Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 12 · Dialogue 8
DIAL. VIII.
Verses 13, 14, 15. Distributing or communicating vntounto the necessities of the Saints… giuing your selues vntounto hospitality. Blesse them which persecute you, Blesse I say; and curse not: Reioyce with them that reioyce, and weepe with them that weepe.
Tim.
VVHat is requirtd by the first of these precepts?
Silas.
Liberality or mercy to the poore, that we be ready to giuegive them almes acording to their need. The word translated [necessities,] signifies [vses] to teach vsus, that as wee may not minister to the delicates of the poore, so we may not stay til extreame necessity vrgeth them vntounto this duty of mercy in giuing. There be manie exhortations in the Scripture, vppon sundry and great Reasons, as Heb. 13. 16. where it is called a Sacrifice, and God is saide to be well pleased with it. In Phil. 4, 18. it is called an Odour of sweete smell, a Sacrifice acceptable to God. And Actes 20, 35. it is saide, that it is a more blessed thing to giuegive then to receiue: and Luke 16, 9. we are charged to make friendes of vnrighteous Mammon, by giuing to the poore, that they may receiue vsus into cuerlasting habitation: and 1 Tim. 6, 18, 19. of distributing to the poore Paul saith, it is the laying of a good foundation against the time to come.
Againe, Christians bee stewardes, and it is required, that stewards be faithfull, to dispose their goods to the minde of their Maister, and his mind is, that such as hauehave much, should giuegive to such as hauehave little; and that the abundance of some, should supply the wants of others. 2. Cor. 8, 13, 14. Further, by being mercifull to the poore, we are like our heauenly Father, which is mercifull and giues liberally, Math. 5, 45. also we expresse louelove & kindnesse to Christ, by doing good to his members, Mat. 25, 35. 36, 37. We witnesse to our selues and others the truth of our faith, which works by louelove, Gal. 5, 6. and comforts the heart of our Brethren, Phile. 7. and brings glorie to God and our profession. Besides al these forenamed reasons, ther be three reasons more in our text, to perswade vntounto this duty, as the louelove of Saints, because poore christians are [Saints] purged by the blood, and sanctifyed by the Spirit of Christ.
Secondly, the compassion of their necessities and wants which we are bound to pitty. Thirdly, liberality in communicating. By which word of communicating, we are put in mind, in that the Apostle saith rather communicating then giuing; that the poore hauehave an interest in the goods of the rich, as touching the vse by vertue of Gods commandement: and that the rich ought to communicate with them in affections and simpathy, by releeuing them, as if they felt their wants, and suffered with them, Heb. 13, 3. And lastly, that betweene rich and poore, there is a kinde of spirituall trafficke and merchandize, the rich communicating temporall things in making the poore partakers of their substaunce, and the poore spirituall, in making the rich partakers of their prayers. The examples of such men as hauehave perfourmed this duty, is first Dorcas, Acts 9, 39. making coats to giuegive to the pore: the brethren of Antioch sending relief to the pore Saints at Ierusalem, whom also the Church of Macedonia did releeue euen beyond their power, 2 Cor. 9, 2, 3. Now as for the maner how beneficence is to be performed 2 Cor. 8, & 9. chap. not grudgingly, or of necessity, or sparingly, not of compulsion, but out of a Christian compassion, of a ready mind with cheerefulnes, for the louelove and sake of Christ, and as to him; for God loues a chearful giuer. For the quantity, it must be much where much is, 2 Cor. 9, 8, 11. 1 Tim. 6, 18. no certaine stint or rate, but according to thy ability, and thy neighbors necessity.
Tim.
What are the vices contrary to this duty.?
Silas.
They be couetousnes & prodigality; for by excesse in apparrel, eating & drinking, Christians are made both vnable and vnwilling to doe this dutie, as they might and ought, if they were temperate, and kept a seemelie moderation and measure in the vse of Gods blessings bestowed on vsus: and couetousnes doth quite choake the affection of liberality, it hardens the heart of the rich against the poore, and binds vp their hands, so as nothing comes from thē, vnles it be wrung out by great entreaty, or by authority, as seises. Lastly, in giuing, christians are to beware both of opinion of merite, which poysoneth Popish liberality, and of vaineglorie, which spoiles the bounty of many Protestants giuing, to bee seene and talked of.
Tim.
What is the next duty heere exhorted to?
Silas.
After beneficence, Paul exhorts vntounto hospitality,Hospitality. by being ready to entertain strangers and exiles, such as were driuen from home for the Gospel; where of great store were in the primitiue Church, when both Apostles and other Christians were forced to trauel from Country to Country for their safety, through the heat of persecutions, See Heb. 13, 2. Note in our Text, that he saith not imbrace, but be giuen: which signifies to pursue and follow it with eagernesse and earnestnesse, as if it were not enough to inuite strangers, and to receiue them, but that we ought also to entreat and vrge them to come to vsus; after the example of Lydia, Acts 16, 15. and of Abraham, Gen. 18. and of Lot, Gen. 19. which while they receiued strangers, vnawares entertained Angels, Heb. 13, 2. See Deut. 10, 18, 19. God loueth strangers, and your selues were strangers, therefore be kinde and beneficiall to them.
Tim.
What is the meaning of the next precept?
Silas.
As before Paul taught what our behauiour should be towards friends, and the houshold of Faith, soBlesse, what it is. he now teacheth duty towards them which are without, which are enemies, whom he willeth vsus to [blesse,] that is, both to wish well vntounto them, and to speake well of them (as farre as we may with matter of trueth;) both to pray for, and to praise them according to their worthinesse, yea and to do good vntounto them also, if they neede it. In that Paul repeateth the word [Blesse] twice, & then sets it foorth by the contrary word [Curse] hee puts vsus in minde both how hard a worke this is, being a worke of the Spirit, and not of the flesh, as being contrarie to our corrupt nature. Also, that we should not do it by fittes, but be constant in blessing. Paul borroweth this precept from the words of Christ, Math. 5, 24. Wee hauehave Christ himselfe a patterne of it, Esay 53, 12. and Steuen, Acts 7, 6. and 1 Pet 2, 22. all Christians are called to imitate the example of Christes patience towards their enemies.
The practise of this duty, is the verie touchstone & triall of all Christian charity. For to speake well, and do well vntounto such as louelove vsus, is no singular matter: it is common to Gods children with Publicans and sinners; but to louelove & blesse an enemy, is the peculiar worke of a godlyWhere were patience, or experience, or hope without these persecutions of wicked men? saith Chrystostome. person: see Mat. 5, 43, 46. Luke 6, 27, 35. This forbidding to curse, must be meant of priuate enemies. Againe, from this precept wee may learne, that Gods children must make account, that there will neuer want wicked men to persecute them both with their tongues by raylings, slanderings, and calumnies; and with their swordes or hand, by losse of goods, imprisonment, death, &c. and that for trueth and righteousnesse sake. Heere of Christ forewarned his Disciples, Math. 5, 10. The best remedie we hauehave in such cases, to breake the malice and crueltie of wicked men, is by patience and wel-doings, 1 Pet. 4, 19.
Tim.
What is required more in the next precept?
Silas.
Mutuall affection betweene Christians in bothMutuall affection. estates, aduersity and prosperity, to reioyce together in the one, and to mourne together in the other. And it is to be noted, that this precept reacheth more vntounto spirituall, then vntounto temporall cases; for we are bound more to lament the spirituall decayes of our brethren, then for their worldly losses: and also more bound to reioyce for their graces, then the riches of our Brethren. The Reason of this Sympathie, is that which is rendred of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12, 26. because wee are members one of another; and if one member suffer, all ought to suffer with them; and if one reioyce, all to reioyce with them: so it must be amongst Christians. Examples heereof we hauehave in the kinsfolkes of Elizabeth, Luke 1, 58. and in Paul, Phil. 1, 3. Colossians 1. 1. Thes. 1. 2. Iohn 1, 2. Romanes 16, 19.
Tim.
What vse of this point?
Silas.
It serues to reproue such enuious persons which fret and repine at the good and happy estate of their brethren, as Caine enuied Abell, Saul Dauid, and the Pharisies Christ; and the malicious also, who in stead of mourning together for the losses of others, are well pleased and make themselues merry and sportfull with the miseries of their neighbours; this is a wickednesse against which Iob doth protest, Chap. 31, verse 29. and for the which God threatneth the Edomites in Obadiah, verse 12, 13. It is the part of all Christians to be vnlike vntounto both these, and by simpathy and fellow-feeling of other mens both ioyes and sorrowes, to expresse our owne louelove to our brethren, and to shew that wee are voide of enuy, and to enlarge their louelove againe towards vsus, when they shall see vsus ready to communicate with them, both in their gladnesse and heauinesse: and finally somewhat to ease and lessen the grieses and afflictions of our neighbours, by helping thē to beare the borthen in a common affection. But heere is to be obserued, that if in the sorrow of our neighbour there be eyther an error, mourning when they ought to reioyce, or being glad when they ought to mourne, or an excesse in eyther of these, that then our duty is to correct them by admonition and not to communicate with them in such vnruly affections. Also heere is the effect put for the cause, weeping outwardly for lamenting inwardly; yet teares would bee shed and poured out in any great calamities of our brethren, after the example of Christ weeping ouer Ierusalem, and Paul for carnall and worldly Gospellers, Philppians 3. 18.