A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Romans
The Epiſtle of PAUL the Apoſtle to the ROMANS.
The INTRODUCTION.
FOr the underſtanding of Paul's Epiſtle to the Romans, it is neceſſary, I. To underſtand his main Deſign and Subject. II. To that end, to know what Parties he had to do with. III. And what their ſeveral Errours were, or their Temptations to Errour. IV. And by what Arguments he oppoſeth them, and what he granteth them.
I. Paul's great Deſign is to eſtabliſh the Roman Chriſtians in the Faith of the Goſpel, and in Holineſs of Life, and in mutual Love and Concord againſt all the Temptations which then aſſaulted them.
II. The Adverſaries of their Stability, and his Deſign, whom he noteth, are, 1. The Roman Heathens, eſpecially the Learned ſort. 2. Eſpecially the Jews, and the Judaizing Chriſtians. 3. Some Erroneous Heretical Chriſtians, who were inclined both to Libertiniſm, and to Diviſions.
III. The Errours oppoſed by him were, I. The Heathens, who while they ſcorned the Faith of a Crucified Chriſt, ſhewed how little they were to be regarded by their Sins againſt the Light of Nature.
II. The Jews had all theſe following Errours. 1. Becauſe God had made them a peculiar People, by ſpecial Privileges and Promiſes, they were over-proud of it, as if they had been the onelyonly Servants that God had in World, and that none but Jews and their Proſelytes were ſaved. 2. And ſo, that their Law was to be received by all the World. 3. That this Law, given to, and by Moſes, for their Government as a peculiar Republick, was ſo excellent, becauſe thus Divine, that the keeping of it was the ſufficient and onelyonly way of Salvation. 4. Herein they overlook'd the Promiſe which was before the Law, and preſuppoſed in the Law, as its Foundation, and its very Life; both the Common Promiſe made to lapſed Mankind in Adam and Noah, and the ſpiritual part of the Special Promiſe made to Abraham. 2. And they overlook'd the ſignification of their Types and Ceremonies; and look'd at the Law meerly as a Law of Works, rewarding or puniſhing for the doing or not doing it.
5. Therefore they miſtook the promiſed Meſſiah to be a King of David's Line, who was to reſtore their Commonwealth, and ſubdue the Nations to it, and rule them in earthly Glory by that Law; and ſo made him ſubſervient to Moſes's Law, as to be reſtored by him.
6. And ſo they thought that this Law muſt endure for ever, and that to talk of its abrogation was Blaſphemy againſt God.
III. The Judaizing Chriſtians conjoyned Chriſtianity and the Law, and thought, that though Chriſt's Miracles, Reſurrection, and Spirit proved him to be the Meſſiah, who died for their Sins, yet he came not to change their Law, but to eſtabliſh it: And firſt, they were long before they could be convinced, that it was not neceſſary to the Gentiles to be Proſelytes to it: And when they were forced to grant that, they ſtill held, that it was neceſſary to all the Jews. And therefore they kept up their Ceremonies, and ſeparated too far from the Gentile Chriſtians: And the Gentile Chriſtians too much deſpiſed theſe.
IV. Beſides theſe, there were ſome that Heretically took it to be a part of their extraordinary Knowledge, to hold, That Chriſtianity delivered Men not onelyonly from the Jews Law, but from ſubjection to Men, and from neceſſary ſtrictneſs in outward Actions: And they made a Party for theſe Opinions.
V. The Apoſtle, I. dealeth but briefly with the Heathens, and argueth againſt them from their own Errours and Crimes; 1. Telling them of the Light of Nature, and then of their odious Sins againſt it; that the Chriſtians might not be moved by the ſcorns and oppoſition of ſuch a blinded uncapable ſort of Adverſaries.
II. But the chief Work of his Epiſtle is to confute the Jews and Judaizers, and to eſtabliſh the Gentile Chriſtians againſt their Errours and Oppoſition. To which end, he proveth all theſe things.
1. That the Gentiles are not bound to receive the Law of Moſes, and become Jews. 2. That they may be juſtified and ſaved by the Faith of Chriſt, as well as the Jews. 3. That God foretold their Calling by the Prophets, and the Promiſe to Abraham extended to them, as the Spiritual Believing Seed or Children. 4. That if this were not true, none could be juſtified or ſaved, becauſe by the Deeds of the Law, as ſuch, no man can be juſtified. The Jews themſelves muſt be juſtified by Faith, or not at all. 5. That the Law of Moſes, as ſuch, came long after the Promiſe, and the Juſtification of Abraham by Faith, and therefore could not null that Promiſe, or way of Life. 6. That the Law required ſuch a degree of Works, or ſtrict Obedience, as no man kept; and therefore none could be juſtified by it. 7. That the Law was given but to the Jews, and God is not onelyonly the God and Governour of the Jews, but of the Gentiles alſo. 8. That the Law forbiddeth Sin, and curſeth the Sinner, and condemneth him, and therefore doth not juſtifie him. 9. That the Law, as ſuch, giveth not Grace and Strength to keep it, but ſuppoſeth Ability: But the Grace and Spirit of Chriſt enableth. 10. That the Law by accident irritateth Luſt, and increaſeth it, and doth not mortifie and overcome it. 11. That the Law was given to another end, than to juſtifie the Sinner by its bare Works; even to convince Men of Sin, and the need of Grace, and as a Schoolmaſter to lead them to Chriſt, who is the End of the Law. 12. That Pardon, Juſtification, and Salvation muſt needs be God's free Gift to the Guilty and Condemned, and not the Reward of Meritorious Works of the Law; nor can any pretend the Title of Innocency or Debt. 13. That Chriſt is deſigned to gather a more large and excellent Church than the Jewiſh Nation, even a Catholick Church through all the World, and that more ſpiritual and holy; into which the Jews, if they will believe, ſhall be all graffed, which will be to them a higher Privilege than to live under the Moſaick Politie. 14. That the Jewiſh Law was ſo operous, ſhadowy, burdenſom, and terrible, that it is part of the Office of a Saviour to deliver men from it, and to bring them under a far better Law and Covenant of Grace.
By many ſuch Arguments he confuteth the Jews, and Judaizing Chriſtians.
III. How he confuteth the Cenſorious Dividers, who agreed in the Eſſentials of Chriſtianity, but differed about ſome Jewiſh Rites; and alſo the Erroneous, that enclined to Licentiouſneſs, and unjuſt Separation from the Orthodox, will be ſufficiently ſhewn in the particular Expoſitions.
IV. But the Apoſtle denieth none of theſe following Truths, but implieth ſome, and expreſly aſſerteth others of them, as Conceſſions.
1. According to the Promiſe made to Abraham, the Iſraelites were a holy Nation, and a peculiar People, ſeparated to God out of all World.
2. God's Gvoernment firſt ſetled over them was eminently a Theocracy, the Supremacy being exerciſed by extraordinary Revelation, by Angelical or Signal Notices, and by Prophecy.
3. Their Law was eminently Divine, the Law of God; their Princes being but Executioners, and not having Power of Legiſlation, to add, abrogate, or diminiſh.
4. This Law was wholly Political; that is, The Rule of the Subjects Obedience, and the Rewards and Puniſhments, to be exerciſed by God as Supreme, and by Magiſtrates as his Officers, in the Government of that People as a Holy Commonwealth. Even the Decalogue and Ceremonies were ſuch Laws of Politie.
5. But this Law ſuppoſed the Law of Nature, and the antecedent Law of Mercy made to ſaln Mankind in Adam and Noah, and the ſpecial Promiſe made to Abraham, and all the Nations of the Earth in his Seed: And the Jews ought not to have ſeparated any part of their Law from theſe, which were as its very Life and Soul, and principally reſpected things ſpiritual, and heavenly, and everlaſting.
6. The Law preſuppoſing theſe, and being given to men that had Immortal Souls, and bound to know ſo much, doth not much mention ſuch matters of the Life to come, as being preſuppoſed; and Moſes adding ſpecially the diſtinguiſhing Laws of Jewiſh Government.
7. The breach even of a Political Law, where God was the Legiſlator, deſerved future everlaſting Puniſhment, though as Men were the official Executioners, it was but corporal Puniſhment that it inflicted.
8. The Sacrifices were Obſignations of that Law of Grace which was elder than Moſes, and ſo they ſhould have been underſtood.
9. The ſincere keeping of that Law, while it was in force, was the Material part of the Jews Obedience as they were under the Law of Grace.
10. Even the Decalogue it ſelf, as Moſaical and Political, delivered in Stone to the Jews onelyonly, is done away with all the reſt by Chriſt, their peculiar Commonwealth being ended: But as it is, 1. the Law of Nature, 2. and the Law of Chriſt, it ſtill continueth.
There are three Controverſies that I will here briefly ſpeak to, rather than by inſerted Annotations afterwards. I. Whom Paul deſcribeth in the firſt and ſecond Chapters. II. What Law it is that he ſpeaketh of. III. How he meaneth, that Faith is imputed to Righteouſneſs and Juſtification.
1. A late Writer hath laboured hard to perſuade us, that Rom. 1. and a great part of the Epiſtles ſpeak of the Gnoſticks, which have uſually been otherwiſe expounded. Of this Chapter I think otherwiſe, (and of many other Texts) becauſe, 1. The Philoſophers, and other Heathens, were ſo much more potent, numerous, and famous Adverſaries to Chriſtianity, that we have great reaſon to ſuſpect, that Paul doth not ſo much paſs them by, to pelt at a few Hereticks, as this Writer imagined.
2. The Text agreeth more to the Heathens. It was to them that the Goſpel was a matter of ſhame, and counted fooliſhneſs. It was not by the Works of Creation chiefly that the Gnoſticks pretended to know God, or ſhould have known him; but this was the onelyonly Book to the Heathens. The Gnoſticks were unexcuſable, as Profeſſours of Faith; but it was the Heathens that were left without excuſe by the meer Works of God's Creation. The Heathen Philoſophers were they that profeſt the greateſt Wiſdom, deriding all Chriſtians as Fools. It was the Heathens that were the Authors of all that Imagery and Idolatry, named ver. 23. The Gnoſticks were but for involuntary Complyance in caſe of danger: They renounced worſhipping the Creature more than the Creator. The Sodomy, and all the other Sins by which they are deſcribed, belong far more to the Heathens than to the Gnoſticks. Chap. 2. Paul diſtributeth them that he ſpeaks of, into [Jews and Gentiles], and ſo doth the whole ſcope of his Diſcourſe, 1 Cor. 1. & 2. It is the ſame ſort that he there ſpeaketh of, as the Wiſe, and Great, and Noble of the World, who counted the Wiſdom of the Goſpel Fooliſhneſs, and whoſe Wiſdom was Fooliſhneſs, which God would confound and bring to nought, &c. which is the plain Deſcription of the Philoſophical Heathens. A great deal more ſuch Evidence is at hand.
3. The Writers of Church-Hiſtory and Hereſies tell us of many ſorts of Hereticks in the beginning, that went before thoſe called Gnoſticks; yet none of theſe are named in Scripture, but the Nicolaitans, and the Woman Jezebel, Rev. 2. & 3. And why ſhould we think then that the Gnoſticks are meant more than they?
4. Thoſe that Paul oft ſingleth out, ſeem to be them mentioned Acts 15. againſt whom he reaſoneth to the Galatians, &c. Had he meant others, as their Crimes were greater, he would have as plainly notified them. Indeed, 2 Pet. 2. and Jude, ſeem to mean the Nicolaitans as much like the Gnoſticks; but Paul had much more to do with the Heathen Oppoſition.
II. Some have thought that it is the Law of Innocency made firſt to Adam, which Paul meaneth, when he ſpeaks againſt Juſtification by the Works of the Law. Their chief Reaſons are, 1. Becauſe it ſaith, Curſed is he that doth not all things written, &c. And hence they gather, That the Jews Law was of the ſame tenor. 2. But others give this Reaſon, Becauſe the Jews Law was a Covenant of Grace, and therefore could not be that here deſcribed,
But it is evident all along, that it was Moſes's Law that Paul here meaneth. It would be tedious to cite the Proofs all along viſible. And as to the Reaſons for the contrary, 1. It is certain, that the Law of Innocency was not then in being and force, but ceaſed with Man's Innocency, upon Adam's Fall; not by mutability in God, but in Man. God's Law is the preſent Obligation of his Will to Duty or Puniſhment. Shall we imagine God to ſay to the ſinful World, 1. I command thee, that art a guilty Sinner, to be ſinleſs? (contrary to the hypothetical neceſſity of Exiſtence.) 2. And, thou ſhalt be rewarded, if thou be innocent, (when he is guilty already.) 3. And, if thou be a ſinner, thou ſhalt die, (when he is a Sinner already, and the Conditional is become Abſolute, and paſt into a Sentence of Judgment.)
2. The Law of Moſes granteth Sacrifice and Pardon for many Sins; but the Law of Innocency pardoneth none.
3. The meaning of [Curſed be he that doth not all things] is not, Curſed be he that hath any Sin; but, he that keepeth not all this Law: (And onelyonly the Jews were under that Law, and its Curſe.) And this Law of Moſes was ſo operous and ſtrict, that no man did perfectly fulfil it: And if they had, it would not procure their Pardon for the common Sin of Nature, nor merit any thing of God, by the benefit he received by their Works.
2. And as to the other Objecters, It's true, that Moſes's Law was given to them as a material peculiar part of the Law of Grace: But thoſe, that Paul diſputed againſt, had in conceit ſeparated the Law, as ſuch, from the Promiſe or Covenant of Free Grace, and thought to be juſtified by the Merit of their Obedience to it.
III. Perverſe Engagement againſt one anothers Opinions, as dangerous, hath made Paul's Doctrine of Faith and Juſtification ſeem much more difficult than it is. 1. It is certain, That by [Faith] he meaneth no one ſingle Act onelyonly, as is [The believing that Chriſt's Righteouſneſs is imputed to us], as if we were not juſtified by believing in God the Father, or the Holy Ghoſt, or truſting the Promiſe of Glory, or believing that Chriſt died for our Sins, roſe, aſcended, intercedeth, reigneth, and will judge us, and glorifie us, or by conſenting to his Covenant of Grace, accepting offered Mercy, &c. Faith is a Moral act, containing many Phyſical acts of Underſtanding and Will; like a Covenant-conſent to a King, a Husband, a Phyſician, &c. It is all that is eſſentially required in Baptiſm, to the Collation of the Grace there given. It is Chriſtianity in conſent.
2. This Faith is commanded by God, and Grace and Glory promiſed to them that by believing obey this Command; which maketh it the Condition, or Moral receptive Qualification for this Gift. And though God's Grace cauſe Men to believe, yet the Command and Conditional Promiſe are the Means by which God worketh this Effect. And that the Promiſe be Conditional, joyned with threatning to Diſobedience, is no more needleſs than the Command or Preaching is.
3. Hence Men may claim Pardon upon believing; but none can claim Faith by vertue of any abſolute Promiſe of God, before he have it.
4. Though no Creature can merit of God in Commutative Juſtice, as giving him a Benefit, yet they may merit of him as in Governing Juſtice, or Diſtributive: But this is various, as the Governing Law is.
According to the Law of Innocency no man meriteth; nor Juſtification according to the Law of Moſes; ſave Chriſt alone. Chriſt's Merit was in the fulfilling the undertaken Mediatorſhip, which was fulfilling the Law of Innocency, (which he onelyonly was capable of) and Moſes's Law, and the peculiar Acts of a Mediator: This Merit of Chriſt is the valuable, procuring, meritorious Cauſe of all our Deliverance, (Pardon, Juſtification, Adoption, &c.) of which our own Habits or Acts are no Parts, nor are at all to be judged to be in ſtead of any part of the Office of Chriſt.
5. But we are not Lawleſs, but under a Pardoning and Juſtifying Law, or Covenant of Grace, which giveth Grace and Glory (as is ſaid) to them that believe and repent; that is, pardoneth them, and giveth them the in-dwelling Spirit of Love, and right to Life, if they ſincerely truſt Chriſt's Mediation and Promiſe for it, and give up themſelves for that end to God their reconciled Father, to Chriſt as their Saviour, and his Spirit as their Sanctifier.
And becauſe God will not give us the free Gift of Chriſt, and Life with him, but as firſt qualified by this Condition of Faith, therefore Faith is ſaid to be imputed to us for Righteouſneſs: that is, This Acceptance of his free Gift in Chriſt, is all that the Law of Grace, by which we ſhall be judged, requireth of us that we may be accounted Righteous, without Innocency, or the Works of Moſes's Law, or any that make not the gift of Pardon and Life to be of free Grace. To have Righteouſneſs imputed, is to be accounted Righteous.
6. To call Faith a Juſtifying Inſtrument, is an unapt Speech of Mans vain invention; but may be tolerated, if they mean but [A Moral receptive Diſpoſition], unfitly called A receptive Inſtrument: But not in proper ſenſe.
7. But though Chriſt is our Surety and Vicarius poenae in ſome ſenſe, and properly a Sacrifice for our Sin, and merited all that we have by his Righteouſneſs; yet it ſubverteth the Goſpel and Chriſtianity, to teach, as ſome do, That Chriſt did ſo properly perſonate every one of the Elect, that in the ſenſe of God and the Law (though not Phyſically) they all perfectly fulfilled the Law of Innocency in and by him, and ſo are juſtified by that Law, as imputatively being ſinleſs: As if that Law had ſaid, [Thou or thy Surety ſhall die if thou ſin] and we are juſtified by the ſame Law that condemned us; and no Death, or Suffering, or permitted Sin were any Penalties on us: And as if we were at once reputed ſinleſs from Birth to Death, and yet muſt have a Chriſt to die for our Sin, and muſt daily beg forgiveneſs of it.