Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 7
VERSE 7. For none of vsus liueth to himſelfe, and no man dyeth to himſelfe.
THis verſe hath another Reaſon to proue that the beleeuing Gentiles and Iewes, the ſtrong and the weake doe eate or not eate to the glory of God.
The reaſon is taken à generali intentione fidelium, Aquinas. Caluinus. Pareus.from the generall intention of the faithful, which is to conſecrate their whole life and death alſo to God.
Or you may ſay, it is taken à toto ad partes, from the whole to the parts, thus:
They who liue and die to the Lord, doe eate or not eat, &c. to the Lord.
But both the ſtrong and weake beleeuer doe liue and die to the Lord. Therefore &c.
For all our particular actions and paſſages, are comprehended vnderunder life and death, and therefore Peter Martyr calleth this Argument a generall cauſe: and Rollocke, a general reaſon, from the end of life and death.
Here are the Thing, Life and Death, and the Amplification; firſt, from the Subiect, None of vsus; ſecondly, from the End, denyed, Not to our ſelues.
Life and Death: A liuing to righteouſneſſe, and dying to ſinne is not here meant, though only ſuch glorifie God.
Neither is here meant a good life, and a dying in ſinne, as Chryſoſtome expoundeth: for this will not agree with that in the next verſe, Wee are the Lords; for they which dye in ſinne are not his children.
But here Naturall life and death are meant, comprehending generally all actions and paſſions, and whatſoeuer befalleth vsus in life or death.
None of vsus: Though all men liue and dye, yet here only the faithfull are vnderſtood, which are ſet downe generally, in reſpect of themſelues, None, and reſtrictiuely in reſpect of others, none of vsus.
None liue, &c. True of right, but not of fact: but here of fact is to be vnderſtood, and therefore he ſaith, None of vsus: iudging charitably that they were beleeuers in truth as himſelfe.
Paul from their thankeſgiuing iudgeth charitably of them; Obſer. ſo where thou ſeeſt any ſignes of goodneſſe, iudge the beſt, if thou knoweſt not the contrary: The want of this charity is the cauſe of much contention.
Liueth, Dieth, To himſelfe: The end is denyed, not to our ſelues, and it is affirmed in the next verſe, To the Lord.
To liue and die to a mans ſelfe, may be taken Ciuilly, or Theologically.
To liue to a mans ſelfe Ciuilly, hath two Expoſitions: Firſt, to be ſuiiuris, as they ſay, to be his owne man, not to be ſubiect to the command and direction of others, as a ſeruant and bondmen are; and this is a Ciuill good; 1. Cor. 7.21.and therefore Paul ſaith to a bondman, if thou mayeſt be made free, vſe it rather. Secondly, In liuing, onelyonly to care for, and reſpect a mans ſolfe, and this is euill, for wee are not borne for our ſelues, but partly for our Countrey, partly for our parents, &c.
To liue and die to our ſelues, Theologically, both muſt bee denyed.
We may not liue to our ſelues, for we are not our owne, wee muſt liue to God, and reſpect him in all things, preferre his will before our owne, to be at his becke, and to refer all things to his glory.
To dye to a mans ſelfe, is to die ſo, as that wee reſpect no body, and no body reſpecteth or careth for vsus: No man ſaith, Ah my brother.
To die to the Lord, is to acknowledge God, to truſt in God, to hauehave hope of going to the Lord, to beare our ſickneſſe and death patiently, and to be content to glorifie God, in any manner of death, which God ſhall appoint.
All Chriſtians muſt liue and dye to the Lord, Doctr. not to themſelues. 2. Cor. 5.9. Wherefore we labour, that whether preſent or abſent, we may be accepted of him. 1. Pet. 42. That hee no longer ſhould liue the reſt of his time in the fleſh, to the luſts of men, but to the will of God.
Pauls drift is to perſwade to vnity: Vſe 1 whomſoeuer therefore we ſee to hauehave a care to pleaſe God, and to auoid the ſinnes of the times, wee ought not to iudge and cenſure them, and to contend with them, but to louelove and embrace them; for with whom ſhould a man liue louingly, if not with them, which liue to the Lord, ayming at nothing but how to pleaſe him?
Our whole life and Death muſt be to the glory of God: Vſe 2 EueryEvery thought, eueryevery word and deed, muſt bee directed to this maine end, the glory of God: at home, abroad, in the Church, in the market, in proſperitie, in aduerſitie.
Many wil ſhew a face of glorifying God, and liuing to him, while they are taking, and while they thriue; but if God beginne to take, and in ſtead of health and riches, ſend the Croſſe, then they murmure. It was falſely ſaid of Iob, Doth he ſerue God for naught: let vsus take heed it be not truly ſaid of vsus, that we ſerue God onelyonly for our bellies.
Some would be contented to dye to the Lord, but hauehave no care to liue in the Lord: It was Balaams wiſh to dye well, but the onelyonly way to this, is to liue well: True Chriſtians both liue and dye to the Lord.
Hee that liues to God ſhall die to God; hee that liues to himſelfe ſhall dye to himſelfe: and it is a thouſand to one, but that he which liues not to God, ſhall die to the diuell.
None of vsus, Ʋſe 3 as if wicked men had no ſuch care, as indeed they hauehave not: Here we learne that the conuerſation of beleeuers, and the godly, muſt bee otherwiſe directed then is the conuerſation of wicked and profane beaſts.
Their practices become not vsus: as they care not how they liue, ſo they care not how they dye, neither doth God care for them, which is fearefull. But all our care ought to bee for a good life, and a comfortable death.
Wouldſt thou not dye like a drunkard? nor riſe to the laſt iudgement, as the Reprobates? then liue not as they liue; to themſelues, to Satan, to ſinne, to vanity; but to the Lord.
A good death followes a good life; Ʋſe 4 and to liue well, is to liue to the Lord; and the firſt and hardeſt ſtep of liuing to the Lord, is not to liue to our ſelues: Dimidium facti qui benè caepit habet: It is eaſy to liue to God, when we hauehave once learned not to liue to our ſelues.
If thou haſt thoughts of ſeruing God; then thy ſelfe, that is, thy fleſh will ſay; If thou wilt ſerue God, then bid adieu to thy pleaſures, thy profits; thou muſt be hated, ſcorned, and ſuffer perſecution. If thou canſt ouercome this and deny thy ſelfe, thou haſt wonne the goale; and hee that beginnes not here, will neuer proue Chriſts diſciple, for thus ſaith our Sauiour, Luke 9.23.If any man will be my diſciple, let him deny himſelfe, and take vp his croſſe and follow me. If a man be called in queſtion for the Goſpel, and hauehave not learned this leſſon, he will renounce Chriſt, before he will dye for him.
Pride, couetouſneſſe, enuy, malice, reuenge, &c. were eaſily conquered and baniſht, if we could deny our ſelues.
Thou haſt oppoſed the Church a long time, refuſing to kneele at the Sacrament, and to ſubmit to orders eſtabliſhed: It appeares that they are lawfull; and thou art not able to gaine-ſay it; and yet thou yeeldeſt not: What is the cauſ? thou haſt not yet learned to deny thy ſelfe: Thy heart tels thee that it is a diſgrace to bee conuinced to hauehave erred all this while, eſpecially hauing beene peraduenture violent againſt the orders.
Now I beſeech thee, whoſoeuer thou art that ſtandeſt out in theſe things, whether thou be Miniſter or other, that thou wilt examine thy heart hereupon: Examine whether thou doeſt reſpect thy credit before men, more then the glory of the truth, and the peace of the Church.
Yea let vsus all examine whether we would not ſooner, being put to it, offend or deny Chriſt for our commodity ſake, then loſe our commodity for Chriſts ſake.
Paul ſometime complained, that all ſeeke their owne, Philip. 2.21.and not the things which are Ieſus Chriſts. If we doe ſo, preſerring our baſe dunghill names before the duty wee owe to God: will not Chriſt ſay to vsus at the laſt day; Nay, thou preferredſt thy profit, pleaſure, before me, thine owne will before mine, thy credit before the glory of my name, thou haſt thy reward: what ſhall become of vsus if we be ſo found?
Let vsus therefore deny our ſelues: let vsus giuegive our ſelues to the Lord and to his Word: and if any motion, thought, 2 Cor. 8.5.inclination, affection, deſire, ariſe in our hearts contrary to Chriſt and his word, let vsus kill it and caſt it out, as a moſt vile enemy, confederate with the Diuell.