A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 3 · Exposition of verse 9-18
Verſe 9. What then? are wee more excellent? No, in no wiſe: for wee hauehave already proued, that all, both Iewes and Gentiles are vnderunder ſinne.
Verſe 10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.
Verſe 11. There is none that vnderstandeth: there is none that ſeeketh God.
Verſe 12. They are all gone out of the way: they hauehave been made altogether vnprofitable: there is none that doth good, no not one.
Verſe 13. Their throate is an open ſepulchre: they hauehave vſed their tongues to deceit: the poyſon of aſpes is vnderunder their lippes.
Verſe 14. Whoſe mouth is full of curſing and bitterneſſe.
Verſe 15. Their feete are ſwift to ſhed bloud.
Verſe 16. Deſtruction and calamitie are in their wayes.
Verſe 17. And the way of peace hauehave they not knowne.
Verſe 18. The feare of God is not before their eyes.
LEt vsus now proceede to that that followeth; verſe 9. Where the Apoſtle preoccupates what Iewes might inferre vponupon his former conceſſion of priuiledges graunted them aboue the Gentiles. verſe 1.2. Ob. Thus much then you grant; that Iewes hauehave ſomething more then Gentiles; and therefore are not equall in the caſe of iuſtification. Anſ. Not ſo; ſaith the Apoſtle, for vve hauehave already proued, that all both Iewes and Gentiles are vnderunder ſinne.
Firſt, ſee we how this ſeeming contradiction may be reconciled, the Iewes hauehave preheminence aboue the Gentiles many wayes, and againe, Iewes excell not Gentiles. Anſ. Both true in diuers reſpects: if wee regard fauours vouchſafed of God; ſo Iewes exceede Gentiles; if wee view them in nature, and conſider them in the point queſtioned of the breach of the law; ſo no oddes betwixt Iew and Gentile; for all are equally vnderunder … ſinne; all equally therefore excluded from poſſibilitie of being iuſtified by vvorkes: This is the plaineſt reconcilement; though there be others conceiued in other tearmes.
Now whereas Iewes ſo readily take hold of vvhat Paul grants, touching their preheminence. Obſer. Obſerue wee how propenſe our proud nature is, to owne her excellencies, though hardly brought to acknowledge infirmitieseLuke 18.11.12.28.. Reaſons, Firſt, nature ſicke of ſelfe-louelove; and loth to ſeeme nothing in her ſelfe; the leſſon hard to deny our ſeluesfMat. 16.24.: Secondly, and the cunning diuell firſt wounded in himſelfe by pride; labors by pride to keepe poſſeſſion againſt grace; GOD reſiſteth the proudg1 Pet. 5.8.: this is well knowne to the Diuell.
This may wee eaſily take our ſelues withall euer by a little obſeruance; labour wee to correct it, Vſe. by dwelling vponupon meditation of naturall frailety.
The Lord vſeth theſe meanes to remoue it: firſt, Affliction after greateſt fauoursh2 Cor. 12.7.: ſecondly, permitting graces to ebbe and flow in vsus: thirdly, ſometimes leauing vsus to our ſelues,iMat. 26. that by experience of frailetie we may learne to beare lowly conceits of our ſelues in nature.
For this cauſe let vsus conſider the obſeruation this verſe next affordeth, that is, Obſer. that whatſoeuer difference grace or prouidence hath put betwixt vsus, in this we are all equall, whether Iewes or Gentiles, bond or free, king or beggar, if wee be ſonnes of Adam, wee are all vnderunder ſinne. That fountaine hath poyſoned all the ſtreames thence iſſuing. Now ſo wee are ſaid to be in three reſpects: firſt, vnderunder guilt of ſinne: ſecondly, vnderunder curſe of ſinne: thirdly, vnderunder raigne of ſinne.
The two firſt are here chiefely meantkRom. 5.12. Gal 3.9.10. Epheſ. 2.3., and the gloſe of Rhemiſts, that will hauehave this ſaying of Paul, and the teſtimonies annexed, to be reſtrained to the multitude and more part of the Iewes, not vnderſtood of eueryevery particular; as Zacharie and Elizabeth; the bleſſed Virgin, and others, is abſurd; for who can imagine Paul, or rather Gods ſpirit ſo bad a logitian, as out of a particular to conclude a generall.
No lew can be iuſtified by the law; for the moſt part of them are vnderunder ſinne: is this trow we Pauls beſt logicke?
Ob. Zacharie and Elizabeth &c. were iuſt. Anſ. by grace, not by nature, whereof the Apoſtle here concludes. And Pauls wiſedome is obſeruable, reckoning himſelf amongſt theſe that excell not by nature though God had by grace, put difference betwixt him & others.
Ʋſe 1 Now brethren this ſtate of our nature, let vsus all take notice of; and labour, not onelyonly to acknowledge it in our iudgement; but euen to feele it in our hearts: firſt, it is that muſt be in vsus before wee can be fitted for gracelIſay 61.1.2. Mat. 9.12. & 11.18.: ſecondly, it hath a gracious promiſe of refreſhing, vbi ſupra mMat. 5.3. Iſay 57.15.; thirdly, lacke of it hindereth all ſolide comfortnLuke 1.5.3.: fourthly, the firſt ſtep to Gods kingdomeoActs 2.37.: Meanes, firſt, view our ſelues in the looking glaſſe of the lawpIam. 1.25.: it is the end why it is giuen, to ſhew miſerie, by reaſon of ſinne; and to implead vsus guiltie before Gods iudgement ſeateqRom. 5.20.: ſecondly, apply to our ſelues the curſes, which are without partialitie threatned to eueryevery tranſgreſſour, for eueryevery tranſgreſſionrGal. 3.10.: thirdly, conſider of how pure eyes the Lord issHab. 1.13.: how hee hates iniquitietPſal. 5.4.: and ſuffers no tranſgreſſion to paſſe vnpuniſheduHeb. 2.2.: hath appointed a day wherein to iudge the world in righteouſnesvvActs 17.30.: brings euerie worke to iudgement, and eueryevery ſecret thing whether it be good or euillx12. Vlt.: fiftly, aske but thine owne ſoule, thou haſt a thouſand witneſſes in thine owne boſome of this guiltines and ſubiection to the curſe of ſinne. Conſcience (if it be not ſeared) I perſwade my ſelfe trembles, in moſt men, at the ſight of particular hearing, of generall iudgementyActs 24.26.: if ſeared, this a heauier iudgementzExod. 7.3.: and it ſelfe an argument of our being ſtill vnderunder ſinneaEpheſ. 4.18.19:
Laſtly, I vvould but know the reaſon, vvhy amongſt-men in their pure, or rather impure naturals, the doctrine of the law is ſo diſtaſtefull, as in experience miniſtres finde? No doubt conſcience in them guiltie of transgreſſion, flyes that arraignementbActs 24 26.27..
Hence learne we to cleare Gods iuſtice, in iudgements Ʋſe 2 executed vponupon ſuch as to the ignorant, ſeeme innocent. Exempl. cIoh. 7.24.25.We reade of a iudgement executed vponupon Achan and his children, for reſeruing part of what GOD had deuoted to execration.
With what iuſtice, ſaith an Atheiſt, dies the infant for the fathers ſinne? Anſ. Many anſweres are giuen: firſt, that it was a worke of Gods abſolute foreign, for terrour of others: ſecondly, that children are parts of their parents, and in them their parents are puniſhed: thirdly, ſome, that perhaps they ſinned by concealement; the ſcripture no where mentioning that they were infants: fourthly, let it be granted they were infants; yet were they ſonnes of Adam, and therefore vncleanedIoh. 15.4. Pſal. 51.5.: and as Paul here ſpeakes, vnderunder ſinne.
That God defers execution of wrath, but for the leaſt moment, it is his great merciemercy; that hee inflicts death at any time vponupon men vnderunder ſinne, what iniuſtice is it?
Ʋſe 3 Let it teach vsus not to murmure againſt God in our afflictions; be they neuer ſo violent, wherewith the Lord afflicts vsus; if we conſider our eſtate naturall; wee ſhall be forced to ſay of our croſſe as the the theefe of his puniſhmenteLuke 23.41.: wee are iuſtly here; and receiue things worthy of that we hauehave done.
Verſe 10.11. ad ver. 19.Here followes proofe of that formerly taught; that all ſonnes of Adam, whether Iewes or Gentiles, are vnderunder ſinne: it is taken from place of teſtimonies, out of the Pſalmes and Prophets, as the margine well notes them: touching accommodation of theſe teſtimonies to the Apoſtles purpoſe: ſome doubt there may …e made, in as much as the Prophets, Dauid and Iſay, ſeeme to apply them to particular perſons and times. Some anſwere; that theſe being the pureſt times of the Iewiſh church, vnderunder Dauid and Ezekiah, they may well conclude the reſt, by an argument from the greater to the leſſe: ſecondly, ſome, that Paul meant to proue his purpoſe, by induction of particulars, which vponupon the former ground of the puritie of theſe times, more then of other, he brake of, thinking the purpoſe by theſe particulars ſufficiently proued; but thirdly, it is apparant to him that reades the Pſalmes eſpecially, that they are vniuerſallie to be vnderſtoode of all perſons and times. Vt Pſal. 14. &c. To which let this be added; fourthly, that howeuer ſome particulars of actuall ſinnes, ſhew not themſelues in all and eueryevery man, yet the fountaine and ſeede, as it were of all, is in all men, none excepted; and by theſe particulars that wee ſee eminent in ſome, we may ſee to what we are all inclined, were it not that the Lord by grace, eyther reſtraines, or corrects.
But here let vsus obſerue, Obſer. how all men naturally are in all parts ſubiect to all ſinnes.
Conſider but the teſtimonies alledged, and you ſhall ſee an Anatomie of the whole man naturall; I ſpare particularly to handle them, for that they are odious to the conſiderate reader.
This onelyonly conſider, how hee iuſtly taxeth vsus of vvant of all goodneſſe: proneſſe, and execution of all euill, &c.
Ob. If any ſhall ſay that euen in men naturall▪ we ſee abſtinence from ſome euils, performance of ſome good duties, and as euerie earth beares not euerie weede; ſo neither is euerie mans heart full of all ſinnes.
Anſ. That any man is exempt from any one ſinne, and extremitie thereof, it comes not of nature, but of reſtraining gracefGen. 20.6., man is borne (ſaith Iob) as a wilde aſſe colt in the wilderneſſe, and as the horſe ruſheth into the battell, ſo a naturall man, more then it pleaſeth God to bridle, runnes headlong into all extremitie of prophaneneſſegEpheſ. 4.18..
And this ſhould teach vsus iealouſie and watchfulneſſe Vſe 1 ouer our owne hearts, that no man preſuming of any power in nature, throw himſelfe into temptations; but pray God daily, not to leade vsus into themhMat. 26.41.: fearefull are examples euen of Gods Saints, this way: ſee Peter lMat. 26.33.70.71.74., and Salomon k1 Reg. 11.1.2.4.: ſundry particulars might be inſtanced.
That one I vvill preſſe vvhichwhich is common in practiſe at this day; regardleſneſſe of choyſe in marriage; the common enquirie is how beautifull how vvealthie, how friended; religion that ſhould principallie be eyed, not once thought of: they hope, though neuer ſo prophane or ſuperſtitious, to be a meane to gaine them. It is a holy ſpeech of Nehemiah. Cap. 13 26. vponupon this occaſion; did not Salomon king of Iſraell, ſinne by theſe things? yet among many Nations there was none like him; for hee was beloued of his GOD, and GOD had made him King ouer Iſraell; yet ſtrange women cauſed him to ſinne: Compare 2 Reg. 8.12.13. ſee an exhortation, Phil. 2.12.13.
Vſe 2 If GOD hath exempted thee from dominion of any one ſinne; let his grace hauehave the glorie; thou ſeeſt euerie day examples of deteſtable tranſgreſſions, thefts, murthers, treaſons, adulteries, &c. out of queſtion they are the beaſt ſtreames that iſſue from a graceleſſe heartlMat. 15.19.: In them as in a looking glaſſe, thou mayeſt ſee thine owne nature: Let eueryevery groſſe ſinne ſeene in another, be vntounto thee a Sermon of thankfulneſſe vntounto God; by whoſe grace thou haſt been vpholden and kept from like enormitiesmGen. 20.6..
Vſe 3 Feare to inſult ouer the ſinnes of others; rather pittie their forlorne nature; and if Brethren; in meekeneſſe reſtore them, conſidering thy ſelfe that thou alſo mayeſt be temptednGal. 6.1. Iam. 3.1..