A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Romans · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
1. BRethren, my hearts deſire and prayer to God for Iſrael is, that they might be ſaved. 2. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
1, 2. My great deſire and prayer to God for Iſrael is, that they may be converted and ſaved: And it is laudible in them that they have a Zeal of God, and his Law and Worſhip; but it is fruſtrate, becauſe miſguided by errour.
3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteouſneſs, and going about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſs, have not ſubmitted themſelves to the righteouſneſs of God.
3. For they being ignorant of God's way of Juſtification and Righteouſneſs, intended as the end of the Law, and freely given by Grace, and fully now revealed in the Goſpel by Jeſus Chriſt, and truſting to their own Works of the Law as a ſufficient Righteouſneſs to juſtifie them, have by their errour rejected Gods free gift of Juſtification by Faith in Chriſt.
4. For Chriſt is the end of the law for righteouſneſs to every one that believeth.
4. For they ſhould have underſtood, that the ſenſe and uſe of the Law is to lead them for Righteouſneſs to Chriſt, who is its end, and prefigured in its Sacrifices and other Types.
5. For Moſes deſcribeth the righteouſneſs which is of the law, That the man which doth thoſe things ſhall live by them.
5. For though the Law do point Men to a better Righteouſneſs, yet in it ſelf as a Law, it owneth nothing as a Righteouſneſs ſufficient to Juſtification, but that which Moſes thus diſcribeth, Lev. 18.5. The Man that doth theſe things, and breaketh not this Law, ſhall live by them.
6. But the righteouſneſs which is of faith, ſpeaketh on this wiſe, Say not in thy heart, Who ſhall aſcend into heaven? (that is, to bring Chriſt down from above) 7. Or, Who ſhall deſcend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Chriſt again from the dead.) 8. But what ſaith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach,
6, 7, 8. But I may deſcribe the Righteouſneſs which is of Faith in the Words of Moſes, Deut. 30. Say not in thy Heart, Who ſhall aſcend into Heaven, (or how can we know Gods Will, that never were in Heaven? Or who ſhall bring us thence a certain Meſſenger of it) or, Who ſhall deſcend into the deep, (or it is hid from us like the depths of the Sea, and who ſhall fetch it to our Knowledge?) But as it ſaith, The word is nigh thee; God hath not concealed it, but ſent it from Heaven: Chriſt is come down to make known God and his Word; and he is riſen, and gone to intercede for us in Heaven: And he hath brought his Goſpel both to our Eyes, Mouth, and Ears, and writeth it by his Spirit in our Hearts. And Moſes there ſeemeth to intend ſuch a way of Righteouſneſs by free Grace to the Repenting Iſraelites. And this is it which our Preaching fuller revealeth to you.
9. That if thou ſhalt confeſs with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and ſhalt believe in thy heart that God hath raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved.
9. That if thou confeſs Chriſt before Men, notwithſtanding perſecution, and own him as Chriſt before the world, and believe truly and heartily that God raiſed him from the dead, and thereby witneſſed that he owned him, and juſtified the truth of his Goſpel, thou ſhalt be ſaved (as well as juſtified. For to juſtifie a Man, is partly to juſtifie his Right to Salvation.)
10. For with the heart man believeth to righreouſneſs, and with the mouth confeſſion is made unto ſalvation.
10. For theſe two make up the Goſpel terms of Life: To give up Soul and Body to Chriſt; if thou believe ſincerely in him with thy Heart, thou wilt be accepted for his Merits by God as Righteous; and if thou conſtantly confeſs and own him, whatever thou ſuffer by it from Men, by Word and Deed, in obedience and patience, thou ſhalt poſſeſs the Salvation to which thy Juſtification initially gave thee right.
11. For the ſcripture ſaith, Whoſoever believeth on him ſhall not be aſhamed.
11. For Iſa. 8.16. God hath prmiſed us in his Word, that whoever believeth on him, and truſteth him on his Promiſe, and practically placeth his hope accordingly, ſhall never be diſappointed and aſhamed of that Hope.
12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the ſame Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him.
12. For God is no reſpecter of perſons, and ſaveth not Men, or rejecteth Men, becauſe they are Jews or Greeks. The Law of Grace doth equally pardon and juſtifie Jew and Gentile that truly repent and believe, and no other: He is the ſame Lord over all, and is Rich in Mercy to all that call on him in Faith, (for when he proclaimed his Name to Moſes, Exod. 34. [as gracious and merciful, forgiving iniquity tranſgreſſion and ſin, &c.] it was his very Nature and Decree by which he would be known to all the World, and not only by the Jews.)
13. For whoſoever ſhall call on the Name of the Lord, ſhall be ſaved.
13. For as it is ſaid, Joel 2.32. Whoſoever ſhall call on the name of the Lord ſhall he ſaved; that is, of what Nation ſoever he be, if he truly ſeek God, he will be found of him; and if he fear God and work Righteouſneſs by Faith, he ſhall be accepted of him; for he is the Rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him, Heb. 11.6.
14. How then ſhall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how ſhall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how ſhall they hear without a preacher?
14. And this ſheweth you the neceſſity of Preaching the Goſpel; for how ſhall Men ſeek, and worſhip, and call on that God and Saviour in whom they have not believed? And how ſhall they believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how ſhall they hear, if no one tell them, or preach to them? (Even the Works of Nature, and Providence that reveal God darkly, muſt be told Men by Inſtructors, to make them capable of underſtanding them: Much more the Goſpel of Chriſt.)
15. And how ſhall they preach except they be ſent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Goſpel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things?
15. And how ſhall Men Preach the Myſteries of Salvation, that are not called and ſent of God, by his Qualifications and Commiſſion? for who can be ſuch a Light in the World, that is not taught and gifted by the Father of Lights? And who can in Gods name proclaim the Word of Reconciliation as his Meſſenger, who is not authorized by him ſo to do? We love glad Tidings, and welcome the Meſſengers of them; and this ſhould be the Entertainment of Chriſts Apoſtles and Miniſters in the World, who bring the moſt joiful Tidings of Salvation. As it is written, How beautiful are the Feet of them that, &c. Iſa. 52.7.
16. But they have not all obeyed the Goſpel: for Eſaias ſaith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
16. But you may ſay, Why then doth not this Preaching convert more of the Jews? This excellence of the Goſpel, and the preaching of it, doth not ſuppoſe that all that have it will be converted by it: For of the Jews, Iſaiah ſaith, Lord who hath believed our Report? Few did hearken to the Prophets, Iſa. 53.1.
17. So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
17. It is evident, that they muſt hear, that they may believe; and Gods Word muſt be preach'd to them, or made known, that they may hear it.
18. But I ſay, Have they not heard? Yes verily: for their ſound went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
18. But is not the World excuſable then in their ſin, for want of preaching? I anſwer, As God tells us, Pſal. 19. That the viſible Works of God do Preach him, (even his Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs) to all the World, which will leave it without all juſt excuſe; (See Rom. 1.20, 21.) So Chriſt ſent his Apoſtles with a Commiſſion to preach to all Nations; and many Nations have already heard his Goſpel.
19. But I ſay, Did not Iſrael know? Firſt, Moſes ſaith, I will provoke you to jealouſie by them that are no people, and by a fooliſh nation will I anger you.
19. But have not the Jews had notice of the Goſpel, when it was firſt preached to them, and rejected by them? The very converſion of the Gentiles, receiving that Chriſt whom they rejected, which is matter of envy to them, ſhall leave them without excuſe; as Moſes ſaith, Deut. 32.21. I will provoke you to jealouſie by, &c.
20. But Eſaias is very bold, and ſaith, I was found of them that ſought me not, I was made manifeſt to them that asked not after me. 21. But to Iſrael he ſaith, All day long I have ſtretched forth my hands to a diſobedient and gainſaying people.
20, 21. But Iſaiah boldly and plainly foretells Gods calling the Gentiles by free Grace, and ſeeking them that firſt ſought not him; and his rejecting the Jews as a People that after his long ſuffering did continue obſtinately to reject his Word and Grace, ſaying, I was found of them that ſought me not, &c. and, All days long have I ſtreched forth, &c.
ANNOTATIONS.
1. THe 12, 13, 14, and 15 Verſes are controverted by Expoſitors, as to the Queſtion, Whether they aſſert or deny the Salvation of any that hear not of Chriſt; becauſe (on one ſide) it it is ſaid, That ever doth call on the Name of the Lord ſhall be ſaved; and the 19th. Pſalm is cited, which tell us how Gods Works do preach him to all the World, &c. And on the other ſide, How ſhall they hear without a Preacher? &c.
Firſt, We muſt not confound the doubt of the ſenſe of this Text, with the doubt of the Matter, which is the Salvation of Men that hear not the Goſpel: As to the former, I have ſaid what I thought needful in the Paraphraſe, and leave it to the judgment of the Reader.
As to the Matter, I think this much following may ſatisfie the ſober. 1. We muſt firſt know what Law of God ſuch Men are under, and then how far it juſtifieth them. It is certain, that the World (once guilty of ſin and death) is not under the Law of Innocency, which maketh Innocency the only Condition of Life (now it is loſt to all.) And it is certain, that they are neither Lawleſs, or ſhut up as Devils in deſpair; but that they have duties and means of Repentance, Recovery, Mercy, and Salvation impoſed on them, which they are bound to uſe for theſe ends in hope; and they have much forfeited Mercy given to them all, which proveth that God uſeth them not according to the Law of Innocency. And it is certain, that God made to all Mankind in fallen Adam and Noah a Law of Mercy and Grace; and that when he proclaimed his name to Moſes, Exod. 34. The Lord gracious and merciful, forgiving, &c. it was his Nature, and his way of Governing of Mankind which he proclaimed. And ſo that all the world is under a Law which offereth Pardon and Life on other terms than ſinleſs Innocency.
2. It is certain, that the ſuperadded Covenant of Peculiarity to the Jews, or the preaching of the Goſpel of Chriſt Incarnate to part of the world only, repealed not any of the merciful Law, or Terms before given to all the World: Chriſt added more Mercy, but took away none; much leſs ſo much from moſt of the World: He came not to condemn the World, but to ſave.
3. It is certain, that all Men ſhall be judged according to the Law that they were under, and obliged by, and no other.
4. It's certain, that the Apoſtles themſelves, though in a ſtate of Grace, believed not till Chriſt was riſen, that he muſt die a Sacrifice for ſin, riſe from the dead, aſcend and intercede in Heaven, ſend down the eminent gift of the Holy Ghoſt, call the Gentiles, gather a Catholick Church, &c. Therefore it was not all our Articles of Faith that were neceſſary before Chriſts coming; but the belief of ſo much as was then revealed.
But, 2. What others do that hear not of Chriſt, in fact, who repenteth, believeth, and is ſaved, God is only fit to judge; it belongeth not to us. But we may ſay, that the caſe of Melchizedeck, Job and his Friends, and many others, prove, that Grace and Salvation were not confined to the Jews. And that Abraham thought that even Sodom had fifty Righteous Perſons, when it was worſe than other places of the World. And he that will well read Pſal. 19. Prov. 1. Acts 14. and 17. Rom. 1, and 2. may yet receive fuller ſatiſfaction from God.
II. About Miniſters Miſſion, verſe 15. It's doubted whether we may hear any, till we know that God ſent them: And it is the device of the Roman Clergy, to puzzle the ignorant, by objecting againſt the Miſſion and Ordination of Proteſtant Miniſters, to draw Men from hearing them as Miniſters of Chriſt, claiming to themſelves the Peculiarity of Divine Commiſſion and Authority, as the only Church that have uninterrupted Succeſſion of Canonical Ordination. But as the Interruption of theirs is eaſily proved, ſo it's moſt certain, that God hath not made it an antecedent neceſſary thing to the belief of his Goſpel, for all Men and Women to be firſt ſo well acquianted with Hiſtory, as to know what continuance or interruption there hath been in all Countreys of Canonical Ordination.
In ſhort, 1. A Lay-man is not to be heard that brings the Goſpel. 2. He that wanteth ſome Circumſtances of Order, neceſſary ordinarily to the right ordering of the Church, may yet have all that is eſſential to the Miniſtry.
3. He that hath juſt abilities, and mutual conſent of him and a Chriſtian Flock that need him, hath all that is eſſentially neceſſary.
4. He that is ordained by Concordant Senior Paſtors of that Church, hath all that is neceſſary eſſentially to Ordination.
5. He that ſeemeth to have ſuch Qualifications or Ordination, but hath not, but is in poſſeſſion upon deceiving probability, is a Paſtor to that Church, ſo far that his Miniſtrations ſhall be valed to the People, though not to juſtifie himſelf from the guilt of profane uſurpation.
6. The People that love their Souls muſt be more careful what Doctrine a Miniſter preacheth, than what Ordination he hath.
7. In divers caſes the Magiſtrates Authority may ſerve without Ordination, and in ſome the Peoples choice alone, though, where it may lawfully be had, juſt and regular Ordination ſhould not be neglected, ſeeing none may be himſelf the ſole Judge of his own call and fitneſs.