Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 13 · Section 7
6. Morall obseruations.
1. Observ. Of the office of the Magistrate in encouraging the good, and punishing the euill.
v. 3. Princes are not to be feared for good works, but for euill, &c. This ought to teach Magistrates, that they should not abuse their authoritie in afflicting the good, and sparing the euill, as Iezabel did, who maintained idolatrie, sorcerie, and adulterie in Israel, 2. king. 4.22. but persecuted the true Prophets: but they must vse their authoritie, to feare the euill, and to be patrons to the good: as the Apostle here saith, they must be feared for euill works, and not for good.
2. Observ. That Magistrates should procure the common good, and exercise true iudgement.
v. 4. He is the minister of God for thy wealth, or good. Here are two excellent parts of the Magistrates office described: first because he is Gods minister, he must consider, that the iudgement is the Lords, and therefore they ought to deale vprightly, as Iehosaphac charged his iudges and officers, 2. Chron. 19.6. Take heede what ye doe, for ye execute not the iudgements of man, but of the Lord, &c. and further, the magistrate must propound to himselfe the good of the people, not seeke his priuate gaine: for he is ordained for their wealth: for this is the difference betweene a good gouernor, and an oppressor, that the one studieth to profit the Commonwealth, the other seeketh by laying heauie burthens vponupon the people to enrich himselfe.
3. Observ. How the Magistrate may comfort himselfe in his gouernment.
Whereas many cares and troubles are incident into the office of the Magistrate, many dangers imminent, and conspiracies intended: he is herein to comfort himselfe, that he is Gods minister, and therefore he neede not to doubt, but that God will assist his owne ordinance: for it were impossible if the Lord did not guard and defend them, that Princes could escape such perills, as they are subiect vntounto: that saying then must animate and comfort them, Touch not mine Annointed, &c. 1. Chron. 16.22.
4. Observ. Of the vigilant care and painfull office of the Magistrate.
v. 6. Applying themselues to the same ende: this sheweth, that the Magistrate is called not to a place of pleasure and ease, but of labour and care: they must endeauour and applie themselues to this ende, that is, to seeke and procure the good of their subiects: they watch when others sleepe, and take care, when their subiects are secure: this well perceiued the King that said, if one knew the cares that belong vntounto the crowne, and diademe, they would not take it vp, though it lay in the durt before them. This should teach men not ambitiously to aspire to places of such labour and care, and others to pay tribute and other duties willingly vntounto their Magistrates, as a recompence in part of their paines.
6. Observ. Of the commendation of Christian louelove.
v. 10. LoueLove doth none euill, &c. it is the fulfilling of the law, &c. Chrysostome here hath a good morall of louelove: vtram que virtutem habet dilectio, louelove hath a double vertue, it both maketh vsus abstaine from euill, and it bringeth honorum operationem, the working of good things: it is the fulfilling of the law: nay further, it doth not onelyonly shew vsus what we should doe, but helpeth vsus also to doe our duties prescribed in the law more easily: and beside, this louelove toward our neighbour, doth also shew our louelove toward God, and assureth vsus of his louelove againe: in louelove among men it is otherwise: for louelove is impatient of fellowship, it is full of iealousie, if one louelove the partie whome an other loueth, repugnabit amator, the louer will be against it: but God, dignatur te amoris sui communione, vouchsafeth thee to be partaker of his louelove, &c. he loueth those, that louelove them, whome he loueth.
7. Observ. Against backesliders.
v. 11. Now is saluation nearer, &c. S. Paul vseth this as a reason to stirre vsus vp to zeale and carefulnes, because still we come nearer vntounto the worke: like as they which runne in a race, the nearer they approach vntounto the goale, the faster they runne: therefore they are very preposterous, carelesse, and disordered, which in the end of their race doe slacke their pace: for while they stay and rest themselues, an other outstrippeth them, and winneth the price: therefore, as the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 9.14. So runne, that ye may obtaine: we must then hold out vntounto the ende, and not giuegive ouer our running, if we will obtaine the crowne.
8. Observ. Against carelesse hearers of Gods word.
v. 11. It is now time, that we should arise from sleepe, &c. Chrysostome applieth this against carelesse hearers, who though they are awake in bodie, yet are a sleepe in their soules: and all things which they heare, are as a dreame vntounto them: tell me, saith he, what Prophet, what Apostle, de que quibus rebus lectus fit, and of what matters was he read, sed non potes, but thou canst not tell me: wherefore to such be this spoken, it is time to arise from sleepe, &c.
9. Observ. Against riotous feasts.
v. 13. Not in banketting, and drunkennes, &c. Here Chrysostome also taketh occasion to enueigh against symposia foreign, companions feasts: when men feasted by turnes, or eueryevery one sent his cost, and when they met together, and did glut themselues with meates and drinks, and carnall pleasures: if this be a pleasure and delight, ostende mihi voluptatem illam vesperi, shew me thy pleasure at night, but thou canst not: I forbid not, saith he thus speaking, all kind of meetings sed ne quid praeter decorum agatur, that nothing be done vncomely, but vse to sing psalmes, pro illiberalibus canticis, in stead of dishonest songs: sic Christus mensae vestrae aderit, &c. so Christ will be at your table, and shall blesse your meeting, and your banket, and so shall you follow the rule of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer you doe els, doe all to the glorie of God.
10. Observ. Against chambring and fornication.
v. 13. Not in chambering and wantonnes: from these riotous feasts and bankets proceede vagrant and filthie lusts: and so men leauing as it were the pure and cleare fountaine, doe runne ad immundi cani cloucam, to a filthie puddle, and sinke: caenum nam que scorti corpus esse, &c. that the bodie of a strumpet is a very puddle and sinke, I appeale vntounto thy selfe: after that thou hast wallowed thy selfe in this mire, dost thou not thinke thy selfe impure and vncleane? 2. Chrysostome proceedeth further to shew the loathsomnes of this sinne; quid seminas, quod metere non licet, &c. why dost thou sow, where thou wouldest not reape? for the very fruit and offspring would make thee ashamed. 3. puero magnam facis iniuriam, &c. thou doest great wrong vntounto the child, that shall be borne, who by thy meanes is counted a bastard and base borne. 4. and thou thy selfe shall be ignominious, non solum in vita, not onelyonly in thy life, but after they death: sive ex scorto sit, sive ex ancilla, whether thou hast a child by an harlot, or by thy maide. 5. beside, thou makest her not onelyonly an harlot, but after a murtherer: nam non solum, quod natum est occidit, sed & ne nascatur prohibet, for shee onelyonly killeth not that, which is borne, but hindereth it that it be not borne: & sic generationis promptuarium, promptuarium facis occisionis, and so thou makest the receptacle of generation, the shoppe and forge of occision and murther. 6. hinc sunt & idololatriae, &c. hence also proceeded idolatries: for many procure enchantments, and drinkes, and other sorceries, that they may be beleeued. 7. Many other euills also spring from hence: venena parantur, &c. often poison is prepared for the wise, that hath the wrong, and other lyings in wait, or at the least, quotidiana bella, continuall warre and strife: and the legitimate children are hardly vsed, and much wronged: to this purpose Chrysostome excellently.
11. Observ. How we ought to imitate Christ, in the not satisfying of the flesh.
v. 14. Put on the Lord Iesus, &c. and take no care for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof: for if a man should giuegive himselfe to satisfie the desire of his flesh, he should but procure his owne further torment, and neuer be at rest: ipsae quippe concupiscentiae alias graviores pari…t, for concupiscence doth still beget concupiscence: as he, that is alwaies thirstie, as they which hauehave the dropsie, though they hauehave whole riuers by them, can neuer quench their thirst, so is it with them that follow the lust of the flesh, it will neuer be satisfied.
Thus farre Chrysostome proceedeth well, but he seemeth in the rest to be somewhat too strict and austere: for he would hauehave a man onelyonly to vse things for necessitie, as to eate onelyonly to satisfie hunger, and to seeke garments onelyonly to couer the flesh: non est vestibus ornan… c…r…, ne ornatu illam perdas, &c. the flesh is not to be adorned and set forth with rayment,Whether Christ be to be imitated in all his workes. least thou destroy it by those ornaments, &c. and to this purpose he sheweth how we should put on Christ, by imitating his austere life, and to doe as he did: he had not a place, wherein to put his head: do thou likewise: if he were at any time to take meat, panibus hordeacis vsus est, he vsed barly bread: if he were to trauell, he did not ride on horsebacke, sed venerbus pedestris, &c. but tooke his iourney on foote: if he were to sleepe, he made his pillow in the ende of his shippe: if he were to sit downe, in faeno, &c. he sate downe vponupon the grasse, &c.
But our blessed Sauiour is not to be imitated in all things which he did, as namely in these two, 1. in his diuine works, as in fasting fourtie daies and nights, in walking vponupon the sea, and such like: for these miraculous works are beyond our power. 2. in his particular and personall acts, as in that he possessed nothing, refused to be a Iudge, washed his Apostles feete, and in those before named: for these things became his person, as he was the Messiah, to shew that his kingdome was nothing at all of this world: but in his generall vertues, as his humilitie, merciemercy, louelove, holines, and such like, we must set before vsus the most holy example of our blessed Sauiour: as he saith himselfe, Learne of me, for I am humble and meeke, Matth. 11.29.
And concerning the thing it selfe: it is lawfull to take care of the flesh, not onelyonly for necessitie, but also for moderate pleasure and delight: as it is said, Psal. 104.15. That wine maketh a chearefull heart, and oyle causeth the face to shine: and as much is insinuated here by the Apostle, that we should not take care for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof: eueryevery other care then is lawfull, so it be not to pamper the flesh in wantonnes, and carnall delight: meates may be vsed not onelyonly for necessitie, but with some kind of pleasure; and apparell may be vsed as well for ornament, and comelines, as to couer our nakednes, so that excesse be taken heede of in the one, and pride in the other.