/#;i:\i. 'i
^1
m
'Hi^gS:-^.^^,.
;/^'
M;#^
wt
%
i>.--
^
iS-SSS'i
■» w*
.:%.
/jj^ a
lii^
\''j^ * -^g^'s*^
x^^«
H'l
-4.*^
n:
^zAi'
l^'^S9*i
«.^-:^.
i^'
4i
LIBRARY
Brigham Young University
\^ /«y,-
FROM
Ace. 22687J^
No.
V4n,
•» ?>**»'
'^*^'-
>' ^ I /
It.
./»■•■♦(■/:•
r/VWI''^]
^PW>:
.' J^d
"i^"
t'A
C.
// ^ /
>:$! •r'^
.#-^-
|
PW,;/^///^ |
|
|
i ' » ' A^ |
|
|
■\/l -\i m- |
|
|
hi{^>x^ |
|
|
¥^ W |
r^ ^ |
|
/ ,,- |
> // : ■
:>; >r^
:^ ' ■'^^■
^/':«'\
I
ri
jimm:
PI
mi
FIRST AN
Bi
^y
"'fdy!)*.;.
HURST,
4
THE
FAMILY EXPOSITOE:
OB,
A PARAPHRASE AND VERSION
OP
WITH CRITICAL NOTES, AND A PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF MACH SECTION,
BY
PHILIP DODDRIDGE, D.D.
IN SIX VOLUMES.
VOL. IV:
CONTAINING THE EPISTLE OF
PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE ROMANS,
AND HIS
FIRST AND SECOND EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS. ELEVENTH EDITION—CAREFULLY CORRECTED,
TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,
A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, By ANDREW KIPPIS, D. D. F. R. S. & S. A.
7ittraytKcc<ro; i^ctynlvA. OjiigEn. con. Cels. lib. iii. p. 122. Catab. 1658,
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR V. C. Sc J. RIVINGTON; J. NUNN? J. C Cf HEL^ ; ,L*C?7tiMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, & BROWN ; CADELL & DAVIES , E. JEFFREY & SON J HARVEY & DARTON ; ,T. HATCHARD & SON ; W. BAYNES &, SOJT ; R.^SCI'O 'JF-Y,' J. RICHARDSON; J. 31. RICHARDSON; LACKING J ON &; COi* .T. \\iA\^' MAN ; BALDWIN, CSADOCK, & JOY ; T. HAMILTON; G. & W.^»i. WJjil jfTAKEK ; OGJ E, DUNCAN, & CO.; E. EDWARDS; R. SAUNDERS ;• G: 'MA<!!KIE; VV. POPLE J i
W. GOSSLING; J«>NISBET; AND STIRLING & SLADE, ET>IJTBUfteii. ' M
- :•; .' •■•/. ♦••'•. ^
0m 1821. *^'/.:^
U^^i^\.:^
Printed isy ./..'«5f.'a Muinhead.
PREFACE.
Aft Ell what I have said concerning this work, in the prefaces to the former volumes, I have little to add, but what relates to the manner in which I have endea- voured to conduct this part upon the Epistles ; which, I bless God, he has carried me through, and thank the public they have so kindly encouraged.
As far as I know myself, I have no favourite hypo- thesis to serve, nor a fondness for any unscriptural phrases ; in which so many have, on one side and the other, made the very being of orthodoxy to consist. I have been disposed to let Scripture carry me along with it, wherever it naturally leads, rather than resolve it should follow me. Insteacl of labouring to establish any particular human system, which has always, I fear, a leaven of imperfection attending it, I have endeavoured to keep controversy as much out of sight as possible, and to represent what I verily believe to be the Scrip^ ture-doctrine, in as simple a manner as I could, and di^ vested of those particular expressions, which some, who perhaps are not averse to the main dpctrine itself, are ready to rise up against.
But I have not the vanity to hope I have escaped all prejudice. Where it has been manifested, may God pardon it, may my brethren excuse it, and may divine illumination, more plentifully imparted, preserve others from being led into any errors into which I may have fallen!
I hope it will be deemed no matter of just offence, that I have not always critically examined those inter-, pretations, which, as seeming less natural, I have de«
iv PREFACE.
clined. It had been endless, amidst such a variety of sentiments and explications, to have done this. Some commentators have darkened these epistles so much, that I am sensible St. Paul's writings are best explain- ed, by keeping their glosses as much as possible out of sight. I have therefore frequently passed them over, as if I had never heard or known them. And if any should impute this to ignorance, I wish they had hap- pened to be in the right ; as it had been the saving a great deal of important time, not to have known the manner in which these writings have been tortured, to serve and save a favourite hypothesis.
It has seemed reasonable to me, when the text and context will bear two interpretations, to prefer that which gives the noblest and most extensive sense, and might make the passage in question most universally useful. And I hope this general apology will be su£» iicient.
If I have been less sanguine than some would choose, let it be forgiven. I wrote with fear and trembling, when I considered the favourable teception which the former volumes had met with, and that these which I now publish might probably follow them over a consi- derable part of the Protestant world: a testimony,! hope, that they breathed a spirit of piety, rather than party ; and a reason for caution in these, that an air of autho- rity might not mislead, or of rashness offend.
I have endeavoured to guard against excessive length in the Paraphrase ; and so much the rather, as St. Paul's sentences are often so long, that I feared I should other- v^se have obscured the sense, rather than illustrated it; and have rendered one of the liveliest writers in the world (for such undoubtedly St. Paul is) tedious to the reader. To avoid this, I have often broke one sentence of the text into two or three in the Paraphrase ; and have had a great deal of work in the review, to correct the ob- scurity, which was the natm'al consequence of follow- ing one leading thought.
I have aimed at making the Improvements naturally arise out of, and follow^ the Scriptures illustrated ; and by tracing the temper of the apostles, under the influence
PREFACE. w
^t)f tlie great truths they are inculcating, to produce cor- respondent affections in my own heart. I have endea- voured that the mind of the reader, more attentive per- haps at first to the critical sense, may be led into the practical use, which, plain as it generally is, is indeed the end of all, and, alas ! the hardest of all to teacli. 1 have preferred plain and useful reflections to those which might have been curious and surprising; and proposed those lessons which I would be most desirous to impress upon my own heart
When this work is read in the families, or closets of any who practise^T^ prayer, I would desire them to observe, how naturally the several Improvements will furnish them vdth proper materials for this important and delightful exercise ; and by such a use of them, their hearts may be more powerfully impressed with the truths illustrated, and the duties recommended. In this view, I have in some of them suffered my thoughts, while warmed with serious and devout meditation, to breathe forth the language of prayer and praise ; which may furnish my fellow Christians with a specimen of the manner in which most of them may be converted into direct addresses to God.
Upon the whole, the design of this work is not to proselyte men to human names, nor to reconcile them to this or the other discriminating phrase ; which in the mouth of one, may be truth and propriety, and in the mouth of another, falsehood and nonsense ; according as any idea, or none, a just, or a wrong idea, may be affixed to them. Nor is my design to influence Chris- tians to worship here or there — my design is to let into the heart the great sentiments of Christianity, and to convey them there as warmly and strongly as I could. And I hope God will graciously reward the faithful care with which I have consulted the honour of my sacred Guide, by making it the means of spread- ing true religion, and nourishing many souls in fer- vent piety, brotherly love, and universal goodness. Amen.
PHILIP DODDRIDGE.
/^.
^^^
THE
FAMILY EXPOSITOR:
OB,
A PARAPHRASE
ON THE
EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE
TO THE
ROMANS;
WITH CRITICAL NOTES, AND A PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF EACH SECTION
""^
INhhi.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
TO THE
IParapbrase am s^ott&
ON THE
EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.
L HIS celebrated epistle was probably written from Corinth when Paul was travelling through Greece, af- ter finishing his tour in Macedonia, about the year of our Lord 58, which was the fourth of the Emperor Nero. The chief arguments to prove this have already- been stated in a few words, Vol. III. p. 295, note c; and they are drawn from comparing Acts xx. 1 — 4, with Rom. xv. 25 — 27; xvi. 21. But for the sake of those who may not have the third volume before them, I shall exhibit them again in my notes on those texts as they occur in the epistle, and shall observe the same method elsewhere on the like occasions.
The design of the epistle has been much more con- troverted than its date ; and yet it seems so obvious, that hardly any thing has surprised me more than the different and inconsistent plans which ingenious writers have given of it. I should but confound the reader, as well as swell this preface beyond all due bounds, if I should attempt distinctly to propose and examine them here. Instead of this, I shall therefore content myself with exhibiting (not my oxvfi hypothesis, for truly it has
^ A General Introditction
been my care to have no hypothesis at all, but) what^ upon reading the epistle, without any view but that of following the apostle whithersoever he should lead me, I find to be assured fact ; and I will state these con- tents in as few and as plain words as I can, and so every reader will easily see what this great author m- tended^ by seeing what he has done / for no doubt he answered his own design.
Now I think it must be evident to every reader of common discernment and attention, that Paul is labour- ing, through all this epistle, to " fix on the minds of " the Christians to whom he addresses himself, a deep " sense of the excellency of the gospel, and to engage " them to act in a manner agreeable to their profession " of it." For this purpose, after a general salutation, (chap. i. 1 — 7,) and profession of his ardent affection for them, (ver. 8 — 15,) he declares, that he shall not be ashamed openly to maintain the gospel at Rome ; for this general reason, that it is the great and powerful instrument of salvation, both to Jews and Gentiles, by means of faith. (Ver. 16, 17.) And then to demon- strate and vindicate its excellency in this view of it, the apostle shows,
I» That the world greatly needed such a dispensation ; the Gentiles being fallen into a most abandoned state, (ver. 18, to the end,) and the Jews, though condemn- ing others, being themselves no better; (chap. ii. throughout;) as notwithstanding some cavils, which he obviates, (chap. iii. 1-— 8,) their own Scriptures tes- tify: (ver. 9 — 19.) So that there was an universal ne- cessity of seeking for justification and salvation in this method. (Ver. 20, to the end.)
II. That Abraham and David themselves sought justification in such a way as the gospel recommends, that is, by faith, (chap. iv. l-*-12,) and that a very il- lustrious act of it entailed everlasting honour on that great patriarch from whom the Jews boasted their de- scent. (Ver. 13, to the end.)
to the Epistle to the Romans. S
III. That hereby believers are brought into so happy t, state, as turns the greatest afflictions of life into an occasion of joy. (Chap. v. 1 — 11.)
IV. That the calamities brought on the seed of the Jirst Adam by his ever to be lamented fall, are with glo- rious advantage repaired to all who by faith become interested in the second Adam, (Ver, 12, to tl;ie end.)
V. That far from dissolving our obligations to practu cal holi7iess, the gospel greatly increases them by a pe- culiar obligation, (chap. vi. 1 — 14,) which the apostle strongly urges upon them. (Ver. 15, to the end.)
By these general considerations, St. Paul illustrates the excellency of the gospel in the six first chapters of this epistle, and they must be acknowledged considera- tions of the highest importance.
There were great numbers of Jews at Rome, many of whom had embraced the gospel ; to make them there- fore more sensible how glorious a dispensation it was, and to take them off from a fond attachment to the Mosaical law, now they were married to Christ by a so- lemn profession of his religion, (chap. vii. 1^6,) the apostle largely represents how comparatively ineffectual the motives of the law were to produce those degrees of obedience and holiness, which by a lively faith in the gospel we obtain. (Chap. vii. 7, to the end. Chap, viii. 1, 2.) And here, in all the remainder of this celebrated chapter, the apostle gives a more particular view of those things which rendered the gospel so much more efficacious for this great purpose, viz. that oi forming the soul to holiness, than the legal econo^nyhad been; (chap, viii. ver. 9.) The discovery it makes of the incarnation and death of Christ, (ver. 3, 4 ;) the spirituality of tem- per to which it calls us, (ver. 5 — 8 ;) the communication of the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Spi- rit of God, whereby true believers are formed to a filial temper, (ver. 9 — 17;) the views which it exhibits of a state of glory so great and illustrious, that the whole
4t A General Introduction
creation seemed to wait for the manifestation of it, (ver. 18 — 25 ;) while in the mean time believers are support- ed under all their trials by the aids of the Spirit, (ver. 26, 2(7 ;) and an assurance that all events should co- operate for their advantage, (ver. 28 ;) since God has in consequence of his eternally glorious plan already done so much for us, (ver. 29, 30;) which emboldens us to conclude, that no accusation shall prevail against us, and no temptations or extremities separate us from his love* (Ver- 31, to the end.)
As the blessings so affectionately displayed above had l)een spoken of as the peculiar privileges of those who believed in the gospel, this evidently implied, that as all believing Gentiles had a full share in them, so all unbelieving Jews must necessarily be excluded from them. But as the calling of the Gentiles and the re- jection of the Jews was a topic of great importance, the apostle employs the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters in the discussion of it, and so concludes the argumentative part of this epistle.
He introduces what he had to say on this interesting subject, by declaring that he thought most honourably and affectionately of the Jewish nation, (chap, ix, 1 — 5 ;) and then shows,
1st, That the rejection of a considerable part of the seed of Abraham, and even of the posterity of Isaac too, was an incontestable fact, which the Jews themselves could not but grant to have happened, that is, with re- spect to the descendants of Ishmael and of Esau. (Ver. 6—13.)
9^dly, That the sovereign choice of some individuals to peculiar privileges, to which none had any claim ; and the sovereign appointment of some, from among many criminals, to peculiar and exemplary punishment ; was perfectly consistent both with Scripture and reason; (Ver. 14—24.)
to the Epistle to the Romans: S
Sdly, That the taking the Gentiles to be God's pe^ culiar people when Israel should be rejected, had been actually foretold, both by Hosea and Isaiah. (Ver. 25, to the end.)
4ithly, That God hath graciously offered the gospel- salvation to Jews and Gentiles, on the same equitable and easy terms; though Israel, by a bigotted attachment to their own law, had rejected it. (Chap. x. throughout.)
5thly, That, nevertheless, the rejection of Israel, though according to their own prophecies it be general, and attended with astonishing blindness and obstinacy, yet is not total, there still being a number of happy be- lievers among them. (Chap. xi. 1 — 10.)
6thli/, That the rejection of the rest is not final, but that the time shall come when to the unspeakable joy of the whole Christian world, the Jews shall in a body be brought into the church of Christ. (Ver. 11 — 31.)
And lastly. That in the mean time their obstinacy and rejection is over-ruled to such happy purposes, as serve, through the whole various scene, to display, in a glorious manner, the unsearchable wisdom of God. (Ver. 52, to the end.)
The remainder of the epistle is taken up in a variety of practical instructions and exhortations, which hardly admit, and indeed do not need so particular an analysis. The grand design of them all is, " to engage Christians " to act in a manner worthy of that gospel, the excel- " lency of which he had been illustrating." He more particularly urges, — an entire consecration to God, and a care to glorify him, in their respective stations, by a faithful improvement of their different talents, (chap. xii. 1 — 11;) — devotion, patience, hospitality, mutual sympathy, humility, peace, and meekness, (ver. 12, to the end ;) and in the whole thirteenth chapter, — obe- dience to magistrates, justice in all its branches, love
6 A General Introdiection
as the fulfilling of the law, and an universal sanctity of manners, correspondent to the purity of those religious principles which they professed. In the fourteenth, and part of the fifteenth chapters, he dilates more large- ly on mutual candour, especially between those Chris- tians who did, and those who did not think themselves obliged in conscience to observe the ceremonies enjoin- ed by Moses ; and pleads a variety of most pertinent and affecting considerations in this view, (chap. xiv. 1, to chap. XV. 17;) in prosecuting some of which, he is led to mention the extent of his own labours, and his purpose of visiting the Romans ; in the mean time, re^ commending himself to their prayers. (Ver. 18, to the ^end.) And after many salutations, (chap. xvi. 1 — 16,) and a necessary caution against those who would divide the church, he concludes with a benediction and a doxology, suited to the general purport of what he ha^ been writing. (Ver. 17? to the end.)
From the sketch here given, the reader might form some conjecture of the rich entertainment provided for him in this epistle, were he yet a stranger to its more particular contents; but, blessed be God, they are al- ready familiar to almost all who have any regard for the Bible, and take any delight in perusing any part of it. I shall not therefore detain such from Paul's in- valuable periods, any longer than whilst I observe, that whereas the interpretation of several phrases which oc- cur here has very much divided commentators, and laid the foundation for many unhappy contentions, which have been more efficacious to alienate the affec- tions of Christians than all the apostle's arguments, powerful as they are, have been to unite them ; I am very solicitous to handle this epistle in as pacific a manner as possible. I shall therefore, as plainly as I can, give that sense of the disputed phrases which ap- pears to me most natural, and briefly suggest, in the Notes, the reasons which induce me to understand them in the sense I have preferred. And 1 hope my Readers will be contented with this ; for were I to pro-'
to the Epistle to the Eomans. 7
duce what interpreters of different opinions have al- leged, and canvass the reasons by which they have en- deavoured to support their explications and criticisms, I must turn my work into a Treatise of Polemical Divi- nity ; and so quite change that original plan, which I hope will be found much more entertaining and useful: nor should I, if the scheme were thus changed, be able to comprehend in this whole volume, what I might easily find to offer on this epistle alone.
^/f-»v ^
^avajbrage auti Jtotejs
ON THK
EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.
SECT. I.
The apostle begins his letter with a general salutation to the Christians at Rome, in which he transiently touches on some very important doc- trines of that gospel which it was his great design to ilhstrate and enforce. Rom. i. 1 — 7.
T, . , Romans i. ver. 1.
Paul, a servant lY/T^^ "6^^ Christian brethren, you receive this sect, of Jesus Christ, ^^^ epistle from Paul, who^ though once a '•
called to be an apos- bitter persecutor, hath now the honour to style ""
himself a servant of Jesus Christ, whose pro- j*^]"* perty he humbly professes himself to be, and glories in it as his highest happiness to be ab- solutely at the command and disposal of such a Master. And he is the more sensible of his great obligation to this, as he hath been, in so tvonderful a manner, called, not only to the fel- lowship of that holy faith which we all profess, or to the common services of the ministerial of- ^" fice, but even {to bel invested with the distin-
VOL. IV. B
8 Paulf inscribing this epistle to the Romans,
SECT, guished character of an apostle * in the church, tie, separated unto I. He once indeed boasted that he was of the Pha- ^^^ S°'P^^ ^^ ^°**-
' risaic sect, separated from the rest of the Jews i^T. by ceremonial observances, in which they place so peculiar a sanctity ; but he now rejoiceth much more that he is, by so special an act of condescending grace, separated to the glorious and saving gospel of the blessed God, destined
2 and devoted to its sacred interests; Even to 2 (Which he had that gospel which, before it was thus expressly promised afore by committed to the Christian apostles, was in a hoiy'scnptures!) ^ ^ more obscure manner promised, and in some measure declared and exhibited bi/ his prophets, in the records of the holi/ scriptures, on which such bright lustre is now thrown by comparing
3 the predictions with the events. I would take 3 Concerning his every opportunity of promoting in your minds 'Lord?*"^h^cr' Zl and my own the highest regard to this blessed made of the seed of and evangelical dispensation with which God ^a^id according t* has favoured us, relating chiefly to his only-be- *
gotten and beloved Son Jesus Christ, our great anointed Saviour, our ever-honoured Master and Lord, who was born a few years ago of the seed and family of David according to the flesh, that is, with respect to his human descent, and so far as flesh was concerned in the constitu-
4tion of his nature: [J9w^] who is also to be re- 4 And declared to ffarded by us in a much higher view, as having ^^. the Son of God
r J X • * / J • <.u i. • ' with power, accord-
been determwateli/, and m the most convincmg j^^ ^^ ^^le spirit of
manner, marked out as the Son of God,^ with the most astonishing display of divine jpoz£;er, accord- ing to the operation of the Spirit of holiness,^
* Called to be an apostle. '^ As the Ju- their profession. Occasion will be given
daizing teachers disputed Paurs claim to for the like reflections on a thousand
the apostolical office, it is with great pro- other occasions, though the limits of
priety that he asserts it in the very en- such a work as ours will not allow us so
trance of an epistle in which their prin- particularly to trace them,
cipies were to be entirely overthrown. ^ Determinatelij marked out. "] That this
And the attentive reader will observe is the exact signification of ogio-0£v7o$-,
with great pleasure, what a variety of Eisner has learnedly proved. Compare
other most proper and important thoughts Acts xvii. 31.
are suggested in other clauses of this c fhe Spirit of koUness.'] It seems to
short introduction: particularly the views me so little agreeable to the style of
which the Jewish prophets had given of scripture in general to call the divine
the gospel, the descent of Christ from nature of Christ the Spirit of holiness,
David, the great doctrine of hisresurrec- or the Holy Spirit, that highly as J es-
tion and Deity, the sending the gogpel teem the many learned and accurate
to the Gentiles, the privileges of Chrts- commentators whohave given it thisturn,
tians as the called and beloved of God, I rather refer it to the operation of the
and the faith, obedience, and sanctity to Spirit of God in the production of Christ's
which they were obliged in virtue of body, by which means the opposiiiou
asserts his apostolical mission. \
holiness, by the re- which having originally produced that holy sect, surreetion from the {jjjjjg ^hlch was born of the virgin, exerted its i.
energy upon him On so many occasions, and especially in the triumphant resurrection from , f** the dead,"^ w^hich amply rolled away all the re- proach of his cross, and entitled him to the ho- nour of the first-born among many brethren.
5 By whom we This is that illustrious peYson bi/ whom we 5 have received grace ^^^g received grace and an apostolical mission^^ obedtrJeto'theVaith ^s I cstccm it the greatest of favours to be thus among all nations for employed and fumishcd for this important his name: work; especially since the plan is so extensive,
and it is the glorious design of it, that out ofre^ gard to his name all nations might, in d«e time, be brought to the obedience of the Christian faith ^ and thereby rescued from a state of idolatry and wickedness, formed to the most rational and sublime pleasures in the present life, and fitted for a state of complete and eternal feli-
6 Among whom are city: This is the grand scheme which God is 6 Jesus Chr^ist^^^^^^ °^ already carrying on in many Gentile nations,
among whom are ye Romans, illustrious in the vrorld on many accounts, but on none so happy as on this, that ye also are now the called of Je- sus Christ, invited by him into the fellowship of his gospel, and a participation of all its in-
7 To all that be Valuable blessings. And as God hath especial- 7 in Rome, beloved of \y committed this ministration to me, I do God, ca e to e ^[^QYQiovQ, agreeably to the general purport of
my office, inscribe this epistle to all in Rome who are to such a degree beloved of God as to be called to the privileges and hopes of Christi- anity, [awd] numbered among that holy people vfho solemnly profess themselves consecrated to
between xa7a o-afjcaand xa7a ra-vjvjwa will was constitnted the Son of God by it,
be preserved; the one referring to the seems very unscriptural, since he was
materials acted upon, the other to the proclaimed under that title so long be-
divine and miraculous Agent. Corn- fore his resurrection,
pare Luke i. 35. ^ Grace and an apostolical missien.l Many
^ Resurrection from the dead."] E^avxg-aa-iwg would render it the favour of ike apostle-
Vixgwv is rendered by some resurrection ship; but that rendering is not the most
from among the deady i.e. leaving many literal: and it is certain that Paul did
of the dead behind; and. Mr. Fleming receive grace to subdue his heart to the
has taken great pains to show, that where- obedience of Christ and fit him for the
ever the compound word s^avag-aai^ifor ministry of the gospel, before he received
he considers it as one word,) is used, it his apostolical commission, whenever
is alwaysin this sense. SeeFlem. of Res. we suppose that commission to hav«
p. 70. — By this resurrection Christ was been dated. I therefore choose to keep
declared the Son of God; but to say he the clauses thus distinct.
10 Reflections on the regard due to the apostolic writings,
SECT, his service. And as, in this view, I must think saints; grace to you, r. of you vrith great respect, so I most unfeigned- -f S^frd^hc — ly wish grace and lavour to you^ with all kinds Lord Jesus Christ,
^°^^ of prosperity and peace, frmn the blessed God, the great original of alt good, who is now be- come our Father, and from the Lord' Jesus Christy who is exalted at his right-hand, that he may scatter down all the blessings of providence and grace on his people, and may rule over all things for the good of his church.
IMPROVEMENT.
Let us begin the perusal of this excellent, though in many passages obscure and difficult epistle, with paying our humble acknowledgments to the Divine goodness that we are favoured with so valuable a part of scripture as that contained in the apos- tolical epistles. How happy are we who read from the pen of those holy men the sentiments they entertained of Christianity under the full illumination of the sacred Spirit, — and so learn what were the leading affections which prevailed in their minds ! By these letters they open all their hearts to us amidst their labours and sufferings, that we also may have fellowship with them in those important things in which their communion was with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Ver. 1. With particular pleasure let us peruse the writings of Paul, who was in so peculiar a manner called to be an apostle, and separated to the gospel of God. He gloried in the name of a servant of Christ, and let us emulate it as the greatest honour. Let us be animated to exert ourselves to the utmost under that 5 character, since God hath been pleased to bring us, though ori- ginally sinners of the Gentiles, to the obedience of faith, and to reveal unto us the gospel of his Son, that glorious gospel pre- dicted by the prophets and opened by the apostles, yea, by
2 their Divine Master.
May our hearts adore the great Emanuel, who, though he
3 condescended to be made of the seed of David according to his flesh, had a divine nature infinitely superior to it ! Let us of-
4 ten reflect on that glorious display of the power of the Holy Ghost in his resurrection from the dead, by which he was marked out as the Son of God; and yielding to the force of such a demonstration, let us confide in him as Jesus our Sav- iour, and obey him as Christ our Lord.
We are called to partake of the privileges of his people, we
7 belong to the society of those who are eminently beloved of God,
and wb,Q lie under obligations, as they are called an holy nation,
a peculiar people, to be indeed saints, to be holy in all manner of
conversation, as being entirely devoted to God and the Redeemer.
Paul assures the Romans that he constantly prayed for them ; W
May such grace be imparted to us from God eur Father, and from sect. Jesus Christ our Lord, that we may not dishonour the sacred com- i. munity to which we belong, that we may not with millions be cast out at last infamous and abhorred, but may enjoy its most important privileges in that state of final and everlasting glory jn which the kingdom of the Son of God shall terminate 1
V€r. 7.
Rom. i. 8.
SECT. II.
The apostle strongly- expresses his affection for his Christian friends at Rome : thereby to introduce, with greater advantage, the consideratioJis he had to lay before them in the process of the epistle, Rom. i. 8—15,
Romans i. 8. . RoMANS I. 8.
J7IRS T, 1 thank my T AM now setting myself to write to you, my sect God through Jesus J- dear brethren at Rome ; and I must, in the ii. thaTVour ^faith^"s A*^ /^^«^^' declare toyou, that / unfeignedly spoken of Uiroughout thank that most glorious and excellent Being the whole world. who is now become ?ny covenant God and Father through Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the adoption, and bless him for you all, that your faith in his invaluable gospel is so pure and stedfast, and produces such genuine fruits, that it is declared and celebrated through the whole world, and is universally looked upon, by all Christians in this extensive empire, as a most happy presage of the general spread of their 9 For God is my holy religion. Stich a report &s this cannot 9 rerve'with myTpirit ^u^ exclte my praises, as being so agreeable to in the gospel of his the tenour of my petitions; for God, whom I Son, that without make it the continual business of my life to Sof'yirataJ^rn ^^rt,., «,,(/, the greatest integrity and ardour of my prayers; ^,y spirit, in the gospel of his Son, is my witness,
and I appeal to him with confidence on so so- lemn an occasion, as it is he only who can judge of the fact, how incessantly I make mention of you, Romans, when I bow my knee before him in solemn seasons of devout retirement; ^J^,^^^'"^*"^^"^^^ Always entrcatins: in my prayers the permission 10
(if by any ;means i?u* • 'j ^ ^ -n
now at length I ^* "^^ gracious providence to come unto you, if might have a pros- by any means now at length, after so long a de- * perous journey by lay J may have a prosperous journey to you, bif the will of God) to .jj -ii n^n j u ui ■ t Wv
come unto you. ^"'^ "'"^ v God; on whose blessmg 1 am sensible the prosperity of all our ways depends, and to
12 That he desired to impart to them some spiritual gift;
SECT, whose wise determination I desire to submit all Ji' mj schemes and purposes, even those which are
■formed wuh the most affectionate regard to the i.^iT. g^od of his church. Nevertheless, so far as n For I long to may consist with this due resignation, I am ?^^ ^^^y *^^^ ^ "^^y humbly importunate with him on this head; s^rspiriu!al «nft" for / desire greatlj/ to see you, not from any cu- to the end you may riosity which the grandeur and magnificence of ^® established ^ your city excites, nor from any prospect of per- sonal advantage that I might receive from the most considerable of you, in the greatest distinc- tion of circumstances, but that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, by the laying on of my hands in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ;* that by the farther experience which you may then have of the operations of the Holy Spirit, as well as the edification to be received from what discourses may pass between us, you may be established in your Christian faith, and fortified against all temptation either to renounce or dis- 12 honour it: That is, in other words, [I desire] 1 2 That is, that I that while I am among vou we may he comforted ™^y ^^ comforted together, as I have great reason to believe that b°/tht'miuual lakh we shall by the exercise of the mutual faith both of you and me. bvth of you and me, while 1 am communicating and you receiving these blessings, and those cor- respondent graces are working on each side, which I doubt not will be for my improvement as well as for yours.'*
* Impart to you some spirUual gift.'] Bos such assistances more desirable, and tlie
interprets this of preaching the gospel, apostle more solicitous for such an in«
which was a divine kind of food by terview, — As for the words tv :J(Utv, it
which their souls might be strengthened, makes the construction much plainer to
and which he, as with the richest liberal- read them before crujUTrrepa*.4X>;9iiyat, as
itj', was willing to impart and distribute they can by no means, otherwise, have
among them. But as spiritual gifts, in any force at all. They must therefore,
the language of St. Paul, have generally as L'Enfanthas well noted, be rendered
another signification, (compare 1 Cor. being among you.
xii. 1, 4, 9 ; xiv. 1, 12.) and it was the ^ For my improvement as well as for
particular office of the apostles to bestow yours.] This thought, so full of respect
miraculous gifts by the iayiugon of their to his Christian friends at Rome, is sug-
hands, I have taken the passage in that gested with great delicacy and address;
view; and though it is reasonable to sup- and it is very reasonable to suppose that
pose the Christians now at Rome had every new instance in which miraculous
some share of these endowments, chap, gifts were communicated by ihe laying
xii. 5 — 7, it is highly probable that on on the hands of any of the apostles, would
Paul's arrival among them they might be a source of new edification arxl estab-
receive them in much greater abundance, lisbment to these holy men; as being so
The great temptations which the inba- evident a token of the Divine presence
bitants of Rome were under, both to in- with them, and a new and solemn seal
fidelity and immorality, would make set to the commission they had received.
and that he zvas ready to preach the gospel at Rome, IS
13 Now I xvouid And while I thus express my desire of an in- sect. "^'^^^rethren *?hat ^^^view with you, / would not have you ignorant^ "• oftentimes I purpos- Hiy dear brethren^ that I have often been pro-
ed to come unto you, posing and contriving io come to i/ou, though I j jg* (butwasiethuhe^to) ^^^g jillj^^y^lQ^ by one means or another, been
some fruit among hindered. I have, I say, long meditated and de-
you also, even as sired the joumey, that I might have 6ome fruit
among other Gen- Qf j^y ministerial and apostolical labours amow^
you also, even as I have already had from the
many churches I have planted and watered
14 I am debtor among the rest of the Gentiles. Which I men- 14 both to the Greeks ^Jqh^ not by any means as boasting of what I ri"ans,^''bo^h ?o the ^^ve done; /or I know that in the circurtistan- wise and to the un- ces in which Christ has placed me, considering ^'se. the charge he honoured me with and the mer- cy he hath extended to me, / am, m the strict- est justice, a debtor both to the Greeks and the Barbarians, both to the learned and the ignorant :^ Duty and gratitude bind me to do my best to
^ promote the conversion and salvation of men
of every nation and rank, of every genius and
15 So, as much as character. Therefore, according to mv weak 15 in me »s, I am ready abilities and the opportunities which God may
to preach the gospel . ^ ^K ^ ^ • a ^ t
to you that are at g^^^ ^^5 ^ ®^ ready and desirous^ to preach Rome also. the gospel to you also thai are at Home, though
it be the capital of the world, a place of so much politeness and grandeur, and a place like- wise where it might seem peculiarly dangerous to oppose those popular superstitions to which the empire is supposed to owe its greatness and felicity ; yet still, at all events, I am willing to come and publish this divine message among you, though it should be at the expense of my reputation, my liberty, or life.
IMPROVEMENT.
Happy is the church of Christ when its ministers are thusver. 15. conscious of the excellency of the gospel, and thus earnestly desirous, in the midst of reproach, persecution, and danger, to
<= The learned and the ignorant.'\ L'Enfant See ver. 22 ; \ Cor. ii. 4; iii. 20 ; and cofiA
justly observes that a-otfai often signifies plainly signifies learnings Mat. xiii. 54;
learnedy (compare 1 Cor. i. 2U, &c.) and Mark vi. 2 ; Acts vii. 22.
consequently ecvarjloi must signify ignorant, d Ready and desirous.] Rapheiius shows
or those whose understandings had not that tt^oSi/uxov expresses not only a readi'-
been improved by cultivation. And it ness, but, in some cases, an eagerness of
is well known that the literati or sages desire. Not. ex Hevod. of antiquity were anciently called atjipoi.
14 Reflections on PaiiVs zeal for the gospel of Christ.
SECT, extend its triumphs; when they can thus appeal to God that it
II- is with their spirit that they serve him in the gospel of his Son.
■ This will give them a largeness of heart well becoming their
g^jQ office: Devotion will then flourish in their sacred retirements,
^ as well as be maintained by them in public assemblies ; and the
concerns of the churches, and sometimes of far-distant churches,
will have a place in their thoughts and prayers at such solemn
seasons.
May they ever remember, that as the servants of Christ they
are to be the friends of mankind, and that their Master has laid
14 such obligations upon them, that for his sake they are debtors
to the whole world in every office of Christian friendship, and
11 especially as to any spiritual gift which by their ministration
they may be instrumental in imparfing. The more they exert
themselves in such services, the more will their own faith and
12comfort, as well as that of their people, be confirmed.
But in whatever station we are, Jet us be forming schemes for the service of God and good of men, projecting our journeys lOand visits on that plan, yet always with a becoming sense of our dependence on the smiles of heaven for prosperity and success ; and, as dutiful children, referring it to the infinitely superior wis- dom of our heavenly Father to put a negative, at his sacred pleasure, upon those purposes which lie nearest to our hearts, arid in which we most sincerely intend his glory.
SECT, III.
The apostle declares his j'cadiness boldly to preach the gospel at Rome, supported by a sense of its excellency ; to illustrate which, he shows that the world greatly needed such a dispensation. And^first he intro- duces a discourse of the abandoned state into which the Gentiles were fallen. Rom. i. l6 — 32,
Romans I. 16. Komans i. 16.
•m.cT. T HAVE told you (ver. IS.) that I am ready and poR i am nnt a- iif. -*- desirous to preach the gospel at Rome, though . ''*!^^^^ ^[^^^ t"*^'
'the capital city of the world; and indeed there ^^ ^ "^'' °^^
?^°"J* is nothing that I more earnestly wish than op- portunities of bearing the most public testimony to it ;ybr with whatever contempt that sacred dispensation, and they who publish it, may be treated on account of the circumstances and death of its Founder, the character of its minis- ters, and the nature and tendency of its doc- jtrines, 1 am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
The gospel reveals the righteousness of God by faiths 15'
ihe power of God but rather glory In it. And I have great rea- sect. unto salvation, to ^^^ ^^ j^ j^ ^^^ ^jjjjg ^^^^^ methods intend- m.
every one that be- ^ J , ^ .
lieveth, to the Jew ed to promote the reiormation and happiness first, and also to the of mankind have been all ineffectual, it has
iGreek.
clearly appeared that this is the power of God for complete and eternal salmition to every one that believeth : It contains the most glorious^ display of the Divine power, efficaciously ex- erted for this important purpose, and operating in favour of every one who cordially embraces it. Thus salutary is it to the Jew, who is far from being above the n^ed of it, and to whom, by the special command of our Lord, it is to be frst preached and proposed,^ wherever its am- bassadors come; yet not to be limited to him^ but proclaimed also to the Gr^ek and the Ro- man, and Gentiles of every nation under hea- Ten, who are all, with equal freedom, invited 11 For therein is to partake its important benefits. And it is ad- 17 ihe righteousness of mirably adapted to secure this great and blessed faUh to7attlf: IsTt end;/or in it the righteousness of God}' by faith, that is, the method which God hath contrived and proposed for our becoming righteous, (Isa. Ivi. 1,) by believing his testimony and casting ourselves on his mercy, is revealed to owt faith, "^ and most clearly exhibited as the great object of it : As it is written in the prophet Habak-
Kom. i. 16.
» 7b the Jew first, &c.] There is a no- ble frankness, as well as very compre- hensive sense, in these few words of the apostle ; by which, on the one hand, he strongly insinuates to the Jews their absolute need of the gospel in order to salvation ; and on the other, while he declares to them that it was also to be preached to the Gentiles, he tells the politest and greatest of those nations to whom he might come as an ambassa- dor of Christ, both that their salvation also depended upon receiving it, and that the first olTers of it were every where to be made to the despised Jews.
^ The righteousness of God. \ AtJcatoa-'jvtj ©5» plainly signifies, in several passages of this epistle, not the essential righteous- ness of God's nature^ but the manner of becoming righteous which God hath ap- pointed and exhibited in the gospel. Compare chap. iii. 21 , 22 ; x. 3; and also Phil. iii. 9. with Mat. vi. 33. And the phrase may perhaps have the same sense
in several passages of the Old Testa- ment. See Isa. xlvi. 13; li. 5, 6, 8; Ivi. 1. Mr. Mace generally renders it the divine justification, yet cannot always render 5i)taio<7Hv»i so-
^ By faith is revealed to faith."] I would connect «x ing-iw^ with Ai5tajoi7t/v>j, and suppose Hf 'TTt^tv to be governed of aTroxa- >^'L'7r7£'?a<, thinking the transposition easier than the interpretation given by many others, as if it implied its being 'joholly by faith, as Mr. Mace renders it, or going en from one degree of faith to another ; for though it is true that this is the case, I find no example in which the phrase is used in either of these senses, those which Mr. Locke produces to justify the former of these interpretations (viz. chap. vi. 19. and 2 Cor. iii. 18,) being by no means exactly parallel. And it is so plain that lyimig-Etug in the close of this verse signifies by faith, that 1 won- der it should have been rendered sc> differentlv in the former clause.
16 a7id the xvrath of God against all unrighteousness.
SECT, kuk, chap. ii. 4. " The just shall live hy faith ;'^'*'' >» written, The just in. and as good men were then delivered from ihe ^^^'* ^*^® ^^ ^^^^^'
"ruin which involved others, by trusting to and l^^j'T acting upon the Divine declaration ; so now the like principle of faith, receiving and embracing this great discovery which God hath made of his mercy in Christ, secures our lite and salva- IStion. And in this view it is well worth v of our ^^ ^o'. t^« wrath regard, so there is an absolute necessity of its f^L^hlit/rr.ncI
9 ' y r /^ 1 ' trom nfaven a&;ainst
being attended to; jor the wrath of God is re- ail un<jodiine»s and
vealed from heaven * by many singular inter- unrigh;eo«snes. of
positions of Divine Providence, and especially J"*^"' ^'"^ ^^^^ ^^e } ^, ^ J 1 x« 1- « ^ *! truth in unngbteous-
by the most express declaration of ihe sacred ness.
oracles, which teach us to look on the grand and final revelation of it as nearly approaching. And the terrors of this wrath are apparently levelled against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, who wickedly restrain the truth in un" righteousness, when that heaven-born Captive would exert its energy upon their minds, and urge them to obey its dictates. This is, more or less, the generally prevailing character; and it exposes men to a sentence, the terrors of which, if they were well understood, would soon drive them, with the greatest solicitude, to seek their refuge in that gospel the tidings of which^ they now so arrogantly despise. IP The sad character I hinted at above, of re- ^9 Because that straining and imprisoning the truth in unright- eousness, is more general than mankind are
^ As- it is written. The just shall live hy e For the teraih of God is revealed, &c.] faith.'] The prophet Habakkuk, speak- Commentators differ much in fixing the ing of the destruction to come upon Je- connection of these words. — Some have rusalem bj' the Chaldeans, observes how considered this verse as another reason differentthebehaviour and states of good why he was notashaiped of the gospel, and bad men would be. The sinner's because it contained so awakening a heart would be vainly lifted up to his declaration of the wrath of God against destruction, while trusting to his own sin, and by that means had a most pow- "wisdom and power, (and accordingly erful tendency to awaken men's con- jirinceand people became the sacrifices sciences and save their souls: in which of this foolish self-confidence;) whereas view, some treating the particle ya^ as the righteous, the truly good man, wotild an expletive, have rendered it there preserve his life by believing the Divine the vorath of God is revealed. And Mr, declarations, and acting according to Locke brings it nearly to the ^ame, them; and thus under the gospel, he that vhere he explains it as a reason why believes shall live. Some would render Paul was so ready to preach the gospel- it, Tlie just by faith shall live, or he at Rome. — But the connection hinted ,«!hall live who is justified by faith; but in the paraphrase seems most rational howeverthismightsuitthe Greek phrase, and natural. The sentences in Paul's it seems less agreeable to the Hebrew, writings often run into each other. from whence it is taken,
The works of creation teach the knowledge of God, 17
which may be known aware. We find it not only among those who sect, i^n ^them'' ToJ^'gII ^^^^'^ enjoyed the benefit of a revelation from "^- ITath ^h^wed^it uruo God, but in all the Gentile nations. For the ^qj^, them. main fundamental principles of i£'//af w by any i. 19.
means to be known of God, that is, that he is the great Original of all, is manifest among them ; for God hath showed it to them by a light uni-
20 For the invisi- versal as the sun. For those things of him which^O hie things of him ^^^ invisible, are and have been, from the very t'oHdrcrdv creation of the world, not only intimated but seen, being under- being duh/ attended to,^ clearly seen by the things stood by tbe ihiiigs n^hich are made; the whole system of which his' ZliZ\^%Z7r bears such eminent signatures of the great Arti- and godhead; so that ficcr, as loudly to proclaim his name and attri- they are without ex- butes, even his eternal power and divinity;^ so ^^^^' that if any of the Gentile nations neglect to
trace it with reverence, love, and obedience, thei/ are without excuse, and would be destitute of every just or plausible apology for them- selves if he should enter into judgment with
21 Because that them: Because knowing God^ as the great21 when tii^y^ knew Former of all, and a Being of supreme and in- him notaJcodinei- Comparable perfection, they have 7^0? adored and ther were thankful, glorified \liim'\ as God their Maker, neither
were duly thankful ' to him as their great and , constant Benefactor, but acted as if they had neither opportunity nor capacity of acquainting themselves with him. This has generally been the character of the Gentiles, vrithout excepting those of the politest ages and most learned na* tions. Instead of setting themselves to inquire
f Being duly attended to.'] NoajuFva though they actually knew there was
seems to have this signification, and to one supreme God, ibey neglected him
be, as it were, included in a parenthe- to conform (for low, and base consider-
sis ; so that TOJf TTotujuao-i is governed of ations) to the established idolatry;
xaQopalai. which was really the case, to their ag-
g Divinity.] It is observable that gravated guilt and condemnation ; as
Augustin (Civ. Dei, vii. 1.) nicely dis- appears from most of the passages iii
lingtiishes between •3"io7>]1a and 3'fio?>j'?a, which the Pagan writers bear a testi-
ihe word here used; maintaining that mony to the doctrine of the Unity ; a
the one signifies deity, or divine nature, specimen of which may be seen in Dr.
the other divinity, or divine majesty and Sykes's Connect, chap. xiv. p. 364—
glory: and if there be that distinction, 583; Dr. Ab. Taylor, of Faith, p. 12—
the latter word is apparently more pro- 17, note ; and Cudworth's Intellect. Sys-
per here, as divine glory results from tejn, chap. iv. § 10 — 31, especially sect,
that eternal power which is compre- 1 9 — 28. bended in the divine nature. « Neither were thankful.^ It is worthy
h Kno'jcing God.\ Some understand it our observation that gratitude to God is
as if he had said. Whereas they might here put for the whole of religion ; and
have known God ; but I think what Paul no principle can be nobler, and none
Charges uppn the philosophers is, that stronger or more extensive.
18 The Gentiles i thd' thus taught^ ran into the most stupid idolatry y
SECT, into the will of the Supreme Being, and with but became vain in HI. becoming gratitude and zeal devoting them- ^^^l' thdr^'"fooi"sh selves to his service, they became vain and heart was darkened. . 2'f foolish in their boasted reasonings,^ entangling themselves with a thousand unprofitable subtil- ties which only tended to alienate their souls from every sentiment of true religion ; and their unintelligent heart, instead of being enlight- ened by these sophistries, was more and more involved in darkness., and rendered impenetra- ble to the simplicity of the most important 22 truths. So that prof essing themselves to be wise 22 Professing far beyond the common pitch, assuming and ^''^^seives to be
, ."^ . ^1 ^.^1 /» *^ • ^ ^ ^^'se, they became
glorymg in the title 01 sages or wise men, at fools: least in that of lovers of wisdom,' they heca7ne fools and idiots, degrading, in the lowest and most infamous manner, the reason which they so arrogantly pretended to improve, and al- :23most to engross. And «s this was evident in a 23 And changed variety of other vices in which the philoso- *^" siory of the in.
, -^ n t 1 J.- • • J • 1 . 1 1 corruptible God in-
phers 01 heathen nations joined with the vul- to an image made gar, so particularly in the early and almost like to corruptible universal prevalence of idolatry amongst them, "^^"' ^^\ ^° r^"^.*^!,'
* J o ^ ancl tour-iootccl
by which they changed the glory of the immor- beasts, and creeping
tal, incorruptible, and eternal God, even all the things.
majestic splendours in which he shines forth
through earth and heaven, into the representing
image of mortal and corruptible man ; which,
how elegantly soever it might be traced, was a
great and insufferable degradation, had their
folly proceeded no farther : But not content
with this, they set up as emblems of deity and
objects of worship, brutes and their images,
birds and fourfooted animals, and even such
vile reptiles as iDcetles and various kinds of
serpents which creep on the dust.*"
^ Vain in their reasonings : t(jialaiwBr)<Tay ^ Professing themselves.^ ^aa-noyV; iiyet:
IV Toif ^taXoytcTjuotj au?wv.] Mr. Locke o-o^o? seems just equivalent to Xeno-
illustrates this by the stupid folly of phon's (i)a(r>cov7aj 9fXo(7o(p£(y, which so evi-
their idolatry, 2 Kings xvii. 13, 16; dently refers to the pride they took
Acts xiv. 15. But I rather think the in the title of lovers of wisdom. See Ra-
word Aia'koytcrfjioi; refers to the perplex- phel. in loc.
in^ sophistry of the philosophers. I have "> Beetles and serpents.] Of this
often thought Lucretius one of the most amazingly stupid, yet prevalent idola-
remarkable illustrations of the charac- try, the worship of serpents, see Jenk,
ter here drawn. What vain reason- Reas. of Christianity, Vol. II. p. 246 —
ings, and how dark a heart, in the midst 248; Tennison of Idol. chap. xiv. p.
of the most pompous profession of ora- 352 — 354>; Owen on Serp. chap, iv. and
eular wisdom ! v. Stillingf. Orig. Sac. p. 516, &c.
and were ahandoned to the most infamous passions, 1 9
24 Wherefore God This was such scandalous and pernicious su- sect, also gave them up to perstition, that it is no wonder that God should ni. the lusts of their own in Hghteous judgment withdraw from those who"
Rom.
hearts, to dishonour introduced and encouraged it. He therefore ■ 24' their own bodies be- ^^^ ^^^ jg|Y them to sink lower and lower in * '
tweea themselves; . ^ , .ijz» i«i_-i 7
these absurd methods 01 worship, but also de- livered them up to the vilest uncleanness in [gratifying^ the detestable lusts of their own hearty which grew more and more outrageous and enormous when the restraint of his common influences was thus withdrawn from their minds. Thus he left them to dishonour their bodies among themselves, as much as they had before dishonoured their rational faculties by such
25 Who changed senseless idolatries. This was so prevalent an 25
the truth or God m- .i ,1 . r» i.u t 1 i.
to a lie, and worship- ^^"j ^"^^ ^^^" many oi them who knew much ped and served the better, and had in their own minds sounder ap- creature more than prehcnsious of things, vct from mere secular
the Creator, who is * .• j fL *"!, aa i i j 1
blessed for ever. J^ot,ives suppressed that better knowledge, and Amen. conformed to popular superstitions and follies,
and thereby changed the truth of God, the true doctrines of his nature and genuine institutions of his worship, into a lie,^ into abominable ido- latries, founded on the falsest representations of God, and often supported by a train of artful forgeries; and upon the whole, they worship* ped and served, with religious homage and so- lemn devotion, the creature, to the neglect of the great Creator, who, however basely and un- gratefully overlooked by men, is surroundetl with the perpetual homage of the heavenly world, and blessed for ever. Amen ! May he ever be held in the highest veneration by all his creatures in heaven and earth, throughout all
26 For this cause succeeding agcs !
God gave them up Therefore, I say, because of this inexcusable 26 uKto vile affections, ncglect of the evcr-blesscd God, he abandoned
For even their women j/.-i x-r - * j-
did chan<^e the na- ''^^'^ ^^ ''^^ ^^^^ lujamous passiofis ; jor evcfl turai use into that their womeu, from whom the strictest modesty which is against might reasonably have been expected, changed^ "V'r'^^And likewise ^^*^ natural use of the other sex to that which is also the men, leaving against nature.^ And likewise their males, 27
" Changed the truth of God into a lie.] lies. Isa. xHv. 20; Jerem. iii. 23; xiii.
Eisner takes great pains to show that the 25 ; xvi. 19.
truth of God here signifies what he really « To that xxhich is against nature,'^ Many- was, and a lie a false representation, horrible illustrations of this may be seen See Eisner's Observ. Vol. II. p. II. It in Bos, Exercit. in loc. is well known that idols are often called
20 They were given up to an undiscerning mind,
SECT, leaving the natural use of the female^ have been the natural use of III. inflamed with the most scandalous and abomi- t^e women, burned
'/.,,. , , , , . , , m tUeir Inst one to-
'nable desires towards each other, males with males ward anoiher, men
?2?* perpetrating that which is most shameful to ^»th men working mention and detestable to think of, and receiv- ^^^' which is uu-
^j 1 ,1 ' ^ n ^1 ' seemly, and receiv-
ing in themselves the just recompense nj their jncr in themselves
error, in that stupidity and degeneracy of mind that recompense of
gSto which they were evidently left. And thus, ^^'^"'^ «"*^'' **^'^'^
* . was mt!6t
upon the whole, as they were not solicitous"^ to re- 28 And even as
tain God in their knowledge, nor to propagate they did not like to
suitable conceptions of him, or address him by j"^^ain 5^°^^" ^^'^'^
proper acts of rational and pure devotion, God ^^^^ ^4? to° a^^re-
delivered them over to an undiscerning mind, to probate mmd, to do
do thins-s most inexpedient^ and enormous, as ^^^^^ things which 1 '^ . J jx« 11 • u • i.u are not convenient:
he cannot more dreadtuUy punish one sm than ^9 by giving up the offender to more. And ac- 29 Being filled with
•^ ?• 1 • 11 i.* J 4.- all unrighteousness,
cordmgly, universal depravation and corruption fomication, wicked- seized and possessed them, and the whole series ness, covetousness, of their discourses and actions showed that they maliciousness ; full were full of all manner of injustice, lewdness, b^tT/dec^i^ mLligl mischief, covetousness, and malignity ; perpet- nity ; whisperers, ually injuring each other, and drawing damage and misery on themselves ; while they were filled and intoxicated with every imaginable vice, envy, murder, contention, fraud, the in- veteracy of all evil and pernicious habits,^ which no sense of decency or regard to reputation or SO interest could reform. Instead of entertaining 30 Backbiters, ha- those friendly regards to each other which com- *^" ° ° ' espue- mon humanity might have taught them, they were whispering something against those that were present, as well as backbiting such as were absent ; and being haters of God, discontented with his government, and disaffected to his rule as a righteous and holy Being who could not but be highly displeased with their abominations, they were violent and overbearing * in their behaviour to each other,
P Were not solicitous. 1 E^oxjjotacrav im- ;t Mischiefs maUgnilyj inveteracy.'] Ac-
ports a concern to bring things to a trial or cording to some acute commeniatorsj
touchstone^ which this translation ex- vs()'inf''Ci signifies doing mischief, xaHia, a
presses much better than ours, which malicious temper, ^iid jiawn^tia, a custom of
coldly renders it, they liked not. repeating it frequently.
<\ Things most inexpedient. 1 Theorigi- ^ Pio/enf and overbearing.] TSpi^>jfis nal expression is a meiosis to express properly opposed to o-wfpwv, and ex- things most detestable; as an-nia, tpy» presses the character of a man who is re- signifies all the i;zA?twarti7iei which Achilles solved to gratify his own appetites and most ungenerously practised on the passions, and to pursue what he appre- corpse of Hector. Compare Wisd. xiv. hends his own interest, right or wrong, 22 — 27. See Bos. in loc. without at all regarding those inconve-
and to the most destructive vices. ^ I
ful, proud, boasters, proud of what they had, and arrogant boast- sect. inventors of evil ^^^ ^^ what they had not; ingenious inventors *"• to Satf °'''""'"' of ^^a and vicious thivgs, who piqued them- -— selves on making some new discoveries m the i. 30. arts of sensuality of mischief. And it is no wonder that when there was such an impious dis- position to rebel against God, they should also 31 Without under- be disobedient to earthly -parents^ And that 31 standing, covenant- ^j^ should act in SO wild and unaccountable a ^iratTffecllonrim" manner as to seem to be without the natural placable, unmerci- understanding of men ; implacable in their re- ^u^: sentments, without natural affection,^ even to
their own children in some instances, and to , their parents in others. And when a reconcili- ation was attempted, and mutual engagements entered into with the highest solemnity, they were, on any present appearance of advantage, presently for breaking those pacific treaties, and unmerciful in pursuing their schemes of cruelty and revenge, whenever they got any new oppor- 32 Who know'ne tunity of doing it. This was the character 32 the judgment of God, which generally prevailed in the heathen world, (that they which ^^^^ though they knew the righteous judgment of God,^ and though their consciences, as well as the lessons of their wisest teachers, told them
niences or sufferings nhich he may there- ** whereas the Jew, who condemns the by bring upon others " evils which he practises, is much more t IVithout natural affection.^ A^opyti *♦ inexcusable :" so connecting this verse may include the absence of both parental with the 2d chapter. But I neither think and filial affection. The custom of ex- the authority of the Clermont copy by posing new-born infants which prevailed any means sufficient to justify our ad- so generally in the heathen world, And mitting this reading, nor can imagine it that among polite nations, and persons would make good sense; for surely if in other respects not destitute of human they knew a rule of right prescribed by ity, is a most striking instance of the God, they could not be ignorant that the truth of this assertion, as that of killing violation of it would expose them to their aged parents also was of the coun- punishment; and it is evident, in fact, terpart. from numberless passages in heathen " Who, though they knew the righteous moralists, that they were not ignorant judgment of God, &c.] The Ch-rmont of it. The vulgar Latin does indeed part- copy inserts the words ov/. £vo>jo-av after ly follow this peculiar reading; but they sTTiyvovlfi ; agreeable to which reading, add, non solum qui faciunff sed qui conseii- Mr. Locke renders it, who, thotjgh they Hunt facieTiiibus,*^ not only they who com" ackno^l' ledge the rule of right [oijtaiwjua] " mit these crimes, but they who agree prescribed them by God, and discovered " with others that commit them ;" which by the lightof nature, yet did not under- I think makes a sense much preferable stand that they who do these things are to Mr. Locke's, though by no means worthy of death, and therefore, avvivSo- agreeable to the original, — Itseemshere nno-if live well with those who do them, to be implied, that to look with compla- •< that is, converse with them without cency on the vices of others is one of the ** any marks of disesteem and censure ; last degrees of degeneracy.
2'2 Reflections on the sad state of the Gentile world.
SECT, that they who do such things as these are worthy commit such things "^- of death, yet not only do these things themselves, no^trnTydo^L^'amV, *r but also look with complacency upon and agree but have pleasure iti i. 32. together with those that do them ; forming conf e- them that do them, deracies to countenance and support each other, and impudently out-braving those who should presume to bear testimony against them.
IMPROVEMENT.
Ver. 21. When we dwell on the representation of that character which this humane and candid apostle gives us of the heathen world with regard to their idolatries, impieties, and other immoralities, what reason have we to bless God for the dispensation of the gospel, which hath wrought so effectually for the reformation of thousands who might otherwise have been as deeply drenched in all these enormities as the vilest of them f For we know that it was not the barbarous nations alone, but some of the politest, who, in neglect of all the opportunities they had of knowing bet- ter, and in opposition to that better knowledge which some of them actually obtained, were often distinguished for the super- stition of their worship and the scandal of their lives ; so that the chief illustrations of this sad subject are to be borrowed from Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
Let us learn not only to guard against the vices for which the heathens are here branded, (knowing that the practice in us will be yet more criminal,) but let us cultivate the opposite virtues of justice and temperance, benevolence and contentment, peace
29 — 31 and charity, sincerity and humility; and let us cherish the na- tural tender affections. If offencei arise, let us always be ready to hearken to the terms of reconciliation, and faithfully observe 32 our engagements; taking the greatest heed that, knowing so clearly as we do the judgments of God, we do not, by any means, give countenance to, and seem to join in a confederacy with sinners.
Let us bless God for all the capacities and opportunities he
hath given to the heathen nations of coming to the knowledge of
himself by the things that are made, which declare his eternal
19, 20 power and godhead, and render inexcusable both atheists and
idolaters among them. But when we recollect how many either
entirely lost the truth or imprisoned it in unrighteousness, let
us be most affectionately thankful for so superior a light, for that
gospel which is to every believer, without exception, the power
1() of God for salvation, and which declareth the righteousness of
God as the object of our faith. May we properly receive it,
18 and so escape the terrors of that divine wrath which is revealed
from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men!
Thosewho knewtheir duty^ and condemned the crimes of others , 23
To this revelation let us give the most attentive heed, and be sect. much upon our guard against those vain and sophistical reason- in.
ings to which they w^ho knowing God, neglect to glorify him
as God, are so ready to fly; lest we approve ourselves fools in * ^^* proportion to the degree in which we profess to be wise, and 22 provoke God to give us up to an injudicious mind, and to leave 28 us to that reciprocal influence which evil principles and evil ac- / tions have to render each other more inveterate and incurable. '^
SECT. IV,
The apostle discourses more particularly of those who knew their duty and yet acted contrary to it, arid of the condemnation they must ex- pect from God ; that so he might properly introduce the particular charge he had to advance against the Jervs, as, above all others^ an* stvering that character. Rom. ii. 1 — 16.
Romans u 1 RoMANS II. 1.
'pHEREFOREthou T HAVE just been speaking of the great and sect. art inexcusable, o -*- aggravated guilt of those who not only do iv.
art"JhItj*urest • for ^^^"^8 which they know to be displeasing to
wherein thoujudgest ^^d and cvil in themsclves, but also agree to- ^™- ^rjiother thou con- gether to countcnance those that do them. And *'' * tiemnest thyself; for ^ ^^y jjg some who know they are not of that
thou thatjudgestdo- t , t . . . , "^ ,, ,
pst tUe same things, number,^ but, on one principle or another, bear their testimony against the prevailing immoral- ities of those about them, may imagine them^ selves secure and happy. I must therefore ar- gue, from the premises just laid down, that thou art {nexciisahle, O man, whosoever thou art, that
judgest and pretendest to pass sentence upon others ; for I know what the character of such generally is, and I know that the very best of them all have their blemishes and faults ; and therefore I may say, ihdiV wherein thoujudgest another thou condemnest thyself; for thou who
judgest doest the same things in many instances,*^
a Some who know they are not of that This was eminently the case with the
number.] There is a greater delicacy Jews: but he does not directly speak of
in the apostle's transition here than most them till the 9th verse, but draws the
commentators have imagined. From inference at first in such general terms aa
what he had before said to prove the might also comprehend Gentile philoso-
most abandoned and ignorant of the hea- phers, and all others who contradicted
thens inexcusable in their wickedness, he the moral instructions which they them-
justly infers that the crimes of those selves gave.
who had such knowledge of the truth as ^ Doest the same things.] Dr. Whitby
to condemn the vices of others, were shows by many very proper quotations,
proportionably yet more inexcusable, chiefly from Joscphus, that the Jews oi VOL. IV. C
24 are stilt more inexcusable in their disobedience to God,
gECT. and consequently art convicted out of thine own
IV. mouth. Pur we know in general, that ihejudg- 2 But we arc sure • ment of God is accordins: to truth and justice ^^^j *.^^ j"'^^"^"' ®*
Rom • ^ ^^ .1 I 1 1 ,1 ' 1^ ^^^ *s according to
ii 2* ^^^^W5^ all those who do such things, however truth, against them
they may behave towards their fellow-sinners, which commit such
2 And canst thou then, by the sentence which thou *^*"^^* passest upon others, think to evade that which this, o"' man'/ uTat goest forth against thyself? Or reasonest Mom judgest them 'which thus, O man, whosoever thou art, whether Pa- ^^ ^"ch things, and gan philosopher or Jewish teacher, whojudgest ?hof s{fah'eTca;,e?he those that do such things, while thou doest Mew judgment of God? thyself, ihat thou shouldst escape the judgment
4<of God? Or is thy heart so obdurate as to make 4 Or despisest thou light of those judgments which thou must cer- the riches of bis good- tainly meet, because they are not immediately "^ce mid lon^'suf' executed ? and dost thou indeed despise the riches fering ; not knowing of his gentleness, and forbearance, and long-suf- JJ^^'J''^® goodness of fering,^ exercised towards thee for such a length repentance^ *^ *^*^ *^ of time, so as to think it may be safely trifled with.? Surely if thou dost thou art shamefully Ignorant indeed, as 7iot knowing that the good- ness and gentleness of God leadeih thee to repent- ance : He bears with thee, that thou mayest prevent the threatened blow by humbling thy-
5 self before him and forsaking thy sins. Bui 5 But after thy hard- this day of mercy and grace has its limits; and ness and impenitent however thou mayest flatter thyself now, the ;;X\l7:seTwra"th consequence will soon appear fatal, and thou wilt against the day of find, to thine unutterable confusion, that by this wrath, and reve-ia- hardness and impenitence of thy heart thou art j'ij" ment^ God -"^ treasuring up to thyself a more abundant store of wrath in the day of final wrath, and of that re- velqtion of the righteous judgment of God which is now, as it were, under a veil, and so disre- garded because unseen ; but it shall then be set
i) forth to view in all its lustre and terror. The 6 Who will render Divine Being is indeed a most gracious and in- dulgent father; but he it known unto thee, that Jie is also the wise and holy Governor of the
that age were guilty of many of those in the general, avo^n mercy in the pro- crimes whicli had been enumerated above, posals of pardon and happiness to fallen See Joseph, de Bello Judaic, lib. v. cap. creatures, and ^ay-^oBvy-ui patience in 13, [ai. 16,] §6, and lib. vii. cap. 8, [al. attending so long on such obstinate 16,] sect. 1. I?ldit» Havercamp. wretches. 1 have given what I take to be c Gentleness, forbearance, and long-suf- the exactest rendering of each ; but did fering.] Mr Blackwall (Sacr. Class. Vol. not judge it convenient to protract the 1. p. 306,) enlarges on the great emphasis paraphrase of so lively a passage, by at- of these words in the original. He thinks tempting in many words to illustrate it, V 07)c:rc7vj;signiQes benevolence and gcnerosiiy
God tvill recompense every mnn according to his xvorks, 25
to e%'ery man accord- universe, who Will recompense every man ac- sect. iag to his deeds: cording to his works in the final distribution of iv. good and evil, how unequal soever his present '
7 To them who, dispensations may seem. To those generous ^■^"^' by patient continu- ^^^ elevated souls that are not discouraged by
ance in well-domf, , ,.rc li.* j i *u n
seek for glory, and present dimcuJties, nor ensnared by the allure- honour, and immor- ments of the world, but amidst them all, by q, taliiy ; eternal life : patient and persevering course of well-doings seek for glory, and honour, and immortality^ he will graciously render the great prize they
8 But unto them pursue, even eternal life: But to the perverse S that are contentions, ^nd ungrateful children of contention,'^ who qunvr
truth,°but^obeTun- ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ merciful dispensation that should righteousness; indig- have saved them, and are obstinately disohe- nation and wrath ; ^{^^t to the dictates of truth, but servilely o5e- dient to the usurped and base tyranny of ww- righteousness, perversely opposing the evidence of true religion because they are averse to its practical design, [he will render] a quite dif- ferent portion : For them is reserved all that can be imagined most dreadful ; indignation shall be conceived, and wrath shall break forth
9 Tribulation and against them; The sharpest ^nWa^iow, the most 9 Anguish upon every hopclcss and inextricable anguish and despair,^
Tvlto^f^he Jew fir°t ^!^^^^^ ^^^". ^^ P°"''^^ ^^^ ^" ^ ^^^^^"^ ^^ """
' mingled misery, even upon every soul of man who worketh that which is evil. This shall be rendered to the Jew in the Jirst place, ^ who, far
•* Children of contention.'] Mr. Locke ed than even their Egyptian enemies
thinks that patience in the former verse, were when God made their plague sq
and contention here, refer to the malig- wonderful. "Zraoyja^ut properly signifies
nant enmity with which the Jews endea- siraiiness; and is used by Xenophon to
voured to exclude the Gentiles from the signify a narrow way that cannot be
church. Compare Gal. i. 7 ; 1 Tim. vi. passed. See Raphel. Not. ex Xen. in
4,5; but it seems much better to ex- loc. As for the difference bet ween 0i/ju{^
plain it in a latitude which shall indeed and 05y>j, Eisner (Observ. Vol. I. p. 14.)
include this as one instance of obstinacy takes some pains to show that the former
and perverseness, without contracting signifies the first conception of angcVy and
that extensive and important sense which the latter a desire and purpose of punish'
our interpretation gives. And that the ing. Some reference to this interpre-
contention of the Gentiles is included tation will be found in ihe paraphrase,
here, evidently appears by the conclu- though expressed as briefly as possible, sion of the sentence. f To the Jew first.'] Here we have the
e Indignation and wrath, tribulation ar^ first express mention of Jews in this
anguish, &ct] Here seems to be a re- section ; and it is introduced with great
ference to those expressive words, Psal. energy and weight. Their being trained
Ixxviii. 49, where, speaking of the Egyp.? up in the knowledge of the true religion,
tians, it is said, he cast upon them the and having Christ and his apostles first
fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indigna- sent to them, will place them in thefore-
tion, and trouble. And it may finely in. most rank of the crimins^ls who obey ncjt
timate, that the Jews would in the day the truth* of vengeance be more severely punish?
^6 There is iw acceptance ofpersofis xvith God.
SECT, from escaping by his superior advantages and land also oftheGeni IV. privileges, v^'ill, by the abuse of them, be ob- '^^®» noxious to distinOTshed wrath. Nor shall the
jj^'^' Greek escape, who shall be judged according to the light he hath enjoyed, or the opportunity
lOhe had of enjoying more. But, as I said lo i?ut glory, ho- before, and repeat it with pleasure, as the no"""* ^"^ peace, tq more delightful part of the subject, which I love Zl'loZ::^!:^:. to dwell upon ; glori/y honour, and peace [shall first, and also to the be] recompensed lo every one who worketh gQod; Gentile i Jirst to the Jew, who stands fairer (in virtue of the diviae revelation he enjoys) for distinguish- ed degrees of it, as well as receives the first messages of this salvation; and then to the Greek, who, if he exclude not himself, shall not be ex-
llempted from his proper share : For there is no n For there is no partial acceptance of persons with God,^ which respect of persons should engage him, on account of outward con- ^'^^ ^°^* dition or lineal descent, to spare obstinacy and ^ wickedness in a Jew, or to reject the humble
12faith and obedience of a Gentile. And he will 12 For as many as fully display this impartiality of administration !'^''^ ^^"fj^'! ^^'^^^^^^
; /, ^ •! 1 r» • 1 • J i /♦ '^*) shall also perish
in the great day of universal judgment; jor as without law; and as many as have sinned without the Mosaic law,^ many as have sinned and have continued impenitent in their crimes, •"jJJ^,*,^"''^^^?'}.^^^ shall without the law perish; the light of nature, ^ °' • without the knowledge of revelation, being sufr licient tp condemn theni. And as many as have sinned under the instruction and obligation of the law shall, with proportionable severity, be judged by the law,^ and meet with a more awful sentence, as their offences have been aggravated by such express discoveries of the divine will :
% Acceptance of pcTSons-l That is, in Religion, p. Q6, 27, and the notes there, passing the final sentence he is deter- 'l Sinned without the Mosaic law, &.C.]
wiined by their real chzjracters. — This is It is evident that must here be intended;
very consistent with an equality in dis- for none can sin without the natural law,
Itributing udvantages and opportunities under which all are bqrn. of inipiovenient, according tq the sove- > Perish — bejudgedJ] These two phrases
reign pleasure of the gjeat Lord of all. are ko difterent, that one would hardly
'J'his assertion of the apostle's, so often think they were intended to signify the
repeated, will appear the more import- same idegs ; yet so ntany arguments-,
ant and seasonable, as the Jews thought both from reason and revelation, lie
that no Israelite should be (Jeprived of against supposing wicked heathens an-
future happiness, whatever Iris faults had nihilated, as Mf. Locke seems to insin-
been, unless he were guilty of apostasy, uate from these words, that I think it
idolatry, aritj a few other very enormous most rational to intefprpt both these ex-
(•T-iines. See Mr. Jortin's Discourses pressions as signifying real punishment,
- concerning il^e Truth of the Christian l)ut in diilerenl degrees.
tie wUljud^e Jezvs and Gentiles bp the light the^J ^njoy. 27 1.3 (For uot. the J'orwa^ Me men who are merely respectful Aearers sect.
hearers of the law are n ^^^ ^^^ ^^ q^j j^^ ^j^^ SVnaSOgUeS, OF loud and IV.
nist before God, hut J . ^ . . •' j 5 i > '^ i ___— si-»
the doers of the law vehement applauders or deienders oi it else-"" shall be justified. where, [are] just before Gbd^ nor will he ever - -^j^ accept any encomiums upon it instead of the obedience it demands ; hut the doers of the Idw, who steadily and universally, in the tenour of their lives, act agreeably to its precepts, they, and they only, shall bd justified in the day of final audit and account, whether their know-
14 For when the -[q^ctq Qf [^ were more or less eicpress. Forl4i
Gentiles, which have 7 ° ^ /-f . •; i 7 * n. •**
not the law do by t^hen the Gentiles, who have not the written re- nature the things vclatlon of the Divine law, do, bj/ an instinct contained m the law, Qf mature, and in consequence of the uhtaught
these having not the j. . . ^r 2.1 • • j jJL 17^-.
law are a faw unto dictates 01 their own mind, the moral duties re- themselves: quired by the precepts of the law,^ these having
not the benefit of an express and revealed lawy art nevertheless a laiv unto themselves ; the Voice of nature is their rule, and they are in- \Vafdly taught, by the constitution of their owii minds, to revere it as the law of that God by
15 Which show whom it was formed. Arid they who are in this 15 the work of the law ^^^^^ ^^ evidently show the work of the law, in written in their ,, , . ^ •', , . "^ %.
hearts their con- its most important moral precepts, written up^ science also bearing on their hearts by the same divine hand that witness, and their gnPTaved the decaloffue upoti the tables given
thoughts the mean- . ^, , . « . '^ • . . ^ 7 *
while accusing or ^o Moses ; their consciences joining to bear wit-
else excusitig one jiess to it, and [MeiV] mutual reasonings among another:) thejHselves accusing those that break such pre-
cepts or defending those who observe them, at-
16 In the day ^^^^ ^^^ same thiriff. As therefore there arei6»
when God shall ^ , . 1 i i 1 o .^
judirethe secrets of sure traces 01 some natural knowledge ot the men by Jesus Christ, law, a due regard will be maintained towards according to my gos- ^i^^^^ jj^^j ^^ ^^j^jg ^^^^^ equitable jpririciple wiU
the grand process be conducted, in that awful dai/ when God shall judge tht secrets of the hearts of men by Jesus Christy according to the tenour of that glorious dispensation which I may call my gospel,^ as it is committed to my care ;
^ By nature.] Raphelius (Not. ex Xeft. only means that the gospel teaches such
in loc.) shows that animals are said to a judgment. Therefore some, transposing
do that by nature which they do by in- the last clause, render it very plainly
^tinct; and Eisner, (Observ. Vol. II. p. and properly, In the day xthen God shall ^
16.) that Tft Tn vojAu signifies the duties accordw^; to ttiy gospel, j'idge the secrets of
inculcated by the law. men. Mr. Mace transposes the whole
' According to my gospel.'] Nothing is sixteenth verse to join it with the twelfth ;
more contrary to the apostle's meaning, and I think it very evident the thir-
as expressly declared above, than that all tefnth, fourteenth, and tifteeulh verse>
Uien are to be judged by the gospel. lie coilie iu as a parenthesis: Out the trans-
28 Reflections on the righteous judgment of God.
SECT, in which no doctrine is more important or evi- IV- dent than that of a universal and most impar- ^" " tial judgment
IMPROVEMENT.
Let us revere the righteous judgment of God, which is here laid before us in so particular and affecting a manner ; remem- bering we are each of us to have our part in that day of final retribution, and that the secrets of our hearts will then be made Ver. 16. manifest. Let us often reflect upon the awful result; and con- sider that indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, will 8, 9 be our portion, if we are contentious and disobedient to the truth, yea, if we do not, by a patient continuance in well-doing, seek the promised glory, honour, and immortality; which if we 7 do, we shall, through the grace of God, secure everlasting life. Vain will our knowledge and our profession otherwise be, and 1 our testimony against the sins of others will only inflame the guilt of our own.
Let it ever be remembered that the goodness of God, which we have such daily reason to acknowledge and adore, gently ^- takes us, as it were, by the hand, and leadeth to repentance; and while we continually live upon it, let us not act in contempt of it, or abuse it to our own inconceivable detriment. Is the wrath already laid up so small that we should be increasing the 5 treasure.'^ increasing the terrors of the day of wrath and revela- tion of the righteous judgment of God.^^
It will be a most impartial as well as important day. Nor are we concerned to know how the heathen will fare in it; let it 14, 15 suffice us, that if they are condemned, they will be righteously condemned ; not for remaining ignorant of the gospel they ne- ver had an opportunity of hearing, but for violating those pre- cepts of the Divine law which were inscribed on their con- sciences. Let us bless God that he has written it there, and re- verence the traces of his hand on our own minds; always re- membering that the discoveries of revelation were never in-- tended to erase or discredit the dictates of nature, but to illus- trate and confirm them. 12 We shall be judged by the dispensation we have enjoyed; and, '* 13 how devoutly soever we may hear and speak of it, shall be con- demned, if we have not acted agreeably thereto. The Lord grant that we may all find that mercy of the Lord which we shall every one of us need in that day; and that we may find it, may we keep that day continually in view, and direct all our actions with a regard to its grand decisions !
position of verses seems a dangerous doned, considering the different genius thing; though I think, in some evident of ancient and modern, eastern and leases, that of a few words may be par- western languages.
The Jews mdde their boast hi thelaiv; 29
SECT. V.
Taul proceeds to fix the charge upbn the Jews, that they were sinners as welt as the Gentiles^ and consEquetitly stood in need of jiLstijfimiion by the grace of the gospel as well as ihey» Rom. ii. 17i to the end*
Ro Avs 17 Eo MANS Hi 17.
"DEHOLD, thou art T HAVE hitherto been speaking of the Inex- sfectk
called ajeiv, and •*- cusable guilt of thosc who have the greatest v. restestinthelaw,and opportunity of knowing their dutv, and in con- ~z ^
luakest thy boast of f^" /. ^i- i ^'i i .. *^ i i Eorn.
God; sequence 01 this acknowledge it, and condemn ji. 17^
others for acting contrary to it, while yet they are guilty of the same evils. I will now keep on the reserve no longer ; but will boldly declare, that in what I have said concerning such, I meant the conviction not merely of heathen philoso- phers, but of wicked Jfews; and if thou, O read- er, art such an one, I apply myself personally to thee. Behold^ thou bearesl the name of u Jew, ^ und thou reposest thyself on the knowledge and profession of the law, as if that would save thee; and thou gloriest in the true God, i;i whom thou believest; as if thy descent and profession, by virtue of the peculiar covenant he made with thy fathers, must necessarily entitle thee to his IS And k newest /jw favour. iChou boastest of it as thine honour 18 ihe''tUu"s^Xt 7re ^"^ happiness that thou knowest [his] will, not more excellent, be- merely by Uncertain conjecture and reasoning, ing instructed out oiF but bv an express revelation, and that thou ac- ^^® '^^ • curately discernest and distinguishest upon things
that differ,^ which untaught nature may in many respects confound ; bei7ig thyself well instructed out of the law, having been from thy infancy ca* iechised and educated in the accurate knowledge
^ Bearest ihe name of a Jezo."] The apos- atid othier passages are calculated for the tie frequently addresses himself to un- conviction of other unbelievers, as well convened Jews in this epistlej and espe- as for thfe edification of Christians, cially here ; for no doubt there tveremariy ^ Dhcernest things that differ.^ So Beza of them at Rome, who might be Curious renders ^oxijt/a||'jif t« iia^tpvla, ; and Els* to know what he, who had been So vio- ner vindicates it in a manner which seems lent an enemy to Christianity j would say very satisfactory ; though Capellus, Ham* to recomnaend it. And Paul's great love mond, and Erasmus, defend our transla- te them engaged him, on the contingency tion, approvest things thai are more excel* of such an evierit, to insert such passages; lent. See Elsuer* Observ. Vol. II. p. 17.
30 Yet ihejj were sinners against God as well as the Gentiles.
SECT, of it. And in consequence of this, thou art 19 And art conB- V. very confident that thou thyself art fit to teach S arfa giiTof th^
-^ the whole Gentile world; to be a guide of the blind, a light of them
?°?J: hliuL as thou thinkest them to be ; a IMt to ^^ich are in dark-
them that^ for want of the light thou dispersest,
ness;
20 are iri darkness: An instructor of the ignorant^ 20 An instructor a teacher q/* these babes,"" as thou esteemest them J^gacher of^'^babes^ in comparison with thyself; having perhaps not which hast the forni only the sacred oracles in thine hands, but also, of knowledge and of in order to render thee more expert and me- ^^® ^"""^^ ^" '^^ ^^^* thodical in the use of them, a summary, a com- pendious system SLDdform of the knowledge and tritth which is contained in the law,^
21 No\^ I deny not that thine advantages are in ^i Thou therefore this respect very great; but 1 must caution thee ^S, tea'tn'thoJ that thou art not deceived by any absolute de- not thyself ? thou pendence upon them, and must press thee to thatpreachestamao reflect how far thine own temper and conduct tho^'fteaf?^^^'''^'''' is agreeable to this knowledge and profession. Let me ask therefore, thou that teachest anothi^r^ teachest thou not thyself 9 Dost thou act as' if thouhadst forgotten thine own precepts, or didst
oo imagine thev did not obliffe thee ? Thou that 22 Thou that say-
'"'*' 1 s r "^ ' i. I ij ± 1 1 est a man should not
preachest, tor instance, a man should not steal, commit adultery dost thou think thyself tolerated to steal f^ Thou dost thou commit that forbiddest a man to cominit adultery, (^osM^"^^^'*y<' ^hou that thou commit adultery 9 Thou that dost so ahomi- ^jj^,, commit sacri- Tiate idols, and speakest of them at all times with lege? such great and just abhorrence, dost thou com- mit sacrilege by robbing the true God of what he so justly claims from thee, whether of out- w^ard tribute or inward homage; while thou so strenuously disputest against any other object of ^3 Thou that mak- 23 worship? In one word, thou that gloriest in est thy boast of the
c Blind, — ignorant, — babes.} These favour of the rendering we have pre-
were titles which the proud Jews often ferred.
gave to the Gentiles. ^ Dosl thou steal ?'\ Grotius on this text
^ Form.'\ Moc^jocTJc has this significa- proves from Josephus, that some of the
lion, 2 Tim. iii. 3. And Bos (Exercit. Jewish priests lived by rapine, depriving
p. 100, 101.) shows that it often signifies others of their due share of the tithes, and
the sketch or outlines of a thing ; which even suffering them to perish for want ;
suits the interpretation here gif en better that others were guilty of gross unclean-
than he seems to apprehend. — L'Eiifant ness ; and as for sacrilegiously robbing
renders it, having in the law the rule of God and his altar, it had been complain-
knozoledge and truth ; but I know not ed of as early as Malachi's days, Mai. i.
whether jw,05?>u)(7jy ever signifies rw/<?,- and 8,12, J3. So that the instances are given
if the article has any force, it is in with great propriety and judgment,
Circumcision of no importance ivithout keeping the law. 3 1
law, through break- the law as SO excellent, and thinkest it such an sect. ^""^ e%\\ill GoIT' honour to be acquainted with it, dost thou hy v. tht transgression of the law dishonour God, and
Rom.
act as if thou wert studying the declaration of •• 2 his will only to show him in a more presump- tuous and contumacious manner that tliou dost 24 For the name not regard it? It is not an improbable supposi-24. of God is blasphem- tion that I have now been making ;yor I, who ed among the Gen- j^^^^ j^^^ ^^ Opportunity of knowing by Ions:
tiles through you, »s . .1 ^K. ^ i 4. ' r 4.\.
it is written. experience the temper and character 01 the
Jewish people, know it to be such, that I will boldly say to their faces, " The name of the God " of Israel, for which you profess so warm a '* zeal, is bj/ your means blasphemed among the " Gentiles, and his holy religion brought into " contempt by your notorious and scandalous " immoralities ; as it is written in your own " scriptures concerning your fathers, whose *' evil deeds you so generally imitate." (Com- pare 2 Sam. xii, 14 ; Isa. lii. 5 ; Ezek, xxxvi. 23.) ?5 For circum- My duty absolutely requires me to give such 25 cision verily profit- cautions and to make such remonstrances as faw' but'if thoa be ^^ese; for circumcision is indeed profitable if a a breaker of the law, man keep the law ;^ his being a Jew, if he be thy circumcision is truly a good man, will give him many advan- made uncircumci- ^^^^^ ^^^ becoming a Christian, and, were his obedience perfect, would entitle him to the bless- ings promised in the law. But if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumeision is in effect become uncircumcision ; thou wilt have no more benefit by it than thou hadst never re- ceived it; as thou wellknowest that, according to the tenour of the law itself, circumcision, far from being any excuse for thy offence, will rather expose thee in many respects to a mucli e6 Therefore, if greater punishment. And therefore, by a parity 2G the imcircumcision Qf peason, if the uncircumcisioii, that is, an un- trss onue'iawrshril circumcised person, observe and obev the great- est and most important precepts or righteous de- terminations of the law, though without any ac-
^ For circumcision, &c.] It is mostevi- take the pains of endeavouring to find dent tliatyao cannot here signify that the such a connection as would justify the following words are a reason for what use of it in its strictest propriety; in at- was asiserted in those immediately pre- tempting which, many have vainly per- ceding; it seems little more than exple- plexed themselves to no other purpose tive, as the particle 7H)Zv among us often than to make the writings of St. Paul ap- is. I shall not therefore in many passages pear more obscure than they really are.
32 He is a Jew that is one imvardly.
SECT, quaintance with the book that contains them ; "p^ ^»^ uncircumcr-
- - - - - - - - - sion be countc* ^ —
circumcision ?
V. if he faithfully and steadily conform himself to ''^'^ ^^ "''""'''* ^°'"
the main branches of virt;ue and rectitude it re- ?'**™' quires, shall not his uncircumcision he impeded or reckoned as circumcision f Shall he not be treated as favourably by God in his final account as if he had been circumcised, when his not be- ing so does not proceed from any contempt of the Divine authority, but from his knowing nothing of the rite, or not apprehending it in his particular circumstances to be his duty to 27practise it? Fea, it is certain that <Ae uncir- 27 And shall not cumcision that is hy nature, a man who continues ^"^""^^"'^^■'sion which
• J 1 u /• I- *u '* ^y nature, if it
uncircumcisea as he was born, accomplishing the fuiei the law, judo^e great moral purposes of the law, in subserviency thee, who by the let- to which its rituals were appointed, shall judge ^^l^^^ circumcision and condemn thee ; who, while thou actest hi/ law ? ^ ^ the letter of its ceremonial precepts, and retain- est circumcision and all its appendages with the greatest exactness, art nevertheless, in things far more essential and important, a transgressor of the law, to the spiritual meaning and extent of which thou continuest an utter stranger, and which thou encouragest thyself, by these ex- 28 ternal observances, to neglect. For upon the 28 For he is not a whole, as you would not allow any man to be ^^1*' ^^IV^"^ '^ . ^°®
, -'t*^ !/• J. j'x. I'l outwardly; neither
truly a Jew merely tor any outward rites which ^ t^at circumcision he might observe, if he continued uncircumcis- ^vhich is outward in ed, how carefully soever he might conceal it; so ^'^^ '^^^^^ * must I freely declare to you, that he is not in the most sublime and important sense a Jew, that is, one of God's covenant and beloved peo- ple, who is merely so in outward show ; neither indeed \is ihat^ the true circumcision which is ^gappotcnt in thefiesh : Nothing merely ritual or 29 Buthe is a Jew^ ceremonial can recommend a man to the Divine "tt^'tllTol''"'-^''
*i ^ • ^r* 1^ ly; andcncumcisioa
favour; but lie \is\ a Jew^ that is, one ot Lrods ^ tfiat of the hearty
chosen people, who is one in the hidden part, as >" the spirit, and not David expresses it, (Psal; li. 6.) or in the secret recesses of the soul ; and the acceptable circum- cision [is that] of the heart, which your own prophets so often inculcate, (see Deut. x. 16; XXX. 6; Jer. iv. 4.) when they urge the putting away all inward impurity and obstinacy, as that which is most highly offensive in the sight of God. This excellent circumcision is seated m (he spirit^ consisting of a change made there by
Refiections on the vanity of a mere external relation to God, S3
in the letter; whose the operation of the Divine Spirit himself, and sect.
Tuf of God? ""^ "^^"' ^®^ merely in an external conformity to tht letter v. of the law, of which the worst of men may be capable. Now such a person, whatever his i\^^\ outward profession may be, is one whose praise Its'] not so much ofmen,^ who, eager to spread their own sects, applaud those who be- come their proselytes, or most strenuously re- tain their peculiar forms ; but is of God, who alone knows the heart, and whose esteem and complacency is infinitely preferable to that of whole nations or worlds.
IMPROVEMENT.
Let our hearts be always attentive to those lessons of inward Ver. 2a. religion wliich the sacred oracles fail not continually to incul- cate. It is the praise of God that is in question ; and who can 29 be so lost to all true greatness of mind, to all generous ambi- tion, as that he should not long and even burn to obtain it.'^ Or who can enjoy or attend to the praise of men, while he has any reason to fear that God condemns ?
To have the name of a Jew or of a Christian, how little 17 will it signify ! To boast in an external and temporary rela- tion to God, if we are such as shall finally be disowned by him, will make us the more wretched. To have known his 18 will, to have distinguished things that differ, and set up for instructors or reprovers of others, will only furnish out matter of condemnation from our own mouths, if, while teaching others, we teach not ourselves. Well may the punishment 19, 21 be aggravated where the guilt is' so great; when it brings so peculiar a reproach upon religion, and in effect dictates so many ^blasphemies against the name of God, at the very time it pre- 24? tends to exalt it
We pity the Gentiles, and we have reason to do it ; for they are lamentably blind and dissolute : but let Us take heed lest 26, 3? those appearances of virtue which are to be found among some of them condemn us, \vho, with the letter of the law and the gospel, and with the solemn tokens of a covenant-relation to God,- transgress his priecepts, and violate oiii' engagements to him; so turning the means of goodness and happiness into the occasion of more aggravated guilt and misery.
S Praise is not of men, &c.] Perhaps the name of Judah, which' signifies^ here is a reference to the etymology praise. Compare Qnn, xxix. 33. and of th« word Jew, it being derived from. xlix. 8.,
34 Though the Jexvs had the oracles of God and the promises^
SECT. VI.
After removing some objections , the sad case both of Jews and Ge?iiiles is farther illustrated, arid the representation shown to be agreeable to the scriptures of the Old Testament. Rom. iii. 1 — 19.
/ Romans hi. L r -n 1
SECT. T>UT some may be ready to object, *^ If it be what advantage
VI. XJ (c gQ ^i^^t no circumcision but that of the then hath the
"r~*« heart will avail to men's final happiness, what -^^^z or what profit
'^®"** ^, ^7 r-i ^7 7 i r ^1 T I i ^i " there OX circumci-
iii. 1. then \is\ the advantage oj the Jew^ or what the ^\q^ i *' profit of circumcision^ which yet you seemed *' to allow when you said but just before, *' (chap. ii. 25,) that it in some circumstances
2 " profiteth ?" Nor do t deny it now : I say that 2 Much every way: it profiteth much every way, or in a variety of ""^'f^l ^^"^^"^^ '^'^^
r T 1 n 1 /^ /> n 1 unto them were corn-
respects; as I shall hereafter more lully show, mitted the oracles of
(compare chap. ix. 4, 5,) and chiefs in that God. they who have received it have been intrusted with the oracles of God ^ in the divinely -inspired scriptures, by which they are taught many im- portant lessons, which may direct their lives and dispose them to embrace the gospel, to the se- curity of their final and everlasting salvation.
3 Of great importance indeed are these divine 3 For what if some oracles to this purpose. And what if some, and did not believe? shall
,1 ., * 1 1^ 1 r xi r their unbelief make'
they a considerable number, ot those who once ^^^ ^^^^^ ^f q^^ possessed these invaluable treasures, ie/teued without effect? them not^ or did not duly consider what they speculatively believed, and sorejected the gospel to which they were intended to lead, shall their vnhelief disannul and enervate the faith of God ?^ Shall it destroy his fidelity to his promises, or prevent our receiving them and owning their 4 accomplishment with becoming regard.^ God ^ 4 God forbid: yea,
^ 1 .jii . 1 ij • • 1. ii • r^i • let God be true, but
forbid that we should insinuate any thmg 01 this ^^.^ ^^^^ ^ jj^J.. ^^ kind. No : let the blessed God ever be acknow- ledged to be true and faithful, though every man
* The oracles of God-I This is so re- nify the fidelity of God, or that faith of
markable and important a testimony to ours which God has pointed out as the
the Divine inspiration of the Old Testa- way of obtaining justification and life,
ment in general, that it can leave no The senses run at last into each other. I
doubt concerning the full persuasion of have included both ; and hinted, in the
St. Paul upon this head. last words of the paraphrase, at a sor*
^ The Jailh of God.] This is an am- of intermediate sense j as^ the attentive
biguous expression, and may either sig- reader will observe.
yet God is not unrighteous in taking vengeance. 35
yt Is written, That le esteemed a liar and unfit to have any con- sect. ihoumightestbejus. ^^^^^^ reposed in him; as it is written, (Psal. vi.
;tined m thy sayings, ^. ^ x ,, rfn ? • i 7 • -.^ % • ? .
and mightesi over- li« ^) ^ f^^t thou migfitest be justified in thy ' "
come when thou art « words, and mightest upon the whole overcome j^^™* judged. a iQlien thou art called into judgment;^ that
" they who insolently dare to arraign the ** equity of thy conduct may soon meet with " the confusion they deserve."" 3 But if our un- But a Jew may be ready farther to object and 5 righteousness com- g^^y a jp ^^j. wirisrhteousness recommend the
menu the ricnteous* • »
ness of Cod, what *' righteousness of God,^ and illustrate his per- shaiiwesay? /sGod " fections in that way of becoming righteous unrighteous who tak- a by faith which he uow ordains, what shall
eth vengeance.'' (I ,, ^^ 1 u * i. i. -j r
speak as a man.) '^'^ *^J/» ^^^d what are wc to expect ? Is not
*' God unrighteous, who injlicteth that wrath " which it is well known )'ou assert he will execute upon the whole Jewish nation for rejecting it .'^" / now speak as a man who had a mind to cavil at the gospel might plead, and by no means express my own sentiments, as you may well imagine.
6 God forbid: for No : God forbid that I should harbour suchS
then how shall God ^.i 1 i. n i r,
judge the world? a thought or allow such a consequence: For how then should God judge the world? With Abraham our father, I acknowledge him under the character of the Judge of all the earth, and maintain that he will always " do right," Gen.
7 For if the truth ^viii. 5. And as for such a caviller, he might? aijoxinded '^'throush ^s wcll speak out and say, " If the truth of xny Vte unto his elo- " God hath abounded to his own slorv by means
a <(
ner
y lie unto his glo- " God hath abounded to his own glory by ry, why yet am I " of my lie^^ my falsehood and iniquity of any
also ludsredasa sin- ^^ i"* 1 'i* 1 i . ^ • , i
^^r'J kmd ; it he has taken occasion to over-rule
** my offence to the accomplishment of his
" word and the honour of his administration ;
'• why am 1 nevertheless called into judgment as-
a sinner, and arraigned for that as a crime
which is attended with such happy conse-
,« JVheti thou art called into judgment.] Testament renders this clause, " In the 'Eisner and Bos have ahundantly shown " mean time, if my lie conduces to the that ^stvsf^fa has this signihcatiqn, (com- " glory of God by making the gran- pare Acts x)»v. 25; xxvi. G.) and that " deur of this truth shine forth with. ymnvy in such a connection, Fignifies to " superior advantage," &c. This is the carry the cause. See Elsuer, Observ. Vol. clear and genuine sense, but it is not II. p. ]8, 19 ; and Bos in loc. consistent with the rule I generally fol-
'^ IJie righteousness of God,] Though low, to deviate so far from the words of
^be phrase be in itself ambiguous, I think the original ; and I mention it as a spe-
l)r. Whitby has abundantly proved it has cimen of many liberties in which 1 have
pere the sense we give it. declined follqwiqg that version, after at?
^ J/ ihetr!ilh of God, kc,} ThQVrusslan tentive examination of it.
36 It will be no excuse that tve do evil that good may come.
SECT. '^ quences?" [And why may I not ^aj/,] (as we 8 And not rather,
VI. are calumniated^ and some most injuriously a/- f^^^^^^ *'^"^^'?"^"*
/. w , ■ * ' \ Lc T * J •/ i-il' '^ ly reported, and as
Uom. -^^^^ "^^^ maintain,) " Let us do evil things some affirm that we
jj- g* '* z/mf ^ood consequences may come from say,) Let us do evil
"them?" You may easily see that principles ^^,^^s°°^ °^^y^<^™^-
VI ^ *i ij • i'f *u i. * • • whose damnation is
iiKe these would justiry the greatest crimes m just, the world, if thej might be so over-ruled as to prove the occasion of good; and conse- quently, would so entirely confound the na- ture of good and evil, that I think it not worth while to argue with such persons, whose condemTuilion is indeed so apparently jW^,*^ that I leave them to be convinced and silenced by their own consciences, and only mention such a detestable principle solemnly to warn you against it. 9 But to return from this long digression — If 9 What then? are the question I mentioned before be repeated, ^e better Ma« tkeij? and any say, " What then upon the whole .^^ have we'ha'^eTeforrprov!! " we Jews the advantage of the Gentiles so far, ed both Jews and " that in consequence of having these oracles Gentiles, that they " of God which we have received, the promises ^^^ * "° ^"^ ^*"' *' which he will never fail to observe, and the ** principles of righteousness which he will *' never himself violate in his conduct, we can *' claim justification before God by virtue of *'* our obedience to his law T"" Not at all ; for we have before proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, and have placed them as convict- 10 ed criminals at the divine bar; As it is writ^ 10 As it is written^ ten,^ (Psal. xiv. 1.) in a variety of passages which may be applied to the present occasion,
f Whose condemnaiion is just.] I think made in that Greek version, to render this must imply that there are certain it more agreeable to the New Testa- rules which God has laid down for us, ment; though many passages might es- diserbedience to which in any imaginable cape the notice of such as made this circumstances is universally a moral attempt, if it were really made. But it evil; even though the quantity of good must have been, as we see in this in- arising from thence to our fellow-crea- stance it was, a fruitless one ; consider- tures should be greater than that arising ing how wide such copies were dispersed, from observing those rules. For if this and how different the religious senti- be not allowed, there can be no shadow ments of the persons with whom they of force in the apostle's conclusion. were lodged. It seems much more rea-
g As it is written.] These scriptures sonable to account for the diversity we
are collected from different parts of the find between the original and quotations,
Old Testament; but there are many by supposing the sense rather than
editions of the Seventy in which they words intentionally regarded; and som^
all stand together, in the xivth, or, ac- accidental alterations have happened
cording to their order, xiiith Psalm; since in the Hebrew copies, which, in
>vhich has given some occasion to think (several places, mj^y make the difference
that other alterations m^y have been greateir than it originally wa?.
The Old Testament asserts the universal depravity of mankind, 37
There is none right- << There IS none righteous^ no not one: There sect. eous,nonotone: a {s none that understandeth his duty and his vr.
1 1 There is none , . i • i tin .
that understandeth, " true interest; there ts none that see/ceth ajter ^^^
there i» none that <« God^^ and constantly endeavoureth to secure iii. n*.
^^^^t^'y^T tvtzW " ^^^ favour: They are all declined irom that 12*
gone out olthrwa^, *' moral rectitude which is the glory of the ra-
they are together be- «< tional nature; they are altogether become use-
th^re irno^ne^that '* ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^"^ ^'^^ ^'^^^^ ^^^^' ^^^^
doeth good, no not " made, SO that there is none that practisetk «ne: *« ^oof?, there is not so much as one: (Psal. xiv.
13 Their throat iV *' 1 — 3; Hii. 1 — 3.) Their throat [is] noisome 13
an open sepulchre; t( and dangerous as an open sepulchre, gaping to
thly have used^de! " swallow them up or poison them with its in-
ceit; the poison of" fected air; with their tongues they have used
asps Is under their " the most mischievous deceit; and while they
'^^ • ** make the fairest profession of friendship, the
** mortal venom of asps [is'] hid under their lips^
*' which utter the most infectious and fatal
u Whose mouth 25 <« slanders. (Psah cxl. 3.) They are men 14
•Ster'lfesr-''*"^ ^""^ " ^^^^^ '^^^^^ ^^/^^^ ^/ ^^^^^S «"^ bitterness; *' (Psal. X. 7.) so that the most shocking pro-
** faneness mingles itself with that malignity
" of heart towards their fellow-men which
15 Their feet ore" breathes in every word. Their feet [are] 15 swift to shed blood: <c sz^,?/): to ruu towards the places where they
" have appointed to shed the blood of the inno-
16 Destruction and " cent. (Prov. i. 16, 18.) Ruin and misery 16 »)Hej-y are in their u [q^^^j ^^ ^^g whole, in all their ways; they
* '* bring it upon others, and so, by an inevit-
*' able consequence, upon themselves at last.
17 And tiie way" And as fov the way of peace and happiness, 17 of pence have they c« ^y j^^^^ ^^^ ^.^^^V^ oj. regarded it. (Isa. lix.
not Known i "^ o v
IS There is no ** '^? ^O -A.nd to sum up all in one word, the 18
fear of God before " great cause of all this degeneracy is, that
Uieir eyes. (c the fear of God is not before their eyes, but
*' they are utterly destitute of any true prin-
** ciple of religion, of any reverence and love -
*' to the great and adorable Object of it." (Psal. xxxvi. 1.)
^ There is none that seeketk after God, tion, that if Israel in David's time, which
&:c.] It is allowed that this passage was one of its best ages, was so bad,
only proves directly what was the cha- Gentile nations were still worse; and in
racter of the Jews in David's time; but all these views it was much to the apos-
itplainly shows that the wrath of God was tie's purpose to produce the passage,
awakened against them as well as others The like observation is in a great mea-
for their sins : it proves also that a ge- sure applicable to all the following quo-r
neral degeneracy might prevail among tations ; as the paraphrase on ver. IS
them, though by profession God's pep- suggests, or rather as the apostle him*
pie; and it suggests a strong presump- self there evidently insinuates.
38 What the scripture saith is to convict the world.
This, my brethren, is in general the sad cha- ^9 Now we know, racter of mankind in their fallen state; and the ^^^^''^^\ things so-
^ ^. . ,, ., . . . » ever the law saith. It
representation is the more striking as it is bor- saith to them who
rowed from the sacred writings. Now we know ^^^ under the law;
that what the law saith in such passages as these, ^^^^ , ^'f ^ T"*"^^ ., . , ^ , ., 7 7°. 1 may be Stopped, and
it saith to those that were under the law; ' they all the world may
do not immediately relate to the heathen, but become guilty before contain the character of those that were at that ^^^' time the professing people of God. And as most of these passages are borrowed from the writings of David, Solomon, or Isaiah, it ap- pears that, even in the best days of their state, they had a great deal of enormous wickedness among them. And if Israel, even at such a time, could not justify itself, much less can it be imagined that the idolatrous nations of the Gentiles should be able to do it; so that everi/ mouth must he stopped, arid the whole tvorld stand convicted before God ^ as guilty, and acknow- ledge itself obnoxious to a dreadful sentence from his tribunal. Now I earnestly desire to bring every reader under a sense of this, as what is of the highest importance in order to receiving the gospel with becoming gratitude and joy.
IMPROVEMENT.
Who can read this melancholy picture of human nature, co- pied by the hand of an apostle from the lines first drawn by in- ver, spired prophets, without deep humility and lamentation .'* To 5 0, II this was it sunk, that there was none righteous, no not one; ] 8 none disposed to seek after God or to cultivate his fear. And from this bitter frnit, the apostasy of our nature from God, I. ^^ li what detestable fruit proceeds! The throat which is like an open sepulchre, the deceitful tongue, the envenomed lips, the malicious heart, the murderous hand ! And who can wonder that such rebels to their heavenly Father should sometimes prove ruffians to their brethren?
Let us bless God that we have been preserved frmn falling into such enormities, and from falling by them. His grace has re- strained us from sinning against him in such an aggravated man- ner ; his providence has guarded us from those whose feet are
> IVbat ike law saiik.'} It appears here ^ Stand convicted before God.] So v-no.
thai this word law doth sometimes sig- ^ix(^ rtu @(w seems exactly to signify,
nify the Old Testament in general; for Archbishop Tillotson would render it
not one of the quotatipns above is taken liable to divine justice ; which is the same
from the rentateuch. in sense. See bis Works, Vo^. I. p. 126.
Befleciions 07i the scripture account of meiis degeneracy. 39
swift to shed blood, and in whose paths there is destruction and sect, misery. v^*
Let us remember the view in which these instances were
Ver.
brought, even to evince this deplorable but undeniable truth, .^ {a that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. The purpose of con- |q' viction therefore being answered on our hearts, let us humble ourselves before God as those that stand guilty in his presence and obnoxious to his judgment.
Thankfully let us own the inestimable goodness of God in having favoured us with his sacred oracles, and endeavour to2 improve in the knowledge of them. Thus instructed, let us be careful to form the most honourable notion of God, as the wor- thy and universal Judge who will never fail to do right; 6 and may these views of him produce an abhorrence of every thing evil, which must necessarily be displeasing to him ! Nor let us ever allow ourselves to be brought under the influence of those fallacious and pernicious maxims which would persuade us that the goodness of the intention sanctifies the badness of the action, or that the pretended benevolence of the end will 8 justify irregularities in the means. God's judgment and decision is final; and an inspired apostle''s authority is an answer to a thou- sand subtleties which might attempt to turn us from the strictest rules of that immutable rectitude on which it alvyays proceeds.
SECT. VIL
Trom the representation made above of the guilt and miser J/ of manhind, the apostle deduces the necessity of seeking justification by the gospel, and consequently the excellency of that dispensation, as exhibiting the method of it. Rom iii. 20, to the end.
^ or» Romans in. 20.
Romans hi. 20. -^ tx a ir-o -4.1, • ^ • •
T^HEREFORE by T " AV^L justbeen proposmg to you convmcmg sect;
ibe deeds of the -*■ evidences of the universal degeneracy and cor- vii. law, there shall no ruption of mankind, and showing you that the*
flesh be justified m/, ,j ./j -xji^ /^j
hii sight: for by the whole world must stand convicted beiore uod: therefore let all my readers be persuaded to ad- mit it as a most certain principle, and at all times to act upon it, that according to the just and humble acknowledgment of the Psalmist, (Psal. cxliii. 2.) no flesh shall be justifed, or pro- nounced righteous, before him^^ by works of
^ Be justified, &c.] The learned Vi- cxliii. 2, and must therefore signify to trioga hath with great propriety observed receive the testimony of being righteousfrom that this word is borrowed from Psal. ajudge, and cannot merely signify f<l) o5» VOL. IV. I>
Rom. ill. 20.
40
No flesh to he justified by the law :
Eom. ill. 20.
SECT, complete obedience to the law of God,** whe- Jaw m the knowledge VII. ther natural or revealed : For instead of jus- °^""* tifying any man, it only anticipates, in a more obvious and affecting manner, the sense of his condemnation; as 6j/ the law is the knowledge of siriy''' it discovers to us how grievous a thing it is, and exhibits the righteous displeasure of God against it.
But yet, blessed be God, every door of hope 21 But now the is not shut against the sinner convicted by the ;Tthout"The''lal^'is law: for the righteousness of God, that is, the manifested, being manner of becoming righteous which God hath witnessed by the law ordained and appointed in his gospel, without and the prophets; that perfect obedience which the law requires, is now made manifest ; being indeed attest" ed hy the whole tenour of the law and the pro- phets,'^ which join in leading our eyes to the
21
tain mercy. Tobe justified also sometimes signifies to overcome in judgment^ Psal. li. 4, and the expression of being jws/ before God implies the same. And that this is the sense of the word in this epistle, ap- pears from several passages; particu- larly Rom. ii. 3. So that on the whole, as he argues, justification is not a phrase parallel to forgiveness, but refers to a judicial process, and carries in it the idea of acquittal, praise, and reward. And indeed it seems to me always ulti- mately to refer to the being pronoun- ced and treated as righteous in the great day of God*s universal judgment. See Rom. ii. 13, 16
b By leorks of the law.'] I think, with Mr. Locke, that the word law must here be taken in this extent, comprehending ceremonial and moral, revealed and na- tural. And this I conclude, not so much from the omission of the article, (compare Rom. ii, 12, 14,25, 27; chap, iii. 31; chap. v. 13, 20; in all which places, and many more, vO|W.©j without the article signifies the Mosaic law, as the sense evidently proves,) but from the conclusion which the apostle draws, and the whole tenour of his subsequent argument; which would have very little weiglit, if there were room to object, though we cannot be justified by our obedience to the law of Moses, we may be justified by our obedience to God*s natural law. And nothing can be more evident than that the premises from ■which this conclusion is drawn refer to the Gentiles as well as the Jews^ and
consequently that law has here, and in many subsequent passages, that general sense. — A very learned person has late- ly proposed to render £| i^fiuv vo(U«, by the law of works ; pleading ^aTrTia-fj.wv ^t- ^^X*'? (Heb. vi. 2,) as a parallel instance ; but 1 have declined this rendering, as (ver. 27,) the apostle expresses the law ef works by words placed in a different order, yofxu twv fgfwv, opposed to vojus Tcti^iwg; and (ver. 28.) x°?'? ^p/wv vofAn is plainly, as we render it, without the works of the law ; as the continuation of the apostle's argument in reference to Abra- ham shows. Nor can I see what grelt end could be served by allowing this cri- ticism; since the apostle elsewhere sls- serts justification y^o^i g i^fuv without works, (chap. iv. 9.) And to say that cpfwv is put elliptically for vo|U!f e^fcuy, (that is, works for the law of works,) is very arbi- trary. Nor can I conceive that any one can be justified by the law of works without being justified by the works, or vice versa; and this is expressly Paul's assertion, chap. iv. 4, 5.
*= By the law is the knowledge of sin."] This strongly implies the broken and dis- jointed state of human nature, in conse- quence of which the precepts which God gives us, will, on the whole, only serve to convict us of guilt, but not to produce an obedience by which we can finally be acquitted and accepted. Some render it, the law takes cognizance of sin.
^ Attested by the law and ih6 propheta-l See in this view. Gen. xv. 6 ; Isa, liii. uU. i Pan. ix. 24.
But justification is by grace through the blood of Christ, 41
22 Even the right- great Messiah : Even the righteousness of God, sect. cousness of God ^y^j^ j^g j^^^j^ appointed us to seek by the ex- vir.
t/vhic/i ts Dv iftitn or ^ ^ ^
Jesus Christ unto all, ercisc of a Yvi'm^ faith on the power and grace "^^ and upon all them o/his Son Jtsus Christ ; to whom he commands iij 22',
L^ no diffeVen^cJ-^^''^ "^ *^ Commit our souls, with all humble and obedient regard. This way of obtaining right- eousness and life is now, I say, made manifest to all, and, like a pure, complete, and glorious robe, is put upon all them that believe^ whether they were or were not acquainted with, or sub- ject to, the Mosaic law before their conversion to Christianity; for there is in this respect no difference at all between one believer and an-
23 For all have sin- other : For all have sinned, as we demonstrated 23
ned and come short ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ i ^f q^, ^^ of the glory of God: , r ^^ ;% v a • "^u- *i 1 - xi^ -^
have tailed oi rendering him that glory that was so justly his due, and thereby have not only made themselves unworthy the par-ticipation of glory and happiness with him, but stand ex- posed to his severe and dreadful displeasure :
24 Being justified And if any escape it, they are such as, being in- 24} freely by his grace, duced to embrace the gospel, are justified freely^
through the redemp- •,i . i. j* * i j -^ o .^ •
tion that is in Jesus Without pretending to plead any merit of their . Christ: own, by his rich and sovereign grace^ proposed
P there by virtue of that redemption and deliver-
ance which is in Christ Jesus his well-beloved
25 Whom God hath Son: Whom God hath in his infinite mercy ;9ro- 25 tfationVi^rough fafth P^^^^, ^^^ exhibited to US in the gospe],^ as a
in his blood, to de- propitiation through whom he may honourably ^ discover himself as propitious to us, and con-
^ verse favourably with us, as he did with Moses
from the mercy-seat; an inestimable privilege, which we receive by virtue of faith in his aton- ing blood, with which the throne of God is, as it were, sprinkled over, as the propitiatory in the tabernacle was with the blood of the sin-of-
® Come short of the glory of God.'\ Mr. word va-Ts^ovvTui of losing it, which cer-
Fleming, and after him, if I mistake tainly signifies a deficiency of what
not. Lord Harrington, explains this /a//- might have been attained, rather than
ing short of God's glory, as signifying the the loss of what is actually possessed.
loss of that lucid resemblance of the glw Compare Mat. xix. 20; ICor. i. 7; Heb,
rious Shechir/ah, which they, after Mr. iv. 1 ; chap. xii. 15.
Joseph Mede, suppose our first parents ^Proposed.] Some contend that wpoiSfTo
to have worn in their primeval state, here signifies /o exhibit; others, that it
Eut if it were to be granted they had signifies to determine, intend, or fxvpon,
such a glory in that state, I cannot think (Compare Bos in loc. and Eph. i. 9, II ;
' it WQuld have been natural to have call- Pom. i. 13.) I have chose the word />ro-
ed it God's glory, or to explain the />oje, as having just the same ambiguity.
Rom. iii. 25,
42 Boasting excluded, not hy the law, but by faith.
SECT, fering. (Lev. xvi. 15, 16.) And this is appoint- ciare his righteous- VII. ed for a demonstration of his righteousness in the "j^nof^sinslhal^are remission of sins, which now appears to be ac- past, through the for- compiished without any reflection upon that aw- bearance ot God j ful attribute which might seem to have a claim so directly contrary to it; and this remission ex- tends not only to the present but former age, and to all the offences which are long since past, according to the furhearance of God, who has forborne to execute judgment upon sinners for their repeated provocations, in reference to that atonement which he knew should in due time ^6 be made. He has, I say, proposed his Son /or 26 To declare, i a demonstration of his ris:hteoiisness, which now, ^-^y» ^^ ^^is titBe, his
-. -J o J*!' righteousness: that
in this present ever-memorable and signal time, he might be just, is so wonderfully illustrated in the great trans- and the justifier of actions of our own age, intended for this pur- ^^'^ J^|f ^ beiieveth pose, that he might he and appear justy and yet at the same time, without impeaching in any degree the rights of his government, the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus, whcy- soever he be,s that is, of every one who sincere- ly believes in him, and acquiesces in that me- thod of salvation which God hath published by him, and established in his perfect obedience and meritorious sufferings. 27 Contemplate, I beseech you, this only way of . 27 Where is boa^t- redemption and acceptance, and say. Where then c^J^ej^"' ^y '\,,hat [is'\ boasting in our own righteousness, or on ac- law? of works? Nay ; count of any other peculiar privileges .'^ Or what reason can any who partake of these blessings have to glory in themselves ? You will easily see * that it is entirely excluded. And reflect farther, hi/ ichat law is it excluded.? [Bi/ the law] of works 9 by that of Moses, or any other law pro- mising life only to perfect obedience, and threat- ening all disobedience with inevitable death ? By no means. This would leave a man all the little reason for boasting he could possibly have ;
iJust and ihejuslijler, &c.] By just just in such an act might have seemed Mr. Taylor would understand merciful, incredible, had we not received such au and Mr. Locke faithful to his promises ; account of the propitiation and atone- but either of these makes but a very cold toient. But oar explication is vindicat- sense when compared with that we have ed in a most masterly and unanswer- here given. It is no way wonderful that able manner by the worthy author of an God should be merciful, or faithful to excellent tract, entitled Christ the Me- Jiis promises, though the justifier of be- diator, p. 85, &c. to which 1 .with great lieviiig sinners; but that he should be pleasure refer the reader.
Justification hy faith establishes the law. 43
but by the law of even that he had acted perfectly right and well, sect. ^^^^^' and had all that excellence and worth of cha- v"*
racter which a being in his circumstances could ' attain. But if jou suppose him to have re- -^^^ course to the gospel, Z>j/ the law of faith it must certainly be excluded, since the very constitu- tion of that requires persons to acknowledge themselves sinners, and, as guilty and indigent, to make an humble application to the free mercy of God in Christ for pardon and every other blessing which is necessary to their final hap- piness. 28 Therefore we We therefore are come to a conclusion of this 28 conclude that a man , ^^ ^^^ argument, that a maw, of whatever
IS justuied by faith r to ' .-,./> j 7
without the deeds of nation, proiession, or character, isjnsti/iea 63/ a ihe law. true, lively, and effectual faith in the gospel,
without the works of the law ; ^ that is, though destitute of any legal works in consequence of which he could claim justification and life. "29 Is he the God of And this naturally leaves room to add, [fs^9 the Jews only? /.A. g^j^ ^.^^ j^^^j^ established such a method of
not also ot the Gen- . . J . 7 /-^ 1 /• ; r 1
tiles ? Yes, of the justincation, the (jrod oj the Jews onn/, and not
Gentiles also: also of the Gentiles f Sureli/ he is the God of the
Gentiles too ; since it is very evident that all
claim from works being thus universally given
up, the Jews and Gentiles must in this respect
30 Seeing 27 m one stand upon a level. So that [it w] o7ie God, the SO God wiiich shall JUS- g^me eternal and unchangeable Jehovah, that
III V 11)6 circ u incision ■ o '
by faith, and uncir- will justify the Jews, who have received circum" cumcision through cision, not by that, but bij faith; and will jus- ^^'^^^' tify the Gentiles too, who are still in their un-
circumcision, through the same faith; and there- fore demands the grateful love and the new obedience of both.'
31 Do we then Now while we maintain this method of jus-Sl
tification and salvation, can it be said that we derogate from the honour of God\s justice or
l» A lively and eflfectual faith without one, and supposes it an allusion to the
rvorks, &c.] By thus guarding the asser- prediction, Zech. xiv 9, that the Lord
tion we sufficiently see how very consist- shall be one and his name one; fulfilled
ent it is with that of St. James, (chap. ii. by the publication of the gospel. But!
17,23,25,) who only in effect asserts think this supposed allusion far-fetched,
that no faith can suffice to our justifica- and see not any occasion for supposing
tion which is not in fact productive of iKvi^iw;, by faith, and ^la -Trirf^j, through
obedience; and when the matter is thus faith, to signify different things; nor can
stated, there is no appearance of con- I see what different idea can here be af-
trad-ict^on. fixed to them. L' Enfant renders it, he
^ One God that justlfieth the circumcision u-iil justify the circvmcision by faith, and
by faith, and uncir cumcision through faith. \ unckcumcision by the same faith, Mr, Locke would render it seeing God is
44 Befledions on justification by grace through Christ,
SECT, his law ? Do we set aside the law hy faith as if ™ake void the lai» VII. it were a fault, or annihilate it as if it were an f^^^j"^^ IfJ"^ l^^^ useless thing? God forbid that we should ever tablish thelaw.
.?*^"* insinuale such a design or entertain such a thought. Nay^ on the contrary, we really estab- lish the law^ on a firmer foundation than ever, and place it in a juster and more beautiful point of light: for we show also its honour displayed in the atonement as well as the obedience of Christ; and we make it of everlasting use for attesting the truth and illustrating the necessity of the gospel, as well as for directing the lives of men when they profess to have received it ; as we shall abundantly show in the process of this discourse.
IMPROVEMENT.
Let our whole souls rejoice in this glorious display of the divine mercy, in so beautiful an harmony with divine justice, in our redemption by Christ; to which the apostle in this section Ver. 20. bears so noble a testimony. We are all become guilty before God; so that if he should mark iniquity, no flesh living could be justified before him : let us therefore, with all reverence and
21 esteem, and with all joy, embrace the righteousness of God as
22 now attested by the law and prophets, by Christ and his apostles, which shall be upon all believers without any difference ; hum- bling ourselves deeply in the presence of God, as those who
23 have sinned and come short of his glory, and seeking to be 24 justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus.
25 To him let us continually look as the great propitiation; ex- ercising faith in his blood, and rejoicing that those which seemed to our feeble apprehensions the most jarring attributes, are now
27 reconciled and glorified. Let us readily acknowledge that boast- ing is excluded ; and in the grateful overflowings of our souls fall down before that throne whence pardons are dispensed, and confess " that this act of grace is our only plea,'' and that we must remain humble before God for ever, in a sense of the de- merit of our sins and the abundance of his mercy. 29, 30 Let Jews and Gentiles unite in thanksgivings to God and in love to each other, as having been all involved in the same con- demnation, and all partakers of the same compassion. And let
31 Christians remember that God intended by this illustrious display
k We establish the law.'] Some render 1 think, not the proper signification of
\\^ Kay, but vce are the persons that observe nrw^iv. — For the justness of this infer-
the law; which is a just and strong ence, see Christ the Med. p. 90 — 96. thought, (compare Rom. viii. 3, 4,) but.
Abraham was not justified by works: 45
of grace, not to supersede but to establish the law. May we sect. therefore make it our concern, that not only the actions of our vii. lives, but the sentiments of our hearts, be directed and deter- mined by it ! as it is now enforced by more powerful motives than when it appeared in its unallayed terrors.
SECT. VIII.
The apostle here shows that Abraham and David sought justification in such a way as the gospel recommends, that is, by faith. Rom. iv. 1 — 12.
^ ^ - Romans iv. 1.
WHArThanwe'say T HAVE been observing to you that we Chris- sect.
then, that Abra- -■- tiaus, by maintaining the doctrine ofjustifi- viii. ham, our father as cation bv faith, instead of superseding and ener-~T
pertaining to the ,. j • j j ^ i_t i A j* • i j Rom.
flesh, hath found? vatmg do mdeed establish the divme Jaw, and j^ j^ assert, in the most convincing manner, both its authority and purity. For the illustration of this, therefore, let us consider the important in- stance of Abraham, and the manner in which he was justified. What then shall we say that the holy patriarch Abraham, our reverend father according to thejlesh^ hath found effectual in this respect?^ and to what must his justification and
2 For if Abraham acceptance with God be ascribed ? For if^ were justified by Abraham, were justified by circumcision, or by 7ttglor\^,^buf not t^^e "^erit of any other work^, rather than by the before God. free grace and mercy of God, then he hath some^
thing in which he may glory ;^ but it is certain, by what the sacred oracles express, that though the behaviour of this celebrated person was in- deed innocent, fair, and honourable before men,
3 For what saith 2/^^ [^^ hath^ not any thing to boast in the sight the scripture? Abra- of God. For what saith the scripture upon thisS
* Hath found.'] Some would transpose authors use iv^i<r%w for obtaining, and that
the words, and render them, " Shall we by merit. Anuot. ex Her<>d, m Loc.
** say that our father Abraham hath foundy ^ He hath something in which he may
*' that is, obtained, justification and life glory.'] This seems 'o intimate that the
** according to the fie sh, that is, by cir- Jews maintained not only the necessity
" cumcision and observing the carnal but the merit of the Jewish observances;
** rites of the Mosaic economy ?" But else it might have bt^en replied, that
when the natural order and usual import Abraham was indeed justified upon his
of the phrase makes so easy and so good being circumcised, but that it was by
a sense, I can see no reason for admitting the grace of God in freely annexing
this construction. Raphelius shows that the promise of justification and life to
Herodotus ^nd other authentic Greek such a rite.
46 But his faith zvas imputed for righteousness.
SECT, head ? (Gen. xv. 6.) " Abraham believed God, ^^^ believed GorJ, VIII. '' when he made him the promise of that mira- ^"no'LrLrri&hu " culoiis and important seed, and so it was im- eousuess.
h^°3* *'' puled to him, or placed to his account, /or " righteousness, or in order to his justification :" that is, God was pleased graciously to accept it, though he had not that complete and perfect righteousness which might in strict justice be demanded of every rational creature as the only condition of his being acquitted at the divine 4bar. Now to him who i\\\\s worheth io the ut- 4 Now to him that most extent of all that was required, the reward ^orketh is the re-
,.^,, \ ' ^ 1 1 ^ wvixa not reckoned
proportioned to that work is 7iot charged to ac- of grace but of debt; count as matter of grace,^ but of debt ; and he may glory at least in having diligently earned
5 it. (Compare chap. xi. 6.) But to him who in 5 But to him that this sense worketh not, who can by no means ^orketh not, but be-
,., liii'ii. 7^ Ijeveth on him that
Eretend to have wrought all righteousness, but justifieth the unuod- umbly believeth on him who declareth the free- ly, hisfait-hiscount- ness of pardoning grace, and by that justifieth ed for righteousness. even the ungodlj/, if he repent and return, the phrase used concerning Abraham may be ap- plied with the strictest propriety, and it may be said that his faith is imputed to him, or placed to his account, jTor righteousness, or to the pur- pose of his being accepted and treated by God as righteous.
6 ^nd \this is'] verv agreeable to what we read , ^ ^J^" .^^ David
1 I i* *i 1 T\ 'J /T^ 1 •• also describeth the
elsewhere ; particularly as JUavid (rsal. xxxii. blessedness of the 1, 2.) describeth the blessedness of the man^yho is man unto whom God accepted of God, whom he speaks of as " one "np"teth righteous- «^o whom God, according to the method of "^^^ ^'^^^^"^ ^^^^^^ ' *' proceeding we now maintain, imputeth right- " eousness, without any supposition of, or re- " gard to, a former series of good works sup- " posed to have been performed by him." 7 Saying, Blessed
7 For he expresses himself thus: '^ Blessed are the^ °^e they whose ini- " whose iniquities are pardoned, and whose sins q"'^'^'' a''^ *o/8'^'en,
. i 7^ 1 1 •! /» !• a"d whose sms are
^^ are as it were covered^ by the veil 01 di- covered:
'^ As of grace. ] Raphelius has shown here; but the validity of it by no means
that iJ.i(r9ov does not only signify a reward depends upon that fact.
of debt, but also a gift of favour ; and that <• Whose iniqmty is pardoned and whose
the phrase jw,t(T9ov^wpft)y occurs in Herodo- sin is covered.] Archbishop Leighton has
tus: so that a reward of grace or favour s© elegantly and beautifully illustrated
is a classical as well as theological expres- these words, that 1 must beg leave tore-
sion. — Could we be sure that Abraham fer those of my readers that cannot use
was once an idolater, it would be some his Latin meditations on the xxxiid
jfllustration of the apostle's reasoning Psalm, lo review the English translatioa
lie was justified hy faith before he was circumcised, 47
5 Blessed is the « vine mercy. Blessed is the man to whom sect. man to whom the « ^j^^ j^^^,^i {^puteth not Sin.'" Which plainly viii. Lord will not impute .^^^.^^ ^^^^ ^.^ ^^^ ^^^^ Committed by the -^'
best and happiest of men, and that it is matter iv. 8." of mercy and favour that it is not charged to account, so that he should finally be condemned for it.
9 Cofnetk this h\ess' Now while we are speaking of this blessedness 9 edness then upon ^^ ^y^^ pardoned and accepted sinner, mve me
the circumcision , J i rj iL u i *i-
o;;/^,oruponiheun. l^ave to ask, [doth it come] iipon the circumci-
circuiTicision also? sion [o«/j/,] or also on the uncircmncision? The
For ivesay that faith celebrated instance we have just been mention- was reckoned to . mi i i r - • • ' v i
Abraham for right- ^g Will show how far circumcision IS from be-
€ousness. ing ncccssary to a share in it : For [when'] we
say^ as above, that faith was imputed to Abra-
10 How was it then ^^^ yj,^ righteousness,"^ How and when waslO I'atL" circumc'ision' it thus^ imputed and charged to his account, in orinuncircumcision? this view.f^ When he was in circumcision or in not in circmncisiou, j^^f.{j,f,umcision? [Truli/] the history plainly
but in uncifcuraci-
siou.
shows us that it was not in circumcision, but
in uncircumcision ; for it relates this important
circumstance of Abraham as taking place
many years before circumcision was instituted.^
11 And he receiv- ^wd it assures US that he received the sign of 11
€d the sign of cir- circumcision, not as the means of making him
trrtte"ou'ne"s of acceptable to God when he was not before so,
the faith which he but as the token of his being already accepted ;
had yet being uncir- ^nd therefore as the seal of the righteousness of
cumcised: that he ^^j^at/aiYA which he had in uncircumcision :S that
of it in the 2d volume of his Expository entitled tothebenefitof this, it is alsoen-
Discourses; printed at Edinburgh, 1748. tered iu the book of God's remembrance
« Imputed to him for righteousness.] I " that we are believers;" and this ap-
think nothing can be easier than to un- pearing, we are graciously discharged,
derstand how this may be said in full con- yea and rewarded, as if we ourselves had
sislence with our being justified by the beenperfectly innocent and obedient. See
imputation ofthe righteousness of Christ, my Sermons on Salvation by Grace, p.
that is, our being treated by God as right- 1 4 — 1 9 ; which account is perfectly agree-
«ous for the sake of what he has done able to what Witsius has remarked,
and suffered; for though this be theme- Econ. Fed. lib. iii. chap. viii. § 36. ritorious cause of our acceptance with ^ Many years before circumcision was
God, yet faith may be said to be imputed instituted,] It is said this imputation
to us, aj h)Laio(T'^yyjv, in order to our being was made on Abraham's believing the
justijied or becoming righteous; that is, promise, Gen, xv. 6, about a year before
according to the view in which I have the birth of Ishmael ; but he did not re-
elsewhere more largely stated it, as we ceive circumcision till Ishmael was thir-
are charged as debtors in the book of teen years old, Gen. xvii. 27 ; conse-
God's account, what Christ has done in quently Abrahana was declared justified
fulfilling all righteousness for us is at least fourteen years before he was
charged as the grand balance of the ac- circumcised.
count; but t-liat it may appear that we S Seal of the righteousness of faitk-l
are, according to the tenour ofthe gospel, This seeaas an incontestable proof that
48 Reflections on the happiness of a justified state,
SECT, so he mtsht be the father of all those who believe might be the father • • • 4t * • i* / of all them that be-
viii. in uncircumcision, that righteousness mai/ also y^^^^ tijou'-h thev
■ — Z>e imputed unto them, that they may be justifi- be not circumcised :
^**™- ed in the same means, and that it may be writ- ^-^at righteousness '"• ^^- ten down in the book of God's remembrance ^^'f^^ 'hem aitf''* 12 that they are so. And he received this right 12 And the father by divine appointment, that he might also be the of circumcision to father of the circumcision, that is, to those «^'Ao Ilir ""rtrLrl^^f should afterwards practise it, and were not onii/ only, but also walk partakers of the external ceremony vf circum- «" t^e s(eps of that cision, which in itself indeed can have no effi- ^^^^^''ZJc^^Z
1 1 n 1 11 • 7 _r j^ 1 -w^'ariam, wnicn he
cacy, but shall also walk in the jootsteps oj thai had Lemg yet uncir- faith of our father Abraham which he had in cumcised. uncircumcision, and which rendered him so dear to God while he was in that state.
IMPROVEMENT.
If there be indeed such a thing as happiness to be enjoyed by mortal man, it is the portion of that man of whom David speaks, Ver.7 8. even of him whose iniquity is pardoned and whose sin is cov- ered, and who enjoys the manifestation of that pardon. Well may he endure the greatest afflictions of life with cheerfulness, and look forward to death with comfort, when the sting of all these evils is taken out, and the returning tokens of the Divine favour convert them into blessings. Oh let us earnestly pray that this happiness may be ours; that the great and glorious Being whom by our sins we have offended, and in whom alone the right and power of pardon resides, would spread the veil of his mercy over our provocations, and blot them out of the book of bis remembrance !
Let us on the one hand fix it in our mind, that it is the cha- racter of that man to whom this blessedness belongs, that in his spirit there is no guile; and on the other, let us often reflect that it is in consequence of a righteousness which God imputes, and which faith receives and embraces. We are saved by a scheme that allows us not to mention any works of our own, as 3, 2 if we had whereof to glory before God, but teaches us to - ascribe our salvation to believing on him who justifieth the un- 5 godly. Nor need we be ashamed of flying to such a method, to 1,2 which Abraham the father of the faithful had recourse himself, and on which he built his eternal hope. May we share his dis- position of mind, that we may inherit the same promises, walk- 12ing in the footsteps of our father Abraham ! So shall we also bei
circumcision was a seal of the covenant the most considerable objection that of grace, and not merely of temporal bath ever been urged against infant- {>romisesi and consequently obviates baptism.
Justification only by the lazv makes void the promises, 49
called the friends and children of God, and sit down with sect. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in his heavenly kingdom. viii.
SECT. IX.
In order to recommend the scheme of justification by believing God's pro- mises ^ the apostle shows that it was an illustrious act of faith which entailed everlasting honours on the great patriarch Abraham; in which he was intended for an example to us. Rom. iv. 1 3^ to the end.
T, ia Romans iv. 13.
Romans iv. 13. --,- tt a xrT> i z- * i i t /. »
poR the promise T HAyJi. spokcn ot Abraham as the father of sect. that he should be -*- uncircumciscd believers as well^is those of ix. the heir of the world, the circumcision, (ver. 11, 12.) and that with
was not to Abraham .j, • j. j- i ^. 7, ***''" p
or tohis seed, through evident propriety; for the promise to Abraham r^^^'^ the law, but through and his secd^ that he should be heir of the world,^ ^^y^^^^'^m^ousne^s of ^^^t is, that he should inherit all tlie nations of the earth as a seed that should be blessed in him, was not and could not be by the law of circumcision or of Moses, being, as we have already observed, prior to both ; but it was by the righteousness of faith. God gave him that pro- mise on his exerting a remarkable act of faith, on which God in the most gracious and honour- able manner declared his acceptance of him as
14 For if they rjghteous. Now if they who are of the law.u
which are ot the law °j j j ^r ^ i r -, ^"^ . '*"'ji'*
A^heirs,faithisraade ^"0 depend upou that alone, [are] heirs exclu- void, and the promise sivc of all Others, (as somc so eagerly contend,) made of none effect: then that faith which in the instance before us was so eminently honoured of God, is made use- less, and treated as a thing of no value ; and so the promise made to it is in effect abrogated, the performance of it being put, not only on new conditions, but on such as cannot be perfectly
15 Because the law performed in this sinful state.'' For the law 15
a Heir of the vuorkL] Kocrfxog cannot b Cannot be perfectly performed.] here signify, as yrj sometimes does, one This is here said with reference to a moral coMw^rz/ or /awrf, how fine or large soever, impossibility. It seems evident from It must therefore imply his inheriting a what follows, that the law is to be con- seed out of all nations, whom he might sidered as insisting on an obedience ab- be said to possess in such a sense as solutely perfect; so that these good men childrenaresaid to be an heritage, Psal. who were justified under it, were not cxxvii. 3. Compare Gen. iv. 1 ; Prov. justified by it, but by the dispensation xvii. 6. See also Psal. Ixxxii. 8, where of grace under which Abraham was, which, God IS said to inherit the nations that are though not a part of the covenant of God taken into his family on the profession by Moses, was not and could not be of the true religion. abrogated by it. Compare Gal. iii. 17.
50 The promise teas, that he should be father of many nations.
SECT, of God, considered in itself alone, and without worketh wrath; for '^- any regard to that grace which, though it was "l^^^^Zv^l^.l^l^t!,' T^ in fact mingled with it, yet makes no part of the iv. \5. legal dispensation as such, is so extensive and difficult, and we are so weak and sinful, that in fact, instead of securing to us the promised bless- ings, it only worketh wrath, that is, it becomes to us accidentally an occasion of wrath, and ex- poses us to punishment as transgressors; for where there is no law, either revealed or inti- mated, [there is^ no transgression; but the multiplication of precepts increases the danger of offending, and the clearer declaration of those precepts aggravates the guilt attending the vio- l61ation. But «Aere/ore [i^] that is, the promise u Therefore it is and the inheritance to which it relates, [is] of^^ by ^ace^ 'tcT'fhe faith, or annexed to it, that it [might be] of end the promise srrace; that God miehtmagnify the riches of his "^'S^^ ''^ sure to all
• • ' .'n .- jTi*x • the seetl, not to that
grace m proposmg justification and life tousm ^„,y ^^ j^ ^^ ^^^ a way that might in multitudes of instances be law, tut to that also effectual, that so the blessing exhibited in the which is of the faith promise might he firm and secure to all the be- ^j^^ father "of us al/- lieving seed, not only to that part of his de- scendants which was placed under the dispensa- tion of the Jewish law, who are not indeed ex- cluded from it if they seek it in a proper man- ner, but to that which is the seed of that holy patriarch to whom the promise was made by a nobler relation, even by a participation of the faith of Abraham, who is in this view the father
17 of us all: As it is written, (Gen. xvii. 16,) / n (As it is writ- have made ihee a father, not of one family alone 1"^',!,^^^^'^^'''"^
^' xiL \c ^ latoer or many na-
to descend from Isaac or Jacob, but 0/ wiawy tions,) hefore him nations: so that he is in some degree even like whom he believed, God himself, <= who is the Father of all good Z^titClltl"^'^ men ; like that Almighty Being in whom he he- caiieth those things lieved as re-animating those who are dead, and which be not as calling into action and enjoyment things f^a^ though they were : are not now in existence, with the same ease as those that are.^
18 And since I have begun to touch upon it, per- I8 Who against mit me, my brethren, to animate your faith by
dilating a little farther upon that of this illus-
c Like God.\ So T think aalivayli may is to be understood of summoning them,
here signify; and accordingly it is ren- as it were, to rise into being, and ap-
4ered ad instar Dei by Parajus. pear before him, Eisner has well proved
^ Calling things that are not.'l That this on this place.
As Abraham zvasy so are zve justified bv faith, 51
hope believed in trious patriarch. It was he who, against all hu- sect. hope, that he jmght j^^jj ^jj^j probable hope, believed with an assured ix.
become the father ot , . /. f 7 "'^1 •. r. >i j« •
many nations; ac- and joyful Ao/^e, on the sccuFity of the divine ^^^
cording to that which word, that. Unlikely as it seemed, he should be \y^ ^s.
was spo^^"» ^^ s^^'^ a father of many nations, according to that which
^ ^^^ ^* was spoken to him (Gen. xv. 5.) when he was
called to take a view of the stars of heaven, and
God said, " So numerous and glorious shall thy
19 And being not « seed be.'''* And having received such a pro- 19 rnlde^d'l'.' h': mise. "»' being feMe in faith, how feeble so-
own body now dead, evcr he might be in his animal constitution, he ^
when he was about considered 7iot his 07vn body, which, with regard M. 'neittt yeYthe to the probability of begetting children, was now dea'dness of Sarah's dead, being about an hundred years old; nor the womb. deadness of Sarah''s womb, of whom the sacred
historian tells us, " that it ceased to be with " her after the manner of women." (Gen. xviii.
20 He staggered H.) Amidst all these difficulties and discour-20 not at the promise, of agements, he objected not to the promise of God
CJod through unbe- p 7 7 ;•*!• 7 » ^ x/. i 7 *i
lief; but was strong t/trough unbcliej, but was strengthened by the
in faith, giving glory exercise of the most vigorous and triumphant
^® ^*^^J faith, thereby giving a due and becoming glory
to the great God, the Lord of universal nature;
21 And being fully A7id was confidently persuaded, that what he had^l persuaded, that what ^jj^g graciously promised he was, and ever is, was ableTlso U) per- ^bk to perform, though that performance should, form. to sensible view, seem ever so improbable. And2^
22 And therefore tfi^y^efore this heroic faith was so acceptable to hinT^r^nghteous^ ^^^^ Divine Being, that it was, as we have heard ness. again and again, imputed or accounted to him
for righteousness, that is, in order to his justi-
23 Now it was not fication. Neither was it written in the sacred 23 written for his sake records, which are to reach the remotest ages,
Puted to'him7'*"'" ^**^^* ^^^«^^ ^« ^^^'^^ o^^(^' ^^ chiefly to do a per- sonal honour to that illustrious patriarch, that
24 But for us also, it was thus imputed to him; But also for owrSi to whom it shall be 5Q/^,g„ to whom it, that is, the like faith, shall
imputed, if we be- . \ . . 1 -n /.jm it • /•
lieve on him that ^'^^ t)e imputed, ij we steadily believe in liim
raised up Jesus our who uot Only brought Isaac as from the dead
Lord from the dead, wonjb of Sarah, but, in the most literal sense,
raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, when he
lay among them slain and mangled by his cruel
25 Who was de- enemies : Even that great and glorious Re-25 livered for our of- deemer who was delivered up to them by the
determinate counsel of God, that by his death and sufferings he might atone for our many offences, and^ when he had fully satisfied the
52 Refections on the faith of Abraham^ &c.
SECT, divine justice for them,^ was raised again for fences, and was rais- IX. our justification: that putting our trust in him tfficftio"n!°'^ ourjus- "T who was thus apparently discharged from ail jv. 23. farther claim upon him as our surety, we might obtain, by virtue of our relation to him, plen- ary pardon and eternal life.
IMPROVEMENT,
Let us continually bear in our mind the great and venerable example of our father Abraham ; labour to the utmost to trace Ver. 17. his steps, and have faith in God, who at his pleasure quicknietk the dead, and calleth things which are not as if thei/ were. If sense were to judge, it would proi^unce many of these difficulties in- vincible which lie in the way of the accomplishment of his pro-
gomises; but they shall all be fulfilled in their season. Let us^ therefore be strong in faith, remembering that thus it becomes us to glorify that God who condescends so far as to engage the honour of his word for the support of our souls. He who hath promised is able to perform, for with him all things are possible.
25 Already hath he done that for us which we had much less rea- son to expect than we now have to hope for any thing that re- mains : He delivered his Son Jesus for our offences, to redeem us by his blood from final and everlasting ruin.
24j Let it be ouf daily joy that he was raised again for our justi- fication; and let his resurrection be continually considered as a noble argument to establish our faith in him who performed 22, 23 this illustrious work of power and mercy. So shall it be im- puted to us likewise for righteousness ; yea, so shall the right- eousness of our Redeemer be reckoned as ours, to all the pur- 14, 15 poses of our justification and acceptance with God. And though, by our transgression of the law, we can never inherit by any claim from that which only worketh wrath and con-
Igdemnation in consequence of our breach of it; yet shall we, by believing and obeying the gospel, find the promise sure to us as the spiritual seed of Abraham, and be for ever happy in the enjoyment of that better Canaan,^ when every earthly inherit- ance shall be no more found.
* Fnlly satisfied the divine justice for " with or in any degree weakened, or
them.] By satisfying the divine justice, " our obligation to the free grace of the
I mean, " doing all that was necessary " Father in our salvation transferred or
** amply and perfectly to secure the '* enervated." And I desire it may be
*' honour of the divine government in remembered and attended to through-
" the pardon and acceptance of peni- out, that this is the sense in which I
*' tent and believing sinners;" but I do would use the phrase wherever it occurs
not mean *' the payment of the debt, in any of my writings, and I hope it
** in such a sense as that our engage- will not be found that I have ever de-
*' meats to holiness should be dispensed viated from it.
Being justified hy faith, xve have peace zvith God.
53
SECT. X.
The excellency of the gospel-dispensation is farther illustrated, believers being hereby brought itito so happy a state as turns even the heaviest afflictions of life into an occasion of joy. Rom. v. 1 — 11.
Romans v. 1. »yiIEREFORE be
ing justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access, by
Romans v. 1. - \7I7'E have been reviewing the manner in V yi yf which Abraham and David, those ilhis- trious patriarchs, looked for justification and' happiness, and in v^^hich we are to seek it if we desire to succeed. We have been speaking of our adorable Saviour as delivered for our of- fences and raised again for our justification: Let us now therefore reflect a little on those in- valuable benefits which we who have embraced this dispensation, whether Jews or Gentiles, en- joy in consequence of it. And here it h in the first place evident, that being thus justified by means of faith in Christ, we have peace with Obd:^ Our guilty fears are silenced, and we are taught to look up to him with sweet serenity of soul, while we no longer conceive of him as an enemy, but under the endearing character of a friend and father; even through the media- tion and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: By '2. whom we have been introduced,^ by means of
SECT, X.
Rom, V. 1.
* We have peace with Gof/.] It seems very unreasonalde to suppose that when the apostle wrote such passages as this and Eph. i. 1 — 3, he should mean to exclude himself, who was no Hentile; they are not therefore to be expounded as spoken particularly of the Gentiles: nor could he surely intend by these grand descriptions and pathetic repre- sentations, to speak only of such exter- nal privileges as might have been com- mon to Simon Magus, or any other hy- pocritical and wicked professor of Chris- tianity. And if he did not intend this, he must speak of all true Christians as such, and as taking it for granted that those to whom he addressed this and his other epistles were in the general such, though there might be some few except- ed cases which he does not think it ne- cessary often to touch upon. And this is, after all, the true key to such pas- sages in his epistles, and as such I have used it throughout my work; and as I
have more particularly stated and vin- dicated it in the postscript which I have added to the preface of my Sermons on Regeneration, in the second edition, I must beg leave to refer my reader thi- ther, and hope I shall be excused from a more particular examination of that very different scheme of interpretation which Mr. Taylor has so laboriously at- tempted to revive. The main principles of it are, I think, well confuted by my pious and worthy friend Dr. Guyse, in the preface to his Paraphrase of this Epistle.
** We have been infroduced: t^jv -rrfocree,- ywyrjv i(T'^'nKa(xev.'\ Raphelius has shown from Herodotus, that 'TTfiocraywyn is often used as a sacerdotal phrase, and signifies *' being with great solemnity introduced *' as into the more immediate presence of *' a deity in his temple, so as, by a sup- ** posed interpreter, from thence called " Trootrayujyivg, Ike introdiiceVy to have a " kind of conference with such a deity.''
54 IVe rejoice in thefnius
SECT, faith, into that state of grace and acceptance in faith, into this grace X. which we now stand with humble boldness In ^''^"•^''" • ^^ '';'"^'
, . J 1 1' 1 n \ I ^"'^ rejoice in hope
his presence, and cneeriul coniidence that no- of the glory of God.
Rom. thing shall remove us from his favour. And by ^* * a farther consequence, we do not only rejoice in some considerable present privileges, but boast in a pleasant and assured hope of inheriting at length the glory of God, a state of perpetual splendour and happiness in the house and pre- sence of our heavenly Father, in which he will, as it were, adorn us with the rays of his own 3 glory. And not only do we so boast in this hope, 3 And not only w,
but we also i^hry in our tribulation' and afflic- ?"^^^°'°;y'"^'^"- , . , * ^ ^^ . . ^1 T lalions also, kjjow-
tion, which, far from esteeming, as the Jews are ing that tribuiatiou ready to do, any token of reprobation or dis- worketh patience, pleasure, we look upon as being, in this connec- tion, the allotment of God's paternal love to us, that we may thereby be enabled to do him a more singular honour, and be prepared for a more exalted happiness; knowing that tribula^ tion, under the influence of divine grace, work- eth a calm, silent, hwmhle: patience, a most beautiful and happy disposition of mind, which 4 is daily strengthened by exercise: ^w^i this 4 And patience
patience produceth such an experience of God's ^'^per'ence, and ex- ■« -* , J ^1 (* r- perience hopes
supporting goodness, and ^such proof oi our own sincere faith,'^ strict integrity, and steady resolution for him, as we are sure will be ac- ceptable to him; and therefore this experience and proof of our graces, which like pure gold brighten in the furnace, worketh a more live- ly and triumphant hope of a glorious future re- 5 ward. And i\\h hope, sublime and confident 5 And hope mak- as it is, does not shame and confound [us] with ^^^ "°\, ashamed
-. . 1 • 1 Decause the love o*
disappointment ; yea, we know it cannot, 6>e- cause we have already within ourselves the very beginning of that heaven at which it as- pires. For (he love of God, in the perfection of which the blessedness of that celestial world
c We glory also in tribulation. '\ The this delicacy of address is so apparent
Jews might object to the persecution of in many passages of the epistles, that. I
Christians, (as we know they did to that should swell the notes too much if I
of their Master,) as inconsistent with were accurately to trace it. what they concluded would be the state ^ Proof of our faith.] Mons. Saurin
of the people of the Messiah. It is very justly observes that the word ^oxj|a>3
therefore with great propriety that the has this signification, and in a metaphor
apostle so often discourses on the bene- taken from gold proved by purifying
fit arising from the sufferings of true be- fire. Compare 1 Pet. i. 7: see Eccles.
lievers, by which he lays in the strong- ii. 5; Sanr. Scrm. Vol, VII. p. Ii9. est answer to auy such insinuation. And
of our tribulation, 55
God is shed abroad consists, is in a plentiful effusion poured into sect. in our hearts, by the hearts by his Holy Spirit, which is sriven ^•
Holv Ghost which IS ^ j ui * u* i 'A *.
piv/n unto us- ^^^^ ^**5 ^"^ cnablcs us to see his love amidst
given unto us: "'"" "^J ^"" ^l.uu.^^ ua .-^ .^^ ..lo x^.^ «tx.tv.o., ^^^
all his corrections, and to delight ourselves daily ^ ^ * in him, though for the present he appoint us trials which may seem ever so rigorous.
6 For when we Novk' all these invaluable privileges and hopes, 6 were yet without ^jij^h make our lives so joyful amidst such va- Chri&t ^ died for the rious tribulations and extreme sufferings, are to ungodly. be traced up to the death of Christ, and resolv- ed into his love ; for when we were yet in a weak and languishing, infirm and helpless state, des- titute of all these divine principles and hopes, yea incapable of delivering ourselves from the depths of guilt and misery into which we were plunged, Christ most seasonably died for us, even in the stead of the ungodly,^ for Jews and Gentiles, when they were, as we have proved before, all under sin.
7 For scarcely for j^qhd^ this is a most memorable thins:, and 7
a righteous man will ,| r, t. la. a.- ^ £c ?• *.
worthy our irequent, attentive, and atiectionate consideration: For scarcely would one be will- ing to die in the stead of a righteous man ^ though we apprehended him in the most immediate dan- ger; [^/'] perhaps, in thesteadof a remarkah]y good and benevolent man,^ one would even dare to
*> Diedin the stead of the ungodly.] By demonstrated that vittp ^jctwy aTTfSaye ungodly here, Mr. Locke understands signifies he died in our room and stead; Gentiles; as ailso, by weak sinners, enemieSf nor can I find that a7ro9avnv C/in^ tjvo; &c. They are undoubtedly included; has ever any othersignificatioii than that but it seems very inconsistent with the oi rescuing the life of another at the expense whole strain of the apostle's argument of our own; and the very next verse in the preceding chapters, to confine it shows, independent on any other au- to them. Compare chap. iii. 9 — 20, 22, thority, how evidently it bears that sense 23; iv. 5; v. 20. I therefore all along here; as one can hardly imagine any explain such passages in the raostexten- one would die for a good man, unless it sive sense; and think nothing in the were to redeem his life by giving up his whole New Testament plainer than that own. How much higher not only Gro- the gospel supposes every human crea- tins, but Le Clerc, carried their expli- ture to whom it is addressed to be in a cations of this great doctrine than some state of guilt and condemnation, and in- moderns have done, may be seen by capable of being accepted with God any consulting Grotius's gloss on 1 Pet. ii. otherwise than through the grace and 19, (De Satisf. cap, ix.) and Le Clerc on mercy which it proclaims. Compare* John i. 29.
John iii. 16,36; chap. v. 24; 1 John iii. ^ Now: yao-] It is very evident that
14; Mark xvi. 15, 16; Luke xxiv. 47; yas cannot have the force of an illative
and especially 1 John i. 10, than which particle here or in the preceding verse;
no assertion can be more positive and and it is hardly possible to number all
express. Albert (Observ. Sacr. p. 304.) the passages in Paul's writings to which
has well proved that v.ctlet xaioov should the like remark may be applied, be rendered seasonably, and Raphelius Z Righteous, — good.'] It is true that in
(Not. ex Xen. in ver. 8,) has abundantly one sense righteousness must include good' VOL. IV. E
56 Justified by Christ's deaths we shall be saved by his liff.
SECT, die; for certainly it is but here and there one one die; yet perad- X. in a great multitude who would be willing to ^^^^'''iJ^l \^^d
redeem the most eminently useful life at the even dare to die. v^'. pJ'ice of his own. But God hath recommended 8 But God com-
At« astonishing love towards us, and set it off '"^".^^^^ *^'^*°^*^ ***'
., .R . I . J . ' ^ i- 1 • 1 wards us, in that
as it were with this grand circumstance oi high while we were yet embellishment, if I may so speak, that when we sinners, Christ died were yet sinners^ and therefore not only unde- ^^^ "*• serving of his favour, but justly obnoxious to wrath and punishment, Christ died in our stead, that our guilt might be cancelled, and we ^brought into a state of divine acceptance. Since 9 Much more then^ therefore it hath pleased the blessed God to ^^'"t.^^^!. J"/'^^^
^ , * 1 1 !• 1 /' 1 • 1 by his blood, we
give US such an unexampled display oi his love shall be saved from as this, how high may our expectations rise, and wrath through him., how cheerfully may we conclude, that much more being now justified bj/ the efficacy of his most precious blood, we shall be saved from wrath by him! For we can never imagine that God would provide at so expensive a rate for our justifica- tion, and then finally leave us under wrath, though we have acquiesced in the scheme of his grace for our deliverance. 10 For if , as I have already maintained, 2£;Aew lo For if when we we were enemies, through the perverseness of ^^""^ enemies, we
. J , ,, i°ii. ?. 1. were reconciled to
our minds and the rebellion ot our lives, we God by the death of were reconciled to God by the death of his own his Son; much more dear Son; and if, foreseeing we should fall into being reconciled, we^ this state of hostility, he made this wonderful yj^^ ^ ^^^ ^ provision for our being admitted to terms of peace, how much more, being thus reconciled, shall we be saved from misery and made com- pletely happy by his recovered life, now he is risen from the dead and ascended to glory !
ness, as we owe to every man a benevo- Jewish Antiquities, lib. 1. cap. ix.) bear
lent aifection, and are bound iu duty to some allusion to a distribution of many
God to do all the good we can to the kind into the three classes, Dl^DH,
whole human species But he may in ^.p^y ^^j ^,^^^ ^ ^^ ^. ^^^^^,
common speech be called a j«./ or nshl- J 3,,^ ^- ^^f^^ ^^^^ Wbmnical
eot/. ma« who gives to every one what ^^-^^^^ mention.-All the beauty and
IS by law his due, and^. a goodoxben,. ^^ ^^is passage is lost by reading
volent man who voluntarily abounds .n ^^,^^ j^gj^^j of ^;:c<..h, as the editor of
kmd and generous actions to which no ^^e new version of 172T does, without,
human laws can compel hmrTullv has ^^ j ^^^ g.^^, any single authority: For
the like distinction (de Offic. |,b i. ^ ,^i,j,,,i ^,^^ no one would rvUlingly die,
'u^\''\ J: ^^'""i^ r""^ ' ,i? ^^^"•''t'^'y thouf^hfor a bevefaclor some have readUy of- Illustrated by Raphel.us, (Not. ex Xen. j^^^^ ^^ ^-^^ ^„j q^ ,,o,, „^t ,i/„if
in loc.) by apposite quotations from ^^^^j a ;,en.W Wador, but in ge-
other ancient writers. It may very „^„,i 1 iL ^/o«/ «.«„ • ., , /-, J • 1 1 • I.- neral a benevolent man*
{>ossu>ly (as Qodwin has shown in his
Beflections on the happiness of peace with God. 67
IMPROVEMENT.
With what ecstasies of holy joy may we.justly survey these sect.
inestimable privileges, the blessed consequences of having em- x.
braced the gospel and being justified by faith unfeigned! How great a happiness to have peace with God, with that Omnipo- ^^' * tent Being who can at pleasure arm all nature against us or for us! to have access to him by Jesus Christ, and daily converses with him as our Father in heaven! to rejoice in an assured hope of enjoying glory with Christ in his presence, yea of enjoying the God of glory! to see all affliction not only disarmed but turned into matter of triumph, while tribulation worketh expe-3, 4! rience, patience, and hope ! So may all our tribulations work ; and be they ever so severe, they will be reasons for our joy and praise. The pain of them will soon be over, the happy conse- quences of them will be as lasting as our immortal souls.
Let us endeavour to dilate our hearts, that we may received the largest effusions of the love of God to be shed abroad there. The love of God! that plant of paradise, which will spring up unto eternal life. And to excite it, let us be daily meditating upon the rich wonders of redeeming love and grace ; adoring that seasonable interposition of divine mercy, that when we were weak and guilty creatures, when we lay for ever helpless under a sentence of everlasting condemnation, that is, when we appeared thus in the eyes of him who beholdeth things which are not as if they were, Christ died for us, and gave a token of his 6 love even for the worst of sinners, which few among the children 7 of men are willing to give with respect to the most upright and benevolent of their brethren. Since the love of God comes thus recommended, let us cordially embrace it, and awaken all the powers of our souls to a diligent care to secure the happy fruits, that we may not receive the grace of God in vain. If we do indeed experience in ourselves, not only that there is a founda- tion laid for our reconciliation, but that we are actually recon- ciled to God by the death of his Son, our hopes may rise high 10 that we shall much more obtain consummate salvation by his life. For surely it is infinitely more astonishing that the Sou ^ of God should die to reconcile enemies, than that having sub- dued their hearts by his dying love, and received them to friend- ship as the purchase of his blood, he should employ his re- covered life and extensive authority for their protection and complete salvation.
58 We glory in God through Jesus Christ:
SECT. XI.
The apostle shows that the calamities hronght hy the first Adam on his seed are repaired, with glorious advantage, to all who, hy faith, become interested in the second Adam. Rom. v. 11, to the end.
Romans v. 11. p .
SECT, y HAVE been breathing out our hopes and a nd not only so^ ^'* -■- our joys, as we are Christians, and are taught but we also joy "T^ by the principles of our divine religion, to re- '" ^^^\ through our
Rom. "J, r^ 1*^. xi X /^ 1 " 1 ^ Lord Jesus Christ,
V. 11. joice, not only m the prospect ot glory, but even ^y ^^om we have in tribulation itself. And now I must add, that now received the it is not only [so,] hut that there is another grand atonement. consideration which, though not yet mentioned, lies at the root of all our confidence and happi- ness ; which is this, that we boast in God as in- variably our covenant God and Father through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom we have 7iow, in these last times, received the great and important reconciliation,^ which not only averts the terrors of his wrath, but opens upon us all the blessings of his perpetual friendship and love. J 2 And therefore^ we may from these premises ^^ Wherefore, as infer that the benefit which we believers re- tJred"inrt"e'wor?d", ceive from Christ <= is equal to the detriment and death by sin; we receive from Adam, yea, is on the whole ^^^ so death passed greater than that ; for we now obtain rio^hteous- "P°" ,?" ""'"' IZ
*> , ..„ ^ , o . that all have sinned:
ness and lire irom one, as by one man, that is, Adam, the common father of the human species, sin entered into the new-made world, and death, before unknown in the creation of God, entered hy sin ; and so death passed on from one genera- tion to another upon all men, unto which all
^ Received the reconciliation.'] The word c We believers.] As this 12th verse
xa7aXX«y>j here has so apparent a refer- is an inference from the 11th, it seems
ence to xa7>iXXay»ifA£V and xa}a>^Kay£v1eg in evident that they only are spoken of;
the preceding verse, that it is surprising for it is plain, from comparing the 9th,
•» it should have been rendered by so dif. 10th, and llth verses with the first, that
ferent a word in our version ; especially it is only they who are justijied hy faith
as it is so improper to speak of our re- who have peace with God, and who joy in
ceiving an atonement, which God receives him by Christ, as having received the recon-
as made for our sins. ciliation. And this obvious remark clears
^ Therefore.'] Ata t»7o certainly does the following passage of difficulties*
often signify in ^Ai5re5/)^cf; but there are which would be exceeding great if it
some instances, even among the texts were to be considered without regard to
collected by Mr. Taylor here, in which this connection, and which have in fact
it may as well be rendered therefore; misled many commentators; who for
particularly Mat. xiii. 13; John ix. 23; want of attending to it, have plunged
chap. xii. 18; chap. xiii. 2; 1 Cor. iv. themselves and their readers into great
17; chap. xi. 30; Epb. i. 15. In all perplexity, and given a sense to the pa-
which places our rendering seems pre- ragraph of which it is by no means ca-
Curable to what he would propose. pable.
For though by the one offence of Adam death came, 59
15 For until the law, sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when ihere is no law.
Rotn r. 13.
14 Nevertheless, 4eath reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression ; who is the figure of him that was to come:
Imvt sinned in him;*^ that is, they are so far in- sect volved in the consequence of his first transgres- xi. sion, as by means of it to become obnoxious to death. And that this was indeed the case, and this offence the engine of mortality in the whole human species, we may infer from one very ob- vious fact, I mean the death of infants froA the very beginning; for from the fall of Adam unto the time when God gave the law by Moses, as well as after it, sin was and appeared to be in the world, by the continual execution of its pun- ishment, that is, death. But it is a self-evident principle, that sin is not and cannot be imputed where there is no law, since the very essence of sin is the violation of a law. And conse- quently, if we see in fact that sin was imputed, we must conclude that the persons to whose account it appears to have been charged were under some law. Nevertheless, it is certainly death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over infants as well as others, over those, I say, who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression ofAdam,^ that is, who had never in their own persons offended God as Adam their father did; who, with res|)ect to the extent of his actions to all his seed, was the figure or mo- del^ of him who was to comcy^ that is, a kind of
^ Unto zohich all have sinned: tf^ ato-av- 1e; ^jw,ap1ov.] Eisner (Observ. Vol. II. p. 26.) wouJd render it on account of whom ; and he produces som*i remarkable autho- rities for it; (compare Phil iii. 12; Rom. X. 19; chap. xvi. 19; 1 Thess. iii. 7.) but I think those produced by Mr. Tay- 'lor, (from Gal. v. 13; Eph. ii. 19 ; 1 Thess. iv. 7 ; 2 Tim. ii. 14.) with the use of the particles in some of the purest Greek classics, sufficient to support his ren- dering, which I have here followed. See his Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin, Part I. p. 51, &c. note.
* Likeness of Adam* s t)ansgression.'\ Mr. Locke and several more interpret this of the Gentiles, who did not sin against a positive laxa: But they might certainly have died for their transgression against the natural law^ under which they were born, and for which the apostle express- ly asserts, not only that they were in fact liable to perish, (chap. ii. 12, &c,) but that they knew they were worthy of death. (Chap. i. ult.)
f Figure or model. "J That the word •ruTT^ has this signification, will appear
from Acts vii, 44; Rom. vi. 17; Phil, iii. 17; 1 Thess. j. 7; 2 Thess. iii. 9; 1 Tim. iv. 12; Tit. ii. 7; Ileb. viii. 5; 1 Pet. v. 3.
? Of kirn who was to come: ru jW.-XXoy- 7(§^.] Here is evidently an ellipsis. Most commentators have explained it as referring to the great person that was to come, or in other words, the future ^Adam,] that is, Chris^t. But Sir Norton Knatchbull would explain it of mankind to come. He thinks that Adam cannot with any propriety be called a ttjpe of Christ, as the ti/pe of a thing is its shape, model, or representation, and therefore if the thing be good, the type of it must be so too. Dr. Miliier, in vindication of this interpretation, observes that this will best agree with the apostle's design: For if Adam was to be considered as a public person, the type, figure, or repre- sentation of mankind, his conduct will, as the apostle savs it does, aft'ect infants. Dr. Milner's Fading Flowers of Life, p. 14. — But it may be sufficient to answer, that upon the common interpretation there was plainly a correspondence be-
60 and reigned over the whole human race,
SECT, type of the Messiah, as being a public person XI. and federal head.
Yet I must observe by the way, that with re- 15 But not as the
j^"- spect to the free s:ift of God in the gospel-dis- ""^^"f^^ ^? ^'^^ \'
V. 15. r •'1 r-T ^ A.I .1 % the free gift. For if
pensation, it \is\ not exactly as the ojfence, nor through the offence limited in all respects as that is; for if by the of one many be dead; offence of one many died, if the whole human fa- much more the grace
'"., ^ 'i • i_ T_ • A. oi God, and the
mily, numerous as it is, become obnoxious to gif^ ^y grace, which death and destruction thereby, hOw much more is by one man, jesus hath the free grace of God, and the gift [which is Christ, hath^abound- granted] hy that grace, as manifested and dis- ^ "" ° played in that one greater and better man Jesus Christ, abounded to many, that is, to all the nu- merous family of believers ! 16 And this in two very important respects. In i6Andnotast7ttw ■ the first place, the gift [«.] not merely, a. the ^/„Xg^t: tTt ruin that came upon us hy one that sinned, m judgment washy one respect to the number of offences in question; tocondemnation,but for the sentence of but one [offence passed-] upon '^^ J'^^ffences "unto us to condemnation, and we were no farther af- justification, fected by the subsequent sins of Adam than by those of an intermediate parent; but the gift of divine grace, exhibited in the gospel, [is ef- fectual] to our justification from the guilt of many offences : It not only delivers us from the sentence to which we were from our .birth liable on account of Adam's sin, but from that more grievous and dreadful sentence which we had brought upon ourselves in adult life by our innumerable and aggravated personal trans- 17gressions. Moreover, there is another impor- 17 For if by oue tant article in which the grace of the gospel man's offence death
J ,, . *?. I.' 1 x/^ J J reigned by one, much
exceeds the seeming severity which attended more they which re- the imputation of guilt from our first father ceive abundance of Adam; namely, that if by one man's o^ence spa^*^, and of the gifts death reigned, by one, over all his posterity, as we observed above, they who thankfully and obediently receive^ the overflowing abundance of free grace, and of the munificent gift of
tween Christ and Adam, as each was a it is surprising any should have spoken
public heady though the influence of of it as common to the whole human
each on his respective seed was differ- race. And nothing is more evident
ent; 60 that the whole reasoning of both than that the word Xa^Savw has often
these learned and ingenious writers this sense, and signifies being active in
seems inconclusive. embracing sl benefit proposed, or a person
h Thankfully and obediently receive.'] offering himself under a character of im-
It is so very plain that the abundant portance. Compare John i. 11, 12;
reign in life by Jesus Christ is appropriat- chap. iii. 11, 32 ; chap. v. 43; chap. xii.
ed to persons of a particular character, 48; chap. xiii. 20; Jam. v. 10; 1 John
jexpressed here by receiving the gift, that v. 9; 2 John, 10 j 3 John, 7.
Believers in Christ shall be justified from many offences, 61
of righteousness, shall righteousness exhibited in the gospel, shall much sect.
reign >» 'j^e by one, ^^^^ reign in life by the one great Restorer and ^^• Recoverer of his seed, even Jesus CkiHst ; that is, believers shall by him be brought to a ^.^n. much nobler and more excellent life than that '
from which Adam fell, and which they lost in him.
18 Thereforeasby Therefore, on the whole, you see, as I began 18 the offence of one, ^ ^^^^^^y^ to you before,^ that as [the conse^
judgment came upon J ' u 4 r * 7
ail men to condem- quence\ oj one ojjence, on the one nana, [extend^ nation ; even so by g^j to all men, to bring Condemnation upon them, the righteousness of ^^ ^ ^^iQ other side, [Me consequence^ of
owe, the free gift came ' * /• • i, r * 5 Ji / ;/
upon all men unto one grand act OJ righteousness \extendea\ to all
justification of life, men who receive and embrace it, securing to
them that justification which will be crowned
19 For as by one with the enjoyment of eternal life. For as by 19 man's disobedience ^^^ disobedience of one man many were constitut-
manv were made sm- , . ^.i . • i i • x j mi-
ners'; so by the obe- ^" sinners, that is, became obnoxious to aeatn
dience of one shall as if they themselves had sinned, so by the many be made right- complete and persevering obedience of one many ♦ * shall be constituted righteous ;^ that is, they shall
be treated as such in the day of God''s final ac- count, though they have no perfect righteous- ness of their own to plead in consequence of which they should stand before God and claim the reward.
20 Moreover, the But as for the law of Moses, that could not 20 law entered, that the possibly procure this great benefit to them ; for
that made a little entrance,^ that is, took place
» As 1 began to observe, &c.] This madversion of a righteous God upon it r
18th verse seems connected with the end but simply to be raised from the dead is
of the 12th, and all the intermediate, not being made righteous, or treated as a
verses do undoubtedly come in as a pa- righteous person ; since it is a very sup-
renthesis; and the reader, by perusing phsable case, and will in fact be the case
the interwoven text alone, will observe of \nillions, that a sinner may be raised
that these verses, viz. 12th, 18th, 19th, in o^der to more condign and dreadful
make one continued sentence. But I punishment. The whole interpretation,
judged it necessary, here and elsewhere, therefore, which Mr. Taylor has given
to break the paraphrase into several sen- of tbi^ text, in this view appears to me
tences, lest the excessive length should destitute of a sufficient foundation, have rendered the sense obscure, and ^ 3Iade a little entrance,] So •c^afHo-n'kBs
the passage unwieldy and disagreeable, properly signifies, and is well rendered
Many of Paul's sentences are, as they by the Vulgate sw^m/rrtui^ in which sense
stand in the text, obscured by the length, vrafna-a^loi is used Gal. ii. 4. Thus the
Compare 2 Cor. xii. 14; chap. xiii. partial and limited entrance of the law
^ Many shall be constituted righteous.'] is distinguished from that universal en-
To become liable to death for the offence trance of sin which passed on all, as
of another, is indeed being thereby con- Mr, Locke well observes. This I think
stituted a sinner, or treated as a sinner; preferable to Mr. L'Enfant*s rendering
since death is, in its primary view, to be it the law intervenedf that is, between
considered as the wages of sin, or the ani- Adain and Christ.
62 Grace reigns through Jesus Christ to eternal life,
SECT, among comparatively a very small number of offence might a- x^ mankind for a few ages, thxtt the offence mip-ht, bound: but where sin
. .jni. 1 I I j^ abounded, grace did
"T instead oi bemg removed, abound mucn more much more abound : y^g^j] than before; as in consequence of it many things became offensive to God which were before indifferent, and the guilt of moral offences was aggravated by so express a declaration of the rule of duty violated by them : so that, on the whole, it seemed intended to convince and hum- ble rather than to justify. Yet^ on the whole, Ood hath taken an occasion to glorify the riches of his mercy by that dispensation,- and where sin has abounded under the most aggravating cir- cumstances, grace hath superabounded, so as thereby to gain a superior and more illustrious 21 triumph: That as sin had reigned*in the wide 21 That as sin hath and universal devastation which death had made f f'f T'm '^''''^' on those whom it had brought under that fatal reign throu'gh r%ht- sentence, so s^race mts-ht reisn to such a degree eousness unto eter- as to bestow eternal life and happiness, through chlist our Lord ^"^ the glorious and complete righteousness^ which we obtain bi/ Jesus Christ our I^ord, when we sincerely believe in him as our Saviour, and give up our souls to the authority of his equi- table and auspicious government.
IMPROVEMENT.
Ver. 11. Let us daily remember our relation to God by Christ Jesus, and glory in this relation ; saying frequently, " He is indeed *« our Father. This God, with all his adorable, unfathomable, *^ immutable perfections, is our God. He will be our guide '' unto death, and our portion for ever. My soul shall make " her boast in the Lord. What relation can be so honourable, *' what can afford such an unfailing spring of perpetual joy.?""
Let us honour him in all his dispensations, even those which may appear the most mysterious. In this number we are un- doubtedly to reckon his constituting Adam the covenant-head of his posterity, and involving our life or death in him ; yea, ad- justing the relation so, that our spiritual state should be greatly affected by his conduct, and we should by his transgression be- come the heirs, not only of death but of moral pollution, and ultimately, by virtue of our descent from him, be shapen in ini- quity and conceived in sin.
^ Grace might reign to eterriQl life tlurough righieousnesSf &c.] This trajection the i-GQi^ absolutely requires.
Reflections on Adam's sin and the grace of Christ, 63
It is a consideration which must carry awe and solemnity, sect. grief and lamentation, throughout all ages, that hy one man sin xi. €Jitered into the worlds and death made such a progress by the^^ j^ entrance of sin, as to pass upon all men in consequence of that iict. O God, how terrible are thy judgments ! and yet how rich thy compassion in appointing the second Adam to repair the ruin and desolations of the first! Yea, more than to repair them; to deliver us from all our most aggravated transgressions, if we "believe in him, and receive the gift of righteousness ! to cause us to reign in life by him ! to bring us to a more exalted and 17 secure happiness than Adam himself enjoyed in the day in which he was created, or than Eden, the garden of God, could afford !
Let us adore these superaboundings of divine grace, and its 20 reign unto eternal life. And let all our knowledge of the law of God, our distress under a sense of having broken it, and being thereby exposed to its condemning sentence, be considered as illustrating the riches of that grace whereby we are saved, and so animate us to returns of the humblest gratitude and a per- severing obedience. Amen.
Rom. vi. 1.
SECT. XII.
The apostle shows that the gospel, for from dissolving our ohligations to practical holiness, does strongly increase them ; which is a considera- tion tending highlit to recommend it to the esteem and acceptance of all. Rom. vi. I — 14.
Romans vi. 1. RoMANS VI. I.
"mHAT shall we 'T^HUS we have asserted the doctrine of justi- sect, say then? shall 1 ficatiou by faith, or in other words, of sal- xii.
we continue m sin i.«i ai ia 'ju —
that grace may a- ^^tion by grace. And now let us consider how - bound ? it is to be improved. What shall we say, then^
concerning the practical inferences to be drawn from it.''^ Shall we say, Let us continue in the habitual practice of sm, that grace may abound so much the more in pardoning and saving us? 2 God forbid ! how God forbid that such an unworthy thoughts shall we, that are should ever arise in our heartsj! We have dis- claimed the consequence above, (chap. iii. 7, 8.) and we most solemnly disclaim it again. We
» What shall me say then? &c.] The before, chap. iii. 7,8. He had then only
apostle here sets himself more fully to in strong terms denied and renounced
clear and vindicate the doctrine he it, but here remOYCS the very founda-
taught from the consequence suggested tion of it,
64 His grace leads us to walk in newness of life :
«ECT. who are dead to sin,^ we who, by our profession, ^ead to sin, live any XII. are under such sacred engagements to mortify ^"^^"^ ^ ®'^^*" * it with the greatest care, how shall we yet live
^^^' in it ? Surely it were the grossest contradiction that can be imagined. On the contrary, it is apparent that nothing has so great a tendency to animate us to avoid sin, and to enable us to conquer it, as this doctrine of gospel-grace. S What^ Sirs i know ye not, and is it possible 3 Know ye not that anyof you should be ignorant of this great '^:l,Z Z;uJ.Z and obvious truth, that as many of us as have to Jesus Christ, were been baptized into Jesus Christ, *^ that is, into baptized into his the profession of the Christian faith, which is "^^^^^ the case of us all, have been baptized into his death, and engaged to conform to the great pur- poses of it, which we know were to abolish sin ? * (1 Pet. iv. 1 , 2 ; 1 John iii. 5.) Therefore, as this 4 Therefore we is the known obligation of this solemn initiatory ^^ burled with him ordinance, it may be said that we are buried death ;^?hat'^like"as with him in that baptism ^ which we received as Christ was raised up bringing us i7ito a kind of fellowship in [his] ^J^^ ^'^^ dead by the death ; most evidently for this purpose, that as fve'/so wltiso^stouTd Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of walk in newness of the Father, and the operation of his illustrious ^^^^' though mysterious power, so we also should continue, during the remainder of our days, to walk in newness of life, maintaining a course of conduct and actions entirely different from the 5 former. For surely these two must go toge- 5 For if we have ther ; and we may conclude that if we are thus ^r^yfJ^^nlpT'^'f
' •' . T |./ n t ' 1 1 ^^ ^be likeness or
made to grow together in the likeness oj his aeath,^ his death, we shall
^ Dead to sin.] Eisner shows how fre- is an allusion to the naanner of baptising
quently moral writers among the hea- by immersion, as most usual in these
thens speak of wise and good men as early times; but that will not prove this
dead to sensualities and animal plea- particular circumstance to be essential
sures. Eisner, Observ. Vol. II. p. 28. to the ordinance : and in whatever mau-
c Baptized into Jesus Christ.] As the ner it was administered, if it were in-
cburch at Rome seems to have been tended as a declaration of faith in the
planted about the year 43, and this epis- death and resurrection of Christ, as it
tie was written in the year 58, that is, 15 is well known Christ died for sin, it
years after, and yet the apostle speaks would infer an obligation to die to it
of the converted Romans in general as and rise again to a holy life, which is
baptized, it must be supposed, as Dr. the main point the apostle labours.
Gale well argues, that baptism was ad- « Made to grow together.} Dr. Wells
ministered to those whose parents had observes that this is the most exact im-
been Christians at the time of their birth, port of a- vix^-Jloi, and that it does not sig-
CompareCol. ii. 12. See Gale's Sermons, nify merely being planted together. — As
Vol. II. p. 202, 203. there is something harsh in the construe-
^ Buried ivith him in baptism.} It seems tion of u and aXXahere, Beza would for
the part of candour to confess that here «(^^» read k[j.<6 ; but B^phelius in his
For the old man is crucified zvith Christ 65
he also in the likeness so also shall we be United [in the likeness"] of [his"] sect. of his resurrection ; resurrection, and shall rise up to a life spiritually xii. new, as he rose to immortal life and vigour ;
6 Knowing this, As we know this, that our old man, that is, the J^"?' that our old man is whole system of our former inclinations and dis- that^thef brdy'of sTn positions, which did by a fatal contagion spread might be destroyed, themselves over the whole man, and were incor- that henceforth we porated with it, hath now, as it were, been cru^ should not .erve sin: cified together [with Christ,] the remembrance and consideration of his cross co-operating in the most powerful manner with all the other mo- tives which the gospel suggests to destroy the former habits of sin, and to inspire us with an aversion to it ; that so the body of sin, of which this old man did as it were cons\s\,might be ener- vated, deposed, and destroyed ; ^ that we might no longer be in bondage to sin, as we were before we were so happy as to know the gospel and the efficacy of this great doctrine of a crucified *J For he that is Saviour : For he that is thus dead with Christ 7 dead is freed from {s set at liberty from sin, ^ sin being crucified ^'"" to him and he to sin, on the principles mention-
ed before ; just as the death either of the master or the slave, and much more evidently of both, dissolves the relation and destroys the oppress- ive power which might before be exercised, 8 Now if we be J^ji^ let me farther remind you, that as we are ff berieve'lha?we shlu Christians, we believe that if we be thus dead also live with him