Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 32
VERSE 32. Hee that ſpared not his owne Sonne, but deliuered him vp for vsus: how ſhall hee not with him alſo freely giuegive vsus all things?
PAVL here begins to remoue the tentations of the godly in ſpeciall. Which are of two ſorts. Either concerning the defect of good, or the preſence of ill. In this Verſe hee dealeth about the firſt ſort; in the reſt of the Verſes, about the ſecond.Pareus. Chryſoſt. Martir. Grynaeus. Pareus. Rolloaus.
About the coherence moſt Interpreters iudge thus; that here is a proofe that God is with vsus, becauſe he hath giuen vp his owne Sonne for vsus: and then the argument is taken from the ſigne, not probable, but neceſſary and infallible. This is very true. Yet is may be very fitly conceiued thus. (viz.) That the Apoſtle doth anſwere an Obiection, which might bee made from the Verſe going before.
If God bee for vsus, ſaith the Fleſh. What meane then the want and pouerty whereby wee are preſſed? Pietie is hotly praiſed, but coldly rewarded. To this Paul anſwereth, as if he ſhould ſay: Let not ſuch diffidence diſtract you: God will freely giuegive you all things you neede: and this he proueth by an argument from the greater to the leſſe: Hee which giueth his owne Sonne, will deny nothing: and therefore the Syrian Tranſlator reades it, And if God hath not ſpared, &c. which Beza moſt approues, and his Maieſties Tranſlation: Hee hath not ſpared. Not as before: Who hath not: implying that it ſhould be ſtill addreſt to anſwere to the queſtion, Verſe 31.
We are poore, ſaith the weake Chriſtian. I but if God hath giuen vsus his owne Sonne, hee will deny vsus nothing which is good for vsus.
This Argument is amplified two wayes, 1. From a deſcription of Chriſt, who is here called Gods owne Sonne, that is, Ioh. 5.18.his naturall, onelyonly begotten. We are ſonnes, but adopted: and thus Chriſt alſo cals God his owne Father. Which terme notes equalitie, as the Iewes there vnderſtood.Ibid.
2. From an oppoſition of actions. Hee ſpared not, but deliuered or gaue vp: It is more then if hee had ſaid, he gaue, though freely. For a man may giuegive of his abundance, but God hath not ſpared his owne and onelyonly Sonne.
But hath deliuered him vp, that is, to death. Iudas deliuered him. So did God. Iudas as the Inſtrumentall, God as the Principall cauſe, gouerning the Tradition of Iudas: and yet neither is God to bee brought into the fellowſhip of the fault with Iudas; nor yet Iudas to be excuſed for the co-operation of God. Becauſe neither did God command or compell Iudas to doe it; neither did Iudas in the doing of it, ayme at the pleaſing of God.
This action of GOD is amplified; from the Perſons for whom. For vsus all: that is, not for all Men: but Beleeuers.
In theſe words then wee may conſider two things. 1. A Suppoſition, that GOD hath not ſpared his owne Sonne. 2. The Collection deduced and inferred. Hee will not deny vsus any thing.
doctrine The Doctrine. Out of the Suppoſition. God hath giuen to death his owne Sonne for vsus, Rom. 5.8.
Vſe 1.O, the greatneſſe of Gods louelove towards vsus! So God loued the world (ſaith our Sauiour Ioh. 3.16.) that hee gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne. 1. Ioh. 4.9,20.When Abraham was ready to offer his Sonne Iſaak, Gen. 22.12.The Lord ſaeid, Now I know that thou feareſt and loueſt me, becauſe for my ſake thou haſt not ſpared thine onelyonly Sonne. If Abraham louelove God, becauſe he ſpares not Iſaak, much more doth God louelove vsus, becauſe he ſpared not Chriſt. For it is more for God to offer vp His Sonne: then for Abraham to offer vp his. For firſt, God loued Chriſt better then Abraham could louelove Iſaak. Secondly, God was not bound by the commandement of a Superiour to doe it, as was Abraham. Thirdly, God voluntarily did it, which Abraham would neuer hauehave done without a commandement. Fourthly, Iſaak was to be offered after the manner of holy ſacrifices: Chriſt ſuffered an Ignominious death, after the manner of Theeues. Fiftly, Iſaak was in the hands of a tender Father; Chriſt in the hands of barbarous Enemies. Sixtly, Iſaack was offered but in ſhew, Chriſt in deed. This is an Exceſſe, yea, a Miracle of louelove. Hyperbole amoris Chryſoſt. Portentū amoris. Pareus.Paul calls it a louelove, paſſing knowledge. foreign. Eph. 3.19.There is no Argument to this, to draw a man to God. This Paul often celebrates. And hee's a very blocke that is not moued herewith, to ſhew himſelfe ſenſible of it in his godly walking.
God hath not ſpared his owne Sonne for vsus, as if hee loued vsus more dearely then Chriſt: For we vſe not to expend things deare, but for ſuch as are more deare. Who then which vnderſtands this, can finde in his heart to offend ſuch a God? He ſpared not his owne Sonne for thy ſake. Spare thou thy drunkenneſſe, vncleanneſſe, &c. but not thy bloud for his ſake, who was ſo prodigall (as I may ſay) of his owne and only Sonnes to doe thee good:
Now to the Argument.
He that ſpared not his owne Sonne for vsus, will ſpare no other thing for vsus.
But God ſpared not Chriſt for vsus. Therefore.
For it is leſſe to giuegive vsus all things with him, then to giuegive Him to death for vsus.
doctrine To whomſoeuer God giues Chriſt, he giues all good things: For all things are in Chriſt, 1. Cor. 3.21,22,23. Col. 1.17,19.
Vſe 1.Aboue all things ſeeke for Chriſt, who is the Fountaine of all good. In ipſo filio Dei omnia exiſtunt tanquam in primordiali praeparatiua cauſa. Aquinas.If thou haſt him, thou haſt all; for as the ſhadow followes the body: ſo all good things temporall and eternall follow him. He neuer comes empty or alone, but his reward is with him. Reuel. 22.12.The world ſings the old Poets note: Firſt for money, then for Chriſt. And if they hauehave any ſpare time, that is for Chriſt and eternall life.
Vngratefull wretch, which haſt beſtowed many houres and dayes on thy pleaſures and vanities, ſcarce a day or houre on the knowledge of God and Chriſt. Hee that hath Chriſt, hath all things: yet who ſeeketh Chriſt ſo earneſtly as he ſeeketh all other things?
This was preached in the time of the great drought Anno 1615.Examine your ſelues on this preſent occaſion. Who amongſt you euer ſo longed for Chriſt, as now for raine? Who hath ſo bewailed his ſinnes, as this preſent want? Seeke yee Chriſt; and with him you ſhall finde comfortable ſeaſons, yea all good things. Firſt ſeeke the Kingdome of God, and his Chriſt, then all ſuch things ſhall bee giuen vsus into the bargaine. Mat. 6.33. foreign hoc eſt foreign, velut additamentum. Metaphora ab ijs qui emunt fructus, vt pyra, poma, &c. Piſcat. in. loc. Mat.Theſe ſhall be as an &c. in the end of a ſentence. Conſider how moſt men haſtily goe to worke: one ſeekes raine in the new Moone, another in the change of the winde: a third in this or that figure. None almoſt ſeeke him in Chriſt, and therefore God hath confounded all our Signes and Obſeruations.
Seeke therefore ſuch things in Chriſt: for without Chriſt eyther we ſhall not hauehave them: or we ſhall hauehave no comfort in hauing them, they turning from being benefits, to be very ſnares vntounto vsus. We may hauehave temporall good things without Chriſt, but as the Thiefe hath the True mans purſe. Alas, what ſhall it profit him, when hee ſhall come to hold vp his hand for his robbery? So if thou hauehave not Chriſt, thou art an vſurper euen of that which thou poſſeſſeſt by a lawfull ciuill right, and ſhalt be called to account for the ſame.
Thou mayeſt hauehave gold and ſiluer without Chriſt, but no comfort without him: Whom if thou haſt, thou mayſt eate with peace, and drinke with peace, and with peace and comfort poſſeſſe gold, ſiluer, houſe, lands, rich apparell; for they are thine owne in Chriſt.
If thou beleeueſt, thou canſt want nothing which is good for thee: for all temporall bleſſings and ſpirituall, are annexed to the perſon of Chriſt, whom they poſſeſſe by Faith. Walke therefore cheerefully in thy calling, and be not anxious, nor diſquiet thy ſelfe with carking care. Quid haeſitas ſuper poſſeſſionibus horum & Dominum omnium habeas? Chryſoſt.What doeſt thou doubt about poſſeſſions, when thou poſſeſſeſt the Lord of all? Hee that hath giuen that which is greater to his enemies, how ſhould it bee that he ſhould deny leſſer things to his friends? The Prodigall Childe doubteth not of bread inough, if hee can obtaine his Father. So we can be in no want, if we want not Chriſt.