A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 21, 22
Verſe 21. Becauſe that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankefull, but became vaine in their imaginations, and their fooliſh heart was full of darkeneſſe.
Verſe 22. When they profeſſed themſelues to be wiſe, they became fooles.
THeſe Verſes containe a probation of the laſt clauſe in the former Verſe; (viz.) that the Gentiles euen by this knowledge naturall, were left without excuſe, and could hauehave no cloake for their ſinne; and the argument may thus be framed: they that know God, and yet glorifie him not as God, are without excuſe; but the Gentiles knowing God, glorified him not as God, &c. Ergo, were without excuſe. And this minor, which is alone ſet downe, is further amplified by an Antitheſis of things diuers; but became vaine in their imaginations, or as the word ſignifies, in their diſcourſes, &c.
Obſer. Where firſt obſerue, that naturall knowledge of God gathered from the creatures, though it be all it can doe to depriue of excuſe, yet that it doth ſufficiently; in regard that we are wanting in thoſe duties, or the manner of them, which light of nature teacheth ſhould be performed. See Act. 14.16.
Ob. And if any will ſay, that they might iuſtly excuſe themſelues before God, becauſe he had not giuen them further knowledge of him by his word. Anſ. Firſt, that the Lord was not bound: Secondly, that he iuſtly denied them that bleſſing, in regard of the contempt of it in the firſt creation: Thirdly, that the breach of the law written, ſhall not be imputed vntounto themzRom. 2.12.: Fourthly, but onelyonly their abuſing, or not vſing of their knowledge naturall, as they ought to hauehave done.
Now brethren weigh well; if neglects of duetie, Ʋſe. where is none but naturall knowledge be inexcuſable, how much more when the Lord vouchſafeth greater reuelations by the word? And let vsus al in Gods feare, lay it to heart: marueilous hath God beene in his mercies to vsus this way, inſomuch that we may iuſtly ſay of our ſelues as Dauid ſaid of the Iſraelites, Pſal. 147. He hath not dealt ſo with any Nation; and yet would God it were not too true, that the Gentils themſelues in their blindnes hauehave exceeded our thankefulneſſe, and pious performances, in all this plenty of diuine reuelation. It were long to recite all their deuout intendments; all their ſtrict obſeruances of iuſtice and equitie; how great religion of an oath with them, how little reuerence and regard with vsus: what examples of iuſtice, temperance, contempt of the world amongſt them; to ſhame and condemne the oppreſſions, gluttonie, and idolatrous couetouſneſſe of vsus, to whom the Lord is come ſo nigh by his word▪ that comination of our Sauiour hath place with vsus; woe to vsus, yea a heauier vvoe then to the Gentiles, that knew not God by his vvord: eaſier ſhall it be for them at the day of iudgement then for vsus: for it is probable, that if thoſe great reuelations had been granted them that hauehave been vouchſafed vntounto vsus, they vvould hauehave repented their impieties in ſackcloth and aſhes: they therefore ſhall be our iudges.
The reaſon prouing them iuſtly inexcuſable, followeth; becauſe they knowing God, glorified him not as God: that is, they worſhipped him not with worſhip beſeeming his Deitie: nor were thankefull, (viz.) as they ſhould hauehave beene, for thoſe many bleſſings the Lord bleſſed them vvithall; doing good vntounto them, giuing them raine from heauen and fruitfull ſeaſons, filling their hearts with foode and gladnesaActs 14.17., and by the creatures reuealing himſelfe vntounto them.
Obſer. Such an excuſeleſſe ſinne is vnthankefulnes and vniuſt detainment of Gods due glory from him; it being the onelyonly tribute the Lord expects from vsus for all his mercies that hee hath done vntounto vsus: Pſal. 116.12.13.
Vſe. And let it be our admonition to take heed of this ſinne of vnthankfulnes: much more abundant hath God beene in his mercy toward vsus, eſpecially in bleſſing vsus in ſpirituall things in Chriſt Ieſus; our vnthankfulnes ſhall be more hainous and inexcuſable then that of the Gentils. Reaſons ſtirring vp to thankfulnes: firſt, no ſeruice ſo much pleaſeth as thankefulnes; neither is any thing accepted but what comes from vsus in the name and nature of thanks-giuingbPſal. 5….: ſecondly, as thankfulneſſe cauſeth continuance and encreaſe of bleſſings; ſo vnthankefulneſſe iuſtly procures a depriuall. See Iſay 5. & alibi.
Obſer. Againe here note that it is not enough to vvorſhip God, except wee giuegive him ſuch worſhip as is ſeemely for his Deitie; which Paul cals glorifying God as God. And if any ſhall aske what this meete vvorſhip is here ſpoken of? it is when God is vvorſhipped according to his will; ſecondly, vvith worſhip agreeable to his nature, (viz.) ſpirituall.
Ʋſe. And how friuolous that carnall ceremonious ſeruice performed by ignorant ſuperſtitious hypocrites is, the ſpirit of GOD eueryevery where teſtifies: Mat. 15.9. Col. 2. after the deuiſes and traditions of men. What is it to build a temple? to erect an altar? to giuegive ſacrifice if it were of thouſands of Rammes, and euen of ten thouſand riuers of oyle? as if the Lord that made heauen and earth dwelt in temples made with hands; or as if hee had more pleaſure in ſacrifice then when his voice is obayed; or cared for the lip-deuotion of an hypocrite, when his heart is farre from him. Mat. 15. Iſay. 29. M…r. 6.
But here marke that nature though it direct to worſhip God, Obſer. yet cannot reach to the right and acceptable manner of his ſeruice: it is true that the moſt barbarous of the Gentiles performed ſome worſhip vntounto God, and what they did in religion they entended to his honour with great feruencie of deuotion. Yet knew not to worſhip him as God ſhould be worſhipped: they glorified him not as God, &c. and indeed how ſhould they, lacking the word to direct them? ſecondly, ignorant of that altar. Heb. 19.15. by which all our gifts are ſanctified.
And if there were nothing elſe, yet this would ſufficiently Ʋſe 1 diſproue that compaſſionate errour of ſuch as teach that the Gentiles by light of nature were brought many of them to ſaluation. Now ſurely if by any meanes they obtained ſaluation it was by the worſhip they performed vntounto God: for they were without Chriſt. Epheſ. 2.12. And if they had any claime to ſaluation, it muſt needs be by the worſhip they performed vntounto GOD: but how vaine that was, this place ſufficiently proues, agreeing neither with the will, nor with the nature of God. And though I deny not but many of them vvere ſaued, becauſe many of them had the knowledge of Chriſt, partly by conuerſing and traffique with the Iewes, partly by extraordinarie reuelations, as the Sibyllae, prophecying of Chriſts comming into the world; yet if wee ſpeake of the multitude of them that neither knew nor vvorſhipped GOD otherwiſe then the creatures directed, what can wee thinke of them, but that they periſhed in their blindnes, Acts 14.
Ʋſe 2 And let it teach vsus thankefulneſſe vntounto the mercy of our gracious God at whoſe commandement the miſterie holden ſo long from the Gentiles, is now opened and publiſhed among all Nations.
The Antitheſis followeth: of three members: they became vaine, &c. had their minde darkened: were fooliſh, &c.
Touching the meaning of theſe words, by vanitie, vnderſtand friuolouſ…es: & the word foreign, tranſlated imaginations, may better be rendered diſcourſes, or reaſonings; ſuch as they made out of thoſe principles they had in their vnderſtanding.
The heart is put for the minde or vnderſtanding facultie; darknes ſignifies ignorance, &c. the reſt are plaine.
Obſer. Hence obſerue how friuolous blind and ſottiſh the minde of man is about the true worſhip of God, where it wants the word of GOD to giuegive light and direct it. Take the wiſeſt of blind Idolaters deuiſes, how ſottiſh will they be found, if they come to the touchſtone of true wiſedome? How marueilouſly did the heatheniſh wiſe, pleaſe themſelues in this and the like deuiſes? that becauſe God was inuiſible, and the people could not be brought to acknowledge him ſuch as he was, except they had ſomething viſible to helpe them, therefore forſooth they muſt hauehave images to ſhadow out the properties of God, that therby they might conceiue ſomething of the Diuine nature. Againe, for as much as amongſt men ciuilitie, and humilitie ſuffers not to preſſe into the preſence of a King, without the mediation of ſome of his Nobles and neereſt followers, therefore we muſt alſo come vntounto God in our prayers, by interceſſion of Saints and Angels.Col. 2.18. Againe, becauſe we are often forgetfull of the Maieſtie of God, therefore a picture was requiſite to be our remembrancer, & ſexcenta eiuſmodi; vaine, fooliſh, ſottiſh deuiſes.
And let it teach vsus as in all things, Ʋſe. ſo eſpecially in the worſhip of God to deny our owne carnal wiſedome, and cleaue preciſely to the word of God.Rom. 8.7. Mat. 15.9. Col. 2.23. Leuit. 10.1.2. How vnmeete is it that fleſhly wiſedome, which is an enemy vntounto God ſhould be a framer of his worſhip? how vnprofitable is wil-worſhip? yea how abhominable to adde or alter the leaſt circumſtance in the worſhip of God? And howſoeuer there may be a ſhew of wiſedome in voluntarie religion. Col. 2.23. yet being rightly weighed, all the deuiſes of men ſhall be found vaine, fooliſh; yea more then ſottiſh in the iudgement of God.
Againe, Obſer. ſee here the condition of eueryevery natural mans vnderſtanding, till it be ſanctified by the ſpirit of God; all the diſcourſes thereof are nothing but vanitie, and ſottiſh foolerie. Compare Epheſ. 4.18.
And how ſottiſh that errour of Papiſts is: whereas they teach corruption originall to ſtay only in the ſenſuall part of the ſoule, this place ſufficiently ſheweth: their reaſons are ſcarce worth recitall: We yeeld them that man by the fall loſt not vnderſtanding, or vvill ſimply, the faculties ſtill remained; but this wee teach that the right vſe of them was loſt by the fall. The vnderſtanding is naturae, male intelligere corruptae naturae, benè gratiae, as Bernard ſometime ſpake of the will: and ſee what Paul ſpeakes of the naturall mans vnderſtanding,1 Cor. 2.14. Epheſ. 4.23. and how he exhorts to hauehave the very ſpirit of the minde renued, and then ſhall wee ſee what to iudge of that Regina Ratio, and that foreign, ruling part of the ſoule, which Papiſts ſo much extoll and admire.