Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 10 · Verse 18
VERSE 18. But I ſay, HaueHave they not heard? Yes verily, cPſal. 19.4.their ſound went into all the earth, and their words vntounto the ends of the world.
THis is ſpoken of the Gentiles, not of the Iewes, as appeares by the manner of the next verſe.
In this Paul preuents another obiection, occaſioned by the words before, concerning the ſending of the Goſpell to the Gentiles, as if ſome Iew ſhould hauehave ſayd:
If you be ſent to the Gentiles, why do you preach to them all, but only to ſome choyce Cities and Nations?
Paul anſweres, that they doe and ſhall preach to them all; which he vtters by an interrogation, and proues by a teſtimony out of the Pſalmes; as if he ſhould ſay: Dauid tells you that all hauehave, or might heare; for, Their ſound is gone out into all the earth.
Queſtion is whether Paul alleadge this teſtimony, or allude vntounto it: In the Pſalme he ſpeaks of works, here of the Word. Some ſay that Paul argues from the leſſe: If God teach all by the great volume of the heauens, much more will he teach all, by the heauenly doctrine of the Goſpell.
I thinke that vnderunder the hiſtoricall narration of the heauens, and of their ſound, is hid a prophecy of the preaching of the Goſpell, becauſe the latter part of the Pſalme ſpeakes much in the commendation of it; and Paul here ſo applies it. And indeed there is a moſt ſweet Analogie, betweene the heauens ſound and the Goſpell. There are diuers particulars obſerued: I thinke theſe are good:
The heauens are the worke of Gods hand; ſo is the Goſpell reuealed by God. The heauens ſhew the worke of God: ſo the Goſpell, that wee are Iuſtified by the worke of God, which is faith, not by the works of man. The doctrine of the Goſpell is pure and lightſome as are the heauens. The influence of the heauens comforteth & cheriſheth inferior things; ſo doth the Goſpell the Conſcience. The diuerſity of Nations and Languages is manifold which vnderſtand not one another; yet all vnderſtand the excellency of the heauens, and the wonderfull worke of God in them. So God enabled the Apoſtles to teach all Nations in their owne tongues the wonderfull works of God.
Into all the earth, and vntounto the ends of the world: The ſumme is, that the Goſpell was preached to all the world.
Ob. But many Nations were long after the Apoſtles dayes conuerted: as England in the time of Gregory the great; the Iaponians and Americans but the other day heard of Chriſt.
A. All the earth is either taken for the moſt part; & the ends, for Countries very farre off: or it is ſpoken of that which ſhould be; or it is meant of the 4. quarters of the world; or of the Romane Empire. And for that of England; it is falſe: Indeed in Gregories dayes, England by Austen the Monke, was firſt brought in ſubiection to Rome, they before agreeing with the Greeke Church; for at the comming of that Austen there were many holy Monks in this Land, and ſome hauehave written of the conuerſion of it, in the daies of Eleutherius: yea, Dorotheus ſeemeth to affirme that Simon Zelotes was in Brittany, if the place be not miſprinted. And for the New diſcouered places may be anſwered, that either they were not then inhabited, or the Goſpell there preached, but not receiued; or that the fame of the Goſpell at the leaſt came thither, as the fame of the Iſraelites came into Canaan.
doctrine The Goſpell was preached to all the world in the time of the Apoſtles, Mar. 16.20. Act. 1.8. Col. 1.6.
Q. But what may be thought of them which neuer heard of the Goſpell? are they not to be excuſed before God?
A. Yes: Of the ſinne of vnbeliefe in the promiſes: but they cannot obtaine thereby an acquitall from their other ſinnes, but ſhall be condemned for them.
Vſe 1.That is the true Religion, which agrees with that which was preached in all the world by the Apoſtles.
Vſe 2.It was a miracle that the Goſpell, a doctrine teaching the deniall of our ſelues, and bearing of the Croſſe, carried by poore and meane perſons, oppreſſed by mighty Emperors and Kings, ſhould in deſpite of men and Diuels, within the ſpace of forty yeeres, bee ſo publiſhed in all the world. Let all enemies ceaſe to oppoſe it by the remembrance hereof.
Vſe 3.Obey the Goſpell, leſt He which ſent it, take it away, and remoue our Candle-ſticke for our vnbeliefe and contempt of it. For this cauſe Turciſme and Papiſme poſſeſſe many places, which hauehave beene heretofore famous for the Goſpell.
Hath the grace of God ſhined to thee in deſpight of the Diuell? Make much of this light, and walke in it: Haſt thou heard the ſound of it? Why doeſt thou liue in lewd practices, as if thou hadſt neuer heard any inkling of it? If thou beeſt a blaſphemer, drunken, vncleane, proud, couetous, &c. what could a Iew, or a Turke doe more then thou doeſt? Thou haſt not receiued it. Where ſinne beares rule, there is not the Goſpell receiued.
In thoſe Marian times, the Goſpell made men forſake goods and life: and can it not now make thee leaue thy vile and bad courſes? He that cauſed the Goſpell to be brought with the bloud of his ſeruants, will require the bloud of all the contemners of it. Be you carefull, that as in all the world, ſo the Goſpell may hauehave a free paſſage among you, and bee glorified; which ſhall be, when you ſuffer it to ſubdue your vile and rebellious affections.