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
the Gospel as it commands and giveth power to fulfil her commands so is it ready to pardon sin and iniquities Some when they hear me say that ye are not under the Law but under grace are ready to take from hence encouragement and liberty to sin But what if I said ye are not under the Law but under Grace shall we therefore take liberty to sin God forbid 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 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves 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 unto the Gospel which is the doctrine of obedience to obey her and so become the Servants of the Gospel which brings to righteousness or justification 17. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you 17. But God be thanked that though ye were sometimes the servants of sin yet ye have now obeyed the Gospel that form of doctrine which was delivered to you 18. Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness 18. Being therefore made free from sin and her service ye are become the servants of the Gospel which teacheth and commandeth righteousness 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness 19. I speak in speaking as I do of sin and of the Gospel under Metaphors taken and used amongst vulgar men as a vulgar man which is not acquainted with divine matters and that because of the weakness of your understanding being ye are not yet able to apprehend and bear the high and deep things of God Wherefore as while ye were the servants of sin ye yielded your members to sin as servants to work her work to wit iniquity Even so now being that ye are the servants of the Gospel which teacheth righteousness yield ye your members as servants to the Gospel to do her work to wit holiness 20. For when ye were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness 20. For when ye were servants to sin ye were as men free from the Gospel which teacheth and commandeth righteousness and so carried your selves and did no work at all for her As therefore when ye were the servants of sin ye were as men free from the Gospel and so carried your selves and did no work for her So being that ye are now the servants of the Gospel be ye as men free from sin and so carry your selves and do no work for her 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death 21. But what fruit had ye then when ye were the servants of sin in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things which ye did while ye were servants to sin is everlasting death 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life 22. But now being that ye are made free from sin and become the servants of the Gospel and so by consequence the Saints of God who is the Author of the Gospel ye have your fruit even holiness and the end of your doings will be everlasting life 23. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 23. For the wages which sin giveth to her servants which do her work is everlasting death but the gift which God bestoweth upon his servants which do his work is eternal life which he bestoweth upon them for Jesus Christ our Lords sake CHAP. VI. Ver. 1. What shall we say then In the twentieth verse of the former chapter the Apostle said that where sin abounded grace did much more abound Lest any therefore should think that he might continue in sin for this end that grace might abound And because Christians were defamed with the tenancy of such an opinion as appeareth Chap. 3. v. 8. The Apostle sheweth here the detestation even of such a thought as this is that Christians might continue in Sin that the grace of God might abound and that it is against the very Profession of Christianity Shall we continue in Sin c. i e. Shall we continue in our old course of sinning by adding Sin to Sin Note that the Apostle speaks here of such who had lived in Sin before their conversion to Christianity That grace may abound That is that the grace and favour of God may abound in pardoning our Sins or that God may have the more abundant occasion to shew his grace and favour to sinners Ver. 2. God forbid These words are words of abhorring and detesting as Chap. 3.4.6.31 How shall we that are dead unto Sin live any longer therein The Apostle calls those dead to Sin which are dead in respect of Sin That is which have renounced and cast off the Service of sin and the obedience which they were wont to yield to her and as the dead have no commerce with the living have no commerce with Sin as they were wont to have Or rather as Servants which are now dead are freed from their Masters by death so that their Masters have no command over them neither do they serve them So are they which are dead to Sin so freed from sin as that she hath no power to command them nor do they obey or serve her All which profess Christianity are dead to Sin by profession and by promise for in their very entrance and admission into the Church of Christ they promise and profess that they will renounce sin with her lusts And they which are Christians as well in truth as in profession are dead to sin not in promise and profession only But in truth and reality too for they are so mortified to sin as that they obey her not neither have they their wonted commerce with her If therefore we be dead to sin if it be but by promise and profession only how can we with any face live any longer to sin or in the obedience and service of sin But if we are dead to sin not only in promise and profession but also in truth and in reality too how can we possibly live to sin or in the service and obedience of sin while we are dead to her Thus are Christians two manner of ways said to be dead to sin First by promise and profession Secondly in truth and in reality And being any of these wayes dead to sin they cannot
is an Ellipsis in these words The words therefore may be made up thus q. d. I thank God that he hath delivered me from this deadly body that is from this company of deadly enemies through our Lord Jesus Christ If we take these words in this sence then we must say that the Apostle speaks these words in his own person as he was regenerated and delivered from the Law and then they are to be read as it were with a Parenthesis He that sees the misery of other men how grievious it is and was in the same misery once himself or liable thereunto and is delivered from it will break out in thanks to God for his great goodness in delivering him upon sense of that mercy The aforesaid words of the Apostle may also be made up thus q. d. I thank God that he hath shewed me a way how to be delivered from this deadly body or from this body of deadly enemies For he hath made away to deliverance by Jesus Christ our Lord. And this may he speak which is under the Law and yet hath so well profited as that seeing no hope of salvation by the Law sees salvation in Christ though he be not as yet engrafted into Christ for the Law was a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we may be justified by faith saith our Apostle Gal. 3.24 Such a one though he be yet under the Law I account not to be altogether under the imperfection of the Law though he be not yet engrafted into Christ and Regenerate So then with my mind I my self serve the Law of God q. d So then I my self though I am carnal do with my mind serve the Law of God and by so doing do acknowledge that the Law of God is spiritual This hath its immediate connexion with the 21 or 23 verses And he speaks it in the person of such a man as I told of v. 14. He saith that he serves the Law of God with his mind because he approves of the Law of God as good with his mind and propounds it with his mind to his will to be embraced and followed by her as a real good which is the duty of the mind to do and in which the mind by so doing is subservient to the Law of God whose duty is to teach men what they should do and to stir them up to the doing of it But with the flesh the Law of sin What is meant here by flesh See ver 18. By the Law of sin he means sin it self which he calls the Law of sin that it may answer those words The Law of God And because it doth as a Law incite men to follow her lusts which are as it were her commands See ver 21. They serve sin which follow the lusts and desires of sin and put those things in practice which she allureth or inciteth to By saying But with the flesh I serve the Law of sin he acknowledgeth that he is Carnal and sold under sin So that in this last verse he brings up his Conclusion which he draweth from his discourse from the 14. verse hitherto to that which he said in the 14 verse viz. We know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin CHAP. VIII 1. THere is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 1. I said Chap. 5. ver 20 21. That when sin abounded grace did much more abound so that as sin hath reigned unto death even so grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Wherefore that being so there is now no Condemnation to them which are engrafted by faith into Christ Jesus who are such as walk not after their sensual and carnal appetite and affections but walk after the spirit to wit the spirit of Regeneration with which we are endued and follow her inclinations and so serve not sin 2. For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death 2. And let not any one which is in Christ Jesus say nay but I cannot but serve sin For the spirit of Regeneration which giveth life the spirit which we have received by Christ hath made us free from sin which bringeth unto death so that sin hath now no power or dominion over us whereby to make us to obey her will 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh 3. I say that the spirit of Regeneration that spirit which giveth life and which we received by Christ I say not that the Law hath made us free from sin For by reason of the impotency of the Law in that it was weak in comparison of sin which dwelt and reigned in us God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man and for this end that he might destory sin hath destroyed sin by his body which was crucified for us by which also he purchased and gave us the Spirit of Regeneration 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 4. That by the spirit of Regeneration which he purchased for us and which he hath given us the Righteousness which the Law prescribes should be fulfilled in us which are justifyed and are engrafted into Christ by faith who are such as walk not after our carnal or sensual appetite and affections But such as walk after the spirit of Regeneration with which we are endued and follow her inclinations 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit 5. I say who are such who walk not after our sensual or carnal appetite or affection but such as do walk after the spirit of Regeneration with which we are endued and follow her inclinations For though they which are carnal love and follow after their sensual and carnal appetite and affections they that are spiritual do love follow after and delight themselves in these things to which the spirit which is in them inclineth them to 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace 6. And not without cause for to love follow and delight in those things which the sensual or carnal appetite or affection moveth to will certainly bring everlasting death But to love follow and delight in those things which the spirit of Regeneration inclineth is that which brings everlasting life and peace 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity againsh God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 7. For the man which loves follows after and delights in those things to which his sensual or carnal appetite and affections tempt him to is an
who are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but they that are after the spirit as they are which are in Christ Jesus do mind the things of the spirit He grants that of those which are after the Flesh which he denies of those which are after the spirit to wit that they mind the things of the Flesh By them which are after the Flesh he means those that are Carnal The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned with a noun substantive turns it to the nature sometimes of an adjective and sometime of a participle Do mind the things of the flesh i. e. Do mind those things which the sensual or carnal appetite and affections move them to and delight in them and follow after them Do mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Greek word here and though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly spoken of the mind or understanding yet here it is spoken of the Will But they that are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit By the Spirit he meaneth that which he calleth the Law of the Spirit of life ver 2. And by such as are after the spirit he meaneth such as are spiritual and such are they which are in Christ Jesus ver 9. The things of the spirit i. e. The things to which the spirit inclineth or moveth them to Ver. 6 For to be carnally minded is death Betwixt this and the foregoing verse we may understand these or the like words and it is no wonder or and not without reason q. d. And it is no wonder or it is not without reason that they that are after the spirit do mind the things of the Spirit for to be carnally minded is death c. He proves here that which he said ver 5. That they which are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit To be carnally minded That is to mind the things of the flesh as ver 5. That is to think of follow and delight in the things to which the sensual or carnal appetite and affections move to Is death i. e. Is deadly or that which will certainly bring everlasting death Metonymia effecti He proves here not that they which are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but that they which are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit He that is after the flesh doth not consider that it is death to be carnally minded therefore he mindes the things of the flesh But he that is after the Spirit he knows it and considers it therefore he mindes not the things of the Flesh but of the Spirit To be spiritually minded That is to mind the things of the Spirit as he spoke ver 5. Is life and peace i. e. Is that which will bring life and peace through the goodness and mercy of God For as the wages of sin is death so the gift of God to those that follow his Spirit is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Chap. 6.23 Is life By life understand eternal life and take it Metonymically for the cause or for that which will procure or bring after it such a life And peace By peace understand first after the Hebrew manner the heap or plenty or plentifull return of all good things and then take it Metonymically for that which will procure or bring after it such an heap or plenty or plentifull return Ver. 7. Because the carnall mind is emnity against God i. e. Because he that is carnally minded is an enemy to God The carnal mind is put here by a Metonymy for the man that hath a carnall mind or for the man that is carnally minded or which mindeth the things of the Flesh And enmity is put here for an enemy An Abstract for a Concrete What it is to be carnally minded or to mind the things of the Flesh See verse 5. He proves here that which he said ver 6. To wit that to be carnally minded is death And certainly if to be carnally minded will make us enemies to God it will bring death upon us for all the enemies of God shall be destroyed For it is not subject to the Law of God He proves here that the carnall minded man is an enemy to God and he proves it by this that such a man as is carnally minded doth not obey the Law of God and do as God would have him do and as he is bound to do See Saint James Chap. 4. ver 4. Neither indeed can it be That is neither indeed can he be Subject to the Law of God or obey it to wit so long as he is such Ver. 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God q. d. So then they indeed that are in the Flesh c. By those which are in the Flesh he meaneth such as he said were after the Flesh that is such as were carnal Cannot please God i. e. Cannot but walk after the Flesh which is a thing displeasing to God He takes here that that they cannot please God for that that they walk after the Flesh or that that they cannot but walk after the Flesh by putting the Consequent for the antecedent This phrase therefore Viz. They cannot please God is the same for the sence with that viz. Who walk after the Flesh and it is occasioned from an objection starting from the first verse though this Corollary or Conclusion be drawn from that which went immediately before If you aske therefore to what end the Apostle drawes this Conclusion and Corollary here for it seemeth that it might have been well spared as not being to the purpose of what he had in hand I answer The Apostle prevented as I said an Objection in the second verse an Objection made against that which he said ver 1. Who walk not after the Flesh but after the spirit for a weak and faint-hearted Christian though he were in Christ Jesus yet might say in opposition to that yea but I cannot but walk after the Flesh now therefore the Apostle saith here in reference to that That it is true indeed and it would appear out of what he had said That they which were in the Flesh cannot but walk after the Flesh But yet though they cannot but walk after the Flesh yet they which were in Christ Jesus might do otherwise than walk after the Flesh for they which are in Christ Jesus are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit and so may walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit The Apostle therefore doth draw this Conclusion here that he might grant so much to the Objection that by granting so much he may the better induce him to yield to that viz. That they that are in the Spirit or They that are in Christ Jesus walk after the Spirit Cannot please God That is cannot while they are such but walk after the Flesh which is displeasing to God He takes here that viz.
conceive that there is an ellypsis here to be supplied from the foregoing verse that the sence of these two verses and reading with their Supplement is this q d. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known indured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction What canst thou say against that or what unrighteousness is there in that And what canst thou say against this or what unrighteousness is there in this if God That he might make known the riches of his Glory on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto Glory hath prepared those his Vessels unto glory even us c. By this our Apostle answers to both parts of that unrighteousness which was charged upon God ver 14. That is to the unrighteousness charged upon him for justifying the children of Promise and the unrighteousness which was charged upon him for denying Justification to the children of the flesh And by this he answers both parts of the Potters power mentioned ver 21. in making out of the same lump vessels of honour and vessels of Dishonour The Riches of his Glory The abundance of his goodness On the Vessels of Mercy By Vessels of mercy he meaneth those which believe ver 24. which he calls vessels in allusion to a Potters vessel of which he spake ver 21. And vessels of mercy because he shews mercy to such in remitting their sins and justifying them from their iniquities Which he had before prepared unto Glory i. e. Which he had from all eternity purposed within himself to prepare to glory even everlasting Glory in heaven that is which he had purposed within himself and decreed from all eternity to justifie In the word prepared there is an allusion to a Potters work Which he had before prepared The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie that what God had prepared he prepared before the thing was which preparation therefore must be understood of his purpose or decree to prepare See Chap. 8. ver 29. what is said on that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which he had before prepared to glory i. e. Which he had from eternity decired to justifie To prepare to glory may signifie to Justifie for Justification is a preparation to glory For Rom. 5. ver 20 21. It is said that where sin abounded grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness that is through Justification unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and God glorifies none whom he doth not Justifie therefore Justification is a preparation to Glory Ver. 24. Even us whom he hath called These words depend upon the 23. verse and tell whom and shew whom he meaneh there by the Vessels of mercy which God had before prepared unto glory he means those whom God hath effectually called that is those who believe whether they be Jews or whether they be Gentiles Whom he hath called That is whom he hath called effectually to the grace of the Gospel by the preaching thereof that is who believe the Gospel by hearkning to the call of God by the preachers or ministers of his Gospel Not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles i. e. Whether we be Jews or whether we be Gentiles Ver. 25. As he saith also in Osee Between this and the former verse understand these or the like words For God hath called the Gentiles and so made them his people In Osee to wit Osee Chap. 2.23 The Jews were much offended that the Apostle should preach that salvation should be and was come to the Gentiles That therefore they might know the truth of this and that they might not be offended that he our Apostle and other the Apostles of Christ did extend Justification and other the spiritual mercies of God to the Gentiles aswell as to the Jews Our Apostle as often as he hath occasion speaks of the calling of the Gentiles and in particular sheweth here that by preaching this they preached no more than what the Prophets of the Lord whom they could not except against foretold I will call her my people which was not my People and her belov d which was not beloved i. e. I will make them my people which were not my people and that Nation my beloved which was not beloved of me The Apostle proves here the Calling of the Gentiles and he proves it out of the Prophets that the Jews might the better believe it who were mâ—st against it Note that to Call signifies sometimes to Make See Chap. 4.17 These words of the Prophet Osee Osee 2. 23. are spoken in the Literal or Historical sence of the Ten tribes of Israel whom God had cast off because of their Idolatry and other their sins and dispersed them amongst the Nations whom afterwards he received again into favour And took them for the People of his love again But in the Mystical sence they are to be understood of the Gentiles whom God for time past neglected suffering them to walk in their own ways Acts 14 16. For the Ten tribes of Israel while they were cast off by God for their Idolatry and dispersed among the Gentiles were a Type of the Gentiles which worshiped Idols in former time and which were cast off and neglected of God And Gods taking of the Ten tribes into favour again after they were cast off for their Idolatry and dispersed among the Nations was a Type of Gods calling the Gentiles to him and his blessing them with his spiritual blessings after they had been so long neglected Ver. 26. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my People there shall they be called the children of the living God This is taken also out of the Prophet Hosea Hosea 1.10 And is also in the Literal or Historical sence spoken of the Ten tribes of Israel as the former Testimony was whom God had put away for their sins and said of them That they were not his people yet at length he received them to favour again And said of them That they were the Children of the living God And as there so here the Ten tribes were a Type of the Gentiles who were not the People of God in times past but were such as God cared not for yet are now made the Children of God Almighty through faith And to them do these words in the Mystical sence appertain and of them they may be thus expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it shall come to pass i. e. And this which I now speak of shall come to pass viz. c. That in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my People i. e. That in that place As v. g. In Greece in Italy in France in England Or in what place soever they dwelt of whom God might say Ye are not my People
it is written How much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment give her Rev. 18.7 Against the day of wrath i. e. Against that day in which God hath appointed to execute his wrath and to punish all those which have offended In that day that Treasure of wrath which every one hath heaped to himself shall be brought forth and poured out upon him And Revelation of the righteous judgement of God i. e. And against the day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God that is against the day in which God will openly passe his righteous judgement upon all men The Revelation of a thing is somtimes taken for the open Existence or Being of a thing as Chap. 1.18 and so is it to be taken here By this day is meant the day of the general judgement of God which shall be in the end of the world ver 16. Ver 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds God will render rewards to every one not only to this man or that man or to this Nation or that Nation but to every one of every Nation and he will render them according to their deeds To them who have done well he will render good things as Honour Immortality and Life eternal ver 7. And to them which have done evil evil things as Tribulation and anguish v. 9. And to those which have done better than other good men will he give a greater measure of good things and to those who have done worse than other evill men He will give a greater measure of evill things Thus will he give to every man according to his deeds And thus must we interpret this his retribution not as though he were said so to render to every one according to his works so as that the Godly man or man that did well should have no more than he deserved for his reward shall infinitely exceed his works Who will render to every one according to his deeds It may be asked by way of Objection That if God should render to every man according to his deeds and there is no man but hath sinned Chap. 1.18 Chap. 3.10 And every man which hath sinned is cursed Deut. 27.26 Galat. 3.10 How could any one look for honour and immortality and receive eternal life I answer that if we speak of good works and should measure them according to the Strict Rule of the Law No man could be saved or ever receive eternal life by vertue of his deeds And according to this Rule Repentance would do him little good because he had once sinned and so continued not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut. 27.26 Galat. 3.10 But this is not the Rule by which all men shall be judged at the last day For they which believe the Gospel shall be judged by the Gospel which through Christ and for his merits sake applied to us is a merciful Rule and accepts of repentance and pardons sins upon repentance and takes off the curse of the Law and promiseth eternal life to them that walk according to the Gospel And therefore he that walks according to the Rule of the Gospel and performs his part in the New Covenant which is a Gracious Covenant may through Christ hope for Glory and Honor and Immortality by those his deeds though he hath sinned and that not in vain For he shall be crowned at length with eternal life though he could not be saved if his deeds were to be examined strictly and he judged according to the strict rigour of the Law For God who is the only Law-giver who hath power to save and to destroy James 4.12 He hath cancelled the rigid Law as to Believers and set them the Gospel to be the only Rule for them to walk by now and to be judged by at the last day through the merits of Christ A Question more here may be asked for one may say the Judgment which the Lord will execute at the last day towards all men is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just and righteous Judgment v. 5. How therefore can that Judgment by which he shall adjudge Believers to eternal life be called a just or righteous Judgment whereas there is no Believer but hath sinned and therefore deserved everlasting death I answer though the Judgment by which God shall adjudge the Believers to Eternal life cannot be said to be just in that sence as that the Believer doth deserve eternal life by the worth of his works and that God would be unjust if he did not so reward him Yet it may be said to be just in respect of the promise of eternal life which God hath graciously made to all Believers for the merits of Christ in the Gospel For there is Justice in keeping of promises and a promise gives a right to that where without a promise no right could be claimed Moreover in this case the merits of Christ supply the defect of man and for his sake he may be accounted worthy of eternal life who is not worthy thereof for his own Again there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Judgment passed according to the Gospel upon those which are under the Gospel Ver. 7. By patient continuance in well doing That is by patient continuance or perseverance in well doing By patient continuance or perseverance in well doing is meant such continuance or perseverance in doing well as no cross or persecution or discouragement can break off And by well doing is meant not that strict observance of the Law which the Law requireth for who can do that but such well doing as the faithful and believers perform which desire and endeavour to walk in all pleasing to God though they sometimes stumble and fall That is such well doing as is required of them and they perform which believe the Gospel Seek for Glory By Glory is here meant a glorious and illustrious Estate such as is described Mat. 13.43 which Estate can be sought only by them which believe and that by faith in Christ See more of this soon after And Honour Honour as it is commonly defined is a sign whereby men express that Excellency which they conceive to be in another The Honour here spoken of consisteth in that that God by that which he will do to such as are here spoken of will make it appear how highly he doth esteem of them and in what account he hath them Eternal life i. e. He will render Eternall life For these words He will render are to be repeated from verse 6. Note here from this place that in Eternal life these three things are comprehended Glory Honour and immortality Note also that the Apostle speaks here of such as believed the Gospel for none but such could seek as they should for glory and honour and immortality being it was our Saviour Christ Jesus which brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 And
children in its kind The Apostle sheweth here that Christ in his kind as he was a Saviour to his branches or to his children did far exceed Adam in his kind as he was a destroyer to his branches or to his children And that he did confer more good to them which were his branches or his children than Adam did evil to those which were his so that though Adam may be said to be a type of Christ by a contrary comparison yet in that comparison there is an excess of contrariety on Christs part Not as the offence He speaks of that sin and means that here even Original sin which Adam transmitted or derived to all mankind and which he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 12. He means not that sin of actual disobedience whereby Adam disobeyed God in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 3 6. Though that actuall disobedience of his was that which brought this Original sin upon his posterity to wit such as were born of him by natural generation For note that that Actual disobedience of Adam is opposed to the actual obedience of Christ as plainly appeareth ver 19. But the offence here is opposed to the free gift which came upon the Children or branches of Christ through his obedience Wherefore as the free gift signifieth something here which came upon the children or branches of Christ by reason of Christs obedience so doth the offence which is opposed to the free gift signifie something here which came upon the children or branches of Adam through his disobedience The free gift The free gift here spoken of is that gift which God doth freely bestow upon those which are ingrafted into Christ by faith and which he cals the gift by grace in this very verse If through the offence of one i. e. If by sin which was caused by one man to wit Adam and by him brought upon or derived to his children or his branches This Genitive case of one is Genitivus Efficientis Note that this particle If doth not here intimate any uncertainty of the thing with which it is joyned But as often elsewhere so here it sheweth the certainty of it rather and signifieth as much as though And note that the Subject of the offence here spoken of is not Adam or Adam alone but Adams children also though the efficient or deficient cause thereof was Adam Many be dead This is that which he said ver 12. to wit Death passed upon all men that is Death hath or shall pass upon all men But how doth he say only Many be dead here when he saith Death passed upon all men ver 12. We may answer with Saint Augustine that it may so fall out sometimes as that by all a very few may be be understood as when few are all To shew therefore that the All here are very many He saith Many be dead yet excluding none of all the Sons or Daughters of Adam born of him by natural generation Again because he was to say in this verse that the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many which he will say because it aboundeth not absolutely to all men he might use the word many here in the sence aforesaid that there might be conformity between the former and latter member of his speech in matter of words Much more the grace of God and the gifts by grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many i. e. In a much higher degree and more plentiful though contrary manner hath the grace that is the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ abounded unto many Supple that they may live Note that the words much more seem to import an Argumentation à minori as Logicians speak that is from that which is less credible to that which is more credible as it is ver 9. But though they may seem so to do yet they do not indeed For he that will be attentive here to what the Apostle writes he shall find that the Apostles words import not any such thing but do onely shew the dissimilitude which is between Adam and Christ by comparing some particulars in which they disagree and how much Christ in his kind excells Adam in his The reason why Christ in his kind excells Adam in his and why Christ derives greater gifts in his kind to his branches or his children than Adam did in his kind to his branches or his children is because the merits of Christ are greater than were the demerits of Adam The grace of God By the Grace of God is meant the favour of God But the grace or favour of God is to be taken here by a Metonymy for the gift proceeding from Gods favour as the Apostle expounds himself in the next words And the gift by Grace q. d. That is to say the gift which is by grace or by the favour of God or that which God out of his grace and favour bestoweth c. The Conjunction And is a Note of declaration here The gift by Grace doth include and comprehend here both the free and gracious pardon of our sins or the gracious sentence of Absolution by which we are absolved from our sins which the Apostle speaks of ver 16. And also the gift of a life of Glory which we shall enjoy in heaven or the reign in that life of which he speaks verse 17. For what he speaks of in gross here he divides and speaks of in particular or in parts in those two verses Which is by one man Jesus Christ i. e. Which grace is shewed for one mans sake to wit Jesus Christ and purchased by him Hath abounded Supple above what the offence and death did abound to those which were the branches or Children of Adam by natural propagation Vnto many Supple Even those many which are the Branches or Children of Christ by faith Through Adams eating the forbidden fruit did the offence that is sin enter upon many yea so many as were born of Adam the Consequent of which offence or sin as the penalty thereof was death But through the obedience of Christ there came by the favour and grace of God pardon of all sins not Original only but Actual also whereby as many as believed were justified the Consequent of which is through the gift of God Eternal life Here is therefore an opposition of pardon of sins by which we are justified to the offence or sin by which we are condemned And of eternal life to death which being weighed one against the other the pardon of Sins by which we are justified against the offence and Sin by which we are condemned and life eternal against death the pardon of Sins by which we are justified will out weigh the offence by which we are condemned and Life eternal will outweigh death For the offence or Sin is but One but the Sins which are pardoned are many And eternal life is accompanied with an unspeakable weight of glory far surpassing death and
in them And because they were made Sinners therefore the judgement of God came upon them to condemnation ver 18. By the obedience of one This one is Christ Jesus and this his obedience is that which we read Philip. 2.8 whereby he was obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Shall many be made righteous i. e. Shall many be justified The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is asmuch as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shall be justified So also is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken Chap. 2.13 The righteousness here spoken of is that Righteousness which is called also justification and which consists in the pardon of or absolution from Sins and it is the effect of the obedience of that One that is of Christ Jesus This righteousness did Jesus Christ purchase for us by this his obedience and conferreth on all them which believe in him By the disobedience therefore of Adam were many made Sinners in that by his disobedience the offence that is Original Sin came upon them And by the obedience of Christ were many made righteous in that by his obedience they attained to that righteousness or justification by which they are freed acquitted and absolved from all both Original and Actual Sins Ver. 20. Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound i. e. Moreover when the Law entred the offence did abound Note that the particle that is a sign here not of the intent but of the event so that the sence of this place is this q. d. The Law which forbiddeth Sin entred into the world in the middle time between Adam and Christ yet the event or issue of that was only this That Sin did abound He speaks here of the Law which was given by Moses and prevents an objection for whereas it was tacitly objected between the 12 and 13 verses That Sin was not in the world before the Law which objection the Apostle answered in the 13 and 14 verses It might be thus objected upon the Apostles answer But if we grant Sin to have been in the world before the Law yet surely when the Law came Sin was then no more in the world for the Law is a perfect remedy against Sin To this the Apostle here answereth that though the Law entred yet when it had entred it was so far from being a remedy against Sin as that Sin did abound and became more abundant by the Law than it was before I have said that these words are an answer to a tacit objection springing from the Apostles answer to a former objection supposed to arise between the 12 and 13 verses But some make them an answer to an objection supposed to arise out of the last words of the 19 verse viz. By the obedience of one man many were made righteous For a man may object from those words and say But why dost thou Paul say that by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous that is many shall be justified For there is no need of the obedience of another that any should be made righteous or that any should be justified since the Law was given for the Law is enough to make men righteous and is sufficient it self to preserve them from Sin To this the Apostle answereth q. d. The Law is so far from making men righteous and from preserving them from Sin as that the Law since it entred hath been an occasion that Sin hath much more abounded than it did before But which way soever of the two we conceive this objection to be raised or whether both ways it skills not much the matter tending still to the same purpose The Law entred that the offence might abound i. e. The Law entred that Sin might abound And therefore did Sin abound when the Law entred Because the Law worketh wrath for where there is no Law there is no Transgression as our Apostle speaketh Chap. 4.15 By the offence he means Actual Sin or Sins And that which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offence here he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin in the following words But where Sin abounded i. e. But when sin abounded Where is put here for When an Adverb of place for an Adverb of time That which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here as was there observed Grace did much more abound By Grace understand here the grace and favour of God which is said here to abound by reason of its effects to wit Remission of Sins or Justification whereby the Sinner which believeth is justified from all his sins or hath all his Sins forgiven him By how much the more and greater the Sins of a Sinner are By so much the greater and more abundant is the grace and favour of him which forgiveth them And by how much the greater Sinner a man acknowledgeth himself to have been so much the greater grace and favour and mercy doth he confess that he hath received by the remission and forgiveness of his sins as we may learn by the example of the woman which was a Sinner Luke 7. ver 38 c. And by the example of the Apostle himself 1 Tim. 1.12 He saith of the offence or of Sin that it did abound and of grace that it did much more abound Supple than Sin did And this he doth because the grace and mercy of God did prevail above the Sins of men though they did very much prevail and was more powerful than they For the grace and mercy of God did take away the guilt of all sins in the believer and therefore was more powerful in him to justifie him than all his Sins were to condemn him V. 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death i e. That as Sin hath shewed her power which was as the power of Queen over men by bâ—inging them to death and destruction through her guilt Even so might grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal life i. e. Even so might the grace or favour of God towards men like a Queen shew her power in them which believe in bringing them through the remission of their Sins and of the guilt thereof to eternal life By Righteousness is here meant Justification or Remission of sins See verses 17 and 18. And grace is said to bring men to eternal life through Righteousness that is by Remission of Sins or Justification Because God glorifieth none whom he doth not Justifie And because he doth not only vouchsafe to justifie Sinners from their sins if they believe But doth also bring them when he hath Justified them to life eternal if they persist in their faith Note here that when the Apostle saith that grace reigneth through righteousness unto everlasting life his meaning is not that grace exempteth us so from death as that we shall never die but his meaning is that grace doth confer life so unto us and so exempt us from death as that death shall not always have dominion
said of the law and notwithstanding what perverse men would draw from thence the whole law is holy and that commandment of the law to wit Thou shalt not covet is holy and just and good holy in that it forbids that which is injurious to God just in that it forbids that which is injurious to our neighbours and good in that it forbids that which is injurious to and unbeseeming our own selves 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working dâ—ath in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful 13. Was then the law or was then that commandment of the law which is holy and just and good made to me a genuine cause or author of the spiritual death by which I died to innocency and of that by which I am become guilty of eternal death God forbid But sin was the cause thereof so that sin did appear to be sin indeed in that that it wrought in me a death to innocency and a guilt of everlasting death by the commandment which is good So that sin by the abuse of the commandment became and shewed her self to be what she was indeed exceeding sinful 14. For we know that the law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin 14. Far be it therefore from us to think that the law is the cause of our sins for we know that the law is spiritual commanding spiritual things and ordering to a spiritual life and is approved of God who is a pure spirit But I being under the law am at my best estate carnal and as very a slave to sin as he which is sold in a Market is a slave to him which bought him 15. For that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. 15. For that you may know that I am as very a slave to sin as he which is sold in a Market is a slave to him that bought him that which I do I like not nor do I approve of it For whereas I would do that which the law commands I do it not but what I hate and would not do because the law forbids it that do I. 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good 16. And now if I thus do that which I would not I consent to the law that it is good and spiritual for my will and the law concur in the same things 17. Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 17. And now also if it be so that I do that which I would not it is not I that do it as I am instructed by the law but sin which dwelleth in me 18 For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not 18. For I know by experience that there dwelleth no spiritual good in me that is in my flesh to quell sin For to will that good which I speak of is present with me and that I can do after a weak manner But yet how to perform that good which I would I find not so predominant is sin in me 19. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do 19. For as I said before the good that I would do because the law commands it I do not but the evil which I would not do because the law forbids it that do I. 20. Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 20. Now then I say again if I do that which I would not it is not I that do it as I am instructed by the law but it is sin that dwelleth and reigneth in me which doth it 21. I finde then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me 21. Yea I find by Experience not only that no such spiritual good as I speak of dwelleth in me But I find a law that is I find that when I would do good evil is present with me thwarting that my will to do good 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward-man 22. For I delight in the Law of God after a weak manner according to the dictates of that Inward man to wit my mind 23. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 23. But I find evil affections in my body as another law warring against the law or dictates in my mind and overcoming me and taking me as a Prisoner and bringing me Captive to sin which dwelleth and ruleth in me 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 24. O wretched and miserable man as I am who shall deliver me from this Company of deadly enemies which do thus war against me and make me a Captive to sin 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I my self serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin 25. I Paul that I may speak this in my own person as I am a Servant of Christ thank God that he hath delivered me from these deadly Enemies by Christ Jesus So then that I may bring up what I have said from the fourteenth verse hitherto to a conclusion and speak in the person of one which is under the Law but hath attained to the highest degree of goodness in that estate as I spake before I my self though I am carnal and sold under sin I serve the law of God with my mind in that I approve of with my mind what the law commands and do propound her commands to my will to be followed by her and so I proclaim and acknowledge that the law is spiritual but yet with my flesh that is with the other faculties and powers of my soul I serve sin And thereby acknowledge and proclaim my self to be carnal and as very a slave to sin as he which is sold in a Market is a slave to him which bought him which was the Position which I laid down ver 14. CHAP. VII Ver. 1. Know ye not brethren for I speak to them which know the law how that the law c. The Apostle said Chap. 6. ver 14. ye are not under the law but under Grace And he spoke that as I said particularly to the believing Jews for many Jews lived at Rome as will appear Act. 28. Now because the Jews though they believed were zealous of the Law Act. 21.20 and therefore might doubt of what S. Paul said Chap. 6.14 of their not being under the law but under grace He shews here tha the Jew might lawfully take
by Moses and so personates them as if they were but one single person Theophylact. and Saint Chrysostome before him interpret this place by such a figure This figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of personating others the Apostle doth especially use when he speaks of things which would not be so pleasing to them to whom they truely be long and he doth it First for modesty sake and secondly that he might give the lesse offence to them Ver. 10. And the Commandment which was ordained to life and the Commandment which was ordained of God for this end that they to whom it was given might lead an innocent holy and just life And by so living might attain to an happp and blessed life as a reward thereof I found to be unto death i. e. I found to be an occasion to bring me to death viz. a death to innocencie and holiness and righteousness first and then to the guilt of aeternal death as a reward or punishment of that former death Ver. 11. For sin taking occasion by the Commandment c. Note here that the Law did not if we speak properly so much as give an occasion to sin to stir us up to evill But sin took an occasion by the Law He speaks of sin as of a Person Deceived me He saith deceived me because sin guilds over her baits and her evil mot ons with the appearance of some good which though they are apprehended as good appear at last in their own colours even evill as they are so that the Sinner at length sees that he was deceived by them And by it slew me It slew him by taking away his life of innocency first And then making him guilty of aeternall death Ver. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy i. e. Wherefore the Law is separate f om all evill that is Wherefore the Law is good notwithstanding that which hath been objâ—cted against it To be holy signifieth properly to be separate from other things by way of eminency and in a partâ—cular manner that is said to be holy which is separate from all manner of naughtiness This conclusion or inference is drawn chiefly from those words Viz. I had not known Sin but by the Law c. And the Commandment holy and just and good By the Commandment is meant the tenth Commandment as before This Commandment may be saâ—d to be holy because it forbids those lusts and desires which tend to the immediate dishonour of God And just in that it forbids those lusts and desires which tend to the immediate hurt of our Neigbour and good in that it forbids those lusts and desires which tend to the immediate hurt of our selves There is a difference between a Law and a Commandment for a Law is a body of commands or commandments given by a Law-giver As when we say The Law of Moses or the Law of Christ each of which contains many particular commands But a Commandment is but a particular mandat or praecept or branch of a Law which commands or forbids some particular or special thing to be done or left undone Ver. 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me i. e. Was then the Commandment which is in it self good the cause of death to me Or was the Commandment which was in it self good the cause why I died to Innocency first and then through that became guilty of eternal death That which is good By that which is good he meaneth the Commandment of which he spoke in the foregoing verse And under the name of good he comprehends here that which he called Holy and Just and Good before God forbid See ver 7. But sin Supple was made the cause of death to me That it might appear sin i. e. So that it did appear to be sin indeed sin in her own colours by those effects which she wrought in me Note that the particle That is here a note or sign of the Event Working death in me by that which is good i e. By working death or because she wrought death in me by the Commandment which was good The death here spoken of may be understood not only of death to Innocency but also of Eternal death of which the death to Innocency makes the nocent man guilty That Sin by the Commandment might become exceedingly sinful i. e. So that Sin taking occasion by the Commandment and by that working all manner of Concupiscence in me did shew her self exceedingly Sinful He speaks of Sin as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia and therefore calls Her sinfull Ver. 14. For we know that the Law is spiritual i. e. For we all very well know that the Law is Spiritual and commands spiritual things The Law is spiritual The Law is said to be spiritual because it commands spiritual things and ordereth of it self to a spiritual life And now if the Law be such it cannot be made death or be the cause of death in it self to any one By this he proves what he said first in the former verse viz. that that which is good that is That the Law was not made death unto him But I am carnal sold under Sin But I at my best estate am carnal being addicted to the affections and lusts of the flesh which move me contrary to the Law and am carried away with them yea I am as very a servant or slave to Sin as he which is bought or sold in a market is a slave or servant to him which bought him By this he proves that which he said last in the former verse viz. That it was Sin which was made death unto him Note here that the Apostle speaks in the person of one which was under the Law yet which had attained to the highest degree in that Estate that a man could attain to which was not yet in Christ For every one which was under the Law had not such a mind as he here speaks of in the latter part of this Chapter And there were divers degrees of them which were under the Law Suppose therefore that the Apostle speaks here of such an one as that Scribe was which our Saviour speaks of Mark 12.34 of whom he says that he was not far from the Kingdom of God Sold under Sin i. e. As very a servant or slave to sin as he which is bought or sold in a Market is a servant or slave to him that buyes him He alludes here to servants or slaves which are bought and sold in a Market to be under the power or command of the Buyer so that to be sold under Sin is as it were to be sold to Sin to be under her and her command As he alludes here to a servant or slave which is bought or sold in a Market So he alludes to a servant or slave which is taken in the wars ver 23. When S. Paul saith here that he is carnal sold under Sin And when he saith ver 23. I see another Law in my members warring against the
out of that Psalm to shew that Afflictions even to death where no new things to Gods people But though in the first and Historicall sence they are spoken of the Jews yet in a second and Prophetical sence in as much as the Jews the then people of God were as a Type of those whom God would afterwards take to be his people to wit the bâ—lieving Christians they may be spoken of the faithful in Christ Jesus and so used here And that will not seem strange or new which was prophesied of so long afore And being considered as that which was prophesied of so long before it will somewhat ease the burden of Afflictions That which the Apostle here speaketh is chiefly to be understood of the Primitive Christians which were indeed under continual Persecutions though where the enemies of Christian Religion do prevail the true believer suffereth at all times and often to blood too Ver. 37. Nay i. e. No none of these things shall separate us from the love of Christ In all things we are more than Conquerours through him that loved us i. e. For in all these things we are more than Conquerours through the Assistance and Grace of God who for the love which he hath to us will not withdraw himself from us but stand by us even then when all these things befall us and assist vs and give us strength and grace not only to overcome them but also to glory in them If God so loveth us as in the midst of our Afflictions to be with us and assist us so as to make us more than Conquerours therein then cannot those Afflictions here spoken of or any else seperate us from the love of Christ In all these things i. e. In all these things before rehearsed viz. Tribulation distresses c. We are more than Conquerours We are Conquerours in that we suffer these things patiently We are more than Conquerours in that we do not only suffer these things patiently but also glory in them as Chap. 5. ver 3. This seems a Paradox to flesh and blood that they which are oppressed and slain should be accounted more than Conquerours But though it may seem a Paradox to them yet it is no Paradox indeed for we must not judge of these conquests and victories as men use to judge of conquests and victories proceeding from battles fought between earthly Powers For then indeed the oppressed and slain would be accounted as conquered and the oppressour and slayer the Conquerour but we must judge of this Conquest and victory by the spiritual good or evil which we receive by our Enemies in this Conflict so that if we are made worse thereby as to deny God or Christ or to blaspheme or lie or the like we are to be accounted as conquered though we escape death But we are to be accounted as Conquerours if we are made better thereby or if our patience and humility and meekness and confessing the name of God is thereby encreased though we die for it In a word we are Conquerours if our faith be not overcome but we hold still our faith and affiance in Christ notwithstanding all our sufferings though our bodies be torn in pieces or stoned and we slain And we shall be crowned as Conquerours for this at the last day And if we glory in this we are more than Conquerours and shall receive more than an ordinary Crown Through him that loved us i. e. Through God who though we are weak of our selves yet because he loveth us gives us Grace and strength whereby we do more than conquer all these things Ver. 38. For I am perswaded Wherefore I am perswaded For is put here for Wherefore as Chap. 6. ver 19. And is not a Causal but an Illative And that which the Apostle here infers He infers from that that we are more then Conquerours in all things spoken of verse 35. through God that loved us Neither death nor life i. e. Neither death threatned and executed by a Persecutour nor yet life promised by him if we will forsake Christ Or by death and life understand by a Metonymie whatsoever we shall suffer or whatsoever shall happen to us in our life or at our death He speaks of death and life and whatsoever is meant thereby as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia The words Nor death nor life are used Proverbially 2 Sam. 15.21 where Ittai the Gittite answered King David and said as the Lord liveth and as the Lord my King liveth surely in what place my Lord the King shall be whether in death or in life even there also will thy servant be And as they are there so may they be taken Proverbially here and so may these which follow Nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers And these Nor things present nor things to come And these Nor height nor depth by all which is signified That nothing whatsoever shall separate us from the love of God And all these Proverbs may he heap together to shew the fulness of perswasion which he hath of the truth of the thing which he speaks of Nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers These names if they are spoken of good Spirits are to be understood Hypothetically that is upon supposition that good Spirits would prove to be such as would go about to afflict us or torment us And of such an Hypothesis or supposition we have an Example Galat. 1. ver 8 9. Otherways they must be understood of evil Spirits for they are called by the name of Angels 1 Cor. 6.3 2 Pet. 2.4 And of Principalities and Powers Ephes 6. ver 12. As the more eminent Angels of Light are called Principalities and Powers Ephes 1.21 Coloss 1.16 So are the greater Angels in the Kingdom of Satan Ephes 6.12 And these are Metaphorical names borrowed from the Persian Rulers under whom the Hebrews sometimes lived Nor principalities nor powers These words Principalities and Powers are abstract words but are used for Concretes that is for such as are in and have any Principality or Power And it is the use of all Eastern people to use abstract voices or words for Concretes Nor things present nor things to come i. e. Nor those afflictions which are all ready befaln us or greater afflictions which are threatned to us or which hang over our head Ver. 39 Nor height Nor men in honour in the world and in high places there Where note that an Abstract is put for a Concrete Some by height understand an high-place as an high-tower or the like from which they were wont to fling down those whom they would kill as Malefactours Nor depth i. e. Nor men of Low degree and in low and base places for even such as are often cruel against the righteous Where note that an Abstract is put again for a Concrete And that thus by height and depth that is by men of high and men of low degree may be understood all men of what degree soever Some by depth understand
authority with which they are invested are surely from him immediately And to the proof of this to omit others the Apostle suppeditates three Arguments in this Chapter For first he saith that the Ruler is the Minister of God ver 4. And why rather then because he is Gods Vicegerant and hath his power and authority immediately from God Secondly he saith that he beareth the Sword v. 4. And he beareth it no doubt to cut of them from the land of the living who deserve death But who can give this power to any one but he which is the Lord of life and death for what man hath this power over himself to use the Sword upon himself though he judgeth himself a Malefactor and worthy of death that he should resign or give up this power to any other either Community or Single person Thirdly he saith that he is a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil ver 4. And who can make a Ruler a Revenger and give him this power but he that saith Vengeance is mine Deut. 32.3 Rom. 12.19 As therefore in the generation of Man the disposition of the matter is from a man but the infusion of the Soul is from God so it is for the most part in the creation of Supreme Rulers Governors or Powers for though the constitution of the kinde of Government and the designation of the Persons be ordinarily from men as their immediate cause yet the power and authority which is the life and soul of all is immediately from God who giveth power to the several Governors sutable to their several kind of Governments And the Person or Persons which are thus designed and thus invested with supreme power in what kind of government soever but especially in that which is Monarchical are as sacred as was the person of Saul who was chosen immediately of God to be King of Israel of whom David said The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords annointed 1 Sam. 26.11 For when by the disposing hand of Gods providence a Right is conveyed to a person or to a person and his Line successively to the supreme power or Rule of a Nation though it be by second causes and he is invested by Gâ—d with this power he is above the reach of any just force on earth for there is now no lawful hand above him he being the Supream to use the Rod or the Sword against him What we have spoken hitherto we have spoken of the supream powers or Rulers of Nations Of which Saint Paul here speaks But if you ask whence inferior Governors and Officers are and by whom ordained I answer Th y as their persons are usually designed to the Offices which they bear by the supream Powers so have they their power immediately from them yet so as that they by reason of Gods all-working providence may be said to be of God also and to have their power from him but not I say so immediately as the supream powers or rulers have The powers that be are ordained of God i. e. All the Lawful powers that is All the Lawful Rulers throughout the whole world and not they which are of Israel and Judah only are ordained of God This is a Repetition of that which went immediately before Ver. 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power c. i. e. Whosoever therefore resisteth those which are invested with the Supream power See ver 1. That which the Apostle speaks in this verse is a Corollary drawn from that which he said in the former verse viz. There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God A Corollarie not impertinent to his present discourse and very fit for the Jews to take notice of who upon the conceit of that that they were Gods people would not willingly be subject to any Heathen power but would resist it oppose it and take Arms against it as occasion was Whosoever Resisteth c. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word which signifieth properly to stand against in Battle aray And likely it is that the Apostle in making choice of this word had an eye upon Judas of Galilee who drawing many Jews after him in the days of the taxing opposed the Roman power by force of Arms Acts 5.37 whose Example many other Jews were likely to follow and did follow in after times Resisteth the Ordinance of God i. e. Doth resist and oppose the Ordinance of God by which Rulers have their powers and by consequence doth resist and oppose God himself who ordained the Rulers and gave them their power They that resist i. e. They which resist or oppose their Rulers And by resisting or opposing them resist and oppose the ordinance of God and by consequence God himself Shall receive to themselves damnation i. e. Shall bring damnation upon themselves damnation temporal from mans tribunal in that they resist him and damnation Eternal from the Tribunal of the great and terrible God in that they resist his ordinance Ver. 3. For Rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil i. e. For Rulers are to wit by the end of their constitution not a terror to them which do well but yet they are a terror to them which do evil When the Apostle saith that Rulers are not a terror to good works he useth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by being not a terror he understands that they are an Encouragement and rewardâ—rs of their good works the like Phrase he useth verse 10. Good and evil works are put here for such as do works which are good or evil by a Metonymie And by good and evil works understand here especially such works as are civily good or evil that is such as are either according or contrary to the Laws and Constitutions of the places or the Edicts of the power under which they live which were made for the maintenance of civil or humane society For though a Magistrate be Custos utriusque Tabulae Yet these Magistrates were at this time Heathen and knew little of the first table Now for the connexion of this with that which went before The Apostle seems to prevent an Objection here for they might object and say that if they should be subject to these powers and put their necks under their yoke they should ever be without fear For such powers are a terror to them which live under them This Objection I say the Apostle seems to prevent as if he should say in these or the like words But ye have no reason to fear this if ye do well and if ye do ill ye are worthy to suffer for it For Rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil It is a benefit to all persons which live under any goverment that the Rulers or Governors are not a terror that is are an Encouragement and are Rewarders of them which do well And it is a benefit to them too that they are a terror
Law of Moses ye Jews which are strong in the faith receive ye but when I bid you receive him my meaning is not that ye should receive him to disputations concerning his tenets or opinions the event whereof will be doubtfull whether you will thereby convince him of his error or make him fall back again to Judaisme but my meaning is that ye should receive him into your company with all meekness and gentleness and into your hearts with all tender affection And this mine admonition is not without cause 2. For one believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs 2. For one of you believeth that he may lawfully eat all things yea those things which were forbidden to be eaten by the Law of Moses Another who is weak and doubteth or is not perswaded of the abrogation of that Law eateth onely herbs and such meats as that Law did permit 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth For God hath received him 3. Let not therefore him that eateth all meats indifferently despise him as an ignorant or superstistious fellow and neglect his spiritual welfare who eateth not all things indifferently as he doth and he that eateth not all things indifferently but onely such things as the Law of Moses did permit to be eaten let not him judge or condemn him as a sinner or transgressor of the Law who eateth all things indifferently yea though he eat those things which Moses his Law did forbid for not withstanding this his eating God hath received him into his favour 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand 4. Who art thou O thou weak in faith that thou judgest and condemnst another mans servant yea the servant of God he shall be acquitted or condemned as he deserveth by his own Master yea he shall be acquited for this that he eateth all things indifferently For God who is his Master is able I hope to acquit him 5. One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day a like Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind 5. One of you esteemeth one day for holiness above another another esteemeth every day alike none more holy or more unholy than another Now therefore that you might not wound your consciences in observing or not observing days after this manner Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind that what he doth is lawful 6. He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks 6. He that observeth a day as holy because Moses commanded it observeth it to the glory and honour of the Lord And he that observeth not a day as holy which yet was commanded to be kept holy by Moses his Law to the glory and honour of the Lord he observeth it not He that eateth all things indifferently yea even those things which were forbidden by Moses he eateth them to the glory and honour of the Lord for he giveth God thanks that he hath given him that liberty of meats under the Gospel which he had not under the Law And he that eateth not all things indifferently but only such things as Moses did permit to be eaten to the honour and glory of the Lord he eateth not and to the honour and glory of the Lord he abstains from those meats which Moses forbad for he giveth God thanks for that that though the use of some meats were forbidden yet he gave him and allowed him the free use of others 7. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself 7. For my charity tells me that no Christian doth that which he doth in his life-time for his own glory and honour nor doth he in his death seek his own glory and honour 8. For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords 8. For whether we live we lead our life to the honour and glory of the Lord or whether we die we do in our death seek the honour and glory of the Lord. Whether we live therefore or whether we die we shew our selves to be the Lords Servants by our doings 9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 9. And this is but just and meet for us to do and just and meet for me to think For to this end Christ both died and revived and rose again that he might be Lord and Master both of the dead and living 10. But why doest thou judge thy brother or why doest thou set at naught thy brother we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ 10. But why dost thou which art weak in the faith judge and condemn thy brother as a sinner Or why doest thou which art strong in the faith set at naught thy brother as though thou carest not if he perished We shall all stand before the judgement seat of God there to give an account to God for these things 11. For it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God 11. For it is written Isaiah 45.13 As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall glorifie me 12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God 12. So then every one of us shall appear at the last day before God and therefore shall we appear that we may every one give an account of our selves to him 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more not the weak the strong as a sinner not the strong the weak as one that is culpably ignorant of the truth or superstitious or the like lest by so doing we should make our accounts the greater against our selves in that day of Judgement But as for thee O thou that art strong in the faith judge thou this rather and determine of this as of a truth that no man ought to put a stumbling block or an occasion to sin in his brothers way 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean 14. But thou wilt say to me Paul How can I put a stumbling block or occasion to sin in my brothers way by eating any thing when
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
and such as our language cannot express But to come as near to it as we can we may from the Latine word Approbat coin or frame an English word Approbate in the same manner as the English word Vindicate is derived from the Latine Vindicat. And then their will be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Antithesis in the English as well as in the Greek this And even as they did not Approbate to retain God in their knowledge so God gave them over to a reprobate mind God is said to give these men over to a reprobate mind because when they had such a base reprobate mind in themselves He permitted and suffered it to be in them and would not deliver them from it To do those things which are not convenient i. e. To do those things which are not seemly for a man to do and which have a manifest turpitude in them and by doing of which a man doth defile and disgrace himself yea make himself guilty of eternal death There is therefore a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these words for more is to be understood by them than is spoken A figure which the Hebrewes often use by which they do strongly affirm the contrary of that which they deny by things not convenient therefore they understand things most unconvenient and unseemly Note that we must not so understand these words as though these men had done none of these things before God gave them over to a reprobate mind but that they did them not so generally nor so shamelesly nor were they so full of these deeds as they were afterwards V. 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness The sins here mentioned from this place to the end of the Chapter are the effects of that reprobate mind to which God gave these men over wherefore I conceive that the participle in the Original viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be resolved into an infinitive mood with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. So that they were filled with all unrighteousness See the like Chap. 3. ver 24. Being filled with all unrighteousness This word unrighteousness is either of a General or of a special signification In a generall signification every sin with which our Neighbour is wronged is called unrighteousness In a speciall signification that sin is called unrighteousness which consisteth in not giving to every one what is his own Or when we make that which is another man 's our own by any unlawfull wayes Now unrighteousness here may be taken either in the special signification of the word and so it is a sin distinct from all that follow Or it may be taken in a General signification and so it may comprehend the following sins as the Genus doth its Species Being filled with all unrighteousness He saith being filled or so that they were filled with all unrighteousness to shew that they were not petite sinners and such as did but taste as it were of sin now and then but were great sinners and did daily sin with a kind of greediness and glut themselves therewith Fornication Fornication may be taken here in a large sence and may include not onely simple fornicatoin which is the unlawful lying of an unmarried man with an unmarried woman But Adultery also which is the unlawfull lying of a man with a woman when one or both of the parties are married In which large sence Fornication may be described to be the unlawful lying of a man and a woman together In this large sence is it taken Matth. 5.32 and 19.9 and 1 Tim. 1.10 c. Yea it may extend to all unlawfull commixture whatsoever Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness We must distinguish here betwixt wickedness and maliciousness and we may so distinguish that we may take wicknedess for the actual hurting or injuring of another man Maliciousness for a mind or desire to hurt another man For some there are which upon an occasion offered or which being injured by another doubt not presently to injure him again yet do they not seek an occasion or cherish a mind to hurt when they have no present occasion offered such may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked men Others again there be which desire and meditate upon hurt and seek after occasions when no occasion is offered to hurt or wrong another man and such may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malitious men Covetousness Covetousness is an immoderate desire of riches This immoderate desire is seen partly in immoderate getting partly in immoderate keeping Riches when they are gotten Full of Envy i. e. And were full of Envy c. Envy is a sadness or grief of mind arising from the honour and prosperity of another man He saith full of envy c. To shew again that they were not lightly touched with these vices but as it were wholly possessed of them Murder Murder is a voluntary killing or taking away the life of a man by him who hath no power to take it away Debate Debate is a fight or contention of words proceeding either from wrath or vain-glory or some other immoderate affection as when one man is so pertinacious as that he will not yield to another but will maintain his opinion tooth and nail though it be false or though it be evill or though it be a matter of nothing which produceth heat and heat anger and anger reproachful speeches Deceit Deceit is the circumvention of another man after a cunning and crafty manner by fine and specious shews Malignity Malignity though it may signifie all vitious and corrupt manners in general yet here it is to be taken for some certain special sin And in particular it may be taken for that sin by which a man doth take whatsoever is said or done by another in evill part and by which one man doth detract from that praise which is due to another and when he undertakes to praise him he doth it so coldly as that he may seem rather that he would depress him than extol him c. Ver 30. Whisperers i. e. And were Whisperers A Whisperer is he which tels a tale privately of one man to another that he might thereby hurt his good name or bring him out of the good opinion of that man to whom he tells it so that he of whom the tale is told not knowing what is spoken of him cannot defend himself or cometh to defend himself too late because his defence meeteth with prejudice before conceived by the whisperers tale Backbiters Backbiters are they which speak evill of a man behinde his back openly Haters of God They seem to be called Haters of God here who professed themselves to be enemies of God and of all godlinesse and who made a mock at Religion and speak blasphemously of God and as the Psalmist speaks Set their mouth against the Heavens Psal 73.9 Such were they who upon any cross which befell them accused God and denied his Providence yea who accused
For my self I take these words as actully referred to the words going next before them to wit to these Through faith but as Potentially relating to the former words also q. d. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through his blood and to be enjoyed and made ours through faith in that his blood So that by what is expressed in the latter sentence we are to understand what is defective in the former Yea these words By his blood may relate actually both to those words Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation to those By faith See the like chap 9. v. 12. In these words By his blood there is as we said an allusion to the Sacrifices of the Law which were but Types of Christ the substance Yet here and in other places also where there is mention of the blood of Christ by the blood of Christ is to be understood by a Synechdoche whatsoever Christ did or suffered for us from the first time of his taking our Flesh upon him Through faith in his blood Note here that Faith when it is joyned with In as here it is signifieth for the most part Trust and Confidence or Relying upon a thing And here it signifieth Trust or Confidence or Relying upon the blood of Christ And truly he that doth believe the Gospel and the Death of Christ therein recorded as he ought to do cannot but trust and confide in the death or blood of Christ and relye upon it Hence it is that such kind of phrases as these The faith of and Faith from are often confounded in Scripture and taken for one and the same thing To declare his Righteousness The word Righteousness signifieth here both the Fidelity or Truth and the Goodness or Mercy of God as will appear by the following verse where it is repeated And it is frequent for one word thus to carry with it two significations but more of this in the next verse Note that these words To declare his Righteousness depend on those Whom he hath set forth and shew the final cause or end of that That God set forth a Propitiator which was to shew that he was righteous for or by remitting of sins For the remission of sins which are past i. e. For that he remitteth the sins which are past The words in the Original are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where some interpret the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter that is For others Per By or Through According therefore to the interpretation of the first the words must run thus For the remission of sins which are past and then they are to be referred to those words Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation and there must be a Comma between these and the words which go immediately before them for they signifie a more special end why God did set forth Christ to be a Propitiation He did it for the remission of sins According to the Second interpretation the words must run thus Through the remission of sins which are past and then they are to be referred to the words immediately going before and shew how God was declared to be Righteous He was declared to be Righteous by the remission of sins which are past or In remitting of sins which were past For remission of sins declare God to be Righteous that is to be merciful for it is mercy in God to forgive sins whereas he might punish the sinner with eternal death and remission of sins declare God to be righteous that is True and Faithful because whereas God did say and promise That he would forgive sins by the remission of sins he did shew himself to be as good as his word For the remission of sins that are past i. e. For the remission of sins which were committed in the Time of the Law which is now past He mentioneth only those sins which were committed under the Law not because God gave a Propitiation for remission of those sins only and not for the remission of the sins committed under the Gospel But that he might shew the weakness of the Old Law of which the Jews with whom he hath to do for a great part in this his Epistle did glory And that he might declare that those Expiations or Purgations which appertained to the Law were not true Purgations and Expiations indeed but only shadows of true Purgations and Expiations For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin Heb. 10.4 And as the Apostle doth here so doth he also Heb. 9.15 mention the redemption only of the Transgressions that were under the Old Testament saying And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Tâ—stament that by the means of death for the redemption of the Transgressions which were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal Inheritance But by the remission of sins that are past and by the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first Testament we must understand in both places all other sins too And that not without reason for if the blood of Christ was able to deliver men from their sins committed before it was shed much more is it able to deliver men from their sins which have been committed since the shedding thereof Yet note that some understand The sins that are past not of the sins commiâ—ted under the Law as so but of the sins committed by a man before his conversion whether under the Law or not And they say that the Apostle mentioneth only the remission of sins committed before a mans conversion to signifie not that sins committed after conversion were unpardonable as Novatus is said by some to hold but that they which were justified had no licence given them to sin by reason of that grace For this is the manner of the Gospel to threaten woe to him that shall sin and yet to â—ffâ—r pardon and mercy upon repentance to him that hath sinned But I embrace the former exposition before this Through the forbearance of God i. e. And which God hath not punished with any dreadful punishment not by reason of that that they did not deserve dreadful punishment nor by reason of that that they were expiated and purged by other means than by the blood of Christ but through his forbearance and long-suffering And therefore did God forbeare to punish the sins of men committed under the Law according to their desert because he had determined to set forth a Propitiation for those their sins in his good time to wit the Time of the Gospel A Propitiation which should reach even to sins committed under the Law In these words therefore there is an Ellipsis and these words contain a prevention of an Objection which a Jew might make For a Jew might say That either they Jews had not committed any such sin as deserved dreadful punishment or that if they had committed such sins they were expiated and purged
any man of years was justified without saith Nor ever any man was justified without the merits of Christ And that whosoever is justified now under the Gospel by faith must have an Explicit and particular faith of Jesus Christ yet before the Gospel a General faith was sufficient to justification For as the Gospel was but rudely drawn to them which lived before Christ So was the faith required of them but rude as I may say and general and such as if they did believe the general promises of God made to them and relie upon them and live or resolve to live as those that did expect the performance of those promises their faith should for Christs sake which was to come be counted to them for Righteousness Ver. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was counted to him c. Now this that the faith or belief of Abraham was imputed or counted rather to him for Righteousness was written indeed for Abraham's sake Gen. 15.6 But it was not written for Abraham's sake alone that it was imputed or counted to him for Righteousness but for our sakes also c. That which is written Gen. 15.6 That Abraham believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for Righteousness was written for Abraham's sake that Abraham might be praised and had in repute amongst men for this his faith and accounted by them worthy to be the Father of many Nations But yet it was not written for his sake alone or for this end only that he might be praised and had in repute among men and accounted by them worthy to be the Father of many Nations But it was written for our sakes also to assure us that if we believe the Gospel as firmly as Abraham believed what God promised him we shall be justified by our faith as Abraham was by his Ver. 24. But for us also i. e. But for our sakes also To whom it shall be imputed i. e. To whom that that we believe shall be imputed or counted for Righteousness If we believe on him i. e. If we rely on him and trust on him for the performance of his promises made to us Whom he means by Him he sheweth in the next words If we truly believe the promises of God we cannot but trust in God and rely on him for performance of those his promises Wherefore as I have observed before by reason of the near connexion of these two one with the other To rely on God and trust in him or believe in him is often put Per Metonymiam Consequentis for to believe him and his promises Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead By this Periphrasis he meaneth God for God is said to have raised up Jesus having loosed the pains of death Acts 2.24 He describeth God here by this That he raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead because it containeth a notable Argument to induce us to believe in God as Saint Peter teacheth 1 Pet. 1.21 And because this that he raised up Christ from the dead is as it were a Compendium of our faith For he that believeth this believeth that Jesus is the Christ and that he is the Saviour of the world who dyed and rose again for our Salvation and that he shall be our Judge at the last day Acts 17.31 c. Again he describeth God by this That he raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead in this place because he would allude to that which Abraham believed here who though he saw both his own Body now dead and the deadness of Sarah's Womb v. 19. yet he believed that God could raise them both from that death or deadness Ver. 25. Who was delivered To wit to death Jesus Christ was delivered to death by God the Father Rom. 8.32 The Apostle had rather say who was delivered to wit to death than who dyed because the Expiation of our sins did depend upon the good pleasure of God who would this way be appeased for the sins of Man For our offences i. e. For the Expiation and taking away of our sins Metonymia Objecti And rose again To wit from the dead For our Justification i. e. For the Remission of our sins This is as if he should have said who both dyed through the appointment of God and rose again for our justification or for the remission of our sins The Apostle therefore expresseth one and the same thing here by two several phrases the like to which he did Chap. 3. verse 30. Christ dyed that he might as a Surety for us pay the debt which was due from us for our sins to wit death and so deliver us from those our sins hence Christ is said to redeem us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 But yet the death of Christ and his undergoing the Curse of the Law for us would have availed us nothing if that Christ had alwayes lyen under death and alwayes lyen under the Curse of the Law as being overcome and conquered and kept Captive thereby For to be detained alwayes a Prisoner in that Prison from whence there is no coming forth before the payment of the uttermost farthing Mat. 5.26 is to be always under execution and to evacuate and null the Plea of the full payment of our debt for which our Surety stood engaged for us Therefore it was necessary that Christ that he might redeem us fully and pay our full debt should not only dye for us but also rise again and upon this ground doth our Apostle rightly conclude that if Christ be not raised our faith is vain we are yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15.17 And hence it is that he saith Rom 8.34 It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again And not only for this reason may Christ be said to rise again for our justification but also for that That he when he arose from the dead he arose that he might ascend into Heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 Where he is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.38 CHAP. V. 1. THerefore being justified by saith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 1. I have shewed you hitherto that we are not justified by works but by faith And now that I have shewed you that we are justified by faith let me shew you how many and great benefits do accrue to us by this justification Therefore being justified by faith the wrath of God is appeased towards us and God is at peace with us for our Lord Jesus Christs sake 2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God 2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace and favour of Justification wherein we stand And we have hope of the glory of God to wit that we shall one day enjoy it and be
made partakers of it which hope doth even now joy and rejoice our hearts 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience 3. And not only so but least that any should say surely God is not at peace with us nor can we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God because we are afflicted and suffer more tribulations than any kind of men in the world besides which may seem not to stand with the peace and friendship of God and not to be incident to the Heirs of eternal glory we glory and rejoyce in tribulations also knowing that tribulation though it works impatience in men of the world yet it works patience in us 4. And patience experience and experience hope 4. And patience worketh Experience in us of those gratious gifts and vertues which God out of his love hath given us by the Holy Ghost and experience of these gratious gifts and vertues worketh hope in us of eternal glory 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us 5. And this hope which is wrought in us by this experience will not fail us and prove a vain hope so as that we shall be ashamed at the last for missing of what we hope for For the sense and feeling of the love of God who will make all them which he thus loveth partakers of Glory and life everlasting is shed abroad in our hearts in a plentifull measure by those gifts of the Holy Ghost which he hath given unto us which gifts are not only signs and tokens of his love to us but pledges also and earnests of eternal Glory 6. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly 6. I said that being we are justified by faith the wrath of God is appeased towards us and that God is at peace with us for our Lord Christ Jesus sake And that we rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God ver 1 2. all which I now prove for when we had no strength to do any good but were as yet ungodly and so sinners Christ in due time died for us 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die 7. And this sheweth the exceeding love of God towards us in that Christ dyed for us while we yet had no strength to do good but were as yet ungodly and sinners for scarcely for a righteous man will one dy yet perhaps for a man that hath been good to him some will even endure to dy 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in this that while we were yet sinners and ungodly and so enemies to him Christ through his appointment died for us 9. Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him 9. And now if when we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then shall we being justified from our sins by his blood be saved from the wrath to come through him 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life 10. For if when we were enemies to him as we were when we were sinners we were reconciled by the death of his Son which cost him his deerest blood to reconcile us Much more then being now reconciled shall we be saved from the wrath of God by him when it may be done without the loss of his life 11 And not onely so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement 11. And we shall not only be saved from the wrath to come but we shall also be advanced to and stated in everlasting glory by reason of which we do through the faith and hope which we have thereof joy even now in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have already received the Atonement or Reconciliation and divers gracious effects and fruits thereof that is to say divers gifts of the holy Ghost which are as seals and pledges to us of that everlasting glory which we speak off 12. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned 12. Wherefore being that we are justified by faith and reconciled to God through our Lord Jesus Christ and have through him peace with God and hope of everlasting glory c. Though we have lost much by Adam yet we have gained far more by Christ than we lost by him For as by one man to wit Adam sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned that is for that all men have been made sinners by that one Man 13. For until the law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed when there is no law 13. But here I must leave my Speech imperfect which I will take up and perfect ver 18. to answer an Objection For because I said that all have sinned some men will say That that cannot be for they which lived between Adam and Moses sinned not For say they between Adam and Moses there was no law given either by word of mouth as there was given to Adam Gen. 7.2 17. Or by writing as was given by Moses Exod. 20. And as you taught Paul Chap. 4. ver 15. Where there is no such law there is no transgression how therefore can they which lived between Adam and Moses be said to be sinners or to have sinned which had no law given them either by word of mouth or by hand writing But to this I answer That being that at that time there was no law publickly given by word of mouth as that was which was given to Adam or given in outward writing as that was which was afterwards given by Moses there was not indeed any Transgression in that time but yet it doth not follow that though there was no Transgression in that time there was no sin for though every Transgression be a sin yet it doth not follow that every sin is a Transgression I say therefore that though there was no Law given by word of mouth or by writing from Adam until the law was given by Moses yet sin was all the while in the world though indeed sin was not imputed to any as a Transgression all that time 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that was to come 14. Yet nevertheless that you may know that sin was in the world from the days of Adam to the time that the law was given death
of the Devil and of sin and of death and challenged us as it were and owned and asserted us for his peculiar Servants before Gods Tribunal He may be also called our Lord because of the Power which God gave him over all things in Heaven and in Earth Acts 10.36 Vert 2. By whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand The Grace which here he speaks of and wherein he saith we stand is the Grace of justification q. d. Through whom also we have this Grace or this free gift which we enjoy to wit That we are justified by Faith Though we are justified by â—aith yet it is by the Grace and Favour of God towards us through the merits and mediation of Christ that we are thus justified For what is Faith that it should justifie us without Gods Favour and without Christs Merit and Mediation I conceive that these words By whom also we have an access by faith into this Grace wherein we stand are best to be read with a Parenthesis And we rejoyce in the hope of the Glory of God q. d. And God hath promised to give us eternall glory by Christ in hope of which glory we rejoyce Of the Glory of God By Glory is here meant that Glorious state of Life which we shall with all Saints enjoy in the Kingdome of Heaven And he calls it The glory of God because it is promised by God and shall be performed by God in his good time Ver. 3 And not only so but we glory in Tribulations also q d. And we have not only peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and rejoyce through him in the hope of the Glory of God But that ye may not think that we neither have peace with God nor can have any sound hope of the Glory of God therein to rejoice because we are afflicted with Tribulations more than any men know that we glory in Tribulations also The Apostle doth with much art prevent an Objection here For whereas he said ver 1. That being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And ver 2. We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God A man might object and say How can you say Paul that ye which are justifyed by faith have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ and that ye rejoyce in hope of the glo of God through him whereas no men are more under tribulations than ye are for Christs sake which sheweth that ye have no peace with God and that ye have no sound hope of the glory of God through Christ to rejoyce in To this the Apostle answereth thus q. d. Notwithstanding these our Tribulations we have peace with God and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God For the Tribulations which befall us for Christs sake are not the signes of Gods displeasure but of his good will to us and thereby we come to know that he loves us and therefore we rejoyce in Tribulations for Christs sake whereas other men groan under the Tribulations which they suffer and are cast down and discontented at them But we glory in Tribulations also i. e. But we rejoyce also by reason of those Tribulations which we suffer for Christs sake Note that it is the same word to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred we rejoyce in verse 2. and we glory in in this verse In tribulation i. e. By reason of Tribulation Supple Which befalls us for Christs sake or for Gods sake or for Righteousness sake And in such Tribulations do Christians rejoyce as in some great good so did the Apostles rejoyce because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christs sake Acts 5.41 And hence is that admonition of Saint James My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers tâ—mptations that is into diverse Tribulations James 1.2 Knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience By Patience understand patient bearing of evils q. d. Knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience in us and maketh us to suffer those Evils Patiently which we suffer for Christs sake c. Tribulatiâ—ns in their own nature are apt to breed impatience rather than patience in men But yet in the faithfull and such as are justified by faith they bring forth patience for such in their tribulations and by reason of their tribulations meditate on this that tribulations befall them by the will and dispensation of God and on this that by them God would have them like unto his own Son and their own Head and eldest Brother Christ Jesus And on this that God will never leave them nor forsake them Heb. 13.5 And on this that our light afflictions or tribulations work for us a far more exceeding weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 By which means they through the operation of Gods spirit learn patience and patiently endure whatsoever tribulation doth befall them Ver. 4. And patience experience Experience of what For it is not here expressed Answ Experience of those Gifts and Graces which God hath given us by his Spirit as we may gather from what we read in the latter part of the fifth verse as the sincerity of our faith Our trust and confidence in God Our ardency in prayer our love even to our enemies Our contempt of worldly things c. All which do accompany our patience and patient bearing of tribulations and do then most evidently shew themselves when we are patient in tribulations And experience hope i. e. And the experience or experimental knowledge of those gifts and graces which God hath given us by his Spirit worketh or produceth in us hope that is to say hope of the Glory of God But why should the experience or experimental knowledge of those gifts and graces which God hath given us by his Spirit work or produce in us hope of the Glory of God Answ Because they are tokens of the love of God to us in Christ as it followeth in the next verse and for those whom God loveth in Christ he hath prepared eternall glory And of this Glory those gifts and graces are also Pledges Ver. 5. And hope maketh not ashamed q. d. And hope that is And this our hope of eternal Glory or of the Glory of God shall not fall or prove a vain hope but we shall enjoy that which we hope for in due season Because men which entertain great hopes of a thing are ashamed when those their great hopes fail them hence hope is said to make a man ashamed when it faileth him and he attains not to what he hopes for By a Metonymy Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us By the love of God we must understand here not the love with which we love God but the love with which God loveth us Is shed abroad c. To be shed abroad is the same as to be poured out for the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that
Wherefore being that ye are now the servants of righteousness ye ought to be free from sin q. d. Yield your members servants to righteousness and wholly and only to Righteousness not at all to sin For when ye were servants of sin ye were free from Righteousness wherefore being that ye are now the servants of Righteousness ye ought to be free from sin Ye were free from Righteousness i. e. Ye did not the works which Righteousness commandeth but ye shewed or carried yourselves as if ye were free from being commanded by her or from being subject to her by slighting and not regarding what she would have done Or thus ye were free from Righteousness that is ye did not the works of Righteousness where to be free from Righteousness is put per Metonymiam causae for not to do the works of Righteousness For a man that is free will not ordinarily do the work of him from whom he is free Were free He alludes here to Civil freedom as he did before by a Metaphor From Righteousness He takes Righteousness here and speaks of it as he did ver 18. When he saith ye were free from Righteousness it is not to be understood that they were free de jure but only de facto for they were bound to do righteousness at all times though then when the Apostle saith here that they were free from Righteousness they had cast off her yoak and would not obey her but carried themselves to her as if they owned her no subjection Note here that the Apostle shews in this his discourse by their obedience past and present or by that they have obeyed and do obey righteousness that they are servants of righteousness And by that that they are the Servants of righteousness he shews again that they ought to obey righteousness for the future For these two do one infer the other Ver. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed q d. But what benefit had ye or were ye like to have in those sins which ye are now ashamed even to think of The Apostle useth arguments here to perswade them never to return at all to the service of sin again but to continue wholly in the service of righteousness What fruit i. e. What benefit A Metaphor from Trees or the like What fruit had ye i. e. What fruit had ye or were ye like to have Syllepsis In those things whereof ye are now ashamed It is not likely that the Romans before their conversion and regeneration were better than the Corinthians of whom Saint Paul saith 1 Cor 3.6 9. that they or some of them were Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effoeminate Abusers of themselves with mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners which sins especially those of uncleanness which he seems especially to aim at here would make a regenerate man to blush at the very mention or thought of them This is the fruit of these and the like sins viz. Shame here and Eternal death hereafter if they be not broke off and washt away in the blood of Christ The end of those things is death viz. Death Eternal And therefore they were not like to bring any pleasant fruit in the end Being made free from sin See verse 18. And become the Servants of God He calls them the Servants of God here whom he called the Servants of Righteousness ver 18. Ver. 22. Ye have your fruit unto Holiness q. d. Ye have your fruit or your reward to wit Holiness Vnto Holiness The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where note that this Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto seemeth to be put here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Grammarians speak and to signifie as much as to wit q. d. Ye have your fruit to wit Holiness So doth the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seem to be taken Rom. 4.8 in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I render thus Who against hope believed in hope to wit that he should be the Father of many Nations Holiness By Holiness is not here meant meer holiness for they were holy before but further holiness or increase of holiness He opposeth holiness here to shame caused by their unclean and evill doings and so he may well do if we take holiness with its effect which effect is contrary to shame for it emboldeneth a man with an holy boldness Ver. 23. The wages of Sin is death i e. The wages which Sin payeth to her Servants is death He speaks of sin as of a Person yea as a Queen or Lady by a Prosopopoeia This of paying wages is a Metaphor taken from Souldiers pay For that which is here rendred Wages is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Military word These words For the wages of sin is death relate to those of the 21. verse viz. The end of these things is death The gift of God i. e. The gift which God gives to his Servants and such as obey him Note here that what sin giveth to her Servants is Wages for she gives that which they deserve to wit Death But that which God gives his Servants is a free Gift such as they deserve not to wit Eternal Life which is above all their deserts And therefore he saith not The wages of God is Eternal Life but The gift of God is Eternal Life These words relate to those of the 22. verse The end Everlasting Life As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred here Wages is observed to be a Military word so would some have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here rendred a Gift to be a Military word too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth such Wages as Kings were wont to give to their Souldiers for their daily pay And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they was a Donative which Kings were wont to give to such Souldiers as they pleased above their due pay as some piece of Money or some Crown or some Badge or Ensign of honour or other And to this which Kings were wont to do to their Souldiers doth the Apostle say they here allude CHAP. VII 1. KNow ye not Brethren for I speak to them that know the law how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth 1. I said Chap 5.14 that ye are not under the law but under grace or under the Gospel Now for your better understanding O my Brethren the Jewes of what I said there I will amplifie and enlarge here a little and illustrate what I said by the Metaphor of an husband and a wife resembling the Law to an husband and you which were under the Law to a wife Know ye not therefore Brethren for I speak to you Jews which know and are acquainted with the writings of the Old Testament how that the Law which was given by Moses hath dominion over the man which is under it so that he cannot free himself from the obligation thereof so long as it liveth that is so
long as it standeth in force and is not abrogated Surely you do For the case between them which were under the law and the law it self is as the case which is between a woman and her husband 2. For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth but if the husband be dead she is loosed from the law of the husband 2. Now then as the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband to cleave to him and to take him onely for her husband so long as he liveth but if her husband be dead she is free from the Law by which she was bound to her husband to have him only and may now lawfully be married to another man So the man whâ—ch is under the Law of Moses is bound to that Law so that he cannot free himself from the obligation thereof and betake himself to any other praescript of Religion so long as that Law which is as it were an husband to him liveth and is in force but if the Law which is as his husband be dead and out of force he may betake hâ—mself to another praescript of Religion without offence 3. So then if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an Adulteresse but if her husband be dead she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man 3. So then as if while her husband liveth the wife be married to another man she is an adulteresse But if her husband be dead she is free from the Law that bound her to that her husband onely and she is now no adulteresse though she be married to another man Even so a man which is under the Law as a wife under her husband if while the Law liveth and is in force he betakes himself to another manner of Religion is a kind of adulteress and may suffer punishment for so doing But if the Law be dead and out of force he is now free from the Law and is no adulteress though he betake himself and is married to another praescript of Religion 4. Wherefore my Brethren ye also are becom dead to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we shovld bring forth fruit unto God 4. Wherefore Brethren that ye may not be accounted as spiritual whores or adulteresses by being married to another husband because ye were once under the Law of Moses and married as it were to that as to an husband The Law is become dead being mortified by the body of Christ upon the Crosse that ye should be lawfully married to another even to Christ the Author and Subject of the Gospel which is a prescript of Religion different from that of the Law who though he was dead yet is raised from the dead again that we should bring forth good works as Children to him who though he was Man yet was God also 5. For when ye were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death 5. And this that we should bring forth good works as children to him is but just and aequal for when we were under the law in a carnal and fleshly condition the motions of sin which were occasioned by the law did work so in our members as that they brought forth evil works as children unto the law as the law is the ministration of death 6. But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter 6. But now we are delivered from the Law the Law being dead under which we were held that we should serve God and his Christ in that new kind of life which the Gospel worketh and not live in that old course of sin which was occasioned by the lavv 7. What shall we say then Is the law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the law for I had not known lust except the law had said thou shalt not covet 7. But because I said we were delivered from the Law and that we should not live in that old course of sin which was by the law what shall we conclude from thence Shall we conclude from thence that the law is a genuine cause of sin God forbid Nay to confute that I had not known sin at least so vvell as novv I do but by the lavv For I had not knovvn sin to have been sin in the invvard motions and desires thereof though they broke not out into outvvard act except the lavv had said as it saith in the tenth Commandment thou shalt not covet 8. But sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence For without the Law sin was dead 8. But yet Sin taking occasion by that Commandment of the law viz. Thou shalt not covet vvrought in me all manner of lust and concupiscence for before the law entred sin lay as it vvere a sleep yea and vvas dead in comparison of vvhat she vvas after the Lavv came in 9. For I was alive without the law once but when the commandment came sin revived and I died 9. For that I might here feign such a Person as had lived both before the law and under the law and put on such a Person the better to teach what I am about to teach I lived an innocent life once before the law was given by Moses in comparison of what I lived afterwards But when the law was given by Moses and that commandment of the law viz. Thou shalt not covet came to my knowledge sin shewed her strength and power by stirring up all manner of lusts in me and I died to innocency so that I was not so innocent and unblamable now as I was before 10. And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death 10. And that commandment viz. Thou shalt not covet which was given and ordained of God as a means to bring men to an holy and righteous life and which rewarded them with life that kept it I found by experience to be an occasion to bring me to death the death to innocency first and after that to death everlasting 11. For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me 11 For sin taking occasion by that commandment allured me with the baits of pleasure and honour and profit and the like which she pretended to me to follow her motions contrary to the Commandment and so I following her she deceived me and by it slew me by depriving me of that innocency which otherwise I should have retained and making me guilty of eternal death 12. Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good 12. Wherefore notwithstanding what I
wedlock when he saith That we may bring forth fruit unto God The sence therefore of these words is q. d That being married to him that is raised up from the dead we should by the seed of his grace conceive and bring forth fruit unto him who also is God Note that the Apostle changeth the person here from the third to the first which he doth for modesty sake that he may comprehend himself in this his speech The fruit or children here spoken of or meant are good works Vnto God That is unto Christ who was raised from the dead who though he was true man yet was he true God also Wives bring forth children to their own husbands not to others by God therefore is meant Christ here Note that the Apostle proves here that the believing Jews were delivered not only from the imperfection of the Law but also from the obligation of it to wit as it was given by Moses though it had been sufficient for his purpose to shew that they were delivered from the Imperfection of the Law only Ver. 5. When we were in the flesh That is When we were Carnal or in a Carnal estate addicted to the profits and pleasures of this life c. There were few under the Law which were spiritual and minded spiritual things but they were for the most part carnal and minded carnal things And they which were spiritual and minded spiritual things were not so nor did they so by the sole power of the Law so that being that all which were under the law that is under the imperfection of the Law and which had no help but what the Law afforded were Carnal and minded Carnal things The Apostle takes those which were in the flesh while he speaks of the Jews which were under the Law And those which were under the Law that is which were under the Imperfection of the Law for the same For the deliverance from this estate which he here speaks of he calls the Deliverance from the Law ver 6. The motions of Sins i. e. The motions of sins which we felt in our selves provoking moving or enticing us to commit sin or produce sin or to follow them Note that this Genitive of sins is Genitivus Causae And that Sins raise motions in us sub ratione causae finalis while we apprehend them as some pleasant or profitable things Which were by the Law That is which were occasioned by the law Supple as by our husband For he speaks of the law still in allusion to an husband as he did before These motions are said to have been by the law because sin being refrained and curbd in by the Law doth the more she is refrained and curbd in the more break out and shew her self in these her motions in sinful men and so will do in sinful men till grace be poured into their hearts whereby they restrein sin and hold her in Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata This is the manner of sinful nature and such as are accustomed to sin always to endeavour for that which is forbidden and to desire that which is most denied The law doth in a manner speak only to the outward ear and that is not of power alone to turn the hearts of carnal men from their carnal ways yea it makes them the worse by her speaking to them But yet the fault is not in the Law but in them The Law is only the occasion of evil motions not the true Genuine natural cause thereof And that which is good yea very good may be the occasion of that which is evil yea very evil Did work in our members That is q. d. did play their part in our members where they were not idle but very active In our members i. e. In the members of our Body See Notes Chap. 6. ver 13. To bring forth fruit unto death q. d. So that we did bring forth fruit or children and such fruit or children as death did delight and take pleasure in By death he meaneth eternal death and he speaks of it here as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia The fruit or children here spoken of or meant are evil works or actual Sins which are therefore pleasing unto death and such as death delights in because they make them which commit them food for her For as the temporal death feeds upon the bodies of some in the Grave Psal 49.14 So doth eternal death feed upon the souls of others in Hell Note that the particle To signifieth here not the intent only but the event also A question may be here asked why the Apostle did not say to bring forth fruit unto the Law as he said ver 4. That we should bring forth fruit unto God that is to Christ when as he is treating here of the opposition between the Law and Christ Answ Because Sins may not be said to be the fruit of the Law because they are both forbidden and punished by the law But they may be said to be the fruit of death because they make men children of death as the Hebrews speak that is worthy of death Thus some But yet I conceive under correction that by death the Law may be here meant which is called the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3. ver 7. 9. And therefore may be called death by a Metonymie And it is no absurdity to give the effects which are attributed to death to the Law when we give them and attribute them to the Law not as to the cause but only as to the occasion thereof For it is written ver 10 And the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death And thus the Antithesis here in hand will well hold out The Apostle seemeth to mention this and to shew how it was with them while they were under the Law in the flesh That now being they were delivered from the Law and from the flesh they might be more careful and more diligent to do those things which were pleasing to God in newness of Spirit abandoning the oldness of the Letter V. 6. But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we held i. e. But now as the Wife is loosed from her Husband if he be dead ver 2. so are we who were as a Wife to the Law delivered from the law which is or was our husband by the death of the Law The Law is to be taken here as it was Chap. 6.14 and Chap. 7. ver 1 viz. For the whole Law of Moses as it was given by Moses and so precisely given without the grace of the Gospel And in this sence to be delivered from the Law and to be delivered from the flesh will signifie both one and the same thing That being dead wherein we were held i. e. The Law under which we were held bound as a Wife under her Husband so long as he liveth being dead By the death of the Law he
in his will as we may gather from those words ver 15. What I would do not And from those words ver 18. To will is present with me In the Law of God By the Law of God he means the Law which was given by Moses and yet perhaps his delight might be not the whole Law but only in some particular commands thereof when he saith I delight in the Law of God after the inward man c. After the inward man The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e according to the inward man where the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a conformity to a thing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. Non facium secundum Regis literas i. e. They will not do according to the Kings Letters or as the Kings Letters direct them or would have them to do Note that the inward man or the mind that is not the subject here of this delight here spoken of but the will rather or the reasonable appetite is the subject thereof for the mind is not properly said to rejoyce or delight in any thing but the mind propoundeth the Law of God to the will as a thing delectable and perswadeth her to delight in it and to practise it and the Will doth take some small delight in it or in somethings which it commands and would practice them according to what the mind propounds to her perswades her to do but her willingness is imperfect and in efficacious By the inward man he means the mind as appeareth ver 25. which be calls a Man per Senechdochen integri and the inward man because the mind and the operations thereof are remote from the senses of other men so that they cannot perceive them in themselvs Note that whereas the Apostle doth elsewhere make mention of the old man and the new man these are not the same with the outward man and the inward man here for the old man and the new man are so called per Metonymiam subjecti by reason of the diverse qualities in man But the outward man and the inward man are so called per Senechdochen by reason of the parts of a man Ver. 23. But I see another Law in my members i. e. But I find or perceive another mover or actor in my body I see That is I find or perceive by experience He speaks here after the manner of the Hebrews which call all sensations and perceptions by the name of seeing Another Law What he means here by a Law in a general sence see Notes ver 21. In particular he calls the motions of the carnal appetite which some call also concupiscence a Law here In my members i. e. In my body Synechdoche Warring against the Law of my mind i. e. Warring against my mind which is as a Law Or warring against the dictates of my mind which are as a Law See Notes ver 21. His carnal appetite and concupiscence or his carnal affections are said to war against his mind or the dictates of his mind by a Metaphor taken from wars because the carnal affections and desires which flow from his carnal appetite or concupiscence are contrary to the dictates of his mind for they incite to that which is contrary to the Law of Moses but the dictates of the mind speak well of the Law and say it should be kept And bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin i. e. And overcoming me and taking me as it were a Prisoner and making me a Captive and delivering me up as a slave to sin He persists in his Metaphor taken from the wars where they which are overcome by them which serve the Conqueror in his wars are delivered up to the Conqueror to be made Servants and Slaves at his will To the Law of sin i. e. To sin which is as a Law or to the motions of sin which are as a Law Why sin or the motions of sin are said here to be a Law See Notes ver 21. When the mind or understanding of such a man as the Apostle here personates propounds to his will the Law of God as a thing delectable and to be kept as a thing honest and good and useth motives and perswasions thereunto the will doth sometimes incline to it and produce an act of delight and willingness that way But then the carnal appetite or concupiscence or carnal affections arise in him with their pretences of some apparent good and tempteth the will from that real good which the mind propounded to her to follow them And they being stronger than the mind the Will and the whole man is carried after them and so become guilty of a new sin and are made daily more and more prone to sin than they were before And this is that which the Apostle here sayes under the Metaphor of warring and taking Captive Which is in my members i. e. Which is or which dwelleth in me or in my body Synechdoche Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Better as it is rendred in the margin of our Bibles Who shall deliver me from this body of death That is who shall deliver me from these my deadly enemies Viz. From my carnal affections and from Sin c. He whom Saint Paul personates cries out here in the sense of his sins and the torture of his conscience which is tortured therewith For the wicked'st men that are do sometimes feel the torture and horrour of their conscience for their sins when they seriously think of the Law of God and their own doings It will be no wonder that a man under the Law should cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death When that young mâ—n in the Gospel who was under the Law For we cannot say That he was under grace said unto Christ Good Master What good thing shall I do that I may have â—ternal life Mat. 19. v. 16. From this body of dâ—ath That is from this deadly body that is â—â—om these my deadly enemies which will destroy me and bring me to everlasting death at last He calls his deadly Enemies to wit sin and her lusts and dâ—sires And the Flesh and his carnal affections A Body by a Metaphor drawn from Wars which Metaphor he holds hitherto for an Army is ordinarily called a Body and a Company of Horsemen or Foot-men are called a Body of Horse and Foot And by the like kind of Metaphor particular Sins are called the Body of sin Chap. 6. ver 6. Our Apostle calls sins also the Body of Sins Coloss 2.11 though by another Metaphor Of death That is deadly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of death for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deadly where a Substantive of the Genitive case is put after the Hebrew manner for an Adjective Ver. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord For what he thanks God is not here expressed for there
turn into the true and right way of Justification In a like case Saint Augustine sayes to Donatus that he might win him to the truth Si posses videre dolorem cordis mei sollicitudinem pro solute tua fortassis miseriaris animae tuae placens Deo in audiendo verbo non nostro sed ipsius Tom. 2. Epist 204. in initio If thou couldst but see saith he the grief of mine heart and my caâ—e or pensiveness for thy salvation thou wouldst happily have pity upon thine own soul pleasing God by hearkening not to our but to his word I say the truth in Christ i. e. I speak nothing but that which is true Christ is my witness In Christ i. e. By Christ or before Christ who heareth me and will require it of me if I speak any thing but truth The Praeposition In the Apostle makes answerable to the Hebrew Praefix Beth and Beth is sometimes used in swearing as Gen 22.16 Josh 2.12 c. And hence this Preposition In is used sometimes in swearing also My Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost i e. My Conscience also as well as my word or saying bearing me witness By the holy Ghost Or we may say that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bearing witness also is put for the simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bearing witness as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 8.16 In the holy Ghost In the holy Ghost is put here for By the Holy Ghost as before In Christ for by Christ He sweareth by the Holy Ghost when he mentioneth his Conscience and so calleth him or that to witness what is done there Because it is the Appropriate office of the Holy Ghost as to plant truth and sincerity in the heart contrary to deceit and hypocrisie so to be privy to the secrets and to take notice of the motions of the heart Hence when Ananias had denied that he had sold his possession for what he had sold it for Peter tells him that he did lie to the Holy Ghost Act. 5.3 Ver 2. That I have great heaviness and continuall sorrow in my heart To wit for my Brethren the Jews He grieveth thus for the Jews because that they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness and zealously and eagerly running after that they did not submit themselves to the Righteousness of God as he speaks Cap. 10.3 By reason of which they were in a desperate condition and such as could not be saved so long as they so continued This I say is the cause of the Apostles grief here yet he expresseth it not here but leavs his speech unperfect as to this until he comes to the first verse of the 10 Chapter and that by reason of an Objection which he prevents ver 6. and another ver 14. and yet another ver 19 and there he resumes or takes up though in other terms what he left here unperfect and yet there he brings it in so as that it may seem to depend upon the latter part of this Chapter Thus that this which I here say may not seem strange doth the Apostle leave what he had in hand Chap. 5. v. 13. unperfect by reason of emergent objections which he prevents in the mean time till he comes to the 18. verse of that chapter where he resumes in other words and perfects that which he left there imperfect and brings it in so as that it hath dependance on that which went immediately before Ver. 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh c. That which he saith he could wish here to befall himself for his Brethren must be understood with this supposition to wit If it were lawfull for him so to wish and if it were possible so to be done I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ i. e. To be accursed from Christ signifieth here to be separated from him and to be destined to death yea eternal death The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is To be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in holy writ signifieth that which is to be separated from the use of men not as an holy thing but as a thing execrable and to be abominated and so to be utterly destroyed in which sence Jericho was to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh 6.17 And to this the Apostle here alludes But being the Apostle saith That he could wish himself accursed from Christ it is to be understood that he could wish himself not only to be wholly rid out of this life but to be destined also to everlasting destruction for the Jews sake that he might save them It is taught by some that when a son of Israel would express his Brotherly kindness towards any one of or towards all the children of his people he entituled himself by a kind of devotion to all the mischance and evil that should befall his Brother wishing the whole patience or suffering thereof to fall upon his own head And that not without reference or allusion to this form of devotion is the Apostles wish here that he might discharge the unhappy condition of his Brethren all upon himself when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I could wish my self an Anathema from Christ for my Brethren Note that this wish of the Apostle here includes a Tacite limitation or condition as I said before to wit if it were lawful And so that dispute which many raise here whether this wish of the Apostle be lawful or unlawful comes to nothing That my self These words have their Emphasis and are as if he should say I who am compelled to pronounce such hard things of my Brethren as I do even I my self could wish that my self were accursed from Christ c. For my Brethren That is for the Jews sake who are my Brethren that is my kinsmen according to the flesh to wit that they may be saved by my destruction or by my being an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For them By his brethren he means the Jews here and these he calls his brethren in a large sence after the manner of the Hebrews who call all them brethren who are descended from one common Father though by many descents because he and they came all out of the loins of one man Abraham or Isaac or Jacob who was also called Israel My kinsmen according to the flesh q. d. That is My kinsmen according to blood He expounds the word brethren here and declares what he meant by it He meant such as are of the same blood or the same kin or stock with himself According to the flesh That is As we use to say by blood He seemeth by these words tacitely to oppose the kinred which is by blood to the Spiritual kinred which is by faith by which all the faithful of all
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 hâ—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 aâ— 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
use of others Note that what the Apostle says here he says by the Judgement of Charity not out of any certain or infallible knowledge The Apostle is here very favourable to these Romans which being weak in faith did abstain from meats which were forbidden by the Law of Moses and did observe those days as holy which the Law of Moses commanded to be kept holy and makes an Apologie for them Yet he is very angry with the Galatians for observing Moses Law as may appear by divers passages of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Epistle written to them A question therefore may be asked why the Apostle should be so favourable to the Romans in this and so sharp to the Galatians Answ They of which the Apostle speaks here were such as were Jews living at Rome and converted from Judaism to Christianity who therefore were brought up under the Law of Moses and accustomed to those things which were commanded and forbidden therein respectively for which cause the Apostle thought it fit to deal gently with them least by harsh and sharp dealing they should forsake the Gospel of Christ and his faith rather than be suddenly brought off from those observances to which they had been accustomed all their days And for that also that he would shew such reverence to the Law of Moses as that it being dead it should be buried as it were with honour But the Galatians to which he wrote were such as were Gentiles and had been all their life-time brought up in Gentilism never in Judaism Therefore he would never suffer the Law of Moses to be imposed upon them but when they seemed to be willing to receive it when false Apostles would have imposed it upon them he rebukes them sharply for it lest if he should seem to tollerate it or wink at it in them it might be thought that the keeping of Moses Law was necessary to Justification to which faith onely is required Yet though the Apostle dealt thus gently and favourably with these Romans that is with these Jews of Rome here and would not have them to be received to doubtful disputations concerning their opinions yet he did suffer them but for a time and did by little and little instruct them in the truth and perswade them concerning the abrogation of the Law of Moses by Christ as he had opportunity That therefore these weak Jews of Rome did observe days and abstain from meats according to the Law of Moses and not according to the liberty or freedom which was purchased by Christ It was not a thing commendable in them for it did proceed from their weakness in the faith ver 1. but was a fault in them rather yet such a fault as the Apostle would excuse and have others which were strong in the faith to excuse also interpreting what they did to the better part and looking charitably to that which was good or might be good in it Ver. 7. For none of us liveth to himself i. e. For none of us which are Christians doth that which he doth while he liveth for his own profit or for his own glory Of us i. e. Of us Christians Liveth i. e. Doth any thing in his life-time To himself i. e. For himself that is for his own profit or for his own glory Vnderstand chiefly or principally or in comparison of what he doth for the glory of God And no man dieth to himself i. e. And no man which is a Christian doth if he dieth by his death seek profit or glory to himself understand chiefly and Principally here too The Apostle speaks here in the person of a good and faithful Christian such as we must take every one to be in Charity while we have evidence to the contrary And what he saith he saith out of his Charity And by what he saith here he would confirm and prove what he said before to wit that both the weak and strong Christian did what they did there to the honour of God the Lord. Ver. 8. For whether we live we live unto the Lord i. e. For whether we live we do what we do all our life-time to the Glory of the Lord that the Lord may be thereby glorified We i. e. We Christians Whether we live we live c. These two words Live and Live are not to be taken here after the same manner or in the same sence but are so to be distinguished and taken as we have shewed a little before Vnto the Lord i. e. Unto the Honour and Glory of the Lord. See verse 6. And whether we die we die unto the Lord i. e. And whether we die we do by our death glorifie the Lord. Whether we live therefâ—re or die we are the Lords This is the conclusion which the Apostle aimed at and gathers from the sixth verse inclusive hitherto And now having proved that all both strong and weak are the Lords he leaves us as a thing most evident to us to conclude and judge that it is not fit for us either to despise or to judge those which are his Servants Ver. 9. For to this end Christ both died and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living Between this and the former verse Understand these or the like words And this is but meet and just viz. for us to be his servants q. d. And this is but meet and just for us to be his servants For to this end Christ both lived and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living c. He saith that Christ died for this end that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living because Christ gave his blood as a price of our redemption to redeem us out of the hands of the Devil that we might be his Servants and a peculiar treasure to him whether we live or whether we die And he is said to rise again and to revive after his death that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living not that he did redeem us by his resurrection or that his Resurrection was the price or part of the price of our Redemption but because by his Resurrection he shewed that he had paid the full price of our Redemption and by that he came to take possession as it were of that which he purchased or redeemed by his death Neither could he have been Lord of us as he was the man Christ Jesus if he had not risen again For he was not man after death till by his Resurrection his body and soul were reunited which had been severed by his death Christ when he redeemed us to be his Servants he did it that we should be his Servants not onely for term of this life which term civil services among men cannot exceed but also that we should be his Servants for the life to come yea for ever and ever And therefore is he said here to die and rise and revive that he