Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 18
VERSE. 18. For he that in theſe things ſerueth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approued of men.
PAVLS Aſſertion, that the kingdome of God is righteouſneſſe, peace and ioy, is here confirmed by two Arguments.
The firſt from the Genus of thoſe things: they are ſeruices vntounto God.
The ſecond from their effects, which are two: Gods Acceptation; Mans Approbation.
That which is the ſeruice of God, and acceptable to God and approued of men, in that is the kingdome of God.
But ſuch is righteouſneſſe, peace, and ioy.
Therefore, &c.
He that in theſe things: Whoſoeuer in doing theſe things.
Serueth Chriſt: For it is the will of the Father, that all men ſhould honor the Sonne, Iohn 5.23.euen as they honor the Father.
Serueth, that is, behaues himſelf as a ſeruant, applying himſelfe to the will of his Maſter in all things. By which kind of ſpeaking, is vnderſtood in many places the whole obedience of man in all the duties of godlineſſe, Pſal. 2.11. and 110.2. Mat. 6.24. Act 20.19. Rom. 7.6. and 12.11. and ſuch like.
Theſe (viz. Righteouſneſſe, Peace, Ioy) are vnderſtood with an Antitheſis, of meat and drinke, and the like, which are not ſeruices of God; neither neceſſary to ſaluation, as are theſe, which are ſo connected to the kingdome of God, that they cannot be omitted or neglected, without danger of loſing the ſame.
Meat and all indifferent things, if they be conſidered in themſelues hauehave a free vſe; and may, and ſometimes ought to be omitted for our brothers ſake; which is otherwiſe in thoſe things, which of themſelues doe belong to a bleſſed life.
Acceptable to God: as he is our Father now reconciled by the merits of Ieſus Chriſt; ſo God is ſaid to be well pleaſed with our deuotion, Heb. 13.16. But if we conſider God as a Iudge, then all our ſeruice is too deficient to procure acceptation; and we and our ſacrifices are acceptable onelyonly by Ieſus Chriſt, as S. Peter ſpeaketh.1 Pet. 2.5.
Approued of men: foreign, a word taken from the allowance of Coyne as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, that he which ſerueth Chriſt in theſe things is a Currant Profeſſor.
Of men: that hauehave a ſincere iudgement; Caluinus.for wicked men reuile and diſgrace ſuch; and yet outward righteouſneſſe and peace, hauehave praiſe among ſuch; for vniuſt dealing, and contention are things odious to all.
The iuſt and peaceable, are acceptable to God, Doctr. and approued of men, as the true ſeruants of Chriſt. Pro. 3.1.2.3.4. My ſonne forget not my law &c, let not mercy and truth forſake thee, &c. So ſhalt thou find fauour and good vnderſtanding in the ſight of God and man. So for the acceptation of God. Acts 10.35. and the approbation of man, 1 Pet. 3.13. and of theſe was Chriſt a ſingular example, who encreaſing in wiſedome and ſtature was in fauour with God and man, Luke 2.52.
Whether thou vſeſt indifferent things, or vſeſt them not; Ʋſe 1 whether thy garments be white or blacke, whether thou ſitteſt or kneeleſt, doe righteouſneſſe, abſtaine from ſinne, obey the Magiſtrate, and liue peaceably in the Church, for in theſe things thou ſerueſt Chriſt, not in the other.
Acceptable to God, and approued of men: Vſe 2 Here note the order and the coniunction of theſe: firſt acceptable to God before approued of men; and theſe are ſo knit together, that whoſoeuer is, or is not acceptable to God, ought, or ought not to be approued of men: but it doth not hold backward, that they which are approued of men, ought to be, or are acceptable to God.
Hence we hauehave three things.
1 A direction: wouldeſt thou be acceptable to God? be righteous and peaceable: wouldſt thou be approued of men? labour to be acceptable of God.
The way to credit and glory euen in this life, is to glorifie God: 1 Sam. 2.30. Ioh. 12.43.Them that honour me, I will honour, ſaith the Lord. And becauſe the Phariſees louelove the praiſe of men more then the praiſe of God, therefore are they contemptible euen before men. Hence it comes to paſſe that many Noble and rich men are deſpiſed notwithſtanding: becauſe, though they deſire to be honored, yet they begin not at God.
2 An admonition; that we ſhould approue of them which are acceptable to God, and improue them which are not.
The iuſt and peaceable are accepted of God: approue thou of them.
How canſt thou iuſtifie to approue of drunkards, common ſwearers, and to contemne ſuch who conſcionably ſerue God?
How canſt thou iuſtifie to neglect the iuſt and peaceable, and to eſteeme of the vniuſt and contentious? and yet we hauehave ſome who wil vilifie them which keep peace and good order, and highly eſteeme onelyonly of thoſe who breake the ſame.
It is wonderfull that to obey Magiſtrates and to liue peaceably ſhould be accounted a fault; and to reſiſt Magiſtrates and be contentious, a vertue. What is it to call good euill; and euill, good; if this be not?
3 Conſolation. If men doe not approue thee, yet if God accept of thee, it is enough, thou haſt great cauſe to be of good cheere. The ſafeſt way is to pleaſe God, howſoeuer men thinke of vsus.
I would bee approued of men, and pleaſe them, if they will be pleaſed with doing good; but if they will not bee pleaſed vnleſſe I bee vniuſt, and vnpeaceable; I dare not buy at ſo deare a rate the approbation of any mortall creature.
The Kingdome of God is not in words but in power. Vſe 3 If thou haſt a forme of godlineſſe, ſhew the power of it in thy life: If thou profeſſeſt that thou knoweſt God; deny him not in thy workes.
This the blemiſh of religion that to twenty good words, we hauehave not one good worke: But Chriſt will not bee ſerued with words, but really in the workes of righteouſnes, and with a peaceable conuerſation.
foreign, ſaid Nazianzen. Nazian. in Tetraſt.A ſpeechleſſe worke is better then a deedleſſe word.