Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 10 · Verses 5-8
VERSE 5. For Moſes deſcribeth the righteouſneſſe which is of the Lawe, that *Leuit. 18.5. Ezech. 20.11. Gal. 3.12.the man which doth thoſe things ſhall liue by them.
6. But the righteouſneſſe which is of faith, ſpeaketh on this wiſe; *Deut. 30.12.Say not in thy heart, Who ſhall aſcend into Heauen? That is, to bring Chriſt downe from aboue.
7. Or, Who ſhall deſcend into the Deepe? that is to bring vp Christ againe from the dead.
8. But what ſayth it? *Deut. 30.14.The Word is nigh thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the Word of faith which we preach.
HEre Paul brings an Argument to euince, that faith aboliſheth not, but ſtabliſheth true righteouſneſſe, thus: The righteouſneſſe of faith is that which Moſes teacheth vntounto Iuſtification: Therefore Iuſtification by faith, aboliſheth not righteouſnes, but eſtabliſheth it.
Paul compares in theſe verſes the righteouſneſſe of the Lawe, and of faith together; ſhewing that the righteouſneſſe of the Lawe, (to be performed by vsus) is vncertaine and impoſsible: and that the righteouſneſſe of faith is certaine and poſsible; and both theſe by the teſtimony of Moſes.
The Iewes thought that faith had been contrary to Moſes: but Paul ſhewes that Moſes taught faith, as Chriſt himſelfe witneſſeth.Ioh. 5.46.
The impoſsibility of the righteouſneſſe of the Law (vntounto Iuſtification) Paul ſhewes in the 5. verſe out of Leuiticus: The man that doth theſe things, ſhall liue thereby; that is, ſhall be iuſt; for life flowes from Iuſtice.
The Goſpell teacheth not a diuers righteouſneſſe from that of the Law, but a diuers way vntounto it: namely, Faith in Chriſt, who fulfilled the Law.
The Argument from hence againſt Iuſtification by the Law, is drawne from the Cauſe.
To performe the Law is impoſſible.
But righteouſneſſe of the Law, is to performe it.
Therefore.
This impoſſibility of our performing the Law, is not from the Law, but from our ſelues, who are corrupt.
That the righteouſneſſe of Faith is certaine and poſſible, Paul ſhewes, verſe 6, 7, 8. that it is certaine, verſe 6, 7. that it is poſſible, verſe 8.
The Righteouſneſſe of Faith, that is, which the Goſpell offereth, and Faith receiues, is certaine. This Paul declares, by a Negation of contrary doubtfulneſſe, elegantly compounded by a figure out of Deuteronomie.
The doubting which preſſeth ſinners, is two-fold; 1. how they may enter into Heauen: and 2. how they may auoid Hel. Theſe two Moſes ſhewes to be taken away by Faith. The firſt, becauſe we beleeue the Aſcenſion of Chriſt (for vsus.) The ſecond, becauſe we beleeue his Reſurrection, whereby hee demonſtrated his victory ouer Hell and Death; as if Moſes had ſaid, He that ſeekes Iuſtification by the Law, muſt needs be in continuall feare of Hell, and deſpaire of Heauen; but he that beleeueth that Chriſt is riſen and aſcended, is freed from both. Chriſt roſe for vsus, and aſcended for vsus, and before (which muſt be implied) liued and dyed for vsus: he which beleeueth not, and ſeeketh for Iuſtification from himſelfe, in effect denies the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of Chriſt.
That the righteouſneſſe of Faith is poſsible, Paul ſhewes by the facility of it, out of Moſes, verſ. 8. Faith is eaſie, becauſe it is giuen, otherwiſe the hardeſt thing in the world for a ſinner to beleeue the Goſpell.
In the 8. verſe we hauehave two things. 1. Moſes Teſtimonie. The Word is nigh thee, &c. 2. Pauls expoſition, That is, the Word of Faith which we preach.
The Word is nigh thee. The Word of Promiſe; ſo was the Word of the Law: but nigh thee in thy mouth and heart: not in Tables of Stone as the Law: As if hee ſhould hauehave ſaid by a Prouerbiall manner of ſpeaking: This is righteouſneſſe before God, to beleeue with the heart, and with the mouth to confeſſe the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of our Sauiour Chriſt for vsus.
The Generall ſumme: That Righteouſneſſe is the ſafeſt and ſufficienteſt to ſaluation, which maketh vsus aſſured before GOD, and ſuccoureth vsus in tentation; but ſo doth not the righteouſneſſe of the Law, but that of the Goſpell. Therefore.
In this paſſage many things might be ſpoken of: as of the Law: our inſufficiencie, and impoſſibilitie to performe it. Of the Aſcenſion and Reſurrection of Chriſt. But I will onelyonly conſider of
doctrine The Doctrine: Faith, not the Law makes vsus certaine of our ſaluation before God, Luke 8.12. Rom. 9.33. Epheſ. 2.8. 1. Pet. 1.9.
Ʋſe 1.The Law is too weake to iuſtifie vsus, but ſtrong enough to condemne vsus, which thou ſhalt finde, which repenteſt not of thy ſinnes. Seeke not that which the Law cannot doe, but feare that which the Law can doe.
Ʋſe 2.Faith takes away, but the Law breeds doubting: both becauſe we doe but little of that which the Law commands, and in that little there is much defect, deſeruing the curſe.
As then the doctrine of the Iewes, ſo of the Papiſts, who teach men to bee iuſtified by inherent righteouſneſſe, muſt needs leaue men in ſuſpence and doubt; which doubts Faith ouercomes. If our bodies were as hard as an Adamant, wee ſhould not feele the ſting of Serpents: ſo if the ſoule bee armed with Faith, not all the poiſoned darts of the Diuell can hurt it.
But alas, will ſome ſay; How ſhall I auoid hell, being moſt worthy to be damned for my whoredome, pride, drunkenneſſe, blaſphemie, &c? How ſhall I euer come to heauen, who neuer hauehave kept the Law? Theſe thoughts eſpecially trouble in the houre of tentation and death: but as Paul and his company, Act. 27.43,44.though in great danger, yet ſwamme to the ſhore and eſcaped; ſo though the floods of tentation ſwell, and there be no bottome, yet by Faith wee ſwimme to land and are ſafe.
My Brother; Conſider that thou ſhalt not goe to heauen for thy worthineſſe, but for Chriſts: When thou haſt done all thou canſt, thou art vnworthy to be ſaued. Doeſt thou beleeue that Chriſt dyed and roſe againe for thee? Then is it as poſſible for Chriſt to dye againe, as for thee to goe to hell. He that hath ſatisfied the Law, is freed; but thou haſt ſo done in Chriſt. Therefore as when Ionas was caſt into the Sea, it calmed, ſo thy Conſcience may now be calmed by the death and Reſurrection of Chriſt, of whom Ionas was the Type. Alſo, if Chriſt be aſcended, and thou beleeueſt, it is as poſſible to plucke him out of heauen, as to hinder thee from thence: for all beleeuers doe ſit together with him in heauenly places. Epheſ. 2.6.He that denies that we doe euen now poſſeſſe heauen in Chriſt, denies Chriſt to be in heauen.
Vſe 3.Faith is moſt neceſſary and vſefull: If euer thou haſt felt the ſting of ſinne in thy ſoule, thou knoweſt the power of Faith. If thou haſt not felt it, thou ſhalt: and then what a hell without Faith? The fiery darts of Satan are quenched by Faith.Epheſ. 6.16.
Thou remembreſt what a wretch thou haſt beene, how thou haſt blaſphemed his Name, broken his Sabbaths, deſpiſed his Word, &c. Can thy ſtomake digeſt theſe things? Canſt thou practice ſuch things, and thy Conſcience not checke thee? Though by the cuſtome of ſinne thou haſt ſtupified thy Conſcience, yet it will be made ſenſible, and then it will affright thee. Yea, then, what thoughts of hell, of Di…ls, of euerlaſting torments ariſing from the guiltineſſe of ſinne?
Wouldſt thou ouercome theſe? Beleeue; This is our Shield, our Victory, euen our Faith: 1. Ioh. 5.4.and to approue thy Faith, repent vnfainedly. Which is as ſure a demonſtration of Faith, as Faith is a cauſe of the peace of Conſcience.
Keepe Faith and a good Conſcience. As Conſcience cannot be good without Faith: ſo, nor Faith liuely without good Conſcience. As a Lampe yeelds no light without Oyle: ſo nor Faith comfort without good Conſcience.
Many beleeuers neglecting the care of a good Conſcience, hauehave loſt (not their Faith) but the power of it to pacifie Conſcience: though Faith cannot bee caſt away, yet it may ſuffer ſhipwracke, and the peace which is by Faith may bee loſt, as Dauid and other of Gods children hauehave done, for their libertie, in following their owne luſts: and it may bee queſtioned whether euer Dauid (after his Adultery) obtained the glorious feelings he had before by his Faith.
Beleeueſt thou? Beware of ſinne, leſt GOD chaſtiſe thee, not by taking away thy Faith, but the comfort of it, without which life is tedious. As in Cordials often diſtemper weakens the receipt; ſo Faith loſeth the power to comfort, when we make a pack-horſe of it by our often ſinning.
Thy peace is from Faith, thy miſery from ſinne. Euen as wormes breed of putrified meate: ſo diſtreſſe ariſeth from a polluted minde. Sinne weakens Faith, and giues the Diuell aduantage, who without it is as able to hurt vsus, as the Law to iuſtifie a ſinner. If thou thinkeſt of Heauen, thinke of Faith and a good Conſcience; if thou ſinneſt, thinke of hell, and euerlaſting torments. If thou beeſt godly, feare not hell; if profane, hope not for heauen. For the wicked ſhall bee turned into hell, and all that forget God; but beleeuers and righteous people ſhall be ſaued.Pſal. 9.17. Ioh. 3.15.