Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 10 · Section 4
4. Places of Doctrine.
1. Doct. A good intention maketh not a good action.
v. 1. They hauehave the zeale of God, but not according to knowledge: Hence it is euident, that make a good action it is not sufficient to hauehave a kind of zeale and good intention: for them beleeue: had beene excused for putting Christ to death, which they did of a blind zeale: … here the Apostle confesseth that they had zeale, but it was not according to knowledge, … therefore it was a false and erroneous zeale; such as they were ruled with, that should …ke they did God seruice in killing his seruants, Ioh. 16.2.
Doct. 2. Of the kinds of prayer.
v. 1. My hearts desire: There is oratio mentalis, vocalis, a mentall and vocali prayer, the one onelyonly in the mind, the other vttered by the voice: of the first our Sauiour speaketh, Matth. 6.6. When thou prayest enter into thy chamber: of the other v. 9. after this manner pray yee: And Saint Paul sheweth them both in this place, that his hearts desire was, &c. he prayeth both with his heart and voice: and the praier of the heart is the more principall.
Doct. 3. How to discerne true louelove and freindship.
v. 2. That they may be saued, &c. Herein Saint Pauls true affection appeared toward his countrie men the Iewes, in wishing their saluation: whatsoeuer one freind wisheth vntounto an other beside this, it is nothing: hence it is that Saint Paul in all his Epistles beginneth his salutation with grace and peace: this was Abrahams commendation, that he had a case to instruct his familie, children, and seruants in the waies of God, Gen. 18.18.
Doct. 4. Of the consent betweene the law and the Gospel.
v. 4. Christ is the end of the law: So then herein both the law and the Gospel agree, that both of them doe ayme at Christ: the law looketh vntounto him as the end, and the Gospel also requireth obedience to the law: but Christ is couertly insinuated in the law, but openly shewed in the Gospel: the law leadeth indirectly vntounto faith, and the Gospel as it were indirectly pointeth at the law: requyring the obedience thereof, not as a cause, but as a …ie, testimonie, and consequent of iustification: and so that is fulfilled, which S. Paul saith, Rom. 3.31. doe we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid, yea we est … the law.
Doct. 5. Of the difference betweene the law and the Gospel.
v. 5. He that doth these things, shall liue thereby, &c. Hence may be gathered there differences betweene the law, and the Gospel. 1. the law commandeth things impossible, and not in mans power, as in eueryevery point to keepe and fulfill the law: the Gospel onelyonly requireth faith and beleefe. 2. the law worketh terrour and perplexitie of conscience, breeding doubts and questions in the mind, who shall ascend to heauen to bring vsus th…er, who shall descend to hell, to keepe vsus from thence: But the Gospel bringeth comfort and peace of conscience, and assurance of saluation. 3. the righteousnesse of the law is grounded vponupon the law of Moses, but the iustice of faith vponupon the Gospel, this is the word of faith. v. 8.
Doct. 6. Of the diuerse kinds of calling and sending to preach.
v. 18. How shall they preach, vnlesse they be sent, &c. Though the Apostle doe here especially speake of the extraordinarie calling, such as was this of the Apostles, yet it is true of the ordinarie calling of preachers, that none must take vponupon them to preach, vnlesse they be sent of God: which is either immediately, as the Prophets were so called of God in the old Testament, or mediately by the authoritie of the Church, or by them to whom it is committed: which kind of mediate calling is not in eueryevery Church the same in respect of some circumstances, which are left to the libertie of the Church, Pareus: but yet the same end must be propounded, which is the edifying of the Church, and none ought to be sent, which are not meete: for such are not sent of God, but runne vncalled, and vnsent, and as intruders: But no man, as the Apostle saith, ought to take this honour vponupon him, but he that is called of God, Hebr. 5.4.
Here I cannot omit that obseruation of Faius: who thinketh the sending of Ionas to hauehave beene ordinarie, from the companie of the Prophets: and of the Apostles by Christ, excepting Paul: whereas for the former the text saith, that Ionas fled from the presence of the Lord, that called him: & who were called extraordinarily if the Apostles were not, both in respect of the caller, which was Christ God in the flesh, and of their extraordinarie and miraculous gifts.
Now the ordinarie calling is in a Church alreadie setled and constituted, the extraordinarie, when a Church is to be setled: and it is of two sorts: either when there is no Church at all, as the Apostles were sent vntounto the Gentiles, who were altogether straungers from God: or when the Church is wholly corrupted with false doctrine and corrupt manners as the Prophets were raised vp in Israel, when they were fallen to idolatrie: and no… in this last age, when Christians vnderunder Antichrist were becom idolaters, God hath stirred vp many zealous preachers, as Hus, Hierome, Luther, Calvin, with other excellent instruments.
Doct. 7. Of the peace which the Gospel bringeth.
v. 15. How beautifull are the feete of them, which bring glad tidings of peace? Whereas without Christ God was offended with the world, and there was no peace, but the earth was full of tribulation, 2. Chron. 15.4. God by Christ reconciled the world to himselfe, and sent peace, according to the song of the Angels at the birth of Christ: glorie to God in heauen, and in the earth peace: which peace is threefold: first toward God, in the assurance of the remission of sinnes, Rom. 5.1. peace of conscience, in that sinne hath no more power ouer vsus to perplex and trouble our mindes: and peace with our brethren: of these two our Sauiour speaketh, Matth. 9.57. HaueHave salt in your selues, hauehave peace one with an other: But whereas Christ saith he came not to send peace, but debate, Luk. 12.51. that is to be vnderstood of the peace of the world, which hateth the light, and with it the children of light can hauehave no peace.