Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 18-19
VERSE 18. — By word, and deed, 19. Through mightie ſignes and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.
THe matter of Pauls glory, was to make the Gentiles obedient: concerning which, hee deliuereth three things: Firſt, The meanes thereof: Secondly, His Trauaile: Thirdly, His Deſire to doe Chriſt ſeruice therein.
THe meanes of making the Gentiles obedient, is in theſe words: the other two in the reſt, to the end of the one and twentieth verſe.
The Meanes are twofold: Outward: Inward.
The Outward, Audible or Viſible.
The Audible: The Word, that is, the preaching of it, to which may be referred his Conferences, Diſputations, Letters.
The Viſible, two: Firſt, His holy life: Secondly, His Miracles.
His holy life, in this word, Deed; as Chryſoſtome, Aretius, Sarcerius and others expound. Not a Generall; expounded or diuided in the words following, Signes and Wonders; nor his labours, cares, and troubles vndergone in preaching, for his labours are ſpoken of in the latter part of the nineteenth verſe; and his cares and troubles, were rather Sufferings then Deeds.
The holy life of a Preacher is a great attractiue to winne vntounto the Goſpell the good liking of men; 2. Cor. 1.12. Philip. 3.17.20. 1. Theſſ. 2.1. &c. 2. Tim. 3.10.and Saint Paul often maketh mention of it in his Epiſtles.
His Miracles: Through mightie ſignes and wonders.
Signes; not Sacraments, though they be viſible ſignes of inuiſible grace: Aquin. in loc.but leſſer miracles, as Thomas: which are things which might in time hauehave beene done by naturall meanes, as healing of ſome diſeaſes.
Wonders: Greater Miracles, which altogether exceed the power of Nature; as to conuert the ſubſtances of things, to raiſe the dead, &c.
Or, Signes and Wonders, that is, Miracles, called Signes for their vſe, Wonders for their forme.
Miracles are True or Falſe.
True Miracles, are things done by the power of God, beyond the courſe and ſtrength of Nature, to manifeſt the omnipotencie of God, and to confirme the truth of the doctrine reuealed in the Word. Such were the wonders wrought by our Sauiour, and by his Apoſtles, and by Apoſtolicall men, for the firſt three hundred yeares of the Church of the New Teſtament, which about that time ceaſed; and they were, eyther in the things themſelues, or in the manner of them: as in putting life into a dead carkaſſe, or in healing a diſeaſe (otherwiſe curable by naturall meanes) by a word, and in an inſtant.
Falſe miracles are wrought by the power of Satan, for the confirmation of lies, and to deceiue; being eyther truly beyond the ſtrength of nature, or onelyonly in ſhew, as deluſions of ſenſe, or which hauehave hidden cauſes in nature.
Mighty ſignes and wonders: or through the might of ſignes, &c. Being meant eyther of Pauls might to worke them, or of their might in the hearts of ſuch as ſaw them.
By the power of the Spirit of God. Which bleſſed the words, deeds, miracles of the Apoſtles, and effectually wrought by them in the people.
Chriſt furniſhed his Apoſtles with the gifts of vtterance, Doctr. holy life, and miracles, to make the world obedient to the Goſpell. Mar. 16.20. And they preached eueryevery where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with ſignes following. Amen. 2 Cor 12.12. The ſignes of an Apoſtle were wrought among you, in all patience, with ſignes and wonders, and mighty deedes. Heb. 2.4.
The preaching of the word is the power of God to ſaluation to all that beleeue. Ʋſe 1 Rom. 1.16.By this Word Paul conuerted the Gentiles: and this word we hauehave. Let vsus be thankfull, and ſuffer the power of it to conuert vsus. This is the Word which was confirmed with mighty ſignes and wonders: if thou beleeueſt it not, thou ſhalt be damned.
The word and life of Preachers muſt edifie. Ʋſe 2 They muſt hauehave a trumpet at their mouth, and a light in their hand, Iudg. 7.20.Math. 23.4as Gid…ons ſouldiers. The Scribes and Phariſies are taxed becauſe they lay heauy burdens vponupon other mens ſhoulders, but themſelues would not moue them with one of their ſingers.
Alexander would bragge that he was a good Leader and a ſtout Souldier. foreign.Preachers muſt not only require of others, but doe themſelues.
Miracles were a time in vſe, Vſe 3 to perſwade men of the truth of the Goſpell, as Nichodemus argued that Chriſt was a teacher ſent from God, becauſe of his miracles. Iohn 3 2.Apoſteli…miraculorum ſagena homines expiſcantes, Damaſc, orth. fid. l. 1. c. 3. paulo poſt initium.ex ignorantiae profundo reſpirare fecerunt: The Apoſtles fiſhing with the net of miracles drew men out of the bottome of the Sea of ignorance, that they might breathe in the comfortable ayre of the Goſpell, ſaith Damaſcen.
Such miracles were eyther to prepare the mindes of men to receiue the truth, or to confirme it being receiued. So before the Sermon in the Mount, Luke 6.17.18.19.20. & ſeq. Leo Mag. ſerm. in feſt. om. Sanct.our Sauiour did many miracles; Ʋt cuius potentiam experiebantur tam benignam, non ambigerent ſalutarem eſſe doctrinam: That hauing experience of the goodneſſe of his doings, they need not doubt of the ſoundneſſe of his doctrine, ſaith Leo. Alſo Signes fellowed the preaching of the word, Marke 16.20.
Bellarmine endeuoureth to ſhew the Church of Rome to bee the true Church, Bellarm. tom. 2. lib. 4. de eccl. c. 14becauſe of the power it alwayes had, and hath (ſaith hee) to worke miracles: and for want of this power vpbraydeth the Proteſtants: among fifteene notes of the church, making the glory of miracles to be the eleuenth.
But many *Canus loc. l. 11. c. 6. Caiet. opuſc. tom. 2. tract. 1. c. 5. Eling. loc. com. l. 4. c. 42. Eſpen. in 2 Tim. 4. Digr. 21., and thoſe not the meaneſt of his ſide, diſclaim their Legends, and are aſhamed of their miracle-workers, affirming that there is no ſtable more full of dung, then ſuch ſtories are of lies.
There is now no neceſſity of miracles: ſo affirmeth S. Chryſoſtome aChryſ. hom. 19. oper. imperſ.. And Saint Auguſtine ſaith, that hee which now requireth a miracle to beleeue, makes himſelfe prodigious bAug. de C. Dei l. 22. c. 8.. Signes are for vnbeleeuers, 1 Cor. 14.22.
What glory Bellarmine getteth to his Church by miracles may be diſcerned by theſe Scriptures, Mat. 7.22. and 24.24. 2 Theſ. 2.9. Reuel. 13.13.14. Where miracles in theſe dayes are the note of wicked men, falſe prophets, and of Antichriſt: eſpecially if they be to admiration onelyonly, and not to profit, as to flye in the ayre, to make images walke, ſpeake cChryſ. loc. ſup. citat., &c. ſuch as are the miracles of the Romaniſts for the moſt part.
It is neceſſary that a new doctrine be confirmed with miracles, ſaith Bellarmine: but the doctrine wee teach is as old as the Bible; and therefore wee willingly leaue to them the glory of their monkiſh wonders.
And yet we are not without miracles. We cannot caſt out Diuels by exorciſmes, as their Fryers doe, till they make themſelues ridiculous to all the world: but wee through preaching the Goſpell caſt out ſinne. Wee cannot raiſe the bodily dead, as eueryevery petty Saint in the Church of Rome: but wee through the bleſſing of God raiſe them which are ſpiritually dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes. I deſire no other miracle to proue the truth of the Religion I profeſſe, but the worke of Faith and Repentance in my heart, manifeſted in my life.
By the power of the Spirit of God. Ʋſe 4 Miracles preuaile not to perſwade without the Spirit of God. So Moſes tels the Iſraelites, Yee hauehave ſeene the great tentations, the ſignes, Deut. 29.2.3.4.and thoſe great miracles which God did to Pharaoh, and vntounto all his ſeruants, and vntounto all his Land: But the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue, eyes to ſee, and eares to heare, vntounto this day.
Neyther doth the word; nor the iudgements, and exemplary puniſhments which God inflicteth, in our eyes vponupon lewd perſons, as drunkards, &c. auaile to bring vsus to repentance without the effectuall operation of the holy Ghoſt. O the vnutterable corruption of our hearts, and our reprobateneſſe vntounto that which is good.
Pray that thou maiſt profit vntounto godlineſſe by the word, Sacraments, Iudgements of God, which is a ſigne thou haſt the Spirit dwelling in thee: Pray for that Spirit: For thy heauenly Father will giuegive the holy Spirit to them which aske him, Luke 11.13.