Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 6
6. Morall obseruations.
1. Observ. Ministers must not leaue their calling.
v. 4. What saith the answer of God. P. Martyr here noteth, how the great Prophet Elias herein shewed his infirmitie, that beeing wearied with the incredulitie and obstinacie of the people, he desired to die, and so would shake off his calling: which infirmitie the Lord here correcteth in the Prophet: whereby Ministers are taught, that they should not be dismaied and discouraged to leaue their places, notwithstanding the obstinacie of the people, as long as there be any which will heare them. Theodoret lib. 2. c. 31. maketh mention of one Molitius, who did leaue a certaine Church in Armenia, beeing offended with the frowardnes and disobedience of the people; who afterward was chosen Bishop of Antioch, and for defending the orthodoxall faith against the Arrians was banished: which might be thought to hauehave happened vntounto him as a chastisment from God, because he forsooke his former charge: Martyr.
2. Observ. That we must wholly be addicted to the seruice of God.
v. 4. I hauehave reserued vntounto my selfe seuen thousand, &c. The faithfull then are separated from the world, and reserued vntounto God: wherein appeareth both the louelove of God toward the elect, in sequestring them from the rest of the world, and in his speciall protection of them; as also what our dutie is againe toward God, to deuote our selues wholly to his seruice, seeing we are his, and not our owne: as the Apostle saith, Rom. 14.7. none of vsus liueth to himselfe, neither doth any die to himselfe, &c.
3. Observ. Of our thankefulnes to be rendred to God for his election of grace, both in our life and death, especially in the charitable disposing of our last will and testament.
v. 5. There is a remnant thorough the election of grace. Chrysostome by occasion of these words, and the next which follow, if it be of grace, it is no more of works, falleth into a vehement exhortation vntounto thankfulnes to God againe, because when we could not be saued by works, dono Dei gratis salvati sumus, we were saued by the franke gift of God: and this our thankfulnes must first be shewed in our life: temporis commoditate, vt oportet, vtere, vse the opportunitie of thy life and time, before death commeth, when all opportunitie of working is taken away: nondum solutum est theatrum, sed adhuc in ipsa intrò stas cavea, &c. the stage or theatre is not yet dissolued, but thou standest yet in the lists, thou maist play thy prices at the last. But if a man hauehave beene forgetfull of his dutie, while he liued, yet there is a way to make some part of amends at his death: and how is that? si Christum in testamento cum baredibus tuis conscripseris: if thou in thy will appoint Christ among thine heires: for what excuse canst thou hauehave, if thou make not Christ coheire with thy sonnes, seeing he maketh thee his coheire in heauen: contribu…illi pecunias tibi iam deinceps inutiles, &c. commit thy money to him, which is now like to be vnprofitable to thee, neither canst thou any longer be master of it. And if Christ be left coheire with thy sonnes, orphaniam illorum alleviabit, &c. the will releeue their orphancie, and keepe them from violence and wrong: how miserable then are they, which hauing no children, parasitis potius & adulatoribus sua distribuenda relinqunt, &c. do rather deuide their goods to parasites and flatterers, then to Christ: Consider how it is the merciemercy of God, that giueth thee time to dispose of thy estate, whereas many subitaneo raptu decesseriut, are taken away by sodaine death. Nay if thou wilt not make Christ coheire with thy children, numera Dominum cum servis, yet count thy Lord among thy seruants: thou at thy death settest thy seruants free: free then Christ in his members from famine, hunger, necessitie: thus excellently Chrysostome handleth this matter of wills and testaments.
4. Observ. Against rash iudgement.
v. 4. I hauehave reserued seuen thousand. Calvin here obserueth well, that like as there were many true worshippers in Elias time, though he knew them not: so, ne temerè omnes adiudicemus diabolo, we should not rashly send all to the deuill, that are not knowne vntounto vsus, neither yet appeare to be the seruants of God: so the Apostle, c. 14.4. who art thou, which condemnest an other mans servant, he standeth or falleth to his owne master.
5. Observ. All things fall out for the best vntounto the faithfull, and to the wicked all things are accursed.
v. 9. Let their table, he made a snare, &c. As vntounto the wicked, their prosperitie, here vnderstood by the table, becommeth a snare; so ot the godly, things which are in themselues heauie and hard, are turned to be easie and pleasant: the treacherie of Iosephs brethren turned to his aduancement: the afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt, hastened their deliuerance: euen in the wildernes the Lord spread a table for them: and so it falleth out, as the Apostle saith, c. 8.28. All things worke together for the best, to those which louelove God, &c.
6. Observ. Not to envie at the prosperitie of the wicked.
v. 9. Let their table be made a snare: this teacheth vsus, not to be grieued, when we see the wicked to flourish: for their prosperitie will turne to their ruine; as Pharaohs pride brought him to his destruction, while he followed the Israelites in the red sea: see to this purpose the 73. Psalme, where the Prophet Dauid confesseth his infirmitie, how he fretted at the prosperitie of the wicked.
7. Observ. To take heede that the word of God be not a snare.
Origen further obserueth vponupon this text, how euen the table of Gods word, which men fit to heare, as at a table, is turned to a snare to those, which doe not heare it with vnderstanding, and gather spirituall meate out of it: to such, it is, as S. Paul saith, the fauour of death vntounto death, 2. Cor. 2.
8. Observ. How we may profit by the fall of others.
v. 11. To prouoke them to follow them, &c. Like as by the fall of the Iewes saluation came vntounto the Gentiles; so by the sinne of others we are admonished to take heede vntounto our selues; to giuegive warning vntounto others, and to take occasion to reforme and amend such as hauehave offended: see Galat. 6.1.
9. Observ. How the Ministerie is truly honoured and magnified.
v. 13. I magnifie mine office: The honour of the ministerie consisteth not in riches or pompe, which are but accidentall things, but in the conuerting of many vntounto Christ; as the Apostle saith in the next verse, that I might saue some. It is peculiar vntounto God to saue, but the Lord communicateth this excellencie to the Ministers which are the instruments, to shew the necessitie of preaching, and the reuerence thereunto belonging.
10. Observ. How the faithfull comfort themselues in the power of God.
v. 23. God is able to graffe them in againe. Thus the children of God in all their afflictions are taught to comfort themselues; that God is able to deliuer them: as our blessed Sauiour saith, my Father is greater then all, and none are able to take you out of my fathers hand, Ioh. 10.29.
11. Observ. How we should be affected toward the Iewes.
v. 28. Beloued for the fathers sake. Beza well obserueth, that Christians should not neglect or despise the Iewes, but pray for their conuersion, and prouoke them by their godly conuersation: not by our superstitious vsages, and corrupt manners to hinder their calling, for the which the Papists, and carnall professors hauehave much to answer to God.
12. Observ. The comfort of the faithfull in the vnchangeable gifts of grace.
v. 29. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. This is much for our comfort, that our faith can not faile: for God repenteth him not of his gifts: neither can the faithfull loose their faith, which God by his spirit preserueth: as S. Peter saith, 1. epist. 1. c. 5. which are kept by the power of faith vntounto saluation.
The ende of the first Booke.
THE SECOND BOOKE OF THIS COMMENtarie vponupon the second generall part of the Epistle contained in the five last Chapters, which concerneth exhortation to diuerse Christian duties generall and particular.
Wherein among other questions and controversies of great waight and moment, these are specially handled:
Of the diuers offices in the Church, c. 12.
Of the obedience wherein, and how farre to be yeelded to the Ciuill Magistrate, c. 13.
Of the vse of things indifferent, c. 14.
Whether S. Paul were euer in Spaine, as he purposed, c. 15.
Whether S. Peter were euer at Rome, and fate as Bishop there, c. 16.
Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE, Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge. 1611.