Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 35
VERSE 35. Who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Chriſt? ſhall tribulation, or diſtreſſe, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſſe, or perill, or ſword?
IN this verſe and the two next, the Apoſtle remooueth the ſecond Tentation ariſing from the preſence of euill, namely, of the euill without vsus, from the Creatures. The coherence Pareus maketh to be thus: A weake Chriſtian thus obiects: Though God louelove vsus, and Chriſt pray for vsus, yet wee are ſubiect to famine, nakednes, pouertie, a thouſand troubles. Paul anſwers, What then? This is the condition of the Church; we are neuertheleſſe beloued for this; yea, we are more then Conquerors.
The vvords wherein Paul deliuers this are admirable; and ſo indeed is this whole concluſion. That we could feele that which Paul writes! Though all which hee writes, bee from the Spirit of God, yet here hee was more ſpecially inſpired. And ſome obſerue that Pauls ſtile is ſo beautified vvith wonderfull Eloquence and Rhetorick, that nor Tully nor Demoſthenes could euer hauehave ſo ſpoken. For power, ſome hauehave been affected vvith the reading of Paul, as they are with thunder. And S. Auguſtine, as is reported of him, Auguſ…nus. Eraſmus. Paulum quotieſcunque lego, videor mihi non verba ſed audire toni trua. Hier. epiſt. 61. ad Pammach.wiſhed for 3. things: to ſee Chriſt in the fleſh; Rome in the pride of it; and to hauehave heard Paul preach.
In this verſe is a poſition, that no oroſſes or creatures can depriue vsus of the louelove of our God. Which is ſet downe in a double Interrogation, and that not in plaine manner, but with great force, that hee might adde life to it, and rauiſh the Readers. This poſition hath a double probation following; the one from example, Verſe 36. the other frō the iſſues of our troubles, ver. 37.
Who ſhall ſeparate vsus? That is, none can. But he ſpeaks with contempt, Who ſhall? Shall tribulation? as if hee ſhould ſay, I ſcorne it. As Goliah defied Dauid, ſaying, 1. Sam. 17.43.Doeſt Thou come to Me with a ſtaffe? So Paul with a bettor ſpirit, defies all croſſes, as to be able to depriue vsus of Chriſts louelove.
Separate; Such a word is here vſed, as ſignifieth ſeparation of ſoule and body, to note that as it is grieuous for the ſoule to be ſeparated from the body; ſo much more to be ſeparated from God.
From the louelove of Chriſt. Many of the ancient, and of the late Writers (eſpecially Popiſh,) expound it of our louelove to Chriſt; which if it be the Genuine meaning (as Martyr ſaith) it is neither vnfit nor impious) then I wonder they ſhould ſay it is preſumption, to affirme that we are certaine of perſeuerance; in as much as Paul ſpeakes in the perſon of all Beleeuers. But I take it to be meant principally and moſt properly of Chriſts louelove to vsus, or of the ſenſe of it in affliction, as ſome interpretaPiſcator. Rollocus.. If it were meant of our louelove, the comfort were not ſo greatbGrynaeus.. Alſo the like phraſe elſewhere cVerſ. 37. & cap. 5.5.approues this Expoſition. Farther, the word ſeparate cannot properly bee ſpoken of our louelove. For wee are ſeparated from another, not from our ſeluesdOleuianus..
Ʋs: That is, Beleeuers: Elect: The Syrian Tranſlator reades Mee: better VsUs: Yet thence wee may bee put in minde, eueryevery one to labour particularly to apply it, and feele it in himſelfe.
Shall tribulation? &c. He ſaid Who? Speaking of perſons: here he ſpeakes of things; becauſe by theſe things, Diuels and wicked men ſeeke to hurt the Elect. Chryſoſtome obſerues Pauls wiſedome in three things: 1. That hee ſaith not, Shall the louelove of Riches, Pleaſures, &c. which hauehave great force to bewitch vsus: but ſhall Tribulation, Diſtreſſe? &c. which violence, Nature. 2. That he begins with the lighter, and ſo riſeth to greater troubles, placing them in this order, not caſually, but by ſingular Art. 3. That though theſe which hee heere rehearſeth, conſiſt of a certaine number; yet eueryevery one as a Generall hath ſpeciall Tropes vnderunder it; As when hee ſaith Tribulation, he ſaith, Impriſonments, Bonds, Slander, Baniſhment, &c.
Tribulation: The word fignifieth any thing that preſſeth or pincheth vsus.
Diſtreſſe: The word is tranſlated from the ſtraightneſſe of the place, to the eſtate of the minde, when wee know not which way to turne vsus, as Dauid was in a ſtrait.2. Sam. 24.14.
Perſecution: When wee are purſued from one place to another, and baniſhed.
Famine and Nakedneſſe. Which follow ſuch as are baniſhed, and are grieuous weapons.
Perill of life. The Sword: Death it ſelfe, noted by the inſtrument of it.
doctrine The Diuell with all his Complices, cannot with all their Threatnings and Perſecutions, ſeparate vsus from Chriſts louelove. This is grounded vponupon the Immutabilitie of Gods louelove, Ioh. 13.1, Reu. 2.10. Eſay 43.1.
Vſe 1.The diſpoſition of godly and godleſſe men are different. Where the godly are moſt bold, there wicked men are cowards; and where the godly are moſt afraid, there the wicked are moſt bold. In ſinne the child of God quakes and feares: there the wicked man is bold. In Aduerfitie the childe of God is bold; there the wicked mans heart is in his hoſe (as we ſay.) When Moſes comes to Pharaoh that hee ſhould let Iſrael goe. Hee knowes not, nor cares for God, nor will let them goe. But when the plagues come: Then, Pray for me, Moſes; Goe your wayes: Take what you will, euen the wealth of Egypt.
In ſinne, let mee alwayes bee a Coward: but (vponupon grounded aſſurance of Gods louelove) bold and reſolute in Affliction.
Vſe 2.The Beleeuer is Aſſured. All bitter things cannot quite extinguiſh the ſweetneſſe of Gods louelove to them. Tribulation cannot, nor Diſtreſſe, &c. For as the Whale deuoures the leſſer Fiſhes, ſo the louelove of God ouercomes theſe.
Shall Tribulation, Diſtreſſe, Perſecution? No. They are bleſſed which endure theſe things. Shall Famine? Hee which feeds on Chriſt, cannot periſh for hunger. Shall Nakedneſſe? Chriſts Righteouſneſſe is my clothing: I ſhall willingly follow him euen Naked, who when he was clothed with infinite Glory as with a Garment, was content to be borne Naked, and to be ſtript on the Croſſe for my ſake. Shall Perill? I know the hardeſt. Shall the Sword? Chriſt is to mee in life and death aduantage. When the Tyrant ſhall take off my head, my ſoule ſhall flye out vntounto Chriſt.
The ſenſe of the louelove of Chriſt, made the Martyrs eſteeme Tyrants, as Gnats or Fleas, and torments as the flea-bitings. 1. Tyrannos, ipſumque adeo Neron, velut quoſdam Culices aeſtimabat. Chryſ. Hom. 2. de laud. Pauli.Tertullian of his times ſaith, Accuſatio votum eſt, & poena felicitas, Tert. aduerſus Gentes, non procul ab initio. Apolog.that to be accuſed, was the wiſh of Chriſtians; and puniſhment for Chriſt, they accounted felicitie. A certaine woman running in all haſte, with her child in her armes, being asked the cauſe, O, ſaith ſhee, I heare a great ſort of Chriſtians are appointed to be martyred, and I am afrayd, leſt I and my little one come too late. When the Emperour Valens baniſhed Baſil, and the Tribune threatened death, I would, ſaid Baſil, I had any thing of worth, I would beſtow it on him which ſhould cut Baſils wind-pipe: And when he had that Night giuen him to deliberate, anſwered that he ſhould be the ſame man to morrow, and wiſhed that the Tribune would not be changed. Chryſoſtome being in baniſhment, by the meanes of Eudoxia the Empreſſe, wrote to a Biſhop called Cyriacus: and vponupon occaſion, tels of his reſolution, before he was baniſhed: I thought with my ſelfe, ſaith he, that if ſhe will baniſh me, The earth is the Lords: If ſhe will ſaw me aſunder, I remembred Eſay; If drowne me, Ionas came to my minde: If ſtone me, I thought of Stephen: If behead me, of Iohn Baptiſt; If take away my goods; Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe. Thus did this holy Biſhop fore-arme himſelfe. So ought we to doe, that if God appoint ſuch times for vsus, we may not thinke it ſtrange.
Thou it may be art Now rich, in health, in peace, &c. Thou knoweſt not what hangs ouer thy head: but thou knoweſt what thou haſt deſerued. Thinke dayly of Famine, Nakedneſſe, Baniſhment, Impriſonment, Hanging, Burning, &c. Feare the worſt, and prouide for it: For what art thou better then thy Fathers? Then Eliah, Eſay, Peter; Paul, &c? Forethinke theſe things: leſſe ſhalt thou bee moued with ſuch things when they come. if thou meditateſt of them before they come. The weapon that is fore ſeene, hurts the leſſe.
Ʋſe 3.That which Satan aimes at in all his tentations, is to ſeparate vsus from God and Chriſt. He vexeth our bodies, ſpoyleth our goods, as we ſee in Iob; not ſo much to hurt our bodies, or make vsus poore; as to make vsus blaſpheme or deny God. He can be content wee ſhould bee rich and healthfull, ſo we be hated of God. Is this Satans drift? Let vsus ouerſhoote him in his owne bow: the more he tempteth and raiſeth trouble, the more often and earneſtly doe thou pray▪ and the more conſcionably doe thou walke before God, that thou mayſt defeat the Diuell, and preſerue the ſenſe of Gods louelove in thy breſt.