Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 14 · Section 6
6. Morall obseruations.
Observ. 1. That we ought to beare with the weake.
v. 1. Him that is weake in the faith receiue. Like as in a familie, the greater doe tender the children and young ones, so Christians should cherish and foster the weake and younglings in faith: not to be rash or harsh censurers of them, but to beare with them in the spirit of meekenesse: as the Apostle saith, c. 15.1. We which are strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weake.
Observ. 2. Not to be austere in censuring our brethren.
v. 3. For God hath receiued him. Our weake brother, though he hauehave many infirmities, we are not to reiect, seeing God hath receiued him: this maketh against those, which vponupon euerie slip and infirmitie are readie to censure their brethren, as reprobates and cast-awayes: but charitie would hauehave vsus hope the best of the saluation of our brethren, and to thinke of them notwithstanding some infirmities as receiued of God, and such as for whom Christ died, v. 15.
Observ. 3. Of giuing thankes for meate.
v. 6. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giueth God thankes, &c. This sheweth what was the vse of Christians in those dayes, to giuegive thanks before their receiuing of meat: so it was the godly custome in Samuels time, for the people not to eat in their solemne feasts and sacrifices, till Samuel came, and blessed the sacrifice and meate, 1. Sam. 9.13. This holy vse was continued by our blessed Sauiour, Matth. 26.27. and S. Paul exhorteth, that whether we eate, or drinke, or whatsoeuer we doe els, we should doe all to the glorie of God, 1. Cor. 10.31.
Observ. 4. The consolation of the faithfull both in life and death.
v. 8. Whether we liue, we liue vntounto the Lord, whether we die, &c. As this teacheth vsus to put away all securitie, while we liue, and to frame our liues vntounto Gods glorie, for as Chrysostome saith, liberi non sumus, Dominum habemus, we are not our owne men, we hauehave a Lord and Master, whom we must serue: so in our death the Lord watcheth ouer vsus: that although the world, and all that therein is, doe forsake vsus, yet he that liueth vntounto the Lord, shall die also vntounto the Lord, and liue for euer with him: as they are pronounced blessed which die in the Lord, Rev. 14.13.
Observ. 5. That eueryevery one must giuegive account vntounto God: and that all shall be iudged, v. 12.
Chrysostome hath here an excellent morall, to shewe that all the wicked and vngodly shall be punished. 1. Seeing by daily experience it is confirmed, that many wicked ones are punished in this life, as were the old world, and the Sodomites, what equitie can there be in it, vt qui eadem pariter peccarunt, easdem poenas non luant, that they which commited the same sinnes, should not suffer the same punishment, non omnes hic punit vt alijs poenitentiae spatium tribuat, &c. he punisheth not all here to giuegive space of repentance vntounto others: neither are all punished onelyonly there, ne pleris que causa detur illius negandi providentiam, least some might take occasion to denie Gods providence. 2. But it will be said, how can God punish for euer, seeing we sinned here but a short time: do we not see that in the course of humane iustice, he that committed▪ murther but once, and it was quickly done, is perpetually condemned to the mines: and we read of a man that was lame, & had the palsey thirtie eight yeares, which punishment was for his sinnes, for Christ said vntounto him, sinne no more: in like manner it is iust with God to punish the temporall and momentanie act of sinne eternally. 3. And how is not the sinner worthie of punishment, beeing so often admonished, and threatned before, and hauing so easie a way shewed him vntounto life: the Publican said but only, God be mercifull vntounto me a sinner, quid hic sudoris, quid laboris, what great labour and paynes was it to doe this. 4. And if there were no hell to punish the wicked, neither should the deuill be punished, and it should fare alike with the good and bad, stabit cum Nerone Paulus, Nero shall be as good a man as Paul. 5. And thinkest thou then there is no hell, quis daemonum hoc asseret? is there any of the deuils that will say so, nay, they confessed there was an hell, crying out to Christ, commest thou to torment vsus before our time: how then dost thou not tremble to denie that which the deuill confesseth? 6. euen among the Barbarians, that hauehave no knowledge of God, the Iudges and Magistrates bonos honorant, malos puniunt, doe honour the good, and punish the euill: and shall not God much more? to this purpose Chrysostome.
Observ. 6. Of the tearme of the day of iudgement, and what vse we should make of it.
v. 10. We shall all stand before the iudgement seat of Christ. Therefore euerie one ought to be exceeding carefull in this life, how he walketh, and to watch ouer his thoughts, words, and workes, that he may appeare in that day with ioy: S. Paul saith to the same purpose, 2. Cor. 5.10. we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ, &c. and then he inserteth v. 11. knowing the terror of the Lord, we perswade, &c. the terror then of this day, ought to perswade vsus to walk circūspectly: Origen here well saith, quisuam est qui se ata decipiat, &c. who is there that will so much deceiue himselfe, vt ad iudicium Christi, & ad tribunal cognitionis cius se non putet venturum, who thinketh, he shall not come vntounto the iudgement of Christ, and to his throne of knowledge, &c.
Observ. 7. How dangerous a thing it is to giuegive offence.
v. 13. Iudge this rather, that no man put a stumbling blocke, &c. Chrysostome saith wel, tu, si reliquis perditionis causa fueris, graviora patieris, &c. thou, if thou shalt be the cause of other mens perdition, shalt be worse punished, then they which are by thee subverted: as the serpent was more punished then the woman, and the woman more then the man: & Iezabel maiores poenas dedit, and Iezabel had a greater punishment then Ahab, because she did instigate, and set on the king, and was the cause of his ruine, in taking away Naboths vineyard: we must then take heed of offences, that we scandalize not the Gentiles and Grecians by our euill life: for thus will they obiect: how shall I know that God hath cōmanded easie and possible things, cum tu ex progenitoribus Christianos, &c. seeing thou beeing a Christian from thy progenitors, and brought vp in a good religion, yet dost nothing that belongeth therevnto: thou perhaps wilt say, yet I will shewe thee those which doe these things, namely, monachos eremum incolentes, the Monkes which inhabite the wildernesse. But Christ said, luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, non coram montibus, let your light shine before men, not before the mountaines: and yet saying thus non illis detraho, aut montes occupant, &c. I doe not disgrace those which inhabite the mountaines, but I am sorrie for those which dwell in cities, that they onelyonly can finde vertue among the other: hortor ita que vt philosophiam ex montibus in vrbes reducamus, I exhort therefore that we may bring againe Philosophie from the mountaines into cities, vt ciuitates sint verae ciuitates, that cities may be right cities indeede.
Observ. 8. Of the dignitie, and excellencie of the calling of Christians.
v. 15. For whom Christ died: the Apostle said before, v. 8. Whether we liue or die, we are the Lords: for he hath bought vsus with a price, euen in dying, and giuing himselfe a ransome for vsus: it is a great honour in the world to be the seruant of a great and mightie king: the Queene of Ethiopia iudged Salomons seruants happie, that attended vponupon so wise a King: the Carthaginian embassadors returning from Rome said, se vidisse tot reges, quot senatores, that they had seene as many kings as senators: But much more glorious is the condition of the faithfull, whom Christ hath purchased to be his seruants: and indeede not seruants, but freemen, yea so many kings: for in him we are made Kings and Preists, Revel. 1.6.
Observ. 9. Of true praise and commendation
v. 18. Pleaseth God, and is commended of men. First, we must seeke to please God, and to be praised of him, and then the praise of men will followe: but he that first seeketh to please men, cannot please Christ, as the Apostle saith, Galat. 1.10. If I seeke to please men, I should not be the seruant of Christ: he that is praised of men first, is most like to be dispraised of God: as our Blessed Sauiour saith, Luk. 6.26. Woe vntounto you when men shall praise you, so did your fathers to the false Prophets: And againe, the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 10.18. he that commendeth himselfe is not allowed, but whom the Lord commendeth.
Observ. 10. That nothing is to be done with a doubtfull minde, or of ignorance.
v. 23. Whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne: Chrysostome here hath a good morall touching this point, that no man should pleade simplicie or ignorance in his doings. 1. he distinguisheth of ignorance: if thou art ignorant of those things, which cannot be knowne, praeter culpam erit, it is without thy fault, but ignorance through negligence, such as the Iewes had, excuseth not.
2. An in modico orbis angulo, &c. the things belonging to saluation were not done onelyonly in Palestina, in a corner of the world: but the Lord by his Prophet saith, they all shall knowe me from the greatest to the least, non vides rem istam loqui, dost thou not see the thing it selfe to speake.
3. But thou wilt say this knowledge is not to be exacted, of a poore simple husbandman, or Barbarian: yes, why not? for how canst thou call him simple, that is wise enough in worldly matters: if he be wronged he can tell how to resist, if violence be offred, he will defend himselfe, and in other matters he can prouide for himselfe: how then is he simple?
4. Tell me, whom thinkest thou to be more simple, those which liue now, or which liued in Abrahams time: surely thou wilt say they which liued then: yet Abraham barbarus in medio barbarorum educatus, &c. barbarian brought vp among barbarians hauing no teacher, his father beeing an idolater, yet had the knowledge of God: to this purpose, Chryso. to shew that ignorance can excuse none, but euerie one is bound to examine all his actions, that they proceede of faith.