is meant
the freedom of those from the guilt and punishment of sin and the dominion thereof which were typified by Jacob that is of the faithful called the Children of the Promise v. 8. Note that Esau may be taken here to signifie a Child of the flesh because he was the Elder brother And men must have a being according to the Flesh before they can be children according to the Spirit that is before they can believe for Nature is before Grace and Jacob may be taken to signifie a child according to the Spirit that is a believer because he was the younger brother For men come to be children according to the Spirit that is men come to believe after they are children according to the flesh So that generally the children of the flesh are elder than the children of the Promise and the children of the Promise younger than the Children of the flesh Note again that servitude under an enemy a Lord a Master or a tyrant is frequently taken in Scripture as a type of Captivity under sin and the guilt and punishment thereof And that the freedom from such an enemy Lord Master or Tyrant is frequently taken as a Type of deliverance from sin and that so frequently as that we need say no more of it Ver. 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated i e. Which prophesie or saying accords with that which is written by Malachy Mal. 1.2 Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated At least in a general way That which the Prophet Malachy saith concerning Esau and Jacob did in the History concern only the bodily or wordly estate of those two Brethren or rather of their posterity respectively but we must lift it up to the mystical and spiritual sence wherein God sheweth his love to those which were typified by Jacob and his Sons in remitting their sins and justifying them from their offences and his hatred in those which are typified in Esau and his Posterity in letting them lie in the guilt of their sins without remission Ver. 14. What shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God That is what shall we infer from what I have said shall we infer from what I have said that there is unrighteousness with God because he passeth by so many of the Children of Abraham which are flesh of his flesh yea though they sought justification by their works And pardoneth those which are the Children of promise or Children according to the Spirit that is those which believe though they be Gentiles and not of the Stock of Abraham only because they believe God forbid The Apostle prevents an objection here for whereas he concluded in his last discourse that they which are the children of Abraham or Isaac or Jacob according to the flesh these are not these children which God promised to justifie no nor yet as they were under the Law and sought justification by works But the Children of the promise that is the faithfull whether they be of the Stock of Abraham Isaac and Jacob or whether they be of a Gentile race these are the only children of Abraham to which God made that spiritual promise of justification and which he would justifie A Jew might say Paul if this be so then by thy doctrine God rejecteth those which are of the holy seed of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob yea though they seek justification by the works of the Law which God hath given them if they do not believe and justifieth not only those which are of the holy Stock of Abraham if they believe but also such as are of the unclean Race of the Gentiles But if God shall do so indeed as thou teachest by this thy doctrine then would God be unjust for it would be injustice or unrighteousness in God thus to reject the holy seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob only for not believing and thus to accept of the unclean Race of the Gentiles only because they believe This objection I say the Appostle prevents here saying What shall we then say is there unrighteousness in God God forbid What shall we say then i. e What shall we infer then or what shall we gather then from that which I have said Is there unrighteousness with God i. e. Shall we infer from thence that God is unjust in these his dealings and dispensasations God forbid i. e. No by no means See Cap. 3.4 Ver. 15. For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. He gives a reason here why God is not unjust in passing by so many of the children of Abraham or Jacob which were their children only according to the flesh and not justifying them yea though they sought Justification by their works and in justifying all those which were the children of the promise or children according to the Spirit though they were Gentiles and descended not from Abraham or Jacob by lineal Propagation He saith to Moses To wit Exodus 33.19 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion These words were spoken by God Exod. 33.19 And they were spoken by occasion of that that the Children of Israel had in the absence of Moses made them a molten Calf and worshipped it saying These are thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt At which the Lord was exceeding angry and would have destroyed them all had not Moses entreated the Lord earnestly to pardon this their sin But the Lord would not pardon them all but some only saying I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. By these words God sheweth that he is free and restrained by no Law from shewing mercy and exercising compassion where he pleaseth And therefore he is not unjust or unrighteous in justifying those that are the children of the Promise yea though they be Gentiles most of them Ver. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth nor him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy This conclusion doth most naturally arise out of what the Apostle alledged out of Exod. 33.19 in the foregoing verse but yet it is not that which he was to prove but that which he was to prove he inferrs from hence and sets down ver 18 But it is a conclusion as it semeth by the by A Question therefore it is and well may be to what end the Apostle makes mention of this Conclusion and why he draws it out and alleadgeth it here Answ This Conclusion is as I said drawn by the by out of the 15. verse and the Apostle often draws conclusions and arguments after this manner as I have observed before ver 11. chap. 7.16 c. But then it is indeed for the most part for the proof of some subject which he had treated of before But he hath not as yet directly treated of such a Subject as this conclusion is hitherto To what end thererefore doth he
which I will bring upon thee and thy people And by overwhelming thee at the length in the Red Sea Because thou wilt not let my people Israel go as I would have thee And that my Name may be declared i. e. And that I may be spoken of all abroad to the praise and glory of my power which power I intend to show upon thee for thy refractoriness to my Commands My Name that is I Metonymia Adjuncti No doubt but that God might have justly dealt with others after the manner and as severely as he did with Pharaoh and have destroyed them with as great a destruction with whom yet he did not so deal though they had deserved it at Gods hands as well as Pharaoh had Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth i. e. Therefore hath he justly without any the least unrighteousness at all mercy on those on whom he will have mercy And again on whom He will not have that mercy He justly doth deny it to them and without the least unrighteousness hardneth them These words justly or without unrighteousness are here to be understood That the Conclusion may come up to answer the Objection made or couched in the fourteenth verse And this Conclusion thus understood is no more than the premisses will bear For Nature it self will tell you that what God doth he doth justly And you cannot conceive God but you must conceive him to be just For he that is unjust cannot be God Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy This Conclusion is drawn from that which was said in the fifteenth verse and is to be applied to the Remission of sins or justification which God freely bestows on such as are the Children of Promise because he will bestow it on them q. d. Therefore he hath mercy justly on whom he will have mercy And if he hath mercy justly on whom he will have mercy He may have mercy on the Children of Promise and justifie them without any injustice or unrighteousness in himself at all for so doing Whom he will he hardneth This Conclusion is drawn from what is said in the seventeenth verse And is to be applied to the Children of the flesh mentioned ver 8. to whom God denieth remission of sins Notwithstanding that that they are the children of Abraham according to the flesh and notwithstanding that that they seek justification by works and whose heart he hardneth even because he will not pardon them for their sins and because he will harden them Whom God will He justly hardneth And if he justly hardneth whom he will he may deny remission of sins to the Children of Israel according to the flesh and harden them if he will or because he will yea though they seek justification by works without any injustice or unrighteousness in himself at all for doing so He hardeneth This is opposed to the mercy which he speaks of in the former part of the verse which mercy consisted in Remission of sins and Justification And therefore is it opposed to that Because where God doth not remit the sins of unbelievers and justifie them I speak especially in the case of positive unbelief as I may so call it that is where men have the Gospel or word of God preached to them and they will not believe it but put it from them which is that which the Apostle chiefly speaks of and against in this Epistle He doth not only not remit their sins but doth also harden their hearts for a kind of punishment of their Vnbelief See for this Matth. 13. verse 11 12 13 14 15. But note that though God hardneth the heart of unbelievers he doth it not by any positive operation upon their souls or hearts so as to be the Authour of sin thereby but by Privative and Permissive ways As by withholding his Grace or with holding the means by which the soul might be mollified and by permitting Satan to nourish and foster that hardness which Satan may do many ways and by suggesting divers Arguments to them and by stirring up evil lusts and affections in them c. He doth it sometimes also in that he punisheth not offenders according to their offâ—nces so soon as they offend but patiently bears with them a while Ver. 19. Thou wilt say then unto me why doth he yet find fault The Apostle makes an Objection here in the person of an unbelieving Jew by occasion of that which he said v. 18 viz. whom he will he hardneth For as though the Apostle had said that God doth positively harden whom he will which yet he doth not say an unbelieving Jew might say If God hardneth whom he will why doth he yet find fault with us for our hardness of heart For it is you say his will and his work to harden us and that we are hardned still it is from him why doth he then find fault God doth every where complain of the Jews for their blindness and hardness of heart as Isaiah 48.4 8. Ezek. 3.7 Ezek. 2.4 Isaiah 29. ver 9 11 12. Psal 95.8 Acts 28. ver 25 26 c. For who hath resisted his will q. d. For if he will harden us who can help it For who is able to resist his will or to hinder him in what he will have done Ver. 20. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God q. d. Nay but O man why answerest thou again or why disputest thou thus against God This Particle Nay doth enliven or quicken the whole speech and reprehends the Objector The Apostle might have taken away this Objection by saying that God doth not positively harden any man but only Privatively by not punishing him so soon as he offends according to his desert but patiently suffering his sins by withholding his Grace or withholding those means which he is not bound to give and that he doth not this neither until man hath deserved it c. And so have stopped the Objectors mouth But he had rather instead of giving a direct answer take up the Objector for his sawciness in that he will be so sawcy as to chop Logick with his God whereas when we know that God hath done any thing though we know not his particular reasons and the manner of his working we should with David become dumb and open not our mouths because it is his doing Psal 39.9 knowing that God is not unjust in any of his works Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus q. d. If a Potter should make a pot of an ugly fashion for abase use if this pot had sense and reason and were able to speak would it be seemly for this pot to say to the Potter why hast thou formed me after this manner and why hast thou made me for this use As this would not become a Pot if it could speak thus to dispute and argue with the Potter No more doth
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
31. But is an objection or question which might arise from that which was said ver 31. which question the Apostle here moves and answereth that he might yet more artificially usher in what he hath to say in the beginning of the Tenth Chapter Because they sought it not by faith i. e. Because they sought it not by the faith of Christ or by faith in Christ which is the only way to obtain Justificatiâ—n But as it were by the works of the Law i. e. But because they sought it by the works of the Law thinking thereby to obtain it without the faith of or in Christ As it were by the works of the Law These words as it were do sometimes signifie the truth and reality of a thing as John 7.9 sometimes an appearance of a thing only And I conceive that they are put here to signifie an appearance only though the Jews might think that when they sougâ—t righteousness by the Law as they did they sought it truly and as they ought to seek it They that truly seek Justification or Righteousness for these two words signifie both one and the same thing by the works of the Law they must so keep the Law as that they never break it at any time no not in the least tittle thereof for if they break it in the least tittle thereof they are cursed by the Law Galath 3.10 And therefore such can never be justified by the works of the Law Now the Jews had sinned every one of them And now having once sinned they could not really and truly and according to knowledge seek for Justification by the works of the Law But being that though they had sinned yet nevertheless they sought for Justification by the works of the Law the Apostle may say not that they sought it by the works of the Law But that they sought it as it were by the works of the Law For they stumbled at the stumbling stone i. e. For they stumbled and were offended at Christ who was to them as a Stumbling-block or stone of Offence in the way to Righteousness This Particle For relates to those words Because they sought it not by faith viz. The faith of Christ And are a Reason why they did not seek after Righteousness by faith The reason why the Jews did not seek after righteousness by faith was that they were offended at Christ by the faith of whom only Justification is to be had and rejected him and evilly entreated him to their own hurt and ruine by bringing a sin upon their head and putting away from them the only means of obtaining Remission of sins The reason why the Jews rejected Christ and were offended at him was because Christ came in such a poor and mean manner without any wordly Pomp being born according to the flesh of poor parentage and having not an house of his own where to lay his head Whereas they looked for a Pompous Messiah to come with all worldly Glory and Lustre mistaking the prophesies concerning Christ which spoke gloriously of him and interpreting them of Earthly Outward or worldly Glory when they were to be taken in a Mystical sence for Heavenly Inward and Spiritual Glory They stumbled at the stumbling stone By this stumbling block or stumbling stone is meant Christ who is here called and likened to a stumbling block or stumbling stone because as a man who in the way which he goes stumbles at a stone or a block which lies in his way comes to hurt So did the Jews stumbling as it were at Christ while they walked after justification get hurt thereby while they were offended at him and rejected him as though he were an Impostor and not the true Christ or Messiah promised by God They stumbled at i. e. They are said to have stumbled at Christ because they rejected Christ and persecuted him and so brought sin upon their head which was hurt to them as a man taketh hurt which stumbleth at a Stone or a Block in the way Ver. 33. As it is written behold I say c. Before these words understand these or the like words viz. For Christ was a stumbling stone to the Jews q. d For Christ was a stumbling Stone to the Jews as it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and Rock of Offence As it is written viz. Isaiah 28.16 But yet the Testimony here alleadged is not to be found there word for word as it is here quoted as they that will compare the places may observe For these words a stumbling block and a Rock of Offence are not there to be found Wherefore most Interpreters do take this Testimony not as a simple testimony taken out of any one place but as a testimony compounded of two parts part whereof is taken out of Isaiah Chap. 28.16 Part out of Isaiah 8.14 Where we have these words A stone of stumbling and a Rock of Offence But yet notwithstanding this we cannot find the whole testimony word for word in or to be made out of those two places conjoyned Yet nevertheless we may find the whole sence of the words even in Isaiah 28.16 mystically expounded and therefore I conceive that the Apostle takes his testimony wholly from thence though to explain the mystical sence thereof he may borrow some words from Isaiah 8.14 The words therefore as they are read in Isaiah Chap. 28.16 are these Behold I the Lord lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone A pretious corner stone a sure foundation He that believeth shall not make haste Which words in the first and literal sence are spoken of Ezâ—kiah King of Judah who when the Assyrians were in the Land of Judah wasting and destroying the Land yet did believe the word of the Lord that he notwithstanding would defend and keep Jerusalem and so was saved when most of the Jews which would not bâ—lieve were destroyed Hezekiah therefore in the literal sence was called here a Foundation in Sion because he dwelt in Sion that is in Hierusalem and was a Foundation that is a cause of safety to them which flew thither for safety for for Hezekiahs sake did God keep Hierusalem safe at that time He might be called also a Foundation because he was the Chiefest of them which believed in Hierusalem that Hierusalem should not be destroyed by the Assyrians but saved by the Lord from being destroyed by them And was by his example and counsel an inducement also to others to believe and to stand fast and strong in their belief For as a company of men knit or combined together in one are likened sometimes to a natural body and the Chief of them to the head of that body So are they sometimes likened to an House and the chief of them to the Foundation of that house And thus might Hezekiah also be likened to the Foundation of an house because he was the Chief of those believers which were in Hierusalem when the Assyrians wasted the Land of Judah
so high as that it doth set a man on work to do those things which God by his new covenant with him requires of him as the case requires and as opportunity serves so that he must be ready at all times in the preparation of his heart to confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus and not only that but to do every good work also and this is that which the Apostle intimates here willing that we should know that Justifying faith is not a dead barren or fruitless faith but an operative faith which will bring forth good works as opportunity offers it self Wherefore by that which he saith of confession with the mouth understand all good works besides as well as that But he seemeth to make mention of this only not to exclude other good works but because the time in which he wrote this might be a time of persecution with the Romans or such as that they might fear a persecution at which time confession of Christ w th the mouth will be most requisite or because he said ver 8. The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth Therefore he may particularly mention the confession of Christ with the mouth And for the same reason also he may say and shalt believe in thy heart expressing those words in thine heart here because he said before and in thine heart verse 8. And shalt believe with the heart i. e. And shalt heartily believe That God hath raised him from the dead That we may be justified it is not only required that we should believe of Jesus that God hath raised him from the dead but we must believe also that he was made man and crucified for us and that he was the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world c. And many things must we believe also concerning the Father and the Holy Ghost Therefore by that that God hath raised up Jesus from the dead we must by a Synechdoche or Syllepsis understand all the misteries of faith and also all that God requireth of us by his new covenant with us to be done and believed by us But the Apostle may in this place make mention only of this that God raised up Jesus from the dead because he mentioned the bringing up of Christ from the dead ver 7. Or because the resurrection of Christ from the dead did praesuppose most other articles of our faith or because that Article was alwayes most difficult to be believed Thou shalt be saved To wit from thy sins Ver. 10. Vnto Righteousness i. e. Unto Justification that is that he may be justified or so that he is justified thereby And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation i. e. And to be alway ready prepared to confess Christ with the mouth And when the case shall require then to confess him actually is that which brings Salvation Thus I understand this confession of the preparation of the heart to confess Christ with the mouth as I did that ver 9. And note here that the Apostle doth not make this confession with their mouth as a thing plainly and really disjoyned from faith But that which followeth naturally and immediately from it as the heat from the fire Therefore in the proof of what he saith here which proof he produceth ver 11. He mentioneth only Belief And saith For the scripture saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed which would not reach to confession of Christ with the mouth were it not that that were an Effect of faith naturally and immediately flowing from it and so one in a manner with it Ver. 11. For the scripture saith To wit Isaiah Cap. 28. ver 16. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed i. e. Whosoever believeth on Christ shall truely be justified See what we said of this phrase and words Chap. 9. ver 33. Ver. 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek Supple In that which concerneth Faith and Salvation This the Apostle inferreth out of the former verse but not out of the word whosoever which we read there for that word is not read in the forenamed place of the prophet Isaiah but out of the Indefinite generality of the Sentence it self recited out of the said prophet by which none is excluded from salvation or Justification whether he be Jew or Gentile if he do but believe The Greek i. e. The Gentile See Rom. 1.16 For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him It is very congruous to reason that he which is Lord of all will be the same to all be they of what Nation or Stock they will who believe in him And that he will not accept of one and reject the other Especially when he is so rich in mercy as that he hath mercy for thousands yea mercy enough for all Is rich unto all i. e. Is abundant in grace and mercy to all The Apostle often useth Riches for abundance and the riches here spoken of are riches of grace or riches of mercy as Ephes 1.7 That call upon him See verse 13. Ver. 13. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord To call upon the name of the Lord is by an hebrew Periphrasis or Metonymy to call upon the Lord. And to call upon the Lord here is to beseech the Lord and to pray him that he would save him or deliver him from his sins but yet to pray in faith Whosoever Whether he be Jew or Gentile Shall be saved To wit from his sins This which the Apostle here saith is taken out of the Prophet Joel Joel 2.32 And it is there spoken in the literal sence of such Jews as should call upon the name of the Lord for deliverance when they were oppressed by the Assyrians But in the mysticall sence it is to be understood of all such as should pray unto the Lord for deliverance from sins in faith For the miseries and calamities of the Jews under the Assyrians was a Type of our miseries and calamities under Sin and their deliverance from the Assyrians a Type of our deliverance from sin Ver. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed c. The Apostle proves from what he said in the former verse viz From that That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord and the Gentile as well as the Jew shall be saved That which the Apostle handleth Chap. 9. ver 24 25 26. to wit that God hath called the Gentiles and did intend to call them and send Ministers to them he proveth here as it were by Steps and degrees And he proves it for this end that the Jews should not think that what he preached concerning the Gentiles was from his own head but that God spake as much heretofore even by his Prophets of old The Apostle said out of the Prophet Joel in the former verse that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved That is that whosoever