serve sin and he proves it by an Allegoricall argument drawn from the Servants of Men who are freed by death from their Masters Service And from that that they which are free from the Service of men do not as though they were their Servants still yield them any further Service Ver. 8. Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him I said ver 6. that the Apostle prevented an Objection there and so he undertook to declare that he knew well enough what he said when he said If we have been planted together with him in the likeness of his death we shall also in the likeness of his Resurrection ver 5. But hitherto he hath declared only that he knew that they which were Planted together with Christ in the likeness of his death that is that they which were crucified or dead to sin with Christ were therefore so planted or so dead that they should serve sin no more He hath not as yet declared that he knew that they which were so planted and so dead should rise or spring up to a new life for it is not enough to shew that a man doth good to shew that he abstains from evil I said moreover that the Apostle spoke somewhat incongruously if we did look not to the sence but to the manner of his Speaking in the sixt verse Therefore the Apostle doth here correct as it were what he said there when he saith But if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him And also makes that out to the ful which he undertook 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him q. d. But that I may correct my speech and speak more congruously and bring up that to the full which I undertook If we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him If we be dead with Christ i. e. If we be dead to sin as Christ was dead to this natural life The preposition With is a note of similitude here also We believe that we shall also live with him i. e. We believe or are perswaded that we shall also live the life of grace to God or to Righteousness as Christ now liveth a life of Glory to the glory of God With him i. e. As he doth Ver. 9. Knowing this that Christ being raised from the dead c. Whereas the Apostle said in the former verse If we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him that is that we shall live the life of grace and of righteousness as he liveth the life of Glory Some man may say but how canst thou say Paul that we shall live with Christ For art thou sure that Christ is now alive That thou canst not be for though Christ was raised from the dead yet he may be now dead again for many which were raised from the dead dyed again after they were raised This doubt or this objection the Apostle here prevents saying Knowing this that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more c. q d. I say we shall also live with him for we know this that Christ is now alive For Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Knowing this that Christ being raised from c. This he might know being informed thereof by the Spirit of God which knoweth all things and cannot lie but Christ appeared to Paul alive after a glorious manner 1 Cor. 15 8. By which he might certainly know that Christ was now living Death hath no more dominion over him i. e. Death neither hath nor shall have any more dominion over him A Syllepsis as before He speaks of death as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia Death had dominion over Christ after a certain manner when it severed his Soul from his Body upon the Cross and brought him down to the grave But Christ soon cast off this dominion of death and hath so far conquered death as that death shall never have any power of him again Nay death never had had any dominion over him at all had not he himself willingly for mans redemption submitted himself thereto V. 10. He died unto sin i. e. He died to or for this end that he migh abolish and destroy sin in us The word Sin is of the Dative Case and therefore to die to sin is as much as Mori propter peccatum vel ad peccatum in nobis mortificandum abolendum i. e. To die for sin or to die that he might mortifie and abolish sin in us For this efficacy or vertue hath Lamed with a Dative Case with the Hebrews whose Idiotismes Paul often useth Note that Christ and we are both said to die to sin but not both after one and the same manner for we are said to die to sin because we cease to yield to the motions of sin which are in us and after this manner Christ is not said to die to sin for there is no sin in Christ nor did he ever yield to any such motions thereby to be said to have ceased from yielding to the motions of sin but Christ is said to die to sin because he died to put away sin and abolish that sin which is in us and after this manner we cannot be said to die to sin for none can put away sin or abolish sin by his death but he that is both without sin himself and is a Person infinite Once i. e. Once and but once For such was the worth and value of Christs death as that he needed not to die more than once for the abolishing of sin Heb. 9. ver 25 26. But in that he liveth i. e. But in that he is raised again from death to life He liveth unto God i. e. He liveth and that an immortal life to the glory of God who hath exalted him to that life and is thereby glorified in that he hath so exalted him He liveth i. e. He liveth an immortal life Synechdoche Integri Vnto God i. e. Unto Gods glory Ver. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin q. d. Being therefore ye hear that Christ was dead but is raised from the dead and being raised liveth and shall live for ever And being that Christ by his death and resurrection and life is a Type and Figure to teach us what we should do and should be Now as Christ was dead but was raised again and liveth a life immortal So likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but yet alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord and so alive as always to continue in that life To be dead indeed unto sin What it is to be dead unto sin See verse 2. Alive unto God To live or to be alive unto God is so to live as that we please God and observe and do his will Through
only occasionally For the Apostle is wont by occasion of other matters which he affirmeth and would prove to slip as it were to his main purpose so he doth Gal. 2.16 And in other places as well as here As it is written To wit Habakkuk 2.4 The Just shall live by Faith i. e. The Just-man shall be justified not by his works though he be called just but by Faith Or thus he that shall be justified shall be justified by Faith The Apostle proveth here by the Testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk that the Righteousnesse of God is by Faith But note that these words as they lie in the Prophet as many words and passages in the old Testament do carry a twofold sence with them A Literal and a mysticall In their literal sence they relate to the Jewes which were in Captivitie to the Babilonians In their mystical sence they relate to men as they are under sin and guilty of the punishments due to sin to wit death c. And therefore have these words this double relation because the things thereby signified are One the Type of the Other the former of the latter The Captivity of the Jews under the Babylonians of the Captivity of Man under Sin and Death and him which hath the power of death the Devil For it is very well known that the Captivity of the Jews under the Babilonians was a Type of the Captivity of Man under Sin and Death and him which hath the power of Death the Devil And that the messages and good news which God sent by his Prophets of the delivery of the Jewes out of the Babylonian Captivity was a Type of the Gospel and good newes of Mans salvation out of his spirituall captivity which was preached by Christ and his Apostles and that Cyrus whom God had used as an Instrument to deliver the Jews from the Babylonians was a Type of Christ by whom Man is delivered from Sin and Death and the Devil And when one of these is prophesied of in the Letter the other is prophesied of in the Mysterie Yea and while things of this nature are thus prophesied of the Holy Ghost doth oftentimes so order and guide the Penman of his Prophesies that some passages will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in word agree aswell to the one as to the other aswel to the Type as to the Antitype of which this parcell of Scripture written by the Prophet Habakkuk is one According to the literal sence therefore these words as they lie in the Prophet Habakkuk may be thus expounded They which are just among the Babilonian Captives though they are under them from whom they may fear death through hard usage yea to be put to death by reason of their power being Conquerors yet if they believe the message and good newes of their deliverance by Cyrus out of their captivity which I shall send them by my Prophets They shall be delivered from their Captivity and shall not die under the hands of the Babylonians but live and live a joyfull life According to the Mystical sence which is the sence in which our Apostle takes the words here we may interpret these words thus The Just which believe the Gospel shall be justified from their sins by their Faith The Just According to the frequent use of Holy Scripture he is called a just or Righteous Man who is a man of a good and honest mind and desireth to walk uprightly though he slips yea falls often such a man as this is is ready to receive the message of God whensoever it pleaseth God to send it and doth verily believe it when it is sent Again if we look into the place of Habakkuk beforementioned to wit Habakkuk 2.4 we shall find that our just Man there is opposed to him whose soul is lifted up that is to a proud man and so may be taken for the humble minded man such an one as trusteth not in himself nor boasteth of his own worth And who is more likely to be a Believer than He for Pride is the greatest keeper out of Faith as can be For how can ye believe which seek honour one of another saith our Saviour to the Jewes John 5.24 But besides this the Just may be taken for him which it justified and so may it be taken here when we expound the words in the mystical sence q. d. He that shall be justi ed shall be justified by his Faith Shall live This is as if he should say in our Saviours words He shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 5.24 That is he shall be justified that is he shall be absolved of his sins he shall not be condemned for them though he hath deserved death by them A man that is arraigned and tried for his life upon some Criminal or Capital matter If he be condemned he is put to death but if he be justified or absolved he liveth To live therefore may be put here Per Metonymiam Consequentis for to be justified That which Saint Paul drives at and for which he produceth the Testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk is as I said to prove that righteousness is of faith or which is the same that he that believeth is accepted of God and freed from sin and death which is the penalty of sin not for his works sake but for his faith And to expresse this freedom the Scripture calls it sometimes by the name of Salvation and Redemption which are words borrowed from Captives which are saved or redeemed whereas by their condition they were as men appointed unto death Sometimes again and that is the tearm most frequently used in this Epistle by the name of Justification which is a name or word borrowed from men as I said immediately before accused of some Capital matter in a Court of Justice where the Person accused is acquitted or absolved of the crimes laid against him and so justified by the Judge and freed from the Censure of the Law viz. Death The words of the Prophet Habakkuk as they are here alledged by our Apostle may in their Mystical sence be interpreted either in allusion to the Salvation or Redemption of Captives or in allusion to the Acquitting Absolving or Justification of a man accused in a Court of Justice of some Capital crime And after which of these ways the Reader will interpret them I leave to his choice for the issue of both is Life By faith i. e By reason of his faith or if he believe the Gospel For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men The Apostle prevented an objection here For whereas he said that the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from faith And again it is written The just shall live by faith signifying thereby that the way of obtaining Justification is by faith A man may object and say But why Paul dost thou say that the way of obtaining justification is by faith
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
over us but shall be destroyed at the last by the power of Christ at the General Resurrection when we shall be so raised to life as that we shall die no more Note that the Apostle useth a Prosopopaeia here when he saith that Sin hath reigned and that grace reigneth and speaketh of them as of Queens By Jesus Christ our Lord Supple who hath merited this for us by his obedience and will work it for us by his power CHAP. VI. 1. WHat shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound 1. But now because I said That when sin abounded Grace did much more abound Shall we therefore continue in sin that Grace may abound 2. God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 2. God forbid For with what face shall we Christians which profess our selves to be dead unto sin Or how shall we which are dead to sin indeed as we are if we answer our profession live any longer in sin 3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death 3. Know ye not that so many of us as have by baptism entred our selves into the number of Christ Jesus his Disciples were in our baptism baptized into the likeness of Christs death and that by being so baptized we did promise and profess that we would die unto sin 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life 4. Now for this end were we baptized into the likeness of the death of Christ and did by that profess and promise that we would die unto sin which was figured to us by the death of Christ That we might thereby profess and signifie that like as Christ when he was buried was raised from the dead by the power of God the Father even so we also which was signified by our rising out of the waters when we were dipped over head and ears would rise from the death of sin to a new and more pure kind of life 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection 5. For if we like a grain of Corn that is planted in the earth have been planted in the waters of Bâ—ptism when we were baptized as Christ was planted in the earth when he was buried in the Grave so that like as the grain of corn that dies in the ground we be also dead to sin as Christ also was dead to this bodily life Then we like corn which springs up out of the ground after it is dead shall rise as Christ also did out of the grave and as we our selves did out of the waters of Baptism and spring up to a new and spiritual life 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 6. Knowing this that we died to sin that sin might be destroyed so that that from henceforth we should not serve sin 7. For he that is dead is freed from sin 7. For as a servant or a slave when he dieth is freed from the servitude and service of his Master So that his Master now hath no power over him Even so he that is dead to sin is freed from sin so that sin hath no power over him to make him her Servant and to serve her 8 Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him 8. And now that we may go on if we be dead to sin as Christ was dead to this natural or bodily life we believe and are perswaded that we shall not remain in this estate but that we shall also live the life of righteousness as He liveth now the life of glory 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him 9. For least any one should think it strange that Christ which was once dead should be so revived and raised up from the dead again as that he should be still alive we know that Christ being raised from the dead nor died nor shall die any more and that death hath no more dominion over him 10. For in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God 10. For in that he died he died but once and that for this end that he might take away sin But that he is revived and liveth he liveth and shall live for ever for this end that God may be honoured and glorified by that his life 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 11. Now then that Christ whom ye ought to imitate is alive who was once dead reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin But alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortall body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof 12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies that ye should obey her in her lust and temptations Though she stirs up lusts and Temptations in you 13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God 13. Neither yield ye your members unto sin as Instruments for her to work unrighteousness by them But yield ye yourselves unto God as it becometh and behoveth those to do which are raised from the death of sin and yield ye your members unto him to be Instruments by which he may work righteousness in you 14. For sin shall not have dominon over you for ye are not under the law but under grace 14. For let no faint hearted Christian say nay but I cannot but obey sin when she stirs up her lusts in me and tempteth me to naughtiness for sin shall not have dominion over you as she hath had heretofore to make you do what she pleaseth for ye are now not under the Law which commanded you to do that which is good and forbad you to do that which is evil but gave you little or no power towards the doing of them But ye are under the Gospel the Gospel of Grace which as it commands that which is good and forbids that which is evil so it gives power to perform that which she commands for the Gospel is the power of God to salvation 15. What then shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace God forbid 15. But now because the Law as she commands but gives little or no power to fulfill her commands So she is severe in punishing every the least transgression which is committed against her precepts And because
Jesus Christ our Lord This he saith because it is by the merits of Jesus Christ and his efficacy that we are brought from the death of sin to the life of God The Apostle as you see makes an exhortatory conclusion here by which he applieth to his present purpose what he said of the death and life of Christ Ver. 12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortall Body He speaks of sin here as of a Mistress a Lady or Queen by a Prosopopoeia Sin is then said to reign in us when she stirs up naughty motions in us sutable to our own corruptness and we follow them and obey them as commands by consenting to them and putting them in execution This corollary or conclusion which the Apostle here useth may be gathered either in particular from the foregoing verse or in general from what he hath said from the third verse hitherto In your mâ—rtal Body i. e. The Body is to be taken here by a Synechdoche for the whole man for sin where she reigneth reigneth not only in the body but also in the soul and her works are not wrought only in the body but also in the powers and faculâ—ies of the soul for her works are not only Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness and the like but also Emulation Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Gal. 5. ver 19 20. The sence therefore of these words Let not sin reign in your mortal body is this Let not sin reign in you while you are in this mortal life He saith Let not sin reign in your body using a Synechdoche here because the effects of sin are most seen in the body and he adds the Epithite Mortal to admonish us of the evil which sin brings for it was sin which made our bodâ—es mortal and subject to death which had it not been for sin had not died As also to put us in mind of our mortality here that we might not defer the seeking of that immortality which shall be hereafter as also to put us upon the watch because lust which War against the soul are prone to rise in our bodies while we are here in this mortal life clothed with these mortal bodies of ours That ye should obey it in the lusts thereof i. e. Note that the word Thereof is to be referred not to the word sin but to the word body as will easily appear by the Greek where the word Sin and the word Body are of divers Genders Sin of the Foeminine and Body of the Neuter The same lusts are called the lusts of sin and the lusts of the body And they are called the lusts of sin because sin stirs them up or because they proceed from sin as from the first mover And the lusts of the body because they are stirred up and received in the body To obey sin in her lusts or in the lusts of the body is all one with obeying sin or obeying the lusts of sin As it is all one to obey a King in his commands or to obey a King or to obey a Kings commands By lusts understand here motions to evil as to Adultery Murder Theft Drunkeness and the like proceeding from sin while she tempts us to these and the like evils These we are said to obey when we assent to them and readily fulfill them Ver. 13. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness q. d Neither yield ye the members of your bodies to be as instruments of sin for her to work unrighteousness or wickedness thereby He speaks of Sin as of a Person or Lady by a Prosopopoeia Your members By the members are here meant the members of the body which are ordained as instruments of the body to work or act by And by a Synechdoche the faculties or vertues of the soul too which are as the instruments by which the soul performeth her operations Sin will if she can make use of all the instruments of man for her work and will be ready to command them and call for them all to serve her if we will be ready to obey and yield them up to her Service He expresseth the members of the body here because he mentioned the body before ver 12. But as the body was taken there by a Synechdoche for the soul also yea for the whole man so must the members of the body be taken here as I said by a Senechdoche for the faculties of the soul too that is for the Instruments of the whole man Of unrighteousness Vnrighteousness is to be taken here generally as cap. 1.18 for all or any manner of wickedness or wicked actions The Genitive case therefore of unrighteousness is Genitivus effecti Vnto sin i. e. Unto sin as to your Queen or Mistress for her to dispose of them Yield yourselves unto God To wit as obedient Servants or Subjects to be ruled and commanded by him and him only As those that are alive from the dead i. e. As behoveth or becometh those which are alive from the dead It was God which raised us from death to life it behoveth therefore and becometh us being that we are quickened by him to live to him For therefore did he quicken us that henceforth we should not live to ourselves or sin but to him that quickeneth us See 2 Cor. 5.15 As alive from the dead By the dead are here meant such as are dead in sin And what these are and how these differ from those which are dead to sin See Notes ver 2. By the living or those which are alive are here meant such as live the life of righteousness that is such as are enabled by God to work righteousness and walk uprightly And your Members What is meant by our Members I said a little before Of Righteousness Righteousness is to be taken here for all manner of holiness or good and holy actions and it is of equal latitude with unrighteousness mentioned a little before to which it is opposed This Genitive of Righteousness is Genitivus Effecti as the former Genitive of Vnrighteousness was Vnto God To wit as to your King to whom ye must yield obdience in all things what he calls for Ver. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you i. e. For sin though she hath had dominion over you heretofore when ye were not as yet under grace and drew you by her power to give the consent of your wills to her motions and with the members of your body to fulfil her lusts so that ye yielded not your selves and your members as Instruments unto God yet now she shall not have such dominion over you Then sin is said to have dominion over us when she can by her power and strong motions and lusts draw us to consent to those her motions and with our members and faculties to fulfil those her lusts so that we yield our selves to her and not to God He speaks of sin as of a Queen or Lady or Mistress by a Prosopopaeia The Apostle having exhorted those
That they cannot please God for that vâ—z That they walk after the Flesh or that viz. 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 sence with that viz. Who walk after the Flesh And it is occasioned from a tacite objection arising from the first verse though the Corollary or Conclusion which the Apostle draws here is drawn from that which went immediately before Ver. 9 But ye are not in the Flesh i. e. But ye which are in Christ Jesus ye I say are not carnall that ye should say yea but we cannot but walk after the Flesh But in the Spirit i. e. But ye are spiritual so that ye may renounce the Flesh and walk after the Spirit If so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you i. e. Being that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you to wit by those gifts and graces which he hath given you The conjunction If is not dubitantis but affirmantis not a note of doubting but of affirming and for this reason doth he affirm without doubting that the Spirit of God dwelleth in them because he takes them to be such as were truly in Christ Jesus ver 1. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his This seemeth to to be an Argument to proue that these Romans had the Spirit of Christ in them upon this supposition that they were in Christ Jesus for saith he If any one hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his but if he be his that is if he be Christs as ye are he hath the spirit of Christ in him He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is not Christs that is is not in Christ as a living member in the body or as a fruitfull or living branch in the vine and therefore shall be cast out or cut off at length The Spirit of Christ That which he called The Spirit of God immediately before he calleth the Spirit of Christ here because it is given and conferred of God through the merits of Christ who also himself is true God He is none of his i. e. None of his true and living members Or true and living branches Ver. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of Righteousness i. e. And if the Spirit of Christ be in you your body indeed is mortall and shall die by reason of the sin of Adam But your soul shall live and never see death because of the Spirit of God and of Christ that is because of the Spirit of Righteousness which dwelleth in it The Apostle doth here shew the blessed fruit which they shall enjoy which have the Spirit of God and of Christ viz. That they shall not come into condemnation as he is said ver 1. And he doth withall answer an Objection which might arise from those words ver 6. To be spiritually minded is life For being that the Apostle said there That to be spiritually minded is life a man might object and say but how is it life to be spiritually minded when as they that have the Spirit of God and of Christ and so are spiritually minded die as well as they which are in the Flesh and so are carnally minded To this the Apostle answereth here that they that have the Spirit of God and of Christ and so are spiritually minded die indeed the death of the body as they do which cre carnally minded and that because of Original sin or the sin of Adam but they do not die the death of the soul as the carnal minded men do because of that Spirit of God and of Christ which dwelleth in them If Christ be in you c. By Christ is here to be understood the Spirit of Christ as he called it ver 10. and that per Metonymiam efficientis And the Apostle would rather say Christ here than the Spirit of Christ to avoid confusion of termes for soon after by the Spirit he means the Soul of man The body is dead That is the Body indeed is subject to death and shall one day die He saith the body is dead because it is not only such as may die but such as tendeth continually to death and shall at length certainly die Because of sin By sin here understand the sin of Adam or Original sin for death entred into the world by Adam 's sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned through him Chap. 5.12 And in Adam all die saith the Apostle again 1 Cor. 15.22 But the Spirit is life i. e. But the Soul shall live and never see death The Spirit By the Spirit understand here the Soul that better part of man which is a Spirit Is life That is liveth and shall live for ever The Apostle when he saith Is life for liveth useth a Metonymie of the Adjunct Because of righteousness i e. Because of the Spirit of God and of Christ which is in it By Righteousness is here to be understood The Spirit of life as he called it ver 2. and which he called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ ver 9. And which he called Christ in a few words before and this Spirit he calleth Righteousness Per Metonymiam Effecti because it inclines to Righteousness and worketh Righteousness in us That Soul which is endued with the Spirit of God or with the Spirit of Righteousness call it which you please while it is in this life so soon as it is parted from the body is carried into the presence of Christ there to enjoy him who is life and to live after its manner Ver. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you i. e. But yet if the Spirit of God dwelleth in you q. d. But though the bâ—dy is dead because of sin yet if the Spirit of God dwelleth in you c. He meaneth by this spirit that which he called righteousness ver 10. and the Spirit of Christ vers 9. and the Spirit of life ver 2. By him which raised up Jesus from the dead he meaneth God whom he describes by this Act because he is to say That he will quicken your mortal bodies Of which that That God raised up Jesus from the dead was a pattern and a pledge and shewed that God was able yea and willing to do it He that raised up Christ from the dead That is God Shall also quicken your mortal bodies That is Shall also raise up your mortal bodies after death at the last Day as he raised up Christ from death when he had been dead By his spirit that dwelleth in you That is because of his spirit or by reason of his spirit which dwelleth in you By reason of his spirit are our bodies become Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. chap 6.19 And therefore our bodies shall be
that even then there were a Remnant of Jewes whom God had justified verses 2 3 4 5 6. But yet he saith that the Jews for the greatest part of them which sought for Justification by works obteined it not but those few which believed atteined to it and the rest were blinded and fell verses 7 8 9 10. and that into their place the Gentiles were received verse 11. But yet he saith that they fell not so as that they should not rise again but might recover their fall and this he proveth by the calling of the Gentiles which were called and received that they might provoke the Jews to jealousie and make them to strive to hold or regain the love of God which they had lost or well nigh lost verses 11 12. He proves it also by the end of his own preaching which was that if by any means he could he might save some of them verses 13 14 15. He proves it also by that that they were the branches of an holy root that is that they were the children of Abraham which was holy and therefore of the Church or People of God which was holy verse 16. But yet because some of the branches of that tree were broken off and cast out of the number of Gods people or Church and the Gentiles were grafted in in their room he admonisheth the Gentiles not to boast against the Jewes but rather to fear For as the Jewes were cut off by reason of their unbelief and as they were grafted into their room and stood because of their Faith So might they be cut off again if they fell back into unbelief and the Jewes be grafted in again if they would believe verses 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. Then verses 25 26 27. he returns to prove that God had not utterly cast off his people because he intends to send them a Deliverer by whom they shall be saved from their sins when the fullness of the Gentiles is come in And because they were a People whom God had elected to be a peculiar people to himself and such as that he would not utterly leave destitute without the means of Salvation though many of them fell from the Society of that people by unbelief and that for their Fathers sake verse 28 29. and because though God had concluded them for the greatest part in unbelief yet he did it for this end that he might have mercy upon them verses 30 31 32. Which dispensations he saith were done in wisedome by God though his Counsel and Wisedome is unsearchable therein verse 33. Thus having finished the Doctrinal part of this his Epistle he comes artificially in the twelfth Chapter to the second part thereof to wit the moral part which he continues from thence to the End of his Epistle Saint Peter in his second Epistle Chap. 3. ver 15 16. Saith that in the Epistle which Paul wrote to the Jews as also in all other his Epistles there are some things hard to be understood which they which are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do all other Scriptures unto their own destruction Whether this Epistle of Saint Paul be the peculiar Epistle which Saint Peter meant by that which Saint Paul wrote to the Jewes as some would have it Or whether the Epistle to the Hebrews as others or no. Sure it is that in this Epistle of his to the Romans there be some things hard to be understood and there be things which they which are unlearned and unstable have wrested to their own destruction For because that Saint Paul declares in this his Epistle that Justification is not by the workes of the Law but by Faith and so by Grace to omit many other errors falsely collected out of other passages of this his Epistle not well understood some have contented themselves with the empty name of Faith as though that were enough not only to Justifie them but to save them and have altogether neglected good workes and even fought against them For that there were those even in the Apostles time which taught that a barren Faith which produceth not works was sufficient to salvation We may learn both from Saint James and from Saint Jude in their Epistles and Saint Augustine sheweth as much in his book De Vnico Baptismo contra Petilianum Cap. 10. Tom. 7 page 85. col 2. A. This was Simon Magus's doctrine or wicked heresie rather and the doctrine and heresie of his Disciples called from him Simoniani as also of the Menandrians Basilidians Gnosticks Manichees Aetians and Eunomians All or some of which did willingly embrace all manner of sin and turpitude as the fruit of the grace of God by which we are saved Such Hereticks did the ages following bring forth and to Skip to later times such were and are they which are called Antinomians whose Tenets concerning good works and faith among other are these That the Law is not given to Christians That the ten Commandments ought not to be taught in Churches That it is sufficient for a wicked man to believe and not to doubt of his Salvation That neither good works profit to Salvation neither ill workes do no hurt That to say that the Law is a rule of life is blasphemy in Divinity c. Then which nothing can be more destructive of a man's Salvation and these their Heresies they drew from the misunderstanding of Saint Pauls words in this his Epistle But because in this Epistle of Saint Paul's there are many things which are hard to be understood for the better understanding of this Epistle it will be expedient to know First What is the main Scope of the doctrinal part at least of this Epistle of Saint Paul Secondly How one thing hangs or depends upon another Thirdly How the Scriptures which he alledgeth so often make for the proofs for which he alledgeth them Fourthly How he useth many words which he useth and in what sense For the first of these that short Epitome which I have given of the eleven first Chapters may suffice As for the second know first that it is the manner of the Apostle as in other of his Epistles so especially in this to prevent objections which may arise out of that which he said either immediately or a little before which objections because he doth not express but pass them over in silence and onely give the answer in express terms makes the greater Hiatus and seeming independence of one sentence upon another to be in his writings which would not have been if he had expressed the objections as well as he doth the answers And the variety of mens conjectures what the objection in every place from whence it ariseth is I conceive to be one great cause that men so much differ in their judgements concerning the interpretation of divers places of this Epistle But the objections which the Apostle prevents or answers are not made alwaies in the person of one sort of men but sometimes in the person
there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Defect to be supplied of some of those words Secondly or then or after this Others yet again say that wheresoever this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first is used it is alwayes answered though not with formall words yet with the sence of the place which is enough to make it an Ordinall I thanke my God He called God his God because of that love wherewith God loved him and because of the relation of that service in which he stood to God ver 9. But when he saith I thank my God he speaks with a great deal of feeling of some favour and blessing which God hath shewed to him even in that for which he gives thanks and he accounted it even a favour and blessing to him that the Romans had received the Faith after such a manner as they did because he exceedingly desired that they might believe Through Jesus Christ As we pray unto God through Jesus Christ for what we stand in need off for what we receive we receive for his sake So we give thanks to God for what we receive through him for as he is the Purchaser of all our blessings so is he our High Priest to offer up all our Oblations He is therefore the Mediator of our Prayers and the Mediator of our Thanksgivings and they are all accepted through him and for him For you all He puts no difference here betwixt High and Low Rich and Poor That your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole World i. e. That you so believe the Gospel as that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole world He seemeth to put here the Consequent for the Antecedent that is the report of their Faith for the Faith which was reported and spoken of Throughout the whole World i. e. Through out all the Churches of Christ which are throughout the whole World so Some yet we need not to restrain it to the Churches of Christ only for being that the Romans were the most eminent people in all the world their change of Religion and embracing of Christianity might be taken notice and spoken of of all the strangers throughout the whole world though they were not Christians which had occasion to come to Rome Note here that their is an Hyperbolicall Synechdoche in these words The whole world And it is an usuall thing to put some parts especially the civilest parts of the World for the whole world in generall as Colos 1.6 Ver. 9. For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The Apostle would by this perswade the truth of what he said in the former verse to wit That he did thank God in their behalfe Because the Romans might not otherwise easily believe that Paul should be so Zealous for them whom he never saw in his life and with whom he had no acquaintance at all he that he Might make it the more credible which he saith concerning them confirmes it here with an Oath Whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son i. e. Whom I serve in the preaching and ministration of the Gospel of his Son withall readiness willingness and sincerity of mind Paul addes this that he might not be thought to call God to witnesse what he said rashly irreligiously and with the contempt of God For this sheweth how highly he accounted of the Majesty and Honour of God to say that he served him with his spirit And because he did so highly esteem of him surely he would in no wayes dishonour him as he should do if he should swear falsely by him With my spirit That is as we use to say with my heart which phrase speaketh willingness and readiness and sincerity In the Gospel of his Son This Gospel Paul called the Gospel of God ver 1. Because God was the Author of it Here he calls it the Gospel of his Son because it is concerning his Son Jesus Christ ver 3. And by this Gospel he meaneth the preaching thereof by a Metonimy Without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayer He might make mention of them in his prayers when he gave thanks for them and he might make mention of them in his prayers when he prayed for some blessing to be bestowed upon them and both these wayes may he be understood here to make mention of them In relation to what went before he might be said to make mention of them in that he gave thanks for them In relation to what followed he may be said to make mention of them in that he prayed and made request for them He might say that he made mention of them alwayes in his prayers without ceasing because he prayed often and as often as he prayed he made mention of them For by an usual Hyperbole we are said to do a thing alwayes and without ceasing which we do often and in which we are studious and sedulous So Anna the Prophetesse is said not to have departed from the Temple but to have served God with fasting and Prayers night and day Luke 2.37 Whereas she was but frequent in the Temple and frequent in prayers there So it is said of the Disciples that they were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God Luke 24.53 Whereas they were not allwayes there but onely so often as occasion offered 〈…〉 Ver. 10. Making request c. q. d. And I make not only mention of you in my prayers by thanksgiving but by making request also for you By this he doth yet further insinuate himself into these Romans If by any means now at length c. These words shew the ardent desire which Paul had to obtain that which he speaks of That is To see these Romanes But that particle If doth withall signifie that Paul was not certain whether he should obtain what he prayed for or no and therefore he prayeth for it conditionally If it stood with the glory and good will of God to give him a prosperous journey to them By the will of Ood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred the will of God signifieth sometimes the General Providence of God disposing of our affairs yet we may well think that the Apostle did take his journeys from place to place by the speciall instinct of God especially such journeys as this was Ver. 11. For I long to see you that I may impart c. He shews the reason here why he desired so much to see the Romans That I may impart unto you some spiritual gift The end of Pauls desire to see them was not to receive any worldly profit from them though they were Citizens of a rich City but that he might impart some gift to them but a spiritual gift Some spiritual gift Some interpret this of such gifts as were wont to be given by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles as the gift of
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
none but such can so seek as to obtain And he speaks of them and their reward here to encourage those that believe in their holy faith and to induce others to the same which yet blieved not Ver. 8. Vnto them that are contentious i e. Unto them who having heard the truth that is the Gospel of Christ and are contentious and fight against it By them that are contentious he seemeth to understand such as did obstinately resist the Truth that is the Gospel when it was preached and did strive against it wherefore he adds and dâ— not obey the truth Of such as resisted and strove against the truth that is the Gospel we have examples Acts Chap. 14.2 and 17.5 and 19 9 And obey not the truth By the truth understand the Gospel here which is the word of God and therefore truth and which in respect of eminency of the subject of it may be called the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus is the Gospel called the word of Truth Eph. 1.13 The Gospel may be also called the Truth in opposition to those figments and lies which are in the Theology of the Heathen and to those fancies which Men of their own heads set up against the Gospel They are said not to obey the truth who when it is preached to them refuse to assent to it and to receive it He seems to speak of truth here as of a Person yea as of a Lady or Mistress which is to be obeyed by a Prosopopaeia This he speaks chiefly by reason of those Jews which when the Gospel was preached to them received it not but opposed it with all contention And he speaks it to the end that he might deterr the Jews from so doing by consideration of the Judgments which should befall them for it Note that when the Apostle speaks of not believing or not obeying the Gospel he speaks for the most part of them to whom the Gospel was preached and by them rejected But obey unrighteousness Vnrighteousness is taken sometimes for Falshood as it is taken John 7.18 It may be happily so taken here and signifie any false Doctrine contrary to or dissonant from the Doctrin of the Gospel and especially that which teacheth a way to Justification contrary to or dissonant from that which the Gospel teacheth which is by Faith He seems to speak of unrighteousness here as of a Person as he did of truth before Indignation and wrath Supple shall be rendered He changeth here his manner of speaking Indignation and wrath are put here Per Metonymiam Efficientis for punishment yea grievous punishment proceeding from indignation and wrath to wit the indigantion and wrath of God V. 9. Tribulation and anguish q. d. That is Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every man that doth evil What he called indignation and wrath immediately before he calleth tribulation and anguish here Vpon every soul of man i. e. Shall be or shall fall upon every man Put an Emphasis upon the word Every The Soul of man is put here by a Synechdoche for Man himself A part for the whole Yet we may take the Soul here properly as if the Apostle intending to speak of the greatness of the Punishment of these men should say that it should reach not to the Body only but to the Soul also The Apostle in the former verse spake only of those in particular who received not the Gospel when it was preached to them but opposed it here he seems to speak of all evil men in general whether they had heard of the Gospel and resisted it or no. q. d. Yea tribulation and anguish shall be upon every Soul of man that doth evil whether he hath heard of the Gospel and resisted it or no. And this he doth least any one should think that all other wicked men should escape punishment if so be they were not contentious against the Gospel and disobeyed it not which might be if they never heard of it That doth evil Note that he saith not That have done evil for then who would be saved But that doth evil that is which continueth and persevereth in doing evil not breaking off his evil course of life by true and hearty repentance Of the Jew first and also of the Gentile i. e. Upon the Soul of the Jew firist and then of the Gentile See of this Phrase Chap 1.16 He doth yet more fully shew that none that doth evil shall escape by saying that neither Jew nor Gentile shall escape He saith here that this punishment shall fall first upon the Jew and the reason is because the Jew was before the Gentile in the blessing of God and in the means of holiness and as his sin is greatest who hath the greater means of holiness and is not holy so shall his punishment be the greater Ver. 10. But glory and honour and peace to every man that worketh good i e. But as I said verse 7. glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good The Apostle repeateth what he said verse 7. the more to enforce what he said there And Peace By Peace is understood according to the Hebrew Phrase Felicity and Happiness yea a Congeries of all good things By Glâ—ry Honour and Peace are meant here that which he called Eternal life v. 7. To every man That is shall be to every man That worketh good See verse 7. To the Jew first and also to the Gentile i e. To the Jew first then to the Gentile Ver. 11. For there is no respect of Persons with God i. e. For God will respect neither the Jew as he is a Jew nor the Gentile as he is a Gentile But if a mâ—n do evil he will punâ—sh him for his evil though he be a Jew and if he worketh good he will reward him for so working though he be a Gentile The Apostle prevents a tacite Objection here for whereas he had joyned the Gentile with the Jew both in the reward and in the punishment and so had made them in those things alike A Jew might Object and say How is it Paul that thou makest us like to the Gentiles or the Gentiles like to us Are not we the Children of Abraham c. How is it therefore that thou sayest that we shall be punished like to the Gentiles or that the Gentiles shall be rewarded like unto us for we Jews are of a more holy Stock than that we should be ranked with the Gentiles To this the Apostle answers even from Deut 10 17. with God there is no respect of Persons q. d. In that Judgment which God will pass upon all men he will not have any respect to the Stock or Parentage of any man or to any such like thing so as to accept of a wicked man for his Stock sake or to reject a good man because of his Parentage but he will reward them every man according to his works which he hath done Respect of Persons or rather respect of Faces for this is
the Jew of the good will of God towards the Gentiles from that therefore he inferreth this Corollary Is he the God of the Jews only c. As if he should say and now O thou Jew is God the God of the Jews only is he not the God of the Gentiles also Yes he is the God of the Gentiles also seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through Faith And this or the like opportunity he takes often to declare the good will and favour of God towards the Gentiles because the Jews counted the Gentiles but as brute Beasts to whom God had no respect in comparison of themselves Ver. 30. Seeing it is one God which shall justifie It would have been better rendred thus Seeing God is one who justifieth c. That is Seeing God is one and the same God which justifieth the Circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through Faith God is called One here not in respect of his Essence or in opposition to a multitude of gods but in respect of his carrying himself to all alike whether Jews or Gentiles q. d. Seeing God is one and the same towards all who shall justifie c. Which shall justifie the circumcision by faith Note that the Circumcision is taken here for the Circumcised that is for the Jews who were Circumcised by a Metonymie and that shall justifie is put here for doth justifie A Future for a Present tense after the manner of the Hebrews which use so to do especially when they would signifie a continued Act. And the uncircumcision through faith By the uncircumcision are here meant the Gentiles who used not Circumcision as the Jews did who were enjoyned by God to it but were uncircumcised And yet we read of some Gentiles which were Circumcised as the people of Colchis Aegypt and Aethiopia as Herodotus relates in his Euterpe yet they come under the name of uncircumcision here because the Circumcision which they received they received from among themselves the use thereof was not enjoyned to them of God as that Circumcision which the Jews used was to them Gen. 17. v. 10 11 c. Note that these Phrases By faith and Through faith signifie one and the same thing and that there is no difference in the sence of the Phrases though there be in the words In that God justifieth both Jew and Gentile after the same manner it sheweth him to be the same in his love and affection to both Ver. 31. Do we then make void the Law through faith q. d. Do we then say that the Law is useless and as an idle thing and a thing of no effect by those things which we have said of faith To make void is put here for to say that it is void by a Metalepsis Note that the Apostle doth prevent an Objection here for because he said v. 28. We conclude that a Man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law And again v. 30. It is one God or God is One which shall justifie the Circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith A Jew might object and say If it be so that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law and God doth justifie the Circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision throuh faith then is the Law void for to what end should it stand if it did not justifie a man To this the Apostle answers That notwithstanding that which he had said concerning faith the Law doth stand yea what he said concerning faith doth establish the Law For though the Law doth not justifie a man yet the Doctrine of faith doth enjoyn those which believe to lead a pious godly and religious life according to the Praescript of the Law and to follow those things which the Law commandeth And by faith we attain to more ability for the performance of the Law than the Law it self can give Note that what is here spoken must be understood of the Moral Law Through faith i. e. Throuh the Doctrine of faith or through those things which we have said of faith We establish the Law i. e. We maintain the Law in its standing and keep it up That is we take not the Law away but let it stand in its due place and give it its due honour How Saint Paul established the Law by faith we shewed a little before in the Exposition of this verse He establisheth it by making it or teaching that it is a Rule of our Lives though he denies to be the means of justification And that we attain more ability to the keeping of the Law through faith than the Law it self could give us CHAP. IV. 1. WHat shall we say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the flesh hath found 1. We have taught hitherto that the man that is justified is not justified by the works of the Law but by faith And let us now enquire in particular concerning Abraham's justificâ—tion to wit how he was justified How shall we say then that Abraham who is our Father as concerning the flesh attained to justification Shall we say that Abraham attained to justification by works No in no wise 2. For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God 2. For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory or boast even before God but he hath not whereof to glory or to boast before God therefore he is not justified by works 3. For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness 3. Now that Abraham hath not whereof to glory or boast before God is apparent for what saith the Scripture It saith that Abraham believed God and that that was set down upon his account to him to receive righteousness or justification for it that is in fewer words it saith That Abraham believed God and for that he was justified Gen. 15.5 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt 4. Now to him that worketh the works of the Law so punctually and so exactly as that he never failes at any time in performing the least title of the Law to him indeed the reward that is righteousness or justification is set down upon accompt to be paid him as a thing not of grace and favour but of debt for with reverence be it spoken God would be unjust if he should not justifie him that is if he should not acquit him but condemn him for a sinner who had never sinned So that he indeed hath whereof to glory or boast even before God 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness 5. But to him that worketh not the works of the Law so punctually and so exactly as the Law requires but believeth on God who justifieth sinners his faith is set down upon accompt to him for him to receive
condition required to all the spiritual seed of Abraham that is to all the faithfull not only to that which is of the Law and under that as the Jews are but to that also which followeth the Faith of Abraham though they be not under the law as the believing Gentiles doe which Abraham is the Father of us all which believe whether we are Jews or Gentiles and under the Law or without the Law 17. As it is written I have made thee a Father of many Nations before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were 17. As it is written of him Genesis 17.5 I have made thee a Father of many Nations I say which Abraham is the Father of us all before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth those which are dead in unbelief with the life of Faith and maketh those which are not faithfull as they which are so raising up spiritual seed to Abraham 18. Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy seed be 18. Who against all hope which he could conceive by the course of nature of having a childe believed in hope which he grounded upon the truth and power of God That he should become the Father of many nations according to that which is written of him Gen. 15.5 As the Stars of the Heavens for number so shall thy seed be 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred year old neither yet the deadness of Saras womb 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now old and feeble and unfit for generation and as it were dead in respect of that when he was now about an hundred years old nor did he consider the barrenness of Sarahs womb and the indisposition and inability thereof to conception so as to doubt or dispair by reason of them of the promise of God 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God 20. He staggered not at the word of God through unbelief But was strong in faith giving glory to God by relying upon his word 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness 22. And therefore it is written to his immortal praise that this his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him 23. But now it was not written for his sake alone that he might thereby be praised that it was imputed to him 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead 24. But it was written for our sakes also to assure us that our beliefe also shall be imputed to us for righteousness if we believe on God who raised up Jesus our Lord from the Dead 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 25. Who was both delivered to death and raised again from the dead for our Justification that is that we might be thereby justified CHAP. IV. Verse 1. What shall we say then i. e. How or by what way or after what manner shall we say then What is to be taken here for How or after what manner for the Apostle speaketh here not so much of Justification it self as of the way or manner of attaining it And so the word What is sometimes taken elsewhere For whereas it is said Marke 4.23 Take heed what you hear It is said Luke 8.18 Take heed how you hear That Abraham our father as pertaining to the Flesh i. e. That Abraham who is the Father of all us Jews after the flesh i. e. by carnal Propagation whether we be of the Law or whether we be of the Faith Abraham was a Father two manner of wayes to wit according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit according to the flesh Abraham was a Father of all Jews whether they believed or no. But according to the spirit he was the Father only of Such Jewes as did believe and imitate his Faith verse 12. The Apostle calls Abraham his Father as other Jews also did to shew that he did esteem of Abraham as his Father aswel as they and therefore what he was to say of Abraham he would not say out of desire he had of diminishing Abrahams glory but out of meer love which he bore to the Truth Hath found i. e. Hath obtained or attained to Supple Justification Note that to find is put here for to obtain or to attain to as Prov. 8.35 and 17.20 and so it is taken so often as one is said to find grace in the sight of another a phrase which the Scripture often useth as Gen. 18.3.30.27 Numb 11.11 Deut. 24.1 2. Sâ—m 15 25 c. Note also that here is somewhat to be understood to wit Justification for it is not to be doubted but that the Apostle speaks here of Justification for this is the subject of all his discourse in this place Our Apostle doth suppose here that Abraham was justified and doth enquire only how he was justified I say he doth suppose that he was justified which he might well suppose for none of the Jews with whom he hath here to do did ever doubt of that or deny it Ver. 2. For if Abraham were justified by works Between this and the former verse we must understand these words to wit by Works No surely q. d. How then or by what means shall we say that Abraham who is the Father of us all after the Flesh hath obtained Justification by works No surely For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory before God in the matter of justificationâ— But he hath not whereof to glory before God in the matter of justification Therefore he is not justified by works He is said in our Apostles sence to be justified by works which hath so strictly observed the Law by which he should walk and walked so strictly according to it as that he never offended in the least manner that is either in thought word or deed For whosoever hath offended against that Law in never so small a matter cannot be said to be justified by morks He hath whereof to glory Supple even before God By glorying is not meant here any Thrasonicall vaunting or any unjust glorying but such a glorying which he might both justly and seemly use which had perfectly kept the Law and never offended against it in the least point which glorying is nothing else but the attributing of his justification or that that he is not condemned but acquitted when he
Sublim sence According to the Literal or Historical sence they are to be understood of such Nations as descended from Abraham by carnall Propagation And many Nations descended from him that way as the Israelites Ishmalites Edomites Amalekites c. According to the Mystical or Sublim sence they are to be taken of such as did imitate the faith of Abraham and were like to him in that And in this sence Abraham was called a Father of many Nations because he was set out by God as a President or Example to them that they might be moved to believe God and so be justified by their faith as Abraham believed God and was justified by his faith And many Nations have become Children of Abraham this way If you ask now in which sence these words are to be understood here I say in the Mystical or Sublime sence Before him whom he believed i. e. In sight of him whom he believed By him whom he believed is meant God as appeareth by the next words whom He to wit Abraham believed when He to wit God promised to give him a Son in his old age and to multiply his seed as the Stars of Heaven These words before him whom he believed are to be referred to those Who is the Father of us all q. d. Who is the Father of us all before him or in the sight of him whom he believed And these words Before God or in the Sight of God use to shew the truth or reality of a thing as Gen 6.11 Eccles 2 26. Luke 1 6 c. The Apostle therefore to shew that Abraham was the Father of us all not in word but in deed Not in the Opinion of Men but in the Judgement and Constitution and Approbation of God saith not only that he was the Father of us all in the Mystical and Sublime sence before mentioned but also adds Before him whom he believed even God Even God who quick'neth the Dead i. e. Even God who raiseth up those to life which were dead And oalleth those things which be not as though they were The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be rendred thus And who calleth those things which be not as things which be And the sence is thus Which giveth a being to those things which be not as he hath done to those things which be that is Which maketh those things which yet be not to be To call is taken here for To make after the Hebrew manner of Speech So it is said Cap. 9.25 I will call them my People which were not my People and Her Beloved which was not my beloved for I will make them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not my Beloved To call as it signifieth To make seemeth to be spoken if not only yet principally of God And that to shew the Greatness of his power who by his word can produce what he pleaseth as he did Genes 1. To call therefore things which are not as things which are is as if he should call things that are not and say unto them O ye things which are not come out of your nothing and be ye something as things which are and they should obey Man calls only things which are as a Master his Servant to come to him But God calls even things which are not and they come at his call Note that some understand these words That quickneth the dead and calleth the things which are not as those that be in relation to the carnal seed or to the children of Abraham according to the flesh of which the Apostle speaks in the following part of this chapter And then these words must be understood of Gods enabling Abraham to beget and Sarah to conceive when in respect of Generation Abraham and in respect of Conception Sarah were now as dead being that they were both decreped and unfit by nature the one to beget the other to conceive and bear Children By the Dead in this Sence we must understand such as are unfit for Generation and Conception by a Metaphor And by making such alive is meant giving power to such to beget and conceive with child respectively by the like Metaphor And by things which are not are meant not things which are absolutely without a being but things which are without a certain kind of being as Abraham without the natural power of begetting and Sarah without the natural power of conceiving seed But others understand these words That quickneth the dead and calleth the things which be not as those that be as spoken in relation to the Spiritual seed of Abraham such as be Abrahams children by faith And then the meaning of this which quickneth the dead is this which quickneth those which were dead in trespasses and sins by bringing them to a lively faith See for this Ephes 2.1 And the meaning of those words And calleth those things which be not as those that be is this and making those believe which did not believe before Now if it be asked which of these two sences are to be preferred before which I conceive the Later before the former The sence which interprets these words of the Spiritual seed before the sense which interprets those words of the Carnal seed For whereas the Apostle said of Abraham That he is the Father of us all before him whom he believed even God signifying thereby that Abraham was the Spiritual Father of us All not in word but in deed not in the opinion of Men but in the Judgement and Approbation and Constitution of God He goes on to to prove that Abraham was such a Father And because to the being of such a Father two things are requisite First that Abraham should be himself a man of a sound and a strong faith Secondly that there should be other men like him in his faith He sheweth both these in this latter part of the Chapter For he sheweth that Abraham was strong in faith vers 18 19 20 c. And he shews That God raiseth up daily faithful men out of such as were not so in the words which we have in hand V. 18. Who against hope believed in hope This is spoken of Abraham whom he made mention of ver 16. It is a great Trajection or Hyperbaton to refer this to the Sixteenth verse I conceive it therefore not amiss for the better Coherence of the Text to understand here these or the like words between this and the former verse viz. That he may raise up seed unto Abraham q. d. Who is the Father of us all before him whom he believed even God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were that he may thereby raise up seed to Abraham who against hope believed in hope that he might become the Father of many Nations c. The Coherence of the Text by this supplement is smooth and who knows not that in the Scripture greater supplements than this
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
without that defect aforesaid which otherwise they suffer The words then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being thus taken may be thus translated Know ye not that in as much as ye yield your selves servants to obey ye are servants in as much as ye do obey and that either of sin which brings to death or of the Law or doctrine of obedience which leads to righteousness The Apostle argues here and in the verses following against the foresaid Objection which some might by a miss-construction of his words raise out of the former verse as though by those words he gave there a freedom to sin And in his arguing he useth this methode First he lays this for a ground that Christians they at least to whom he wrote were the Servants of Righteousness and not of sin Secondly he builds this upon that or infers this from that That being they were the servants of Righteousness and not of sin they ought to obey Righteousness and not sin That which he lays for his ground he lays and makes good in the 16 17 18 verses That which he builds upon that and infers from that he doth in the 19 verse but yet he doth it not in Categorical terms but winds it up in an Exhortation as his manner sometimes is The ground to wit That they were the servants of Righteousness and not of sin he makes good by a Syllogism thus To whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whatsoever he be And this he lays down ver 16. But ye have yielded your selves servants to righteousness to obey her and not to sin to obey her And this he lays down ver 17. Therefore ye are the servants of Righteousness and not of sin This he lays down ver 18. The Major proposition of this Syllogism needed not any proof it is cleer they themselves knew it therefore he saith Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey ver 16. The Minor proposition he proves first by removing that which might be objected in the behalf of sin against it Secondly by shewing that which would make for Righteousness by matter of fact and both of these he doth ver 17. Of sin He speaks of Sin still as of a Person yea a Queen to whom to obey is to sin Vnto death That is which bringeth unto death yea death eternal Of obedience Obedience is to be taken here for the Law or Doctrine of obedience by a Metonymie as is plain by the next ensuing verse The Gospel may be called the Law or doctrine of obedience because it teacheth men to follow not their own sence and the motions of sin but to obey God who only is to be obeyed and not only teacheth them but enableth them also to obey him which may be called an inward teaching The Apostle speaketh of obedience that is of the Gospel which is the Law or Doctrine of obedience as of a person yea as a Queen by a Prosopopoeia Vnto Righteousness i. e. Which leadeth unto Righteousness the end whereof is everlasting life Ver. 17. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine delivered to you The sence of these words is this q. d. But for which ye have cause to thank God whereas ye had been the servants of sin and obeyed her ye have now at length obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Note that the Apostle doth not give God thanks here for that they were sometimes the slaves or servants of sin as though that had been the gift or blessing of God to them for which they ought to give thanks for that would be absur'd but he gives thanks to God for that that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered them whereas they had in foretime been the servants and slaves of sin This giving of thanks therefore must be referred to the latter sentence not to the former And for such progress of the Gospel we ought to give God thanks as well as for the Gospel it self See Chap. 1.8 This phrase ye were the servants of sin is as much as whereas ye have been the Servants of sin Like phrase to this we meet with in many places See one Luk. 15. ver 23 24. In these words Let us eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine c. By this Doctrine he means the Gospel with its precepts and commands And by obeying is meant believing and doing according to it He speaks of this doctrine as of a Queen or Lady or Mystress by a Prosopopoeia This is that which he gives God thanks for to wit that they obeyed the Gospel by which giving of thanks we are admonished First that to obey the Gospel is the gift of God Secondly we are admonished that to obey the Gospel is a great blessing and so to be esteemed From the heart i. e. Not only in shew and outward appearance but also in truth and in inward sincerity as your holy conversation will testifie That form of doctrine By the doctrine here mentioned is meant the Gospel which is also called the doctrine of Christ 2 John 9. This doctrine he calls a form or mould and saith the form or mould of Doctrine by a Metaphor taken from a form or mould which Goldsmiths or some such Crafts-men use to cast an Image or thing in that they would form into any shape For as that Silver or Gold or whatsoever mettal else it is which is cast in such a form or mould is made like unto it So should they which believe the Gospel conform themselves and their lives unto the Gospel that they may represent it and carry the likeness of it in their lives and actions Ver. 18. Being then made free from Sin ye became c q. d â—herefore being made free from sin yee became c. This is the conclusion of the Syllogism which we spoke of Being made free from Sin ye became the servants of Righteousness Righteousness is to be taken here by a Metonymy for the Gospel which containeth precepts and prescripts of Righteousness or for the Laws prescripts and precepts of Righteousness therein contained He speaks both of Sin and Righteousness as of Ladies Queens or Mistresses by a Prosopopoeia Being then made free from Sin When a Man is so weak and so unable by his custome in sin or otherwise to resist the motions and temptations of Sin as that he is overcome with every little temptation this his â—state the Apostle calls an estate of servitude and thus to yield to every little temptation of sin he calls to serve Sin by a Metaphor When therefore we receive grace from Christ and strength and ability to withstand the motions and lusts
means the abrogation or expiration thereof but he speaks of the Law as of an Husband by an Allegory therefore saith rather That being dead wherein we were held than That being abrogated or expired wherein we were held Wherein we were held The particle In in Wherein is to be taken here for under So is the Greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word in the Greek here interpreted under Matth. 7.6 In those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translatours render under their feet That we should serve i. e. That being now married unto Christ and so strengthned by his Grace in the inward man we should serve Christ or we should serve God We should serve Supple God or serve Christ. The Apostle seemeth here to leave his Allegory of an Husband and Wife and Children and to speak more plainly and literally than he did before For whereas he saith here That we should serve he said in the same sence before That we should bring forth fruit ver 4. In newness By newness understand here Newness of life or a new kind or course of life rather by an Hebraism a kind or course of life different from that which we led before while we were under the Law and in the flesh In newness therefore is by a new life Before they led a sinful and ungodly life Now he would have them to lead a Righteous and a Godly life Of Spirit i e. Which the Spirit that is which the Gospel worketh or is able to work under which ye are brought For the Spirit is opposed here to the letter that is to the Law and what is more usually opposed to the Law than the Gospel So is it opposed and so is the word taken 2 Cor. 3.6 The Gospel is called the Spirit because of the Spirit of God which goeth along with it wherby man is brought to believe the Gospel and is renewed and strengthened to walk according to the Gospel by reason of which Spirit accompanying it it is also called the power of God unto salvation Chap. 1.16 To serve God therefore in newness of Spirit is to serve God by a new course of life such a course of life as the Gospel doth not only require of us but enable us also to lead For they which are under the Gospel are both required and enabled by the Gospel to lead a new life And not in the oldness of the letter i. e. And not with our old manner of living or with our old course of life which we led while we were under the Law and which was occasioned by the Law This the Apostle adds and speaks with a kind of Sarcasm because many Jews were so addicted to the Law as that they would hardly here of the abrogation or expiration of the Law as though that life which they lead under the Law before they were engrafted into Christ or had received his Gospel or his Grace was a life pleasing unto God And not in the oldness Oldness is to be taken here by an Hebraism for our old course and manner of living which was a course of life led in sin occasioned by the Law In is to be taken here for With after the Hebrew manner Of the Letter The letter is to be taken here for the Law of Moses that is for the Law as it was given by Moses and as it is precisely considered without the grace of the Gospel as it was taken Chap. 6 14 c. He calls the Law as it was given by Moses and as it is precisely considered without grace the Letter because it was described by Letters that is because it was written or given in writing and because it was in a manner but as a bare Letter or bare writing only which had no more or little more power to make a man good than by telling him what was good and commanding him to do it And being the Law was but a bare letter and did in a manner tell a man only what was good and command him to do it it did by Accident when he was bad make him worse for except a Carnal man hath grace given him to keep the commandments he runs contrary to the commandments and grows the worse by being commanded When therefore the Apostle saith And not in the oldness of the Letter we must not understand the words so as if he meant only thereby their old course of life led under the Letter that is under the Law But we must also understand them so as that he meant thereby that that course of life was occasioned at least in part by the Letter that is by the Law while they were under it as will appear by the Objection following and by the eighth verse So that these Genitives of the Spirit and of the Letter may be taken for Genitivi Efficientis Ver. 7. What shall we say then i. e. What shall we conclude then from that which we said viz. From that The Law is dead by the body of Christ And from that that we called Our former oldness The oldness of the Letter Is the Law sin q. d. Shall we conclude that the Law is a true and Genuine cause of sin Sin is to be taken here by a Metonymie for the cause of sin and the Law is to be taken here as it was taken Chap. 6.14 and Chap. 7. ver 1. 4. And as it signifieth the same with the Letter ver 6. God forbid By these words as he did before the Apostle detesteth and putteth from himself the thought of such a thing or such a conclusion as this is that the Law is a true and genuine cause of sin Nay I had not known sin i. e. Nay so far is the Law from being a true and genuine cause of sin as that I had not known sin at least so well as now I do c. But by the Law i e. But by the Law which was given in writing by Moses which did forbid sin If the written Law did forbid Sin and make it at least more known to be Sin than otherwise it would be by forbidding it surely the Law was not the genuine cause of Sin nor did it prompt or move thereunto For I had not known Lust Supple to be a Sin That is For I had not known that the inward lust and inward desire onely of that which is evil though it did not break out into any outward Act was Sin at least so well as now I do Thou shalt not covet This is the tenth Commandment of the Decalogue the Apostle omits here the object which is mentioned by Moses in that commandment viz. Thy neighbours house thy neighbours wife c. for brevities sake But though in that commandment at large there is no other object named but that which is the object of the Sixth and that which is the object of the seventh Commandment yet the object of this Commandment seems to me to be as large as the object of all the other nine
e. I will take away their sins Whereas the former words were taken out of Isaiah 59. v. 20.24 these words are not thence taken but out of Isaiah 27.9 For whereas it is said Isaiah 27.9 according to the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this is his blessing it followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. when I shall take away his sin And the Apostle saith here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When I shall take away their sins only changing the Singular into the Plural numbers yet retaining the sence for Singular numbers are often put for Plurals as they were there Isaiah 27.9 The order of speech required of the Apostle that he should have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will take away their sins why therefore doth he say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When I shall take away their sins Why doth he use the word When Here Answ Because he cites this authority out of the Prophet Isaiah 27.9 Where it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When I shall take away his sin And it is the Apostles usual manner when he cites an Authority to cite it as he finds it not changing the Syntax but leaving it to his Reader to make up the Syntax in his writing or to understand his meaning This taking away of sins from the Jews prophesied of by the Prophet Isaiah was not performed at Christs first coming either by his own preaching or by the preaching of his Apostles For then a Remnant only of the Jews were saved the rest were blinded It remains therefore that it should be then effected when the fulness of the Gentiles are come in Ver. 28. As concerning the Gospel i. e. As concerning the Gospel when we look upon that and consider how the Jews have disbelieved that and rejected it and refused to embrace it They are Enemies i. e. They are hated indeed of God and held of him as Enemies The word Enemies is to be taken here in a Passive sence that is not for such as shew their enmity towards God but for such as that God shew his enmity towards them by punishing them c. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enemies are opposed here to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beloved For your sakes That is so that ye receive benefit thereby or so as that ye are the better for it The Gentiles received this benefit from that that the unbelieving Jews were hated of God for their unbelief that they were received into the number of Gods people in their stead But as touching the Election i e. But as touching the Election or when we consider that God hath elected or made choice of them for them to be his peculiar people And for himself to be a God to them The fruits which flow from that Election whereby God chose Israel and so the Jews to be a peculiar people to himself may be attributed to their Fathers that is to Abraham Isaac and Jacob for the love which he bear to them did he chose their seed after them to be a peculiar people to himself Deut. 4.37 But I cannot see how any thing which follows from that Election by which God hath chosen certain men yea Jews immediately to life everlasting can be attributed to the Fathers that is to Abraham Isaac and Jacob or by which he hath elected them immediately to Justification Wherefore I take Election here for that Election whereby he chose Israel and so the Jews to be a peculiar people to himself The Election here spoken of is not therefore an Election immediately to life everlasting no nor yet immediately to justification for I cannot see how such an election or any thing flowing from that can be said to be for the fathers sake or to be attributed to any other than to Christ Jesus But this Election is that whereby God made choice of the seed of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob to be a peculiar people and treasure to himself And this Election indeed and the fruit thereof may be said to be for the fathers sake and this indeed the Scripture attribute to the fathers but not the other The word Election is a word that in it self signifieth only the act of Election but the person electing the subject elected and the object to which he is elected must be gathered from the circumstance of the place and by the circumstance of the place the Election here spoken of seems to me to be that whereby God elected or chose the Jews to be a peculiar people to himself above all the people of the Earth They are beloved They are beloved and so beloved of God as that God will not cast them away utterly and leave them all utterly without all means of Salvation as he doth those which are not his people He will not utterly leave them and forsake them so that they should utterly perish The Jews are so beloved of God as that God will not utterly forsake them For it is written of them I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Josh 1.5 This priviledge the Jews have that though the greatest part of them sin against God and are contentious against his truth the Gospel of their Salvation yet God will not cast them away and leave them all utterly without the means of Salvation a priviledge which no Nation under heaven hath but themselves And this priviledge they have by reason of that Election whereby God chose them to be a peculiar people to himself for their fathers sake For the Fathers sake i. e. For the love which he bear to their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob These to wit Abraham Isaac and Jacob are meant by the Fathers See Cap. 9. ver 5 Because the Lord loved their Fathers therefore he chose their seed after them saith Moses Deut. 4.37 Ver. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance i. e. For the gracious calling of God whereby he called the Jews to be a peculiar people to himself and a people of his love is without repentance That is God will never repent him of the gracious calling of the Jews whereby he called them to be a peculiar people to himself and a people of his love These words The gifts and calling of God in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are put by an hendias for the gratious calling of God That which the Apostle saith here he saith to confirm that which he said ver 28. To wit That the Jews are beloved of God There be many things of which God to speak after the manner of men hath repented himself For it repented the Lord that he had made man Gen 6.6 And the Lord repented that he made Saul King 1 Sam. 15.35 c. But that he chose Israel to be his people he will never repent that is he will not so repent as to cast them all off utterly because he chose them for their fathers sake to be a God unto them for ever Ver. 30. For as ye in times past have not
〈◊〉 was taken verse 15. and upon the same or like reason for a man may so stumble and fall as that he may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is to be weak in soul through some hurt there received by sin Ver. 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God The Apostle prevents another objection here For a strong brother may say I believe and am throughly perswaded that I may lawfully eat all meats shall I then have this Christian faith or perswasion and yet never be suffered to make use of it This objection the Apostle prevents or answers saying Hast thou faith that is dost thou believe and art thou perswaded that thou maist lawfully eat all meats Have thou this thy faith and perswasion and make use of them privately before God onely where God only and not man seeth that thou mayest not offend any one in the use thereof Hast thou faith Faith is taken here for a perswasion by which a man is perswaded or believeth that that is lawful which he doth And in particular that it is lawful for him to eat all manner of meats yea those which were forbidden by Moses Law See more ver 23. Have it to thy self before God Make use of it by thy self in private before God only who seeth in private and not before men who may be offended at it The word Onely is to be understood here as it is often else where to be understood God seeth in private and taketh notice of what is done in private to reward it Matth. 6.4 Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth i. e. Happy is he that in the use of that thing which he approves and is perswaded is lawful doth not that for which he may be condemned He doth that for which he may be condemned even by God who in the use of that which he is perswaded may be lawfully used offendeth his weak brother and causeth him to sin That condemneth not himself i. e. Which doth not that for which he may be condemned Which he alloweth i. e. Which he approveth and finds upon trial as it were to be lawful and is thereupon perswaded of the lawfulness thereof Allowing here is opposed to doubting vers 23. And he which alloweth of what he doth to him which doubteth of what he doth Ver. 23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat q. d. And he also which doubteth whether it be lawful to eat what he is about to eat or no is damned without repentance if he eat during this doubâ—ing The Apostle may use an Apostrophe here to the weak Christian and tell him in what he also might be damned as well as the strong in what he â—hat he might avoid it Or else he may continue his speech unto the strong and shew how he may condemn himself in that thing which he alloweth he may condemn himself in making his weak brother by his example to eat of that which he indeed alloweth but his weak brother doubteth of and so in bringing his weak brother into damnation For he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith c. Because he eateth not of faith i. e. Because he is not perswaded that he may Lawfully eat that which he eateth Faith is not taken here for that faith whereby we believe in Christ and which denominates them faithful which have it and Infidels which have it not but it is taken for the belief or perswasion of the Lawfulness of that which we do so that he which doth any thing with a doubting conscience doth it not of faith Whatsoever is not of faith is sin i. e. Whatsoever is not done out of a belief or perswasion that it may be lawfully done is sin Bene praecipiunt qui vetant quicquam agere quod dubites aequum sit an iniquum aequitas enim lucet ipsa per se Dubitatio autem cogitationem significat injuriae saith Tully Offic. Lib 1. That which the Apostle saith here viz. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin is a general saying which concerneth all both Jews and Gentiles CHAP. XV. 1. WE then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves 1. Whereas therefore it is not good to do any thing whereby our weak brother may stumble or be offended or be made weak we whosoever we are whether Jews or Gentiles that are strong in the faith ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not so to please our selves in doing that which we know we may lawfully do as to make the weak to do that which they think they may not do lawfully 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour as well as himself yea let him please his neighbour though he displease himself and humour him for his good that he may grow up more and more in Christianity 3. For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me 3. For even Christ whose example we ought to follow though he were Lord of all above all principalities and powers yet he pleased not himself but did that which was grievous to his humane nature that he might do good to others for that he might do good to others and please them he took upon himself the punishments due to them for the reproaches wherewith they reproached the living God according to that which he says Psalm 69.9 The reproaches of them O God which reproached thee fell on me 4. For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 4. But thou wilt say What doth that appertain to thee now which is written in the Old Testament But say not so For whatsoever things were written heretofore in the books of the Old Testament were written for our instruction to teach us among other lessons which we may learn from thence patience to bear the infirmities of the weak and comfort which the Scriptures minister to all those which do bear any thing which God would have them to bear with patience That we through such patience and comfort as the Scriptures teach may have hope even hope of eternal life which God will give to them which do such things 5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus 5. Now seeing that patience and comfort are such precious things and give us hope of eternal life the God of patience and of comfort give you patience and comfort through the Scriptures that ye through patience and comfort may be of the like affection one towards another and so may bear one with another according to the will and example of Christ Jesus 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ 6. That being of the like affection when ye meet together in the holy Congregation ye may with one heaâ—t and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which will be yet a greater blessing to you 7. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God 7. Wherefore receive and embrace ye one anothe in a loving and respectful manner as Christ also received and embraced us that God may be thereby glorified 8. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Fathers 8. And that ye may so receive and embrace one another I say to you Gentiles that Christ Jesus was himself in person a minister of the Jews and that he was so to shew the truth and veracity of God and to confirm the promises which God made to their fore-fathers of sending the Messiah in person to them so that being that the Jews were so highly honoured of God and of his Christ ye ought also to love honour respect and receive them 9. And that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy as it is written For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name 9. And I say to you Jews that the Gentiles have received such mercies by Christ as that they have cause to praise and glorifie God for them And that which I say concerning the Gentiles is no other than what was prophesied of them of old For Psalm 18.49 David saies in the person of Christ For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles and sing praises unto thy name 10. And again he saith Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people 10. And again Moses by a prophetick Spirit saith Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people Deut. 32.43 11. And again Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles and laud him all ye people 11. And again David saith Psalm 117.1 Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles and laud him all ye people 12. And again Esaias saith There shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust 12. And again Isaiah saith Isa 11.10 There shall be a a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust Being therefore that the Gentiles have received such mercies of God as that they may justly praise and glorifie God for them according to the prophesies which went of them of old ye Jews ought also to love honour respect and receive them 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost 13. Now that I have told you Gentiles these things concerning the Jews and you Jews these things concerning the gentiles the God of hope grant that ye may believe them that he may fill you with all joy and peace by believing and that ye may have thereby abundant hope of eternal life through the powerful operation of the holy Ghost 14. And I my sâ—lf also am perswaded of you my brethren that ye also are full of goodness filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another 14. But perhaps some of you will say unto me Paul by this your writing to us you think that there is little goodness in us and that we are such babes or fools as that we know not what is amiss and are not able to admonish one another in a brotherly way when any of us erreth But whatsoever you think yet others think that we are full of goodness and knowledge and that we are able to admonish one another But in answer to this I say I Paul also even I my self am perswaded as much of you brethren that ye also as well as other Christians are full of goodness filled with knowledge able also to admonish one another 15. Nevertheless brethren I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mind because of the grace that is given to me of God 15. But yet notwithstanding my brethren I have written somewhat boldly unto you in some sort not that I might teach you what ye know not but that I might put you in mind of and call to your remembrance what ye know And this I do because the grace or office which is given to me of God requireth this of me 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministring the gospel of God that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the holy Ghost 16. For I have this grace or office of God that I should be the Minister or Servant of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles performing the holy function of a Priest in the Ministery of the gospel of God that the Gentiles being made as a sacrifice or oblation might become such a sacrifice or oblation as is acceptable unto God being sprinkled and sanctified by the gifts of the holy Ghost through my ministery 17. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God 17. But perhaps some of you Romans will say But Paul if thou hast this grace given thee of God that thou shouldst be the Minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles why dost thou not make use of this Ministery why hast thou not come to Minister the gospel of Christ to us Gentiles which live at Rome Thou lets this thy gift to lie Idle Know ye therefore that this grace or office which I received of God was not bestowed upon me in vain for by the exercise of that office and stirring up of that grace in me I have done that in those holy things which appertain to God whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ 18. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed 18. For for I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me Christ hath wrought effectually by me by word and deed 19. Through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ 19. By mighty signs and wonders by the power of the holy Ghost to make the Gentiles obedient to the Gospel So that from Jerusalem and round about Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ with happy success 20. Yea so have I strived to preach the gospel not where Christ was named lest I should build upon another mans foundation 20. And I have with a kind of Ambition endeavoured thus to preach the Gospel Not where Christ had been named before lest I should build as it were upon the foundation which another man had laid and enter upon his
out of the Psalms is frivolous as though that which was written in the Old Testament concerned us not q. d. Neither think that what I cite here out of the Psalms is frivolous as though that which were written in the Old Testament concerns us not for whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning c. The Apostle did more than hint in that discourse which he had in the former Chapter that the Law of Moses was abrogated now lest any should think from thence that the writings of the Old Testament concerned not any Christians and they should object so much to him he prevents this Objection saying For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning c. Whatsoever things were written afore time i. e. Whatsoever things were written to wit in the books of the Old Testament which books were written in former times by the instruction of the Holy Ghost The Apostle speaks here of those things which were written in former times by men inspired by the Holy Ghost which writings are contained in the books of the Old Testament not of any other writings Were written for our learning c. i. e. Were written for us to teach us among many other things patience to bear the infirmities of the weak and comfort which the Scriptures minister to all those which do bear any thing which God would have them to bear with patience That we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope i. e. That we through the patience which the Scriptures teach and the comfort which the Scripâ—â—res minister to all those which do bear any thing which God would have them to bear with patience might have hope even hope of eternal life which God promiseth them who with patience and cheerfulness bear those burdens which he would have them bear The patience which the Apostle here speaks of is the patience which is seen in the bearing of the infirmities of the weak with which he mentioneth or joyneth comfort which the Scriptures minister to them that bear the infirmities of the weak willingly to encourage those to whom he writeth to the patience which he speaks of which encouragement is yet augmented by that that he saith that this patience and comfort beget an hope in us of eternal life Of the Scriptures i. e. Which the Scriptures teach and minister This Genitive is Genitivus efficientis Might have hope To wit of life or glory everlasting They that bear that which God would have them to bear patiently and find comfort in their patient bearing have hope of life everlasting both because God hath promised everlasting life to them that bear such things with patience and also because this their patience and the comfort which he ministers to them in their bearing being gifts of the Holy Ghost are as earnests and pledges of life everlasting See what we said Chap. 5. ver 4.5 Note that though the Apostle mentioneth here only patience and comfort as lessons which the Scriptures teach yet these are not all the lessons which the Scriptures teach and which we learn from them For the Scriptures are able to make a man perfect throughly furnished to every good work 2 Tim. 3 17. But the Apostle mentioneth only these because these are enough for his present purpose For his present purpose here is only to perswade the strong Christians to bear the infirmity of the weak ver 1. And to please every man his neighbour though it be against the grain of his own humour and so burdensome to him for his good to edification ver 2. To which he had need of patience to do these things and comfort to hearten and encourage this his patience that he might hold out but if he had patience and comfort he had enough Ver. 5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another q. d. Now being that patience and comfort are such precious thinâ— and give us hope of everlasting life the God of patience and comfort give you patience and comfort that ye may by them be like minded one towards another and have your hope of everlasting life confirmed in you Patience and Comfort were attributed in the foregoing verse to the Scriptures as to their cause here they aâ—e attributed to God But in this there is no repugnancy for they are attributed here to God as their principal their to the Scriptures as their instrumental cause of which God is the Author Whereas the Apostle speaks in the foregoing verse of these three Viz. Patience Comfort and Hope He magnifies the two former to wit Patience and Comfort And adornes them here in this verse by making God the Author of them and the like he doth of Hope ver 13. Grant you to be like minded one towards another i. e. Grant you whether Jews or Gentiles to be like minded one towards another Jews to the Gentiles and Gentiles to the Jews again to wit through Patience and Comfort To be like minded one towards another signifieth to be of the same affection one towards another that is to be at concord and unity among your selves For the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be referred according to Saint Pauls usage of the word not to the understanding but to the affection And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth among your selves See the like Chap. 12.16 2 Cor. 3.11 c. If men were of the same affection one towards another they would have the same affections to others as they have to themselves and would do no otherwise to others than they would to themselves which would make all well among them Patience and Comfort which strengtheneth and encourageth Patience were good means to make the Romans to be of the same affection or to be at concord or unity among themselves For that which hindred the joyning of their affections and unity and concord among themselves was that they could not bear one anothers burdens nor could they please every one his neighbour this was too troublesome and burdensome to them but if they had but patience and comfort joyned with their patience then might they easily bear one anothers burdens and every one please his neighbour for his good to edification upon which an unity and concord of affections would follow In praying that they may be like minded one towards another he prays that the strong might bear the infirmities of the weak yea that every one might please his neighbour for his good to edification which was that which he exhorted to ver 1.2 and somewhat more According to Christ Jesus i. e. According to the will and Gospel of Christ Jâ—sus who requireth this at your hands Or because he proposed the example of Christ ver 3. after the example of Christ Jesus who shewed his kind affection towards us Christ Jesus is put here either for the Will or Gospel or else for the example of
Jews concerning the Gentiles and the Gentiles concerning the Jews their variance and discord must needs end in a firm peace and concord That ye may abound in hope i. e. That ye may have exceeding strong hope of everlasting life or everlasting glory Through that joy and peace The fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace c. Galat. 5.22 and such fruits raise an hope in us of everlasting glory to a great height and make it exceeding strong See Rom. 5. v. 4 5. Through the power of the Holy Ghost i e. By the powerful operation of the Holy Ghost Ver. 14. And I my self also am perswaded of you Brethren that ye are full of goodness c. The Apostle prevents an Objection here For some of the Romans may say Paul By this your writings to us you think that there is little goodness in us and that we are such babes or fools as that we know not what is amiss and are not able to admonish one another in a brotherly way when any errs but whatsoever you think others think that we are full of goodness and knowledge and that we are able to admonish one another This Objection I say the Apostle prevents here saying I think not so but I my self also am perswaded of you Brethren as well as others that ye are full of goodness filled with all knowledge and able to admonish one another I my self also am perswaded Supple as well as others This perswasion which the Apostle here speaks of was grounded upon the fame and speech of men of credit That ye also are full of goodness i. e. That ye also as well as other brethren are full of goodness Supple one towards another c. By Goodness understand here the act or acting of goodness and take Goodness here for Loving kindness Filled with all knowledge i. e. That ye are endued with very much knowledge He saith all knowledge here as he said all joy v. 13. Here is a double Auxesis in these words Filled with all knowledge One in the word Filled another in the word All. He speaks here more especially of the knowledge which they had of Christs receiving both Jews and Gentiles and of the nature of things indifferent and of what was a fault and what not and how to teach and admonish c. Able also to admonish one another Supple when any did amiss and wanted admonition Note that what the Apostle speaks here he doth not attribute to all the Roman◠as though all were full of goodness and knowledge and able to admonish his brother but only to certain of the most eminent of them Because the Romans were one Body or one Church in which were members of divers qualities a◠some ignorant some knowing c. The Apostle speaks of them sometimes as of ignorant and wanting admonition And sometimes again as knowing and able to admonish in respect sometimes to one sort of them sometimes to another Ver. 15. Nevertheless Brethren I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort q. d. Though I am perswaded of you Brethren that ye are full of goodness and knowledge and are able to admonish one another yet nevertheless I have written to you somewhat the more boldly or more freely than otherwise I should do because of the grace that is given to me of God c. that is because I am the Apostle of the Gentiles Note that this Comparative degree doth here diminish its Positive In some sort By this the Apostle doth also lessen or mince what he said before of his boldness for these terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do diminish something of that of which they are spoken as ver 24. 1. Cor. 13.9 c. As putting you in mind i. e. Not as teaching you what ye know not but as putting you in mind or calling to your remembrance what ye know By this the Apostle doth somewhat excuse his boldness to the Romans but that by which he doth chiefly excuse it is that which follows Viz. Because of the grace that was given to him of God Because of the grace that was given to me of God These words relate not to these which went immediately before but to those I have written the more boldly to you in part And contain as I said his chief Reason why he wrote so boldly unto them By Grace here is meant that which follows in the next verse Viz. That he should be the minister of God to the Gentiles q. d. I have written unto you the more boldly because the Office in which God hath placed me requireth me so to do The word Grace doth commonly signifie a free gift of God here an Office by a Synechdoche generis Ver. 16. That I should be the Minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles i. e. That I should be the Servant of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles to minister the Gospel to them In what he should minister to the Gentiles he shews in the next words Viz. ministring the Gospel of God And among these Gentiles the Romans are contained as being the most part Gentiles That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ This Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minister is a word which generally signifies any publick minister whether Civil or Ecclesiastical As appeareth Chap. 13. ver 6. Acts 13.2 But it is limited here by those words following Viz. Ministring the Gospel To an Ecclesiastical Minister a Preacher of the Gospel yea to a Priest for though the preaching of the Gospel be the Office to which this minister is here limited yet the Apostle speaks of himself here Metaphorically as of a Priest and the Sacrifice which he hath to offer for every Priest hath his Sacrifice are the Gentiles To the Gentiles Saint Paul was elected of Christ Jesus to be a minister to the Gentiles Acts 9.15 And it was agreed between Paul and other Apostles that he should go to the Gentiles and they to the Circumcision Galat. 2.9 wherefore he calls himself a Teacher of the Gentiles 2 Tim. 1.11 But yet we must not understand him so as if his ministry were limited only to the Gentiles to preach to them only for he teacheth the Jews in many places of this Epistle as well as the Gentiles and it is not likely that Saint Paul would go beyond the limits of his commission he therefore saith that he is the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles not because he might not or ought not to preach the Gospel to the Jews also but because it was the will of Christ Jesus who chose him to be his minister that he should preach chiefly unto the Gentiles and bring forth fruit chiefly among them It seemeth by this that the Apostle spake what he spoke here ver 14 15 c. to the Gentiles which lived at Rome who perhaps were men skilled in humane learning and therefore somewhat puffed up and not so ready to take such admonitions as Saint Paul gives
Note that by word the Apostle means the preaching of the Gospel By deed he means the miracles which he wrought in confirmation of what he preached as he himself expounds himself in the subsequent words see Acts 7.22 where is the like manner of speech Ver. 19. Through mighty signs and wonders He sheweth here what he meant by the word Deed ver 18. which is to be taken there collectivè for deeds The Lord gave testimony unto the word of his grace and granted signs and wonders to be done by the hands of his Apostles Acts 14.3 Concerning these signs and wonders some make a râ—al distinction between them as though signs were lesser miracles wonders greater signes such as may be done by the force of nature though not so quickly Wonders such as exceed the reach of nature But others make signs and wonders to be the same things and say that they are called signs because by them as by strange and unwonted things some thing is signified to be from God For they are wrought to assure men of some Divine truth and wonders because they raise wonder and admiration in the beholders By the power of the spirit of God Some make this to be the sence of these words q. d. Through mighty signs and wonders which I wrought by the power of the Spirit of God Others this q. d. Through Mighty signs and wonders and by the Spirit of God And as by the mighty signs and wonders they understand the casting out of Divels healing of the sick the raising of the dead to life and the like So by the power of the Spirit of God they understand the gifts of prophesie gift of tongues and discerning of Spirits c. of which see 1 Cor. 12.10 In this sence the power of the Spirit of God is to be taken for the miraculous gifts of the Spirit which are the effects of the power of the holy Ghost by a Metonymie and they again for such particular gifts as I spake of by a Synechdoche generis Again In this second sence the power of the Spirit of God is taken for works or miracles wrought In the first sence It is taken for the means or cause by which those signs and wonders were wrought which he spoke of From Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum Jerusalem was the chief City of Judea and Illyricum was a Countrey now called Sclavonia many hundred miles distant from it Between these two places did S. Paul travel and preach to the interiacent people not steering his course in a streight line but travelling up and down in a compass which he calls here round about S. Paul began not his preaching at Jerusalem but at Damascus yet afterwards he went to Hierusalem and preached there from whence he went North and North-west preaching the word That which the Apostle saith here in summ is particularly and largly described in the Acts of the Apostles I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so that I have filled all places with the Gospel of Christ So some who say that these words All places are here to be understood and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel which is of the Accusative case is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Gospel is of the Dative case in Greek which answers to the Ablative case in Qutin by an Antiptosis But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so that I have extended or dilated or spread the Gospel of Christ So others who say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sometimes to extend dilate propagate or spread by a Metaphor perhaps from a bladder or some such thing which is dilated and extended or stretch d out while it is filled with wind or the like A proof of this signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they give by a like word out of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 24. ver 35. where we read thus in the Septagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which they render thus and extending or diffusing wisdom as Phison and Tigris do their matters in the dayes of new fruits And Ecclesi 24. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they render thus And extending or diffusing understanding as Euphrates and as Jordan in the time of Harvest Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. So that I have fully perfâ—rmed the preaching of the Gospel of Christ So a third sort And thus the Gospel is put by a Metonymie for the preaching or Ministery of the Gospel And this cometh neer to our translation when it says I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ The meaning whereof is this that he had fully preached to all that lived between Jerusalem and Illyricum round about all the Mysteries of the Gospel which were necessary to Salvation That is as our Apostle saith in other words Acts 20.27 That he had declared unto them all the counsel of God And yet me thinks there is somewhat more that the Apostle aims at in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place and that is the success answering the end or intent of his preaching which was that his Gospel was also received We must therefore understand these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is So that I have fully preached the Gospel not onely of that that he preached the Gospel and all the mysteries thereof in all those places but also that he preached them effectually so that they were believed and received by all that dwelt there Ver. 20. Yea so have I strived to preach the Gospel not whâ—re Christ was named c. i. e. Yea I have with a kind of ambition strived and chosen to preach the Gospel after this manner to wit in word and deed with signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God not in those places where Christ was named lest I should build upon another mans Foundation But in those places where Christ was not so much as named before so that that which is written c. Now for the connexion of this with the former verse the Apostle prevents an objection here For whereas he had said in the former verse that he had fully preached the Gospel of Christ from Hierusalem to Illyricum it might be objected that that was no great matter for him to do or glory of For it might be that others had preached there before and instructed them in the knowledge of the Gospel This objection the Apostle prevents saying Yea so have I strived to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named but where he was never so much as named before So have I strived to preach the Gospel This particle so relates not to that word strived but to that word Preach q. d. Yea I have strived to preach the Gospel so And this particle so signifies after that manner that is after that manner to wit that he had spoke of that is by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders c. Have I strived to preach the Gospel
prophesieth here chiefly of the miseries and captivities which the people of Israel suffered under Sennacharib King of Assyria and under Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians which were meer hunters of men and so oppressed not the people of Israel onely but all other people that they could reach When therefore the people of Israel were delivered from the sword and captivity of the Babylonians these Gentiles also were delivered and by reason of that delivery they had reason to rejoyce as well as the people of Israel See Isaiah 14. verse 6.7 and Isaiah 42.10 c. to this purpose But this is for the first and Historical sence Now it is very well known that tâ—mporal miseries and afflictions were types of Spiriâ—ual miseries and afflictions which we suffer under the Divel and sin c. and the delivery from temporal miseries and afflictions were a type of the delivery from the miseries which we suffer by sin and the Divel though therefore in the first and Historical sence of these words Moses speaketh here of the corporeal deliverance of the people of Israel and such Gentiles as were persecuted and held captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians and the like from their sword and their captivity Yet in the second and mystical sence he prophesieth of the spiritual delivery of the Jews and Gentiles both from that which they suffered by sin and the Divel by Christ and for that are they exhorted to rejoyce in these words Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people Ver. 11. And again Supple the Scripture saith Psal 117.1 Praise him all ye Gentiles and Laude him all ye people The Gentiles are exhorted here to praise the Lord and that for some great mercy shewed unto them or to be shewed this mercy was either spiritual or corporeal If Spiritual it is immediately for the Apostles purpose If Corporeal that Corporeal was a type of this Spiritual and so for the Apostles purpose too mediately at least Ver. 12. And again Esaias saith i. e. And again Esaias a pen-man of the Scripture saith Esa 11.10 There shall be a root of Jesse and he shall rise to reign over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust i. e. And at that time there shall be a branch which shall spring out of the root of Jesse and he shall reign over the Gentiles after a spiritual manner And in him shall the Gentiles trust for salvation This is taken out of the prophesie of Isaiah Isa 11.10 as I said but not verbatim word for word but for the sence And in the Historical sence Hezekiah is meant by the Root of Jesse whose prosperity invited many of the Gentiles to come and live under his protection But in this Hezekiah was a Type of Christ who also was a root that is a branch of the root of Jesse And the Gentiles which lived under Hezekiahs protection a type of the Gentiles which should believe in Christ and submit themselves to him and trust and relie on him for forgiveness of sins and everlasting salvation so that in the mystical fence this is spoken of Christ and of the Gentiles which should believe in him and this is the sence which the Apostle here aims at There shall be a root of Jesse Jesse was the father of David from whom Hezekiah descended and of whom Christ came according to the flesh Matth. Chap. 1. ver 6 9 16. Christ and Hezekiah may either of them be called the root of Jesse by a Metonymie because he was a branch growing out of the root of Jesse according to that of Isaiah Isa 11. ver 1. Or we may say that as by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genus is understood the head of a generation or kindred and the generation or kindred or that that comes of it So both the head of a generation or kindred and the generation or kindred it self or that that comes of it is meant by the root in the Hebrew manner of speaking for it signifies the head Isa 14.1 And it signifies the off-spring Revel 22. ver 16. By the root of Jesse Christ is here meant Not Hezekiah for the Apostle alledgeth this testimony in the mystical sence And he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles i. e. And one that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles This is the same as the root of Jesse to wit Christ who should be King not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles also They are called Gentiles which were not of the seed of Abrham according to the flesh In him shall the Gentiles trust To wit for Salvation Ver. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in bâ—lieving Now that I have told ye Gentiles these things concerning the Jews and ye Jews these things concerning the Gentiles the God of hope give you both to believe these things respectively which I have spoken to you that so ye may be at firm peace and unity among your selves which may be a great joy yea even fulness of joy to you and that further ye may abound by them throuh the power of the Holy Ghost in hope of Eternal life This Exhortatory Corollary the Prophet gathers from that which he said of Christs being the Minister of the Circumcision v. 8. And from that which he said of the mercy of God shewed to the Gentiles ver 9. The God of hope i. e. God which is the Author of hope and which worketh hope in us Here the Apostle adorns that third thing which he spake of ver 4. to wit Hope by declaring God to be the Author of it as he had done the two others Patience and Comfort before ver 5. Fill you with all joy and peace in believing i. e. Give you fulness of peace among your selves through believing even peace in which you may take abundance of joy and delight By peace he meaneth unity and concord of mind and heart and he speaketh it in opposition to that variance discord or contention which was among them When he saith with all joy and peace I conceive that he useth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that he saith with all joy and peace for with all peace and joy for I conceive that this joy flows from this peace as joy and gladness doth from every Cordial vertue See Chap. 14. ver 17. All joy All joy in the Hebrew phrase signifieth full and perfect joy as James 1.2 My Brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations In believing i. e. By beliving to wit that which I said concerning the Jews and the Gentiles ver 8 9. c. In is put here for By or Through after the Hebrew manner The Object of this believing I conceive to be not the Gospel in general but that which he said concerning the Jews and Gentiles ver 8 9 c. For if the Jews and Gentiles which were at variance and discord among themselves as I have said before should but believe the truth of what the Apostle saith here the