Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 9 · Verses 30-32
VERSE 30. What ſhall wee ſay then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after Righteouſneſſe, hauehave attained to Righteouſnes, euen the Righteouſneſſe which is of faith.
31. But Iſrael which followed after the law of Righteouſneſſe, hath not attained to the law of Righteouſneſſe.
32. Wherefore? becauſe they ſought it not by faith, but as it were by the workes of the law.
IN theſe verſes is a collection, wherein Paul anſwers an obiection which might be made againſt that, which hee deliuered out of Oſee and Eſay; and ſo prepares way for the matter of the tenth Chapter.
The ſumme of the Obiection is this: If the Gentiles be accepted, and the Iewes reiected, then is the righteouſneſſe of the Law condemned. To this Paul anſwers in part here, more fully in the next Chapter.
Here are two parts; 1. A Queſtion, What ſhall we ſay then? 2. The Anſwere, in all the reſt of the words.
Q. If the Gentiles be receiued, and the Iewes caſt out, what ſhall we ſay then?
A. This will we ſay, quoth Paul, That the Gentiles which followed not the Righteouſneſſe of the Law, hauehave attained Righteouſnes: and the Iewes which followed the Righteouſnes of the Law, hauehave not attained to it.
The firſt part of this Anſwere is in the 30. verſe, vvith a Reaſon annexed; Becauſe they ſought the Righteouſnes of the Law by faith.
The ſecond part of the Anſwere is in the 31. verſe, with a reaſon alſo thereof in the firſt part of verſe 32, Becauſe they ſought it not by faith, but by their owne works.
That theſe may the better be vnderſtood, let vsus ſee what a Gentile is, and what a Iew. A Gentile is deſcribed, Ephe. 2.11,12. and 4,17,18,19. A Iew, is one lineally deſcended of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, who is circumciſed, and ſtrict in keeping the Ceremoniall Law, and alſo of the letter of the morall Law, as appeareth by the young man in the Goſpel.Luke 18.21.
Now this makes the matter the more ſtrange; that ſuch deuout people, ſo eagerly purſuing the righteouſneſſe of the Law, ſhould not be iuſtified, when we can hauehave no agreemēt with God, without ſuch a righteouſnes performed which the Law requireth: and that the Gentile ſhould obtaine Righteouſneſſe, hauing no care of the Law.
The reaſon ſhewes how this came to paſſe. The Gentiles ſought Righteouſnes, not in themſelues, but in Chriſt, which they apprehending by faith, were by it iuſtified in the light of God: And the Iewes ſeeking it in themſelues, and thinking by the goodnes of their owne workes, to attaine to the righteouſnes of the Law, miſſed of it, it beeing in no mans power perfectly to fulfill the ſame: onelyonly Chriſt hath fulfilled it. Hence was it, that our Sauiour ſo ſharply reprehended the Scribes and Phariſes, zealous followers of the Law, keeping company with Publicans and ſinners, at which thoſe Ievves were greatly offended.
As Peter fiſhed all night and caught nothing; ſo they loſt all their labour, becauſe they caſt not out their net on the right ſide, where Chriſt was to be found.
doctrine None can be iuſtified in the ſight of God by a righteouſnes of their owne making: but whoſoeuer will be iuſtified, muſt be iuſtified by the righteouſnes of Chriſt through faith, Rom. 3.20,28. Rom. 10.3. Gala. 2.16. Tit. 3.5.
Vſe 1.The Gentiles by faith attain the righteouſnes of the Law; Therfore the righteouſnes of the Law, & of faith, are all one; viz. in reſpect of matter and forme: The difference is onelyonly in the vvorker. The Law requires it to bee done by our ſelues; The Goſpel mitigates the rigour of the Law, and offers ſuch righteouſneſſe done by an other, euen by Chriſt; who performed the Law euen to a haires bredth. How vvee can be iuſtified by the righteouſneſſe of another, ſee largely opened elſe-where.See grounds of Diuinity, page 213. Et ſeq.
Vſe 2.They which ſeeke iuſtification by their owne righteouſneſſe, find it not: for ſuch practice and doctrine, the Iewes are called Theeues and Robbers. Iohn 10.1.If they are ſo called, ſeeking it in things commaunded of God, much more the Papiſts, who ſeek it in things forbidden of God; as prayers to Saints, vvorſhipping of Images, and Monkiſh life, &c.
Nor Iewes, nor Papiſts, are to be blamed for ſeeking, but for ſeeking amiſſe; neither doe they miſſe it for want of ſeeking, but for not ſeeking it as they ſhould do. He that runnes in a wrong way, the more haſt he makes, the farther he is frō his iourneyes end. The right way to Righteouſnes for Iuſtification, is by Chriſt; who is the vvay and the doore.
Seeke in Chriſt, and thou ſhalt find, ſo ſhalt thou if thou ſeeke in thy ſelfe, not life, but death; for how ſhould ought elſe be found there, where ſin cannot be wanting*Quomodo ibi pura eſſet iuſtitia, vbi non poteſt culpa deeſſe? Bern. ſorm. 5. de verb. Eſay.? Becauſe we want a righteouſnes of our owne, God hath affigned bAſsignata eſt ei aliena qui carni ſua. Bern. Epiſt. 190.vsus the righteouſnes of Chriſt, which is better then our owne; yea, better then our liues, being the very roote of our liues*foreign. Chryſ. Hom. 10. in Epiſt. ad Rom. 3.27..
This doctrine is to be holden, 1. That we may hauehave peace in our Conſciences, which by our own righteouſnes cannot be attained, by reaſon of the defect of it; which muſt needes bring the curſe: but being iuſtified by faith, wee hauehave peace with GodfRom. 5.1.. 2. That we may giuegive God his due glory; which they doe not, who ſeeke righteouſneſſe by their owne indeuours; for all boaſting is excluded by the law of faithgRom. 3.27, but eſtabliſhed by our works.
Q. May not a Beleeuer boaſt, becauſe he belieueth?
A. No more then a begger, becauſe hee hath a hand to receiue a reward: nay, a begger may more boaſt then wee; for he that giueth, giueth onelyonly the reward, but God giues both the righteouſnes whereby wee are iuſtified, and the hand to receiue the ſame, which is our faith.
Ciuill righteouſnes, which conſiſts in a quiet, courteous, ſociable life, in good houſe-keeping, &c. is a vaine thing to Iuſtificatiō. I find no fault with any for liuing ciuilly, neither do I ſpeake againſt it, but againſt the dangerous deceiueable conceit of it, which hath ſo poſſeſſed the minds of many, that they thinke it ſufficient to bring them to heauen.
A good Chriſtian is not without it, but without the opinion of it. If it be ioyned to faith, it is a Sea-marke, but without faith it is a dangerous Rock.
The example of the Iewes confound he confidence of all our Ciuill men: They gaue almes, they faſted, they payed tithes of their garden-herbes, &c. yet Chriſt ſaith, Math. 5.20.Except your righteouſneſſe, exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Phariſes, (the preciſeſt Iewes) yee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen.
Paul accounted it all doung and dogges meat, in regard of confidence in it. Phil. 3.8.A true Beleeuers life cannot iuſtifie, much leſſe a Ciuill mans life, for there is great difference.
1. A Ciuil life conſiſts in outward obſeruances of the Law, but a Chriſtian life goes farther, and hath griefe for invvard corruptions.
2. A Ciuill man makes ſome conſcience of publike & greater offences, as murther, treaſon, &c. but ſecret ſinnes, and thoſe of leſſer account, as idlenes, continuall gaming, &c. hee ſwallowes without checke, ſo alſo common ſwearing by Faith and Troth; and by your leaue, your ciuill man can ſweare in the moſt odious manner if he be angred. But a true beleeuer makes conſcience to be idle, and in the leaſt manner to offend God.
3. A ciuill man regards onelyonly to hauehave reputation in the world: The true Chriſtian to hauehave it with God.
4. A ciuill man regards ſomething the duties of the ſecond Table: but nothing of the firſt. Indeede hee will come to Church: but for a faſhion and ciuilitie, if he hauehave no other buſineſſe; to meete and ſpeake with a friend; if no bargaine, or merry meeting be in his way: but a true Chriſtian makes regard of both Tables, ſpecially of the firſt.
Now alas! this righteouſneſſe cannot auaile: nay, indeed the opinion of it is one of the greateſt impediments to a mans ſaluation that can be; becauſe it is hard to bee vnpoſſeſt of that which attributes ſo much to our ſelues. As a horſe ill paced at firſt, is harder to bee brought to a good pace, then one which was neuer handled: ſo a notorious wicked man is ſooner brought to repentance, then one righteous inough in his owne conceit. As there is more hope of a foole, then of one wiſe in his own conceit: Pro. 26.12.So our Ciuill man might hauehave attained that righteouſneſſe, if he were not perſwaded hee had attained it already. Mat. 21.31.Publicanes and Harlots ſhall goe before ſuch into the Kingdome of Heauen. As therefore vvhen blinde Bartimeus came to Chriſt, Mar. 10.50.he threw away his Cloake: ſo muſt we throw off our owne righteouſneſſe, as a Beggers Cloake, if we would be iuſtified in the ſight of God.
Ʋſe 4.Here is the Neceſsitie and commendation of Faith: wee diſpraiſe not good workes, but we affirme they are not the cauſe for which wee are iuſtified in the ſight of God. From hence the Papiſts take occaſion to ſlander vsus, as if we were enemies to good workes. Am I an enemy to a Noble man, becauſe I will not attribute that to him, which is onelyonly due to the King? We acknowledge good workes to bee neceſſarie in eueryevery one that will be ſaued; but wee aſcribe our Iuſtification, not to our good workes, but to the good workes of Chriſt, apprehended by Faith: Not that wee would dishonour good workes, but that wee would not dishonour our Sauiour Chriſt.
Ob. But this brings in ſlothfulnes and liberty, and makes men careleſſe to liue holily.
An. If I ſay to a common Souldier in an Armie, You cannot lead this Armie againſt the enemy. Will the Souldier ſay: Then I may be gone; There is no neede of Mee? Or if I ſee a poore man at his day-labour, and ſay to him, that hee ſhall neuer purchaſe 10000. pound land a yeere, by working for a groat a day; Will hee therefore giuegive ouer his worke, and ſay he is diſcouraged? So neither doth our denying Iuſtification to good workes ſet men off from a care to liue well.
If any are enemies to good Workes, they are the Papiſts who diſpenſe with Lying, with Whoredome, Murder, &c.
This we teach: That Faith is neceſſary to iuſtifie a mans perſon: Good workes neceſſarie to iuſtifie a mans Faith: Yea, that without them we cannot be ſaued. Hee that attributes his Iuſtification to good workes, is a Papiſt; he that quite denies good workes, is an Atheiſt. Beleeue, and thou ſhalt bee ſaued: but if thou beeſt a profane wretch, thou neither beleeueſt, nor ſhalt be ſaued, if thou repenteſt not.
Doeſt thou beleeue in Chriſt? Doe the workes which Chriſt commanded thee, that thy Faith may liue, and then liue by thy Faith. As the Waxe in the Candle makes not the light, but maintaines and cheriſheth it. So good workes iuſtifie not, but yet they maintaine and cheriſh Faith which doth iuſtifie: and according as is the degree of our Sanctification and Obedience; ſo more or leſſe doe wee feele the ſweetneſſe of Faith, in our Iuſtification before God.