Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 8 · Section 3 · Subsection 42 – Subsection 44
Quest. 42. Of these words, v. 27. He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit, &c.
1. Chrysostome vnderstandeth it as before de corde spirituali, of the spirituall heart endued with the gift of praier, not of the holy Ghost; for then the Apostle would hauehave said, he that knoweth the spirit, not he which searcheth the heart; But if the Apostle should speak here of spirituall man that hauing the gift of prayer, prayeth for the congregation, his sighs are not such, as cannot be expressed, for he vttereth them by prayer. 2. the Apostle maketh mention of the heart, because the spirit immediatly maketh not request, but by the moouing, and stirring of the heart.
2. Origens exposition also is somewhat strange, who interpreteth these words, he maketh request according to God, of the diuine nature: that the spirit maketh request, not according to the flesh, but according to God: whereas Christ died, not according to God, that is, as he was God, but according to the flesh, and he maketh an other difference betweene the interpellation of the spirit, and our redemption by Christ: for Christ died for the vngodly, as Saint Paul saith, but the spirit maketh request onelyonly for the Saints: These are dangerous, and violent expositours: according to God, here signifieth nothing else but according to the will of God, as Haymo saith, ea facit nos postulare, quae Deo placent, the spirit maketh vsus to aske those things which are pleasing vntounto God.
3. Here then are three reasons couched together to assure vsus of the efficacie and fruite of our prayers: 1. from the nature and propertie of God, who although the inward sighes of the heart, cannot be expressed by vsus, nor made knowne vntounto man, yet God knoweth the meaning of the spirit which mooueth vsus to sigh and make inward requests; from the manner and matter of our praiers, that are according to the will of God, as the spirit teacheth and directeth vsus: 3. from the obiect of our prayers, which are made for the Saints, for such as are sanctified by the spirit of God, and so acceptable vntounto him in Christ.
Quest. 43. Of the nature, condition, and propertie of a true and liuely prayer, out of v. 27.
In this one verse are expressed 1. the efficient cause of prayer, which is the spirit of God, which is said to make request, that is, to stirre vsus vp vntounto prayer. 2. the obiect of our praiers, to whom they must be directed, onelyonly to God the searcher of the heart.
3. The forme of our prayer, which must be made according to the will of God.
4. The instrument and organe of the spirit, is the inward meaning, sighing, and sobbing of the heart and inward man, although there be no vow at all expressed.
5. The helping and vnderworking causes, are the Saints: so then impious and prophane persons cannot truly pray: for they are not guided by the spirit of grace, who is the author of praier in vsus, and the moouer of vsus to euerie good worke: Gryneus.
Quest. 44. How all things make together for the best to those that louelove God.
1. Caietanus, because the Greeke word foreign, worketh together, is in the singular number, he referreth it vntounto God, and putteth foreign, all, in the accusatiue, not in the nominatiue case: that it is God, which worketh all things for the best vntounto his seruants: But the vsuall reading is better, that all things worke together, &c. for God is not so fitly said to worke together with his creatures.
2. And they are said to worke together, 1. either among themselues, as Origen saith, collaborant, they labour together. 2. or in respect of the Saints themselues, which aske these things of God, they worke together with them, Haymo. 3. or rather they doe concurre or worke together, cum causa piorum salutem operante, with the cause, which worketh their saluation, namely God; Pareus, and before him Haymo: cooperatur Deus, God worketh together in fulfilling all things belonging to their saluation. 4. but Pererius sense we refuse; they are said to worke together, quia concurrere debet bonus vsus liberi arbitrij, because the good vse of our freewill must concurre, &c. for what is mans freewill without the spirit of grace, it is able to doe no good thing of it selfe: as the Apostle said before, v. 26. that the spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what to pray as we ought.
3. All things. 1. which is either to be taken so generally, as Origen comprehendeth euen the spirit also that helpeth our infirmities: for the Apostle would not so shuffle together the Creator and the creature. 2. neither yet is Augustines exposition so fit, that extendeth it …o the sins of the Saints, which also profit vntounto their saluation, quia inde humiliores rediunt & doctores, because after their repentance and rising againe they returne more humble, and better instructed: lib. de corr. & grat. c. 9. so also Lyran. who addeth further, that the remembrance of their former sins maketh for their glorie, as the scarre of the soldiers wound setteth with his valure: But this is not agreeable to the Apostles mind, who speaketh not here of the sinnes, but of the sufferings of the Saints. 3. As these make the Apostles words too general, so Haymo doth too much restraine them to the prayers of the Saints, that if they chaunce to aske vnaduisedly, yet God turneth it to their good, either in not graunting that they aske, or in chaunging it for some better thing. 4. Wherefore the Apostle specially meaneth, that all things, that is, all afflictions and tribulations shall be turned to the good of the Saints: as Chrysostome interpreteth, omnia, etiam tristia includit, in saying all, he includeth also, heauie things, &c. so Calvin, Martyr, Pareus, with others: though it be verie true, that not onelyonly afflictions, but all things whatsoeuer shall fall out for the best: And here Bernard well obserueth, that all things so worke together, vt inter haec omnia, etiam quae nihil sunt, numerentur, &c. that among all these things, euen those are numbred, which are indeed nothing, as sickenes,Bernard serm. de fallac. pres vitae. death and such like, which hauehave no nature of their owne, but are naturae corruptiones, corruptions of nature.
4. To those which louelove God: 1. the Apostle rather saith, which louelove God, then which beleeue in God, for these causes. 1. for that the louelove of God doth most shew it selfe in affliction, when a faithfull man is willing to endure all things for the exceeding louelove of God. 2. and hereby Saint Paul doth distinguish a true faith working by louelove, from a sained faith which hath no such louelove, Mar. 3. and least any should thinke, that by the merite of their louelove toward God, this benefit is obtained, for all things to worke for the best, the Apostle addeth, which are called, to shew, that God first loueth them in calling of them, before they could louelove God, Calvin: and so the ordinarie gloss. well noteth, because the Apostle addeth, which are called, non aliunde est, quàm à praedestinatione, &c. it is not from any other cause, that all things worke together to their good, then of predestination, it is not of their merit: 3. Origen, whereas all things are said to worke together, &c. to them that louelove God, inferreth, that to them, which are not yet so perfit to louelove God, but reteine still the spirit of feare, some things may fall out for the best, but not all: But though there may be diuerse degrees in the louelove of God, and so some more or lesse are made partakers of this benefit, yet not onelyonly some things but all to such, as louelove God, shall fall out for the best, so long, as they remaine in the louelove of God: But if they hauehave not the louelove of God at all, then nothing shall be for the best, but euen the good things shall fall out vntounto their hurt: as Chrysostome well collecteth, that as to those which louelove God, etiam quae nocitura videntur, euen those things, which seemed hurtfull, are for their profite, so to them which louelove not God, quae profutura videntur, damna sunt, things which seemed to profite, are hurtfull.
5. Called of this purpose: 1. Chrysostome, Origen, Theodoret, Oecumenius doe vnderstand this not of the purpose of God, but of man, that God called those whom he foresaw to hauehave a purpose to consent vntounto their calling: But this is a very erroneous interpretation: God in Scripture is said to call men not according to the purpose of men, but according to his owne purpose, as c. 9.11. that the purpose of God might remaine according to election. 1. Tim. 1.9. Who hath saued vsus according to his owne purpose and grace: Ephes. 1.5. Who hath predestinate vsus according to the good pleasure of his will: in these and such other places, this purpose is interpreted to be the purpose of God, not of men: and herein Tolet annot. 31. and Pererius numer. 107. doe well concurre together in giuing testimonie to the truth, in reiecting the erroneous interpretation of the Greeke expositors. 2. so then here the Apostle insinuateth a distinction of callings: some are onelyonly externall, and not effectuall, some are internall by the efficacie of grace according to the purpose of God: so our Sauiour in the Gospell, many are called, but few chosen: he speaketh of the externall calling onelyonly, but the Apostle here mentioneth the other effectuall calling, which alwayes and onelyonly followeth election.