Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 8 · Section 4
4. Places of Doctrine.
Doct. 1. How the same worke may be both good and sinnefull as it proceedeth from God, the deuill, and man.
v. 3. Sending his Sonne, &c. God in sending his Sonne, and giuing him vp vntounto death, onelyonly intented his owne glorie, and the salvation of man, but Sathan stirred vp the Iewes of envie and malice to put that holy and Iust one to death: so the same action, as it proceeded from God was good, as it came from Sathan & man was euill: So that God is no way the author of euill, though he be author of that thing which is abused vntounto euill: Mart. This further is euident in the affliction of Iob, which, as God was the author & worker of it, tended to Gods glorie, and the triall of Iobs faith, but as Sathan had his finger in it, he would thereby hauehave supplanted the faith of Iob.
Doct. 2. Of the causes of saluation.
v. 3. Here all the causes of our saluation are expressed. 1. The author and efficient cause is God, who sent his Sonne to redeeme vsus. 2. the materiall cause is Christ, who came in the similitude of sinful flesh, not that he had not true flesh, as Marcion the heretike said, but it was true flesh yet without sinne, & so in that behalfe like vntounto sinfull flesh, as hauing the true nature of our flesh, but not the sinfull qualitie thereof. 3. the forme is also set forth, he condemned sin in the flesh, that is, suffred the punishment due vntounto our sinne in his flesh. 4. the impulsiue or motiue cause, was the imbecilsitie & weaknes of the law: for if the law could hauehave saued vsus, Christ needed not hauehave died. 5. the finall causes were these two. 1. for sin, that is, he came to expiate, purge, and take away sinne. 2. and that the lawe might be fulfilled, and the righteousnesse of the lawe fulfilled by Christ imputed to vsus by faith, v. 4.
Doct. 3. That the holy Ghost is God.
v. 9. The spirit of God dwelleth in you: Hence Didymus inferred well, that the holy spirit is God, because he dwelleth in all the faithfull: this infinitenes and immensitie of the spirit sheweth that he is God, for who but God can dwell in so many temples at once: and beside, in that he is called the spirit of God, that also prooueth him to be God: for the spirit of God is of the same nature and substance with God.
Doct. 4. That the three glorious persons of the Blessed Trinitie are of one efficacie and power.
v. 11. The raising vp of the dead is a worke of Gods omnipotencie: but God the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, doe all raise vp the dead: as God is said to raise vp our dead bodies, because his spirit dwelleth in vsus, God the father then raiseth, and his spirit also raiseth and quickeneth the dead, and Christ also raiseth the dead, because the same spirit is here called the spirit of God, and of Christ: so Ioh. 6.54. He that eateth my flesh, &c. I will raise him vp at the last day.
Doct. 5. Of euerlasting glorie.
v. 18. Not worthie of the glorie, which shall be reuealed in vsus: Thomas Aquin. obserueth 4. necessarie points out of these words concerning euerlasting life: 1. it is called glorie, to shew the excllencie of it: for in this life noble wittes are desirous of nothing more then glorie: it is set forth by the name of that thing which is most desired. 2. it shall be, which sheweth the eternitie of it: for that which is now present is but short and momentarie. 3. reuealed, the glorie to come then is of it selfe invisible, but God shall so illuminate our minds, as that he himselfe will be seene of vsus. 4. this glorie shall be shewed in vsus, which signifieth the stabilitie of this glorie, it shall not depend of externall things, as riches, honour, but within vsus it shall be, and possesse and replenish both our bodies and soules.
Doct. 6. Of the nature and properties of hope.
v. 24. Hope that is seene is no hope. 1. the author and efficient cause of hope, is God, Rom. 15.13. The God of hope, &c. 2. the subiect, is the faithfull heart. 3. the obiect, things which are not seene. 4. the forme thereof is with patience to abide. 5. the effect thereof is ioy in the spirit, Rom. 1….1…. reioycing in hope. 6. the ende is our saluation, we are saued by hope. 7. the contrarie to all is despaire, and diffidence, ex Gryneo.
Doct. 7. Of true prayer that consisteth not in the sound of the voice, but in the sighes of the heart.
v. 26. The spirit maketh request with sighes: The meaning is this, that many times when the children of God are ouerwhelmed with griefe, and knowe not themselues what they pray, but onelyonly sobbe and sigh, that the spirit vnderstandeth their meaning, and euen those sighs and groanes, which come of the spirit doe pray for them: Augustine writeth excellently hereof, epist. 121. that the brethren in Egypt, are said crebras habere orationes, sed eas brevissimas, & raptim iaculatas, to make often prayers, but the same verie short, and as it were of a sudden cast out, &c. whereupon he thus inferreth, hanc intentionem, sicut non est obtr…denda, si per durare non potest, ita si perduraverit, non esse cito rumpendam, the intention of prayer, as it must not be forced, if it doth not continue, so if it hold still, it must not suddenly be interrupted and broken off: and so he concludeth, ab sit ab oratione multa locutio, sud non desit multa precatso, in our prayer let there be absent much speach, but let there not be wanting much praying, &c. for as long as the intention and devotion holdeth, the prayer cannot be too much, but to goe on still in words the intention beeing slacked, is much babling and talking, not praying.