Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 1 · Verse 11
VERSE 11. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of ſleepe: for now is our ſaluation neerer, then when we beleeued.
HEre begins the third and laſt part of this Chapter, which ſheweth our dutie toward our ſelues, which is Temperance.
This part containeth two Exhortations: The firſt, concerning the manner of performing the dutie required, in this verſe. The ſecond concerning the things themſelues, about which this dutie is conuerſant, in the reſt of the verſes.
The manner is, that it be done, not ſleepily and negligently, but ſtrenuouſly, cheerefully, and watchfully.
In ſetting downe whereof, there are two things: firſt, A Tranſition: ſecondly, An Exhortation.
The Tranſition: And that, not Bezaes Id que , nor Chryſoſtoms Praeſertim, referring it to the eight verſe of this Chapter, as an enforcing of the dutie of louelove to our neighbour, as Piſcator: but rather the ancient Et hoc: ſo that we do not with Aquinas conſtrue it with tempus; or M. Caluins Hoc etiam, ſupplying Edico, out of the third verſe of the twelfth Chapter: or Paraeus his Inſuper; or if you will, Ad haec, Praeterea; in Engliſh, Moreouer, or Beſides, or Furthermore, I ſay, that now it is high time to awake out of ſleepe.
I take this verſe then, to be as a Preface to that which followes, though it may alſo be a concluſion of all that is before from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter: for watchfulneſſe is neceſſary to the duties precedent, and that which followes is referred vponupon occaſion of theſe words. So that this verſe may be likened to Noah, who ſaw the old and new world; or to Ianus, whoſe two faces beholds the old and new yeare, or to Chriſt, who is the end of the law, and the beginning of the Gospell.
In the Exhortation we hauehave two parts: The Dutie, exhorted vntounto; and the Reaſon.
The Dutie, It is now high time to awake out of ſleepe.
High time: foreign, the houre of waking, a ſhort part of time being named, to ſignifie that wee muſt ſpeedily awake, and not loſe a minute.
To awake: The Greeke word ſignifies more, namely, to ariſe, which is beſt here, and to be neceſſarily vnderſtood, if we tranſlate awake, for many awake, who riſe not.
The Drunkard, common Swearer, &c. are awake ſometime, they know they doe euill, and vnderſtand admonitions, but they lye ſtill in their ſinnes, and ariſe not: now the intent of Paul is, that we ſhould awake, and ariſe too, that is, to ſtand vp from the dead, as he ſpeaketh elſewhere.Epheſ. 5.14.
Out of ſleepe: Sleepe is two fold; ſo properly called, and Metaphoricall: the firſt is of the body only, for the ſoule ſleepeth not; and it is that naturall reſt, which God hath appointed for the refreſhing of the diſſipated ſpirits, and the preſeruation of wearied Nature.
Metaphoricall ſleepe: is either of the body, or of the ſoule.
That of the body, Olli dura quies oculos, & ferreus vrget Somnus — Virg. Aen. 12.is Death, often called in the Scripture Sleepe, Iron ſleepe, as the Poet called it.
That of the Soule: and it is either the Sleepe of ſinne, noting an vnregenerate eſtate, or ſomnus inertiae, the ſleepe of ſloath; when hauing receiued grace, wee begin to drowſe in the duties of godlineſſe: this laſt is here meant; for hee writeth to beleeuers, who ſomewhat began to be remiſſe in holy duties. So is it ſaid of the mightie men of the hoaſt of the Ammonites and Moabites, in the dayes of Iehoſhaphat, or of the hoaſt of Sanecherib, in the dayes of Hezechiah; They hauehave ſlept their ſleepe, that is, they hauehave languiſhed and fainted, not hauing any heart to repell dangers, Pſal. 76.5.
The Reaſon is from the conſideration of the time: knowing the time.
Time, that is, opportunitie of time, fit and ſeaſonable time. As men when they call vp their ſeruants, vrge them becauſe the Sunne is vp: ſo Paul requires that wee ſhould, conſidering the ſeaſon, the more earneſtly apply our ſelues to our duties.
This time is ſet forth by a compariſon, the time of faith receiued and begunne, compared with the time of faith continued and encreaſed. Now is our ſaluation nearer then when wes beleeued.
Saluation: Not Chriſt incarnate, nor ſaluation begunne in the remiſſion of ſinnes, but eternall life, which is the reward of faith, vntounto the which we are now nearer, then when we firſt beleeued, and therefore ſhould be the more liuely in preſſing toward the ſame.
The longer we profeſſe the Gospell, Doctr. the more ſtrong in faith, and zealous in godlineſſe we ought to be, Hebr. 5.12. Paul reproues the Hebrewes, becauſe they profited not according to their ſtanding: and Hebr. 11.32. he vrgeth them to conſtant enduring and patient ſuffering of perſecution, from the remembrance of their courage in the dayes of their firſt Illumination: then they endured a great fight; it were a ſhame now to faint and play the cowards.
The time of grace is no time of ſleeping, but of waking, Vſe 1 and labour: Now lay hold, now, if euer, get ſome thing for hereafter, ſome faith and grace which may helpe, and ſtand vsus in ſtead, in the euill day.
The Merchant obſerues carefully the beſt time of buying in his fraught, and then beſtirres him: The Husbandman in harueſt time, riſeth early, calleth his people together, and away; for it is good to take faire weather while it laſts. Now is our harueſt, let vsus be gleaning ſomething.
The Sheplieard in Lambing time watcheth his flocke, as Iacob did Labans, let vsus now watch to ſaue our ſoules.
Many when they come to heare the Word, and to prayers, then begin to nod; Is this a time of ſleeping? for ſhame, awake; Ganſt thou not watch one houre?
Loſe not the pretious time of Repentance; Non enim in tempore vtiliter viuitur, Aug. Probae. Epiſt. 121. c. 7.niſi ad comparandum meritum quo in aeternitate viuatur: Hee ſpends his time vnprofitably, who gets not ſome grace, whereby hee may liue in eternity, ſaid Auguſtine.
Our Aduerſary, the Diuell, ſleepes not: The ſouldier that is aſleepe when the enemie is come, hath his throat cut:
Vt iugulent homines ſurgunt de nocte latrones;
Vt teipſum ſerues non expergiſceris? —
If the good man of the houſe know at what watch the theefe would come, he would ſurely watch, and not ſuffer his houſe to bee digged thorow, Matth. 24.43.
Beſides, our time is ſhort: all the time of grace is but an houre, and an houre is ſoone out; cito pede praeterit aetas, ſaid the Poet: Qui hodiè habemus horam, neſcimus an cras habuerimus vitam: Wee which hauehave an houre to day, know not whether we ſhall hauehave a life to morrow, ſaid Anſelme.Anſelm. in loc.
Seuen times paſſed ouer Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.25. that is, he liued ſeuen years like a beaſt: but many among vsus hauehave liued ſeuen yeares twice or thrice told, like beaſts, and yet remember not to make vſe of the time that remaines, to turne vntounto the Lord.
Many of vsus hauehave but a minute or two remaining; let vsus vow not to giuegive ſleepe to our eyes, nor ſlumber to our lids, till we hauehave found fauour with the Lord, and grace to helpe in the time of need.
Here is a commendation of godlineſſe: Ʋſe 2 He that beleeues, his ſaluation is eueryevery day neerer then other, as a wicked mans damnation is neerer and neerer; let this encourage vsus: Thou meeteſt with many diſcouragements, but behold the kingdome of heauen is at hand.
This reproues them which begin well, Vſe 3 but after grow ſleepie and ſluggiſh: Hony at the firſt taſting liketh well, but a little cloyes vsus; ſo the beginnings of many hauehave been feruent, but their latter end drowſie and cold.
This was the diſeaſe of Epheſus, Reuel. 2. and we are dangerouſly ſicke of it.
Many trees are very forward in the Spring, but a little froſt nips the buds, and then there is no fruit for that yeare; ſo it is with vsus: The forwardneſſe of many hauehave come to nothing.
Take heed of falling from thy firſt louelove, of growing cold, of going backward: Leo Mag. ſer. 8. de Paſſione, in fine.Qui non proficit, deficit, … qui … acquirit, non nihil perdit: Hee that proceedeth not, decayeth, and he that getteth nothing, loſeth ſomething, ſaid Leo.
Naturall motions grow ſtronger at the laſt; a ſ…one that falleth from a high place, the neerer it comes to the proper place, the faſter it moues: ſo the neerer we come to heauen, the more zealous we ſhould be in godlineſſe.
What a thing were it, if after ten or twentie yeares profeſſion, a man ſhould fall a ſleepe at the comming of the Bridegroome; or walke ſo, as if he regarded not whether he came at heauen or no.
A man though weary of his iourney, yet if hee be within ſight of the towne where his dwelling is, he puts on cheerily; yea the beaſt comming neere home, goeth freely, though dull and halfe tyred before.
Take courage, proceed on liuelily; Behold the toppes of thoſe holy mountaines; within leſſe then an houre, thou ſhalt be in heauen: A foule thing were it, to faint in the ſight of our Countrey, and in the very Hauens mouth to be ſluggiſh and negligent.