Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 13
VERSE 13. Now the God of Hope, fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeuing, that yee may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghoſt.
THis verſe containeth a Prayer, with which Paul ſweetly concludeth whatſoeuer hath been before written of faith and obedience, but eſpecially the laſt Diſcourſe of Things indifferent, about which they were exceedingly troubled and diſtracted, to the diminution of their Hope.
Now he prayeth, that being vnited in charity, they may feele abundantly the ioy and peace of Faith and Hope.
Herein are two things: The thing prayed for, which is double; Ioy and Peace: and the Amplification.
Ioy and Peace, two moſt excellent things, of which, chap. 14 verſ. 17.
Peace; that is, of Conſcience, within vsus: of Charity, with our Neighbours.
Ioy; that which iſſueth from this double peace. For the want of either Peace, breedeth griefe and ſadneſſe; and without doubt for the diſtractions of the Chriſtians at Rome, there were great thoughts of heart.
Theſe are amplified diuerſly.
1 From the Author of them, which is God; who is here deſcribed to be the God of Hope, ſo called either becauſe hee giueth Hope, as well as Ioy and Peace, or becauſe he is the Obiect of our hope, in whom wee truſt, as in the latter end of the verſe laſt before.
And this is a moſt magnificent title; for He who is the God of hope, muſt be a Sauiour, Good, Faithfull, and Omnipotent; for which cauſe we cannot ſay, Angels of Hope, nor Kings of Hope: For Angels are not omnipotent, nor Princes; and beſides, men are not faithfull, and therefore it were in vaine to truſt in them.
2 From the meaſure; Fill you with ioy and peace. He wiſheth theſe things vntounto them, not in a ſparing manner, but that they may be filled, and well filled, for we are emptie by nature, and worldly ioy filleth not, but with winde; but this is a full ioy, and it is the will of Chriſt, Iohn 10.10.that wee ſhould hauehave life more abundantly, ſo alſo ioy.
3 From the kind of Ioy and Peace: All ioy, not filthy ioy, nor wicked peace, but perfect: by all noting, not an vniuerſall comprehenſion of the ſpecies of Ioy, but the perfection of that one ſpecies, which is ſpirituall ioy and holy peace: ſo all faith, 1. Cor. 13.2. for a perfect faith of … Allioy then, is true, perfect, and conſtant, which paſſeth not, but remarneth, Iohn 16.22. Philip. 4.4.and ſhall not be taken away, and by which we reioyce, and againe I ſay reioyce.
4 From the root of theſe ſweet fruits which is Faith; for from the ſenſe of our Reconciliation theſe things proceed.
5 From the End, that they may abound in hope, amplified from the Worker of ſuch hope, the Holy Ghost, to whom is attributed Power in the working of theſe, which worketh them not as an outward inſtrument, but as the third Perſon in the Trinity; from whence may be obſerued, a diſtinction of the Perſons.
Wee muſt wiſh vntounto our brethren ioy and peace in beleeuing. Doctr. Paul in the beginning of his Epiſtles, wiſheth peace to the Churches, and Saint Iohn, Ioy, 1. Ioh. 1.4. Theſe things write we vntounto you, that your ioy may be full.
Pauls often praying, Ʋſe 1 and concluding his matters with prayer, teacheth vsus to be frequent in this duty, and that prayer is as ſweet a cloſe to a buſineſſe, as marmalade is for the ſtomacke, to a plentifull dinner.
Prayer ſanctifieth all things, and maketh them profitable; therefore doe Preachers begin and end their Sermons with Prayer: from hence is it that in the holy Seruice, Pet. Martyr. in loc.prayers are ſo often mingled with reading of the Scriptures, which Peter Martyr calleth an Healthfull cuſtome; and hence Auguſtine oftentimes confuted the Pelagians, who attributed a power to our ſelues to performe holy duties, by our free will.
And of this I willingly write, the rather, to admoniſh all good Chriſtians, that they ſhould not ſo lightly eſteeme of the Publike prayers in the Church, as many doe; who will come to the Church, if there be a Sermon only; but ſo they will not doe if there be prayers only: whereby it commeth to paſſe, that there is ſome knowledge in diuers, in whom there is not a …ot of true piety and godlineſſe.
Ioy and Peace, are more to be deſired then gold; Ʋſe 2 miſerable is the conſcience which is without them, and ſo is the Church which wanteth them, they come from Faith, Rom. 5.1. 1. Pet. 1.8. and the want of them, either in the conſcience, or in the Church, is a ſigne of the want of faith.
Fill you with all ioy and peace: Labour to be rich in theſe; Ʋſe 3 as thou deſireſt not a little corne, but ſo much as may ſerue for thy expence all the yeare, ſo labour to hauehave ſo much of theſe that thou mayeſt abound in hope, which is a ſure Anchor of the ſoule, and Seale of ſaluation.
The ſick mans heart is euen as dead, who is without hope of recouery; and if the Husbandman ſow his corne without hope, he is full of heauineſſe.
Sinne taketh away ioy and peace, and deſtroyeth hope: Alas, what peace, ioy, or hope, can a wicked man hauehave? But they which abound in the fruits of righteouſneſſe, abound alſo in the ſure hope of eternall life.
The whole ſtrength of men and Angels, Ʋſe 4 cannot make the conſcience of a ſinner to reioyce, and to be in peace, nor to hauehave hope in the houre of death: It requireth the very Almightie power of the Holy Ghoſt: So contrary is Satan, our ſelues alſo to our owne good.
The Lord ſhew his power on our hearts, in working Faith, Hope, Ioy and Peace in vsus, by his Holy Spirit: Amen.