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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	faith_n	good_a	justifi_v	5,059	5	14.2968	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37291	A paraphrase and commentary upon the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans by William Day ...	Day, William, ca. 1605-1684.	1666 (1666)	Wing D473; ESTC R6047	560,180	444

that even then there were a Remnant of Jewes whom God had justified verses 2 3 4 5 6. But yet he saith that the Jews for the greatest part of them which sought for Justification by works obteined it not but those few which believed atteined to it and the rest were blinded and fell verses 7 8 9 10. and that into their place the Gentiles were received verse 11. But yet he saith that they fell not so as that they should not rise again but might recover their fall and this he proveth by the calling of the Gentiles which were called and received that they might provoke the Jews to jealousie and make them to strive to hold or regain the love of God which they had lost or well nigh lost verses 11 12. He proves it also by the end of his own preaching which was that if by any means he could he might save some of them verses 13 14 15. He proves it also by that that they were the branches of an holy root that is that they were the children of Abraham which was holy and therefore of the Church or People of God which was holy verse 16. But yet because some of the branches of that tree were broken off and cast out of the number of Gods people or Church and the Gentiles were grafted in in their room he admonisheth the Gentiles not to boast against the Jewes but rather to fear For as the Jewes were cut off by reason of their unbelief and as they were grafted into their room and stood because of their Faith So might they be cut off again if they fell back into unbelief and the Jewes be grafted in again if they would believe verses 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. Then verses 25 26 27. he returns to prove that God had not utterly cast off his people because he intends to send them a Deliverer by whom they shall be saved from their sins when the fullness of the Gentiles is come in And because they were a People whom God had elected to be a peculiar people to himself and such as that he would not utterly leave destitute without the means of Salvation though many of them fell from the Society of that people by unbelief and that for their Fathers sake verse 28 29. and because though God had concluded them for the greatest part in unbelief yet he did it for this end that he might have mercy upon them verses 30 31 32. Which dispensations he saith were done in wisedome by God though his Counsel and Wisedome is unsearchable therein verse 33. Thus having finished the Doctrinal part of this his Epistle he comes artificially in the twelfth Chapter to the second part thereof to wit the moral part which he continues from thence to the End of his Epistle Saint Peter in his second Epistle Chap. 3. ver 15 16. Saith that in the Epistle which Paul wrote to the Jews as also in all other his Epistles there are some things hard to be understood which they which are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do all other Scriptures unto their own destruction Whether this Epistle of Saint Paul be the peculiar Epistle which Saint Peter meant by that which Saint Paul wrote to the Jewes as some would have it Or whether the Epistle to the Hebrews as others or no. Sure it is that in this Epistle of his to the Romans there be some things hard to be understood and there be things which they which are unlearned and unstable have wrested to their own destruction For because that Saint Paul declares in this his Epistle that Justification is not by the workes of the Law but by Faith and so by Grace to omit many other errors falsely collected out of other passages of this his Epistle not well understood some have contented themselves with the empty name of Faith as though that were enough not only to Justifie them but to save them and have altogether neglected good workes and even fought against them For that there were those even in the Apostles time which taught that a barren Faith which produceth not works was sufficient to salvation We may learn both from Saint James and from Saint Jude in their Epistles and Saint Augustine sheweth as much in his book De Vnico Baptismo contra Petilianum Cap. 10. Tom. 7 page 85. col 2. A. This was Simon Magus's doctrine or wicked heresie rather and the doctrine and heresie of his Disciples called from him Simoniani as also of the Menandrians Basilidians Gnosticks Manichees Aetians and Eunomians All or some of which did willingly embrace all manner of sin and turpitude as the fruit of the grace of God by which we are saved Such Hereticks did the ages following bring forth and to Skip to later times such were and are they which are called Antinomians whose Tenets concerning good works and faith among other are these That the Law is not given to Christians That the ten Commandments ought not to be taught in Churches That it is sufficient for a wicked man to believe and not to doubt of his Salvation That neither good works profit to Salvation neither ill workes do no hurt That to say that the Law is a rule of life is blasphemy in Divinity c. Then which nothing can be more destructive of a man's Salvation and these their Heresies they drew from the misunderstanding of Saint Pauls words in this his Epistle But because in this Epistle of Saint Paul's there are many things which are hard to be understood for the better understanding of this Epistle it will be expedient to know First What is the main Scope of the doctrinal part at least of this Epistle of Saint Paul Secondly How one thing hangs or depends upon another Thirdly How the Scriptures which he alledgeth so often make for the proofs for which he alledgeth them Fourthly How he useth many words which he useth and in what sense For the first of these that short Epitome which I have given of the eleven first Chapters may suffice As for the second know first that it is the manner of the Apostle as in other of his Epistles so especially in this to prevent objections which may arise out of that which he said either immediately or a little before which objections because he doth not express but pass them over in silence and onely give the answer in express terms makes the greater Hiatus and seeming independence of one sentence upon another to be in his writings which would not have been if he had expressed the objections as well as he doth the answers And the variety of mens conjectures what the objection in every place from whence it ariseth is I conceive to be one great cause that men so much differ in their judgements concerning the interpretation of divers places of this Epistle But the objections which the Apostle prevents or answers are not made alwaies in the person of one sort of men but sometimes in the person

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

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

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 justific●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 Min●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 justific●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

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

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

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 ●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

Faith should think that he might continue in sin that the grace of God might the more abound and so the mercy of God might be the more glorified As some had objected to the Christians that they did and held though falsly to whom he had answered before Chap. 3. ver 6 7 8. In the sixth Chapter he sheweth how inconsistant it is with him who is justified by faith and had his former sins pardoned by Grace to live in sin and useth many arguments to stir him up to live an holy life But least that any faint-hearted Christian in general or Jew in particular for of him by the answer which he gives in this sixth Chapter and which he prosecutes in the seventh he seems especially to speak should say Yea but for my part I cannot follow Righteousness as you would have us nor can I be but a slave to sin having been so great a follower of unrighteousness and sin having had such dmoinion over me The Apostle tells him Chap. 6. verse 14. that Sin should not have dominion over him as it had had for he was not now under the Law but under the Gospel which afforded him these means to free himself from sin which the Law could not afford him CHAP. VII And this his answer he prosecutes Chap. 7. and shews the Jew that the Jews were freed from the Law which was the strength of Sin 1 Cor. 15 56. and were brought under the Gospel that they might serve God by a new kind of Life which the Gospel worketh in us and that they might not follow that old kind of life which they led while they were under the Law through the Motions of sin which were by the Law But now because some might say that there could be no motions of Sin by the Law and others might say that the Law would be the cause of Sin if there were any motions of Sin by it He sheweth verse the seventh and so forward to the end of the Chapter both that the Law was the occasion of sin to those which were under it and that it was not for all that the true and genuine cause thereof wherefore at the seventh verse the better to shew these things which he speaks of and the condition of the Jews which lived before the Law was given by Moses and the condition of the same people when they were under the Law after it was given He puts one in his own person the person of the Jews both as they lived before the Law and under the Law CHAP. VIII Now after the Apostle hath finished these things he comes again in the eighth Chapter to shew the happiness of them who are justified by faith or who are in Christ Jesus for those are all one whom he also describeth by that That they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit in relation to what he had taught in the whole sixth Chapter concerning the Life of a man which is justified by Faith or which is in Christ Jesus that it ought to be such as is Holy and free from all Vnrighteousnesse And to this holinesse of life doth he use here divers new Arguments to excite them from the first to the seventeenth verse of this Chapter at which verse shewing that we must not onely do the works of Righteousnesse but also suffer if need be for Righteousness sake He doth in the ensuing part of the Chapter use divers arguments to move them to suffer afflictions patiently and endeth this Chapter with the narration of the happinesse of those which he spake of from the fifth Chapter hitherto that is of those which are justified by Faith or which is the same of those which are in Christ Jesus CHAP. IX Now in the ninth Chapter reflecting upon what he said before that a man is justified by Faith and not by the workes of the Law and reflecting upon the happinesse of those which are justified by Faith and considering withall that the Jewes for the most part were such as he spake of Chap. 2. Verse 8. That is such as were contentious against the Gospel and obeyed not or believed not that Word of Truth but obeyed Vnrighteousness against whom indignation and wrath is revealed He manifests the great heaviness and continual sorrow which he had in his heart For those Jews which were his Kinsmen according to the flesh and to whom among many other priviledges the promises of God did belong to think that they resisting that way which God had appointed for obtaining Righteousness or Justification should invent another way of their own and go about to establish that their own way and submit not or yield not to follow that way of Righteousness which God had prescribed And this heaviness and continual sorrow of his heart for them he doth shew that they considering and contemplating his sorrow for them might pity their own selves and embrace the truth that they might be saved at the last But though he manifesteth here the great heaviness and continuall sorrow which he had in heart for those his Kinsmen to wit the Jewes yet he doth not here express the cause of this his sorrow being interrupted with an objection which might arise from what he had said and to which he would answer but deferreth it to the next Chapter and there resumeth and perfecteth what he here broke off though in other terms The Objection which might arise from what he had sad is this He said that among other Priviledges which belonged to the Jewes which were the people of Israel according to the flesh this was one That the promises of God were theirs upon which a Jew might thus object and say That if we Jewes who are the Childrn of Israel according to the flesh were not justified but were under Wrath and Indignation as thou Paul sayest Then would the promises of God be void and of none effect which is to make God false in his word For God promised by his servant Jeremy and many other his servants the Prophets that he would make a new covenant with them and justifie them Jer. 31. ver 31 32 33 34. To this objection Saint Paul answers here verses 6 7 8 9. to this effect True it is that God made a promise to the Israelites that he would justifie them but whereas there are to sorts of Israelites one which are Israelites according to the Flesh which descended from Jacob and Abraham by carnall propagation The other which were Israelites and the Children of Abraham according to the Spirit because they did imitate and follow Abraham in this Faith for they which are of Faith they are the Children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 That promise of Justification doth belong absolutely and immediately not to those which are the Children of Jacob or the Children of Abraham according to the Flesh as Such but to those which believe as Such and so are the Children of Jacob and of Abraham according to the Spirit whether they be Jewes or whether

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

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 ●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

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

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 qua●●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

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

Gospel which is preached by the Servants of God is a powerful instrument for the Salvation of such as believe And they which believe do attain to Salvation by the Gospel The Gospel is called the Power of God not because there is any natural or physical power in the words of the Gospel But because God sheweth his power in those that believe the Gospel in saving them that is in delivering them from all evil both of Sin and Punishment and in bringing them at last to everlasting joy and happiness And well may this be called the Power of God for what created power can save us from our sins who hath power enough to deliver us out of the Claws of the Devil to whom we were captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 who hath power to keep us safe from him that goeth about a roaring Lion seeking whom he way devour who hath power to free us from the miseries of this mortall body who can raise us up from the dead after death who hath power to change these vile bodies of ours into glorious bodies and this corruptible of ours into incorruptible who hath power to carry us up into heaven there to enjoy bliss for evermore but God who is Omnipotent and able to subdue all things to himself and to do whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth The Gospel therefore is called the Power of God Metonymically that is to say because the power of God is so joyned with it as that God will so shew his power in saving them that believe it as that he will bring them to everlasting Salvation They therefore which interpret the power of God to Salvation of a powerful instrument to save men must not take it for a Physical instrument but for a Moral instrument as I may so call it that is for such a thing with which God will so go along with his power as that he will save them which believe the Gospel even because they believe it We know that the Power of God did go along in the Primitive times with the preaching of the Gospel in that God did bear the preachers of it witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy-ghost according to his own will Heb. 2.4 But this is not the power here spoken of but that which we have already mentioned for signs are not for those which believe but for those which believe not 1 Cor. 14.22 but the Power of God in this place is for them which believe Vnto Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For Salvation or for this end that it may bring men unto Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here a Note of the final cause or of the end The Schools use to distinguish of a double Salvation the one Inchoate the other Consummate Salvation Inchoate consisteth in Remission of sins or Justification c. and may be had in this life In this sence the Apostle saith By Grace ye are saved through faith Ephes 2.8 And again Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Titus 3.5 But Salvation Consummate is only to be had in the life to come and consists in Eternal life Now some understand this place only of Salvation Inchoate not Consummate But it is better to take it for our full and whole Salvation To every one that believeth i e. To every one that believeth the Gospel As a Medicine doth not profit how good soever it be except it be taken down So doth not the Gospel profit though it be the Power of God unto Salvation except it be believed and embraced To the Jew first and also to the Greek i. e. To the Jew first and then to the Greek And also is put here for Then or Afterwards The like manner of speech we read the 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us i. e. They did first give themselves to the Lord and then to us his Ministers Note that by the Greek is here meant all the Gentiles per Synedochen Species and to is the Greek to be taken so often as he is opposed to the Jew and therefore is the Greek put for all the Gentiles the rather than any other Nation because the Greek tongue was at this time from the time of Alexander the Great most generally used amongst all Nations as also because the Greeks were now of a long time more known to the Jews than any other People were by the Jew therefore and the Greek all the People of the World are here meant There is a Praerogative here given to the Jew above the Gentile which Praerogative consisteth in this that the Gospel was preached and to be preached to the Jew before it was preached or to be preached to the Gentile Acts 13.46 And in that that the Gospel did appertain to the Jew which believed more peculiarly than it did to the Gentile by reason of particular promises thereof made to them But it doth not consist in this that the believing Jew did or should obtain more exuberance of grace or greater salvation than the believing Gentile should Ver. 17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed For therein is Justification effectually revealed and thereby performed and wrought That which is here rendred Righteousness is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cometh from the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justificare to justifie So that Righteousness may be and is to be taken here for justification and justification signifieth with our Apostle remission of sins or absolution from sins and it is a tearm borrowed from the Law courts and is opposed to condemnation That which is called Righteousness or Justification is also called Redemption Chap. 3.24 Ephes 1.7 c. And it is called Salvation Math. 1.21 c. And both by a metaphor taken from Prisoners or Captives or Slaves which were under hard imprisonment or bondage or slavery and were as men appointed unto death but are delivered and redeemed with a price or saved by might out of that miserable condition and a condition no better than theirs were we in while we were under sin So that the Remission of our sins may be called as Righteousness or justification so Redemtion and Salvation too And note now that Salvation and Righteousness are often put for one and the same thing as Psal 98.2 The Lord hath made known his Salvation his Righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the Heathen and Isaiah 56.1 My Salvation is near to come and my Righteousness to be revealed And Isaih 61.10 He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation He hath covered me with the robe of Righteousness which I observe that it might seem strange to none that besides the derivation of the Greek word Righteousness should be put or taken for justification or redemption and Salvation from sins The Righteousness of God He calls it the Righteousness of God

only occasionally For the Apostle is wont by occasion of other matters which he affirmeth and would prove to slip as it were to his main purpose so he doth Gal. 2.16 And in other places as well as here As it is written To wit Habakkuk 2.4 The Just shall live by Faith i. e. The Just-man shall be justified not by his works though he be called just but by Faith Or thus he that shall be justified shall be justified by Faith The Apostle proveth here by the Testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk that the Righteousnesse of God is by Faith But note that these words as they lie in the Prophet as many words and passages in the old Testament do carry a twofold sence with them A Literal and a mysticall In their literal sence they relate to the Jewes which were in Captivitie to the Babilonians In their mystical sence they relate to men as they are under sin and guilty of the punishments due to sin to wit death c. And therefore have these words this double relation because the things thereby signified are One the Type of the Other the former of the latter The Captivity of the Jews under the Babylonians of the Captivity of Man under Sin and Death and him which hath the power of death the Devil For it is very well known that the Captivity of the Jews under the Babilonians was a Type of the Captivity of Man under Sin and Death and him which hath the power of Death the Devil And that the messages and good news which God sent by his Prophets of the delivery of the Jewes out of the Babylonian Captivity was a Type of the Gospel and good newes of Mans salvation out of his spirituall captivity which was preached by Christ and his Apostles and that Cyrus whom God had used as an Instrument to deliver the Jews from the Babylonians was a Type of Christ by whom Man is delivered from Sin and Death and the Devil And when one of these is prophesied of in the Letter the other is prophesied of in the Mysterie Yea and while things of this nature are thus prophesied of the Holy Ghost doth oftentimes so order and guide the Penman of his Prophesies that some passages will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in word agree aswell to the one as to the other aswel to the Type as to the Antitype of which this parcell of Scripture written by the Prophet Habakkuk is one According to the literal sence therefore these words as they lie in the Prophet Habakkuk may be thus expounded They which are just among the Babilonian Captives though they are under them from whom they may fear death through hard usage yea to be put to death by reason of their power being Conquerors yet if they believe the message and good newes of their deliverance by Cyrus out of their captivity which I shall send them by my Prophets They shall be delivered from their Captivity and shall not die under the hands of the Babylonians but live and live a joyfull life According to the Mystical sence which is the sence in which our Apostle takes the words here we may interpret these words thus The Just which believe the Gospel shall be justified from their sins by their Faith The Just According to the frequent use of Holy Scripture he is called a just or Righteous Man who is a man of a good and honest mind and desireth to walk uprightly though he slips yea falls often such a man as this is is ready to receive the message of God whensoever it pleaseth God to send it and doth verily believe it when it is sent Again if we look into the place of Habakkuk beforementioned to wit Habakkuk 2.4 we shall find that our just Man there is opposed to him whose soul is lifted up that is to a proud man and so may be taken for the humble minded man such an one as trusteth not in himself nor boasteth of his own worth And who is more likely to be a Believer than He for Pride is the greatest keeper out of Faith as can be For how can ye believe which seek honour one of another saith our Saviour to the Jewes John 5.24 But besides this the Just may be taken for him which it justified and so may it be taken here when we expound the words in the mystical sence q. d. He that shall be justi ed shall be justified by his Faith Shall live This is as if he should say in our Saviours words He shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 5.24 That is he shall be justified that is he shall be absolved of his sins he shall not be condemned for them though he hath deserved death by them A man that is arraigned and tried for his life upon some Criminal or Capital matter If he be condemned he is put to death but if he be justified or absolved he liveth To live therefore may be put here Per Metonymiam Consequentis for to be justified That which Saint Paul drives at and for which he produceth the Testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk is as I said to prove that righteousness is of faith or which is the same that he that believeth is accepted of God and freed from sin and death which is the penalty of sin not for his works sake but for his faith And to expresse this freedom the Scripture calls it sometimes by the name of Salvation and Redemption which are words borrowed from Captives which are saved or redeemed whereas by their condition they were as men appointed unto death Sometimes again and that is the tearm most frequently used in this Epistle by the name of Justification which is a name or word borrowed from men as I said immediately before accused of some Capital matter in a Court of Justice where the Person accused is acquitted or absolved of the crimes laid against him and so justified by the Judge and freed from the Censure of the Law viz. Death The words of the Prophet Habakkuk as they are here alledged by our Apostle may in their Mystical sence be interpreted either in allusion to the Salvation or Redemption of Captives or in allusion to the Acquitting Absolving or Justification of a man accused in a Court of Justice of some Capital crime And after which of these ways the Reader will interpret them I leave to his choice for the issue of both is Life By faith i. e By reason of his faith or if he believe the Gospel For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men The Apostle prevented an objection here For whereas he said that the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from faith And again it is written The just shall live by faith signifying thereby that the way of obtaining Justification is by faith A man may object and say But why Paul dost thou say that the way of obtaining justification is by faith

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

rise up in judgement against those Jews which our Saviour there reprehends and condemn them Mat. 12.41 Or the uncircumcised if he fulfill the Law may be said to judge the Jew which breaks the Law because he shall move God to condemn him for he shall give just occasion to God the judge of all to condemn him being that he kept the Law though he had it not written but the Jew though he had it written broke it Who by the Letter and circumcision i. e. Who having received that is who though thou hast received both the written Law and circumcision Note that By is taken here for With 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as chap 4.11 So that this is as if he should say Who with the Letter and circumcision that is Who having the Letter and circumcision or who though thou hast both the Letter and circumcision c. By the Letter is meant the Law written in Letters Ver. 28. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly c. The Apostle prevents an Objection here For whereas he shewed from ver 17. to ver 24 That a Jew which had the knowledge of the Law being that he sinned his sin was greater than his who was not a Jew and had not the knowledge of the Law And whereas he told the Jew ver 25. That if he kept not the Law but was a breaker of the Law his circumcision which he so much trusted in was made uncircumcision And again ver 26 27. That the uncircumcised Gentile if he keep the Righteousness of the Law his uncircumcision should be counted for circumcision yea He should judge the Jew who having both circumcision and the Law did transgress the Law A Jew might object saying But how can this be Paul that the case of a Jew can be so bad as thou makest it though he doth sin Or how can it be that his circumcision should become uncircumcision if he keep not the Law And how should the uncircumcision of the Gentiles if they keep the Righteousness of the Law be counted for circumcision And how should an uncircumcised Gentile which fulfilleth the Law judge a Jew which hath the Law and circumcision if he transgresseth the Law For knowest not thou that a Jew is in high respect and favour with God as being a Child of Abraham the friend of God and that circumcision is highly respected and favoured of God as being given to Abraham as a sign of his favour and a Seal of the covenant which he made with him and with his seed whose seed the Jews are This objection I say the Apostle prevents by granting that which a carnal Jew might object concerning a Jew and concerning circumcision but distinguishing between a Jew and a Jew and between circumcision and circumcision q. d. For though I grant you that a Jew is in high favour with God and that circumcision is highly respected of him yet He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the Heart c. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly q. d. For though a Jew be highly favoured of God and circumcision be highly respected by him yet he which is a Jew outwardly only Supple he is not the Jew which God so highly favoureth Ellipsis The Jew did therefore think himself highly favoured by God and so free from judgement because he was of the Seed of Abraham for every Jew is a Son of Abraham according to the flesh but see what was said ver 17. concerning the Jew He is said to be a Jew outwardly who is a Son of Abraham onely according to the flesh and appears to be so by his Genealogie and by enjoying the outward Priviledges of such as were children of Abraham carnally Neither is that circumcision which is outward in the Flesh i e. Neither is that circumcision which is outward to wit in the Flesh Supple that circumcision which God so highly respecteth Ellipsis Ver. 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly q. d. But he is the Jew which God so highly favours and which shall escape the wrath and judgement of God which is a Jew inwardly By a Jew as I intimated is understood a Child of Abraham and he is a Child of Abraham inwardly who is like unto Abraham in the inward gifts and graces of the Soul as in Faith and the like For they which are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham Galat. 3.7 And if yee were Abrahams children yee would do the works of Abraham saith our Saviour John 8.39 And they which are so the Children of Abraham or thus Jews they shall find respect and favour with God and shall escape the wrath and judgement of God For they have peace with God and rejoyce in the hope of his Glory Rom. chap. 5. ver 1 2. And circumcision is that of the Heart i. e And the circumcision which findeth respect and favour with God and so profiteth to escaping the wrath and judgement of God is that circumcision which is of the heart Ellipsis That of the heart i. e. That whereby the Heart is circumcised from sins and dead works as from unbelief and the like and that only c. The circumcision of the heart is that whereby infidelity and all superfluity of naughtiness is as it were cut off from the heart and cast away And this was signified as a duty to be done by the outward circumcision of the foreskin of the yard or flesh See Deut. 10. ver 16. and Acts 7. ver 51. In the Spirit not in the Letter That is that which is delivered and commended in the Gospel not that which is commanded and expressed in the Law Thus Some-Where note that the Spirit is taken sometimes for the Gospel and the Letter for the Law as 2 Cor. 3.6 But others had rather take the Spirit here for that principal part of man to wit the Soul which is a Spirit and the Letter for that part of the Body in which circumcision was to be made by the Praescript of the Letter that is by the Praescript of the Law by a Metonymie which Prescript appointed the Praeputium or foreskin to be circumcised Gen. 17.11 Levit. 12.3 So that the sence of this place is this q. d. Which circumcision is in the Soul not in the Body or any part thereof Whose praise is not of Men but of God i. e. Which Circumcision is prais-worthy yet God only can give it its due praise and not Man God only can give this Circumcision its due praise because being it is in the Heart or Soul God only can see whether it be true or no for he only is the searcher of the Reins and Heart Revel 2.23 Heb. 4.13 And therefore he can only see whether it be worthy of praise or not By what the Apostle speaks here in these

of the Old Testament say they say to them which are under the Law and they are Jews Whatsoever is spoken in the Law must be understood as spoken to them which are under the Law And nothing of all the Law that is of all the writings of the Old Testament must be excepted as not spoken of them but only such things as are openly and by name spoken of the Gentiles of which nature if any be yet all the Testimonies here cited are not But as for other Passages where there is not express mention of the Gentiles they must be understood of the Jews whether the Jews be named or no For what is more consonant to Reason than this That whatsoever the Law speaketh indefinitely it should speak to them which are under the Law though not all passages of all that are under the Law but some of some and others of others Yea where a passage in the Old Testament is spoken of the Gentiles plainly and in direct tearms it may concern the Jew and be spoken of him as well as of the Gentil● though not in the first or literal sence yet in the second or mystical And this they know which are skilled in the Scriptures We know i. e. We who are skilled in the Scriptures whether Jews or Gentiles we know or we i. e. We Jews even we know He speaks of this as of a thing confessed even among the Jews and so may it be because it is so consonant to reason as we have said and agreable to the custom of the Scriptures Whatsoever the Law saith The word Law here signifieth All the writings of the Old Testament and that it doth in relation to the Hebrew word Torah which as it signifies the Law so sometimes it signifies not the Law only precisely but any Doctrine in general Or because all other parts of the Old Testament are referred to the Law and depend on that in some wise or other the Law which is but a part but yet a Principal part is put by a Synechdoche for the whole Old Testament To them which are under the Law By the word Law here some understand all the writings of the Old Testament as the word is taken just before But others take the word more strictly here viz. for the Law which was given by Moses And therefore whatsoever the writings of the Old Testament speak they speak to them which are under the Law that is under the Law of Moses because all other the writings of the Old Testament do in some kind or other relate to that and depend upon it either by explaining it or inculcating it or the like As also because the other writings of the Old Testament were given to the same people to whom the Law was given they being also the Oracles of God Which are under the Law They are said to be under the Law in this place which of the two ways soever we take the Law here to whom the Law was given For to whom the Law was given to them it was as a Schoolmaster to teach them and direct them and Schollars are said to be under their School-masters and School-masters over their Schollars By those which are under the Law are meant the Jews for to them and them only was the Law given Rom. 9.4 Psal 146.19 And the Law was our Schoolmaster saith our Apostle Galat. 3.24 That every mouth may be stopped q. d Wherefore no man can glory of his Righteousness nor excuse himself from being unrighteous before God being so convicted of sin as that he is compelled to stand mute before Gods Tribunall as having nothing to say in defence of himself The mouth of man is then said to be stopped when all excuse is taken away from him and all occasion of glorying in his own righteousness before God so that he hath not a word to say for himself Note that the Particle That is not a sign of the cause here but a note of an Illation or inference and what is here inferred is not inferred from what went immediately before but from that which went some distance before to wit from those Testimonies cited in this chapter which shewed that the Jews had sinned as well as the Gentiles yea rather from all which the Apostle had said concerning this matter from the beginning of this Epistle hitherto And all the world may become guilty before God i. e. And all the men of the world whether they be Jews or whether they be Gentiles having nothing to say for themselves are become apparently guilty of condemnation before God the Judge of all The World is taken here by a Synecdoche for the men of the world all which are guilty of condemnation before God till they are justified by faith in Christ Ver. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight i e. Therefore shall no man be justified in the sight of God by the works of the Law that he hath done or for that that he hath kept the Law as he ought to do The deeds of the Law are to be taken here for the performance of what the law commands or for the deeds of the Law as they are performed by us and not simply for deeds injoyned by the Law q. d No man shall be justified by the deeds of the Law which he hath done c. And therefore no man can be justified by the deeds of the Law which he hath done because no man hath strictly kept what the Law commands and the least breach of the Law makes a man guily of damnati The word Law is taken here for the Moral Law which was given by Moses which was the same with the Law of Nature but written in a fairer character by Moses whereas it was blurd and waxen dim and much defaced by s●n in the hearts of Men. This is as it were an Epiphonema of all the former discourse for this is the scope of all that hath been said from Chap. 1. ver 18. hitherto to wit to shew that righteousness is not to be expected by the Law No flesh That is no Man for flesh is put here by a Synecdoche very common with the Hebrews for Man so it is put Matth. 24. ver 22. In his sight i e. In the Sight of God It may be that some are justified by the deeds of the Law which they have done in the sight or judgement of Man and that he judgeth that they have exactly kept the Law yet no man shall be justified by the deeds of the Law in the sight or judgement of God for Man beholds onely the outward face of things and that at sometimes only but God pierceth deeper and searcheth the heart and the reins and spies out all mens doings be they never so secret and that at all times And in the heart and in secret such things are done which the eye of Man cannot see For by the Law is the knowledge of Sin i. e For by

Preaching of the Gospel See 1 Pet. 1. v. 20 21 22. A Propitiation A Propitiation is put here for a Propitiator or one that doth appease the displeasure of God The Act for the Cause or the Author thereof by a Metalepsis That which is rendred a Propitiation is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some render Propitiatorem taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Masculine Gender as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But most take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter Gender And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter Gender which in Latin is rendred Propitiatorium the Propitiatory is used by the Greek Interpreters of the Old Testament most commonly for the Cover of the Ark of the Covenant upon which God sat between the wings of the Cherubims as appeareth Exod. 25. v. 17 18 19 20 22 and 31. v. 7. and 35. v. 12. Levit 16.2 Numb 7.89 c. Now the Cover of the Ark did as it were keep from the eyes of God who sat between the Wings of the Cherubims upon that Cover Exod. 25 22. Numb 7.89 whatsoever was in the Ark of the Covenant which was covered therewith And in the Ark of the Covenant there were the Tables of the Covenant that is of the Law Heb. 9.4 This Cover therefore by keeing the Tables of the Covenant or the Law from the eyes of God did in a manner keep the sins of Men from his eyes which were Transgressions of that Covenant or of that Law for what is Sin but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 And what were those Tables of the Covenant but the Tables in which the Law was written And if the Law were kept from his eyes then must the Transgression of the Law be also kept from them For who can see the Transgressions of the Law which seeth not the Law it self Rectum est Index sui obliqui For this reason was that Cover called in Hebrew Capporet a word which is derived from a verb which hath the signification of Expiating and Propitiating and for this reason did the Greek Interpre●ers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Verbal derived from a Verb of the like signification And for this reason was this Cover a Type of Christ whom God had decreed from all eternity to send and in his appointed time did send forth to purchase forgiveness for the sins of his People which forgiveness is often signified by the name of Covering for blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered saith the Psalmist quoted by our Apostle Rom. 4.7 c. In Allusion to this Cover of the Ark and to this use thereof which we have spoken of is our Saviour called here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Note that the Apostle doth in these and in the following words set forth all the causes of Mans justification which he doth therefore because justification is the chief Scope of his Epistle and the main Controversie between him and the Jews The chief and principal cause therefore of our Justification is God himself the Meritorious cause is Christ Jesus his merit is his blood that is his Death and Passion The Material cause or Subject of justification is Man the Formall cause is the Remission of sins The Condition required on mans part is Faith the final cause or End why God did justifie Man is his own Glory for he did it that he might be known to be Just in his promise of justification which sheweth his truth and that he might be known to be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus which sheweth his mercy and goodness Through Faith q. d. To be enjoyed or made ours through Faith That is to be enjoyed by us and made ours if we believe Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this he excludes Works again We are taught by this that God though he did so love the world as that he gave Jesus Christ to be a Propitiation for the sins thereof yet notwithstanding he requires a condition of them that are to be justified before they shall be justified and have their sins forgiven and that is Faith Or that they must use Faith as an Instrument to apply this Grace which I account as the same In his blood Some refer these words to those whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation And then this Praeposition In is to be taken for through as it is taken ver 24. And the sence is to be this Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through his blood to be enjoyed or made our Propitiation through Faith In the words so construed there must be a Trajection or an Hyberbaton which yet is a figure not unusual with our Apostle who sometimes useth yea often through the ardency of his Spirit to go to a second thing before he hath done with the first and then to return to the first again These words so conjoyned shew how Christ was to be and is our Propitiation or Propitiator or Propitiatory to wit by dying for us and shedding his blood for our sins This Exposition is favoured by that that in the Original as most Expositors read it it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a Tenuis but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Asperate But it may be asked what hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be either taken for the Cover of the Arke or alludeth thereunto to do with blood Answ I have shewed how that Cover of the Ark was a Propitiatory and why it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and how it was a Type of Christ and indeed as it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Propitiatory and as it was a Type of Christ it had nothing significant of blood it did onely signifie that Christ should be our Propitiator or Propitiation but did not signifie how he should be so for Types are for the most part imperfect But what that Type signified not other Types did signifie For the Legall remission of sins which was through the blood of the Beast which was slain for a Sacrifice did Praefigure the Real and Evangelical remission of sins through the blood of Christ who was to be slain for us In that therefore that with the mention of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is mention of blood there is a double allusion an allusion to the Cover of the Ark which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Propriatory and an allusion to the Sacrifices of the Law wherein was blood by which was a Legal remission of sins And such a mixture of Types and Sences in speech is not unusuall But as some refer these words By his blood by an Hyperbaton to those more remote words Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation So others refer them to the words which they immediately follow namely to those Through Faith

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 fo●g●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

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 ●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

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

to whom he wrote a little before Not to let sin reign in their mortal body c. least any should shew himself faint-hearted and because before the time of his belief while he was under the Law he was continually drawn by sin to consent to her motions and fulfil her lusts and so to yield himself her Servant should say that he was not able to withstand the power of sin but must needs yield to her as to her which hath dominion over him for so strong was sin in him as that the Law could not strengthen him sufficiently against her motions He prevents him here with a word of comfort and encouragement saying For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace For ye are not under the Law but under Grace i. e. For ye are none of you under the Law which gave you little or no assistance against sin but you are under the Gospel which giveth you strength to resist sin and work righteousness He gives a reason here why sin should not have dominion over them Note that the Apostle directs this his speech to the believing Jews in a particular manner Note also that by the Law is here meant the Law of Moses as it was given by Moses and as it is in it self precisely considered in which regard it had but little power to keep a sinner from yielding to the motions of sin And indeed when the word Law is put absolutely in opposition to grace it always so signifieth So that the sence of these words may be this q. d. For ye are not under the Law which had not power enough to keep you from the dominion of sin But ye are under grace which giveth you strength to free your selves from sin that she domineer not over you Ye are not under the Law To be under the Law signifieth two things to wit to be under the obligation of the Law And to be under the imperfection of the Law that is to be under the Law as it was given by Moses and as it is precisely considered without the grace of the Gospel In which last sence the Law though it did impose commands upon men it did not either of it self or by any thing joyned with it afford strength enough to a sinner to resist sin and to perform those her commands For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ John 1.17 Now to be under the Law signifieth here not only to be under the obligation of the Law so that a man is bound to do what the Law requires But also and that especially to be under the imperfection of the Law as it commandeth men to do these and these things but doth not help them as the Gospel doth to perform those her commands It is not to be doubted but that in the time of the Law that is in the time of the Old Testament there were many Jews which were free from the dominion of sin through faith These though they were under the obligation of the Law of Moses because they were bound to do all the commands thereof yet they were not under the imperfection of the Law for through faith they obtained that strength by Christ to resist sin which the Law could not afford for Christ was the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 But now the believing Jews are free not only from the imperfection but also from the obligation of the Law of Moses to wit as the Law was given by Moses the Law being quite abrogated as it was by him given So that they are not bound to keep the Moral Law as it was given by Moses but as it is the Law of Nature and that which Christ would have men observe by his Gospel and to the observation of which he gives them strength and ability But under Grace By Grace understand the Gospel here The Gospel may be called Grace by a Metonymie because it is the word of grace Acts 14.3 And it is called the grace of God Acts 13.43 And 1 Pet. 5 12. because the grace of God is joyned with it They are said to be under the Gospel who have received the Gospel and believed it or do obey it And over such sin hath no dominion For the Gospel containeth most heavenly and unspeakable promises which being embraced by faith do animate the believer to stop his ears against sin And it conferreth the gifts of the holy Ghost upon the believer by which he mortifies sin in his members which hath her full sway in other men and by which he is enabled to work the works of Righteousness The Gospel is the power of God to salvation as the Apostle speaks Chap. 1.16 No wonder therefore that he should say here that sin shall have no dominion ov●r them which are under Grace that is which are under the Gospel V. 15. What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace q. d. What then shall we take to our selves a liberty to sin as though because I said we are not under the Law of Moses we were not under any law at all Or shall we take to our selves a liberty to sin because I said we are under Grace as though because we were under Grace God would wink at our sins though we sinned never so freely and never so greedily This objection which the Apostle here prevents ariseth out of a miss-understanding of the words which he used in the former verse viz. ye are not under the Law but under Grace through the ambiguity thereof And he therefore prevents this objection that weak Christians might not take occasion from hence to think that Christianity gave liberty to sin as many which were not friends to Christians would make the world believe it did and that Christians so taught as appeareth Chap. 3.8 Ver. 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness These words thus rendred are for the latter part of them defective which defect is thus made up q. d. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether ye yield your selves servants to sin to obey her And so become the Servants of sin which brings men unto death Or whether ye yield your selves Servants unto the Law or doctrine of obedience to obey that and so ye become the Servants of the Law or doctrine of obedience which brings to righteousness the end whereof is everlasting life The words in the Greek are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now some take the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here repeated twice after the manner of a Latine Ablative and construe it not Cui to whom as most do but render it Hoc ipso quòd that is in as much as And then are these words

thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus 20. Nay but that I may reply O man who art thou that repliest against God and choppest Logick with him Shall the thing formed if it likes not its shape say to him which formed it Why hast thou made me thus 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour 21. Hath not the Potter power of the clay out of which he makes his pots and dishes of the same lump of clay to make one pot or dish for an honourable use to wit to hold wine or meat for the Table or the like And another to abase and dishonourable use as to receive the excrements of the belly or the urine or the like Now then if the potter have this power over the clay Much more hath God power over the mass of sinfull men who are all sinners and none of them deserve to be justified to make one as a vessel of Honour by justifying him and another as a vessel of dishonour by hardening him 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endur●d with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 22. But what if God willing to shew his anger and to make his power known in their destruction hath hardned by enduring them with a great deal of patience and long suffering the vessells of wrath fitted to destruction I mean those who do not obey or believe the the truth but obey unrighteousness or believe a falshood whose portion is indignation and wrath What I say if God hath hardened them what unrighteousness canst thou find in God for so doing 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory 23. And what if God that he might make known the abundance of his goodness on the vessels of mercy whom he decreed from all aeternity to fit and prepare for Glory by justifying them hath justified them and so fitted and prepared them for Glory as he hath decreed What unrighteousness is there in God for this 24. Even us whom he hath called not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles 24. Which vessells of mercy we are Whom God hath effectually called to the grace of the Gospel so that we do truely believe We I say not of the Jewes only but also of the Gentiles 25. As he saith also in Osee I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 25. For whatsoever some perswade themselves to the contrary God hath effectually called the Gentiles and foretold long ago that he would make them his people as he saith in Osee Osee 1.23 speaking of them I will make them my people which are not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 26. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the children of the living God 26. And ver 10 It shall come to pass that in the place were it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the Children of the living God 27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea a remnant shall be saved 27. But as for the Jews Esaias which pierceth my heart for grief to think of crieth concerning them Chap. 10 ver 22. Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea for multitude yet a very few of them and a remnant only shall be saved from their sins 28. For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth 28. For the Lord will finish the work which he intendeth with them and will cut it short in rigour yea a short work will the Lord make with them upon the earth 29. And as Esaias said before Except the Lord of sabbaoth had left us a seed we had been as Sodoma and been made like unto Gomorrah 29. And Esaias also said before he said this to wit Chap. 1. ver 9. Except the Lord of hosts had left us a seed which is but little in respect of the whole harvest we the people of Israel had been as Sodom was utterly consumed and we had been made like unto Gommorrah an utter desolation 30. What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith 30. What shall we say then or what shall we collect out of these Scriptures we collect this to wit That the Gentiles which followed not after Justification in fore time have now attained to Justification if you ask what Justification I answer even the Justification which is of Faith 31. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness 31. But the Jews which followed and sought after Justification all this while have not attained to Justification 32. Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone 32. And wherefore have they not attained to it because they sought it not by faith but by the works of the Law And therefore sought they it nor by faith because they stumbled at the stumbling block that is they were offended at Christ and believed not in him who is the object of our belief for Christ was a stumdling block to the Jews 33. As it is written behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed 33. As it is written of him Isaiah 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling block and rock of offence yet notwithstanding that that he was a stumbling block to the Jews for a great part of them whosoever believeth and relies on him for Justification shall not be dispointed of it CHAP. IX Ver. 1. I say the trueth in Christ c. The Apostle having shewed in the beginning of this Epistle That Justification is not to be attained by works but by faith only and having set out from the beginning of the fift Chapter hitherto the great benefits and happiness which accrue to them which are justified by faith breaks out here into a Patheticall expression of exceeding great grief which he hath for his brethren and Kinsmen the Jews to think that their is no way to attain to Justification but by Faith and that yet they have not submitted themselves to this way nor will imbrace it And he shews this his exceeding great grief that he might therby induce the Jews to consider how miserable and deplorable their condition is that they might at length

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

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 Justificati●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 soug●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 Ez●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 b●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

Christ from the obligation of the Law of Moses esteemeth one day more holy than another because they were made one day more holy than another by Moses Law and doth observe them as one day more h●ly than another Supple as much as he can observe them being absent from the place which was appointed for sacrifices that is from Hierusalem He speaketh here of such a● he called weak in the faith Ver. 1. who thinking that Moses Law was still in force though falsly esteemed those for Holy-dayes which Moses appointed for such such as were their new-moones and Sabbaths c. And those for working days which Moses appointed or permitted for servile work Upon the dayes which Moses appointed to be kept holy there were peculiar Sacrices to be performed according to those days These Sacrifices could not be performed out of Hierusalem therefore I said of the weak Jews of Rome concerning those days that they observed them as they could observe them being absent from the place of Sacrifice which was Jerusalem Another every day alike i. e. Another who is strong in the faith and believes that the Law of Moses is abrogated by Christ so that he is not bound thereby to the observation of dayes as the Law did once bind him esteemeth every day alike and one day no more holy than another notwithstanding Moses Law Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind i. e. Let every one whether he esteemeth one day above another or whether he esteemeth every day alike be fully perswaded in his own mind Supple that what he doth in this he may lawfully do least otherwise he should sin in doing it against his conscience or his mind Ver. 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord That which the Apostle doth here in those three verses viz. 6 7 8 is to prove that both he that eateth and he that eateth not and he that observeth not a day and that he which observeth a day is the Lords as appears by the last words of the eighth verse whether we live therefore or whether we die we are the Lords And having proved that he leaves it to us to judge that it is not fit for us either to despise or to judge those which are the Lords Servants when as it is not fit for us to do it in the Servants of men He that regardeth a day i e. He that regardeth a day as holy because the Law of Moses commanded it to be kept holy not being perswaded through the weakness of his knowledge that the Law of Moses is abrogated though indeed it is Regardeth it unto the Lord i. e. Regardeth it to the honour of Christ That is he doth it that he may honour Christ thereby By the Lord is meant Christ And indeed Christ is every where called by the name of Lord in the Apostles writings as he which is Lord of us all and who hath made us all to be Servants to himself by right of Redemption See v. 9. Note that to Regard to the Lord is after the Hebrew manner put for to regard to the honour of the Lord so Isaiah 5.1 it is said I will sing to my wel-beloved a song of my wel-beloved For I will sing to the praise or honour of my beloved a song concerning my wel-beloved But now how can he that regardeth a day regard it to Christ that is how can he regard it to the honour of Christ Answ First He may do it in that he being a Christian may know that whatsoever we do we must do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Colos 3.17 Or Secondly he may do it in the honour of Christ in that he acknowledgeth Christ to be God and being God to be author of the Law of Moses in observance of which Law he doth as he doth And he that regardeth not a day i. e. And he that being perswaded that the Law of Moses is abrogated regardeth not the day as holy which Moses in his Law commanded to be kept holy To the Lord he doth not regard it i. e. He doth not regard that day to the honour of Christ i. e. He doth not regard that day that he may thereby honour Christ But how doth he not regard that day to the honour of Christ or how doth he honour Christ by not regarding that day Answ He doth it because by not regarding it he sheweth that he is perswaded that Christ hath freed him from the bondage of the Law of Moses by his own death as Chap. 7.4 He that eateth i. e. He that eateth all things yea even those things which are forbidden to be eaten by the Law of Moses Eateth to the Lord i. e. Eateth what he eateth to the honour of the Lord. For he giveth God thanks i. e. For when he is going to eat he giveth God thanks for the meat which he is to eat He that giveth God thanks for the meat which he is to eat honoureth God in that he acknowledgeth God thereby to have created what he eateth and to have given it to man for his food and to have taken off the restraint which restrained from eating some meats by Moses Law It was always a custom among the Jews to give thanks to God as the Creator and giver of what they did eat or drink when they did eat meat or drink wine and thus did our Saviour give thanks when he did eat or drink Mat. 15.36 and Mat. 26.25 c. which custom Christians also have And to which custom the Apostle here alludes That he that eateth giveth thanks to God for the meat which he eateth should be an argument to him that eateth not that he that eateth eateth to the honour of the Lord Christ who is true God And he that eateth not i. e. And he that eateth not Supple those things which are forbidden to be eaten by the Law of Moses To the Lord he eateth not i. e. He eateth not those meats which are forbidden by the Law of Moses that is he abstaineth from them to the honour of the Lord. And he giveth thanks i. e. For he giveth God thanks viz. For that he hath given him temperance to abstain from such things as he did forbid to be eaten by the Law of Moses And is to be taken here for For as will appear by that that went a little before We may interpret these last passages thus also And he that eateth not i. e. And he that eateth not those meats which are forbidden by Moses Law Supple and eateth onely such meats as the Law of Moses doth allow of To the Lord he eateth not i. e. He eateth not those meats which are forbidden by Moses Law Supple and eateth onely such meats as the Law of Moses doth allow of to the honour of the Lord. And he giveth God thanks i. e. For he giveth God thanks Supple for that that he hath allowed him the lawful use of some meats though he hath forbidden him the

words do not depend upon the words immediately going before but are together with all which is between this and the ninth verse to be read as I said as it were with a parenthesis These words from this place to the ninth verse mutatis mutandis are taken out of Deut. 30.12 c. and here used by an accomodation The Apostle hath shewed before as Cap. 4.14 c. That Justification could not be obtained by the Law Now least any one should say the same of faith he removes here from faith those things which might make it seem impossible to obtain Justification by faith And first because he said that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth least any might think from thence that Christs bodily prescence were necessary he shews in this and the following verse That for Christ to be bodily present is not necessary at all to this And because though his bodily presence is not necessary yet his word is requisite and some might say that it was no easie matter to come to the knowledge of that his word nor was it an easie matter to find out where that his word was to be had He sheweth ver 8. that his word is not far off but nigh at hand and easie to be obtained by anyone Say not in thy heart i. e. Say not in thy mind or cast not about in thy thoughts saying The heart is put here for the mind or the thoughts after the Hebrew manner Who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above i. e. Who shall ascend into Heaven for us for this end that he might bring down Christ from above as though it were necessary that Christ should be bodily present for thee to obta●n the righteousness which is of faith or that thou canst not know how to obtain that righteousness except he should be bodily present with thee to shew thee Ver. 7. Or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ again from the dead Or who will descend into Hell to bring Christ again from the dead for this end as though it were necessary that Christ should be bodily present for thee to obtain the righteousness which is of Faith or that thou canst not know how to obtain that righteousness except he were bodily present with thee to shew thee By what the Apostle hath said here he shews that it is not needful that Christ should be bodily present with us that we may believe and be saved by the righteousness which is of faith Being that Christ hath left the Earth in h●s body he must needs be their in Heaven above or among the dead beneath therefore the Apostle saith Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead And nameth no more places Into the deep By the deep understand here the place of the dead For so that which followeth Viz. To bring up Christ again from the dead bids us to interpret it In this Interpretation which I have given of those two verses I point both the end of the seventh and eighth verses with an Interrogatory q. d. Say not in thine heart who shall descend unto Heaven to wit to bring down Christ from above Or who shall descend into the deep to wit to bring Christ again from the dead and for the so pointing of it I have Deut 30.12 for my direction And the Syriack and Ethiopique translations for my warrant Ver. 8. But what saith it That is but what saith the righteousness which is of faith that is but what saith the Preacher of that righteousness which is of faith Metonymia The word is nigh thee c. The Apostle prevents an objection here for a Jew may say whatsoever the righteousness of faith saith the w●rd which it saith may be far enough from me and I may never come to hear it or know it or if I do I must spend much labour and travail to find it out this objection I say the Apostle prevents when he saith the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth c. Note that in these words the Apostle alludes to that place of Deut. 30.14 and useth it here by an accommodation as I said before The Word i. e. The word which the Preacher of the Righteousness which is of faith saith Even in thy mouth and in thy heart i. e. The word is so nigh thee as that thou talkest of it with thy mouth and meditatest upon it in thy heart and bearest it in thy memory for thou canst not forget it This seems to be a proverbial kind of speech The Heart is taken here for the mind or memory c. That is the word of Faith which we preach That is the word which the Preacher of the Righteousness which is of Faith preacheth which we which are the Apostles of Christ preach viz c. Note that faith is taken here for the Righteousness of faith and that again for the Preacher of Righteousness of Faith by a Metonymy Ver. 9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus i. e. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Supple to be such as the Father hath set him out to be or such as the Gospel doth describe him to be Some interpret the words thus If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus to be the Lord. Jesus is called the Lord because he hath purchased us For he hath purchased us with the price of his blood Note here that it is not absolutely necessary to salvation to confess the Lord Jesus at all times with the mouth but only then when the case requireth it but it is absolutely necessary to confess the Lord Jesus with the mouth in the preparation of the heart that is it is absolutely necessary to be always ready in heart to confess the Lord Jesus with the mouth when the case shall require it and that is when the glory of God would suffer by us if we should not do it I take therefore to confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus here to be to be ready in heart to confess the Lord Jesus with the mouth Note here that to confess the Lord Jesus with the mouth or to be ready in heart so to confess him is the fruit and effect of Faith Therefore here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he saith That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath rais-him from the dead For the naturall order of the words should have been this If thou shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Jesus from the dead and confess the Lord Jesus with thy mouth thou shalt be saved Saving or justifying faith is a faith which as I said Cap. 1. ver 17. comes up