Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 11
VERSE 11. For it is written: As I liue ſaith the Lord, eueryevery knee ſhall bow to me, and eueryevery tongue ſhall confeſſe to God.
IN this verſe is prooued that wee ſhall all ſtand before the Iudgement ſeat of Chriſt; and in the next verſe, the end of ſuch appearance there is declared.
The proofe, is by a Teſtimony; In which wee may note, the qualitie of it, and the ſubſtance.
The Quality, it is a written Teſtimony, Obſer. taken-out of Eſay 45.23.
Sinne is to be conuinced, Errours reproued, and Doctrines proued by the Scriptures. Yet of points taught, there is difference: Some things are Subſtantiall, ſome things Circumſtantial. The firſt muſt hauehave plaine proof out of the Scripture: for the ſecond it is enough if they agree with the generall Rules of ſuch things, deliuered in the Word.
In matters of ſubſtance, that which the Scriptures command not, Matth. 12.30.they forbid; He that is not with Chriſt here, is againſt him.
In matters of circumſtance and outward order, that which the Scripture forbiddeth not, Luke 9.50.it permitteth; He that is not againſt Chriſt here, is with him.
In the ſubſtance of the Teſtimony, wee hauehave the Argument to proue that we muſt all ſtand before the Iudgement ſeate of Chriſt, thus,
To whom eueryevery knee muſt bow, and whom eueryevery tongue muſt confeſſe, before his tribunall we muſt ſtand.
But eueryevery knee muſt bow to Chriſt, and eueryevery tongue confeſſe him. Therefore &c.
If any ſhall take exception to the Argument, becauſe the prophet Eſay ſpeaketh of the vocation of the Gentiles; it may be thus anſwered: that the Prophecie containeth more, being begunne to be fulfilled in the Gentiles, and to bee conſummate at the laſt iudgement, when all ſhall ſubmit: and aptly did the Apoſtle bring ſuch an Allegation, ſpeaking of the Gentiles, becauſe the Iewes thought not ſo friendly of them, as they ought.
Herein we hauehave two things: An Affirmation, and a Confirmation.
The Affirmation is, that all ſhall acknowledge Chriſt for their Iudge, and ſubmit vntounto him.
This is ſet downe in two phraſes:
The firſt, EueryEvery knee ſhall bow to mee. Where are the Action and the Perſons.
The Action, ſhall bow, that is, ſhall ſubmit to me, ſhall adore me, ſhall be ſubiect to my ſentence: the ſigne put for the thing ſignified: for by making a legge, or kneeling, wee acknowledge his Maioritie, towards whom wee vſe ſuch geſture: and therefore among the Aegyptians, the Elephant that ſcarce hath, or boweth the knee ioynts, is the Hieroglyphick of Regall power.
The perſons are bowing, or bowed vntounto.
Bowing, noted generally, EueryEvery knee, that is, eueryevery man, noted by the Inſtrument of bowing: Iew and Gentile; yea, eueryevery reaſonable creature, Angels good and bad, and Men, Editio Complutii.as one Greeke copy hath it, EueryEvery knee, of things in heauen, of things in earth, of things vnderunder the earth; which our Beza thinketh to be added out of Philip. 2.10.
And although the knee be a part of the body, yet it is tranſlated to the minde alſo, of whoſe ſubmiſſion, this is a ſigne.
Wee muſt bowe the knees of bodies and ſoules alſo to Chriſt.
The Perſon bowed vntounto; Chriſt, named in the verſe before, to whom Adoration is due.
Chriſt is a name of our Mediator, ſignifying his whole Perſon: and therefore this bowing muſt be to the Humanity with the Deity, to the God-head, perſe, by it ſelfe: to the Manhood, in the perſon of the Sonne of God, and for the Godhead.
It is due to the Perſon, and becauſe the Perſon cannot bee diuided, ſo neither may the Adoration; but as the perſon is one and the ſame, ſo muſt it be worſhipped with one and the ſame Adoration.
But all doe not bowe vntounto him. The Iewes doe not, Obiect. nor the Turkes, nor the wicked.
They doe not; but they ought: and they ſhall bowe, Anſw. will they, nill they: That which the righteous doe now, of faith, to ſaluation; the wicked ſhall be compelled to doe, againſt their wills; and though not to their ſaluation, yet to the Honour of Chriſt: For at the laſt iudgement, perceiuing his Power, Glory, and Godhead, they ſhall be compelled to acknowledge him for their Lord and Iudge.
The ſecond phraſe: EueryEvery tongue ſhall confeſſe to God: Here we hauehave alſo,
The Action, and the perſons.
The Action, confeſſe. What ſhall they confeſſe? Whatſouer they hauehave done, ſaith one: rather as Philip 2.11. Sarcerius.that Ieſus Chriſt is Lord. In the Prophet Eſay it is read, EueryEvery tongue ſhall ſweare: which is all one in ſenſe. For in eueryevery oath there is a confeſſion, and an acknowledgement of a witneſſe, a Iudge, and a reuenger of falſhood and iniuſtice.
The Confirmation is from the Oath of God: As I liue ſaith the Lord: He ſweares by himſelfe, who hath no greater to ſweare by: The manner of this ſwearing, is as if God ſhould hauehave ſaid, It ſhall as ſurely come to paſſe, as it is ſure that I liue and am God. Doctr.
All men muſt and ſhall ſubmit themſelues to Chriſt as to their Iudge. Ioh. 5.22. The Father hath committed all iudgement vntounto the Sonne. Philip 2.9, 10, 11. Where are the very words of this Text; declaring that all ſhall bowe at the Name of Ieſus; this name was contemptible among the Iewes, but it was declared glorious in all the world by the preaching of the Apoſtles; and ſhall much more be glorified at the laſt day.
All knees hauehave not yet bowed to Chriſt, Obſer. 1 but they ſhall; therefore there muſt needs bee, both the reſurrection of the dead, and a day of Iudgement.
That which in Eſay is attributed to Iehouah, Obſer. 2 is here attributed to Chriſt, therefore, Chriſt is that Iehouah.
We may here note the originall of that Antient Ceremony of putting off the hat, Obſer. 3 and making a leg at the Name of Ieſus in the Congregation, in token of reuerence and Adoration: not of the bare Name, as the Papiſts doe ſuperſtitiouſly, attributing force and vertue to the very letters, pronounced, written and worn, making it a part of Gods worſhip, but vntounto the perſon ſo named.
This Ceremony is not onelyonly of antient practice in the Church, but hath approbation of as great, learned, and holy men, as any hauehave written in theſe daies.
Maſter Zanchy ſaith, Zanch. com in Philip. c. 2. v. 10.that it is Conſuetudo non improbanda, a cuſtome not to be found fault with, if it be vſed without ſuperſtition: For there is no other Name whereby we muſt be ſaued; and therefore it is worthily exalted aboue eueryevery Name, ſhewing that hee which bore that name, being accounted among the Iewes, a meere man, a Carpenter, a ſorcerer, a wine-bibber, is declared to bee the very Sonne of the liuing God by nature.
Pareus alſo; Pare. com. in loc.Si vt ritus indifferens praeſtetur externa reuerentia, nemo improbat, No man doth finde fault with bowing the knee at the Name of Ieſus, if ſuch reuerence be vſed, not as a neceſſary part of Gods worſhip, but as an indifferent rite; and I am ſure that it is vſed no otherwaies in the Church of England.
The end of this Ceremony was threefold.
1 For confutation of the Arians being mixt with the Orthodoxall Chriſtians in their aſſemblies: who thereby alſo were diſcouered.
2 For working attention to the holy Scriptures when they are read; for vnleſſe they attended, they might eaſily faile in performance of ſuch reuerence and ſo bee queſtioned.
3 For teſtifying our duty and ſubmiſſion to Chriſt as our Lord: and mine opinion is that it were a moſt comely thing, if whenſoeuer we ſpeake of God, or of our bleſſed and deare Maſter Ieſus Chriſt, we would, by putting off the hat, or bowing of the knee, or both; acknowledge our dutifull reuerence.
Seneca neuer thought of Cato, Laelius, Socrates, Seneca. epl. 64.and ſuch like famous men, but with great reſpect. Ego illos veneror, et tantis nominibus ſemper aſſurgo. I reuerence them, quoth he, and alwaies riſe vp at their names.
There is ſmall reaſon then that any ſhould quarrell with our Church for requiring this antient rite to be practiſed: and for my part I endeuour at eueryevery mention of Gods mercies, to teſtifie ſome reuerence, which I know I can neuer ſufficiently performe.
Bowing of the knee is taken for the worſhip of God, Ʋſe 1 and the ſubiection of the Soule and Spirit to God; therefore it is not vnlawfull to be vſed in the worſhip of God.
Nay it is the moſt decent forme of prayer, or receiuing the Sacrament, becauſe in the one we beg, and in the other wee receiue the greateſt bleſſing at the hands of God.
It may ſeeme that God hath made our knees flexible euen for this purpoſe: So Ambroſe was of opinion. Ambroſ. Hex. l. 6. c. 9.Flexibile genu, quo domini mitigatur offenſa, ira mulcetur, gratia prouocatur. Our knee, ſaith he, is made bowing, by the which wee craue pardon for offence, mitigate the anger of the Lord, and obtaine grace; alledging the Text in the 2. of the Philippians, That at the Name of Ieſus eueryevery knee ſhould bowe, &c.
By this geſture wee declare our ſelues to be impotent, and needy; It is the geſture of ſuppliants for fauour: It is both a teſtimony, and a ſtirring vp, of yeelding affections.
Reuerent geſtures, doe not a little foſter religion, and inflame and prouoke the reuerence of the minde: ſo that I cannot but maruaile at many, who at prayers, rather chooſe to ſtand, then to kneele, though they may very conueniently ſo doe.
Let all acknowledge and ſubmit vntounto Chriſt, Ʋſe 2 with heart, and tongue, and life: Hee is God, and our Iudge, let vsus adore him; which we doe when we beleeue, and liue well.
He that liues wickedly, Hieron. com. in epl ad Eph. lib. 2.bowes to the Diuell: Toties Diabolo flectimus genu, quotieſeun que peceamus; ſo often doth a man make a leg to the Diuell, as hee ſinnes, ſaith S. Hierome. The blaſphemer, the drunkard, &c. acknowledge the Diuell to be their Lord.
I warne thee that thou ſpeedily ſubmit thy ſelfe to Chriſt: If thou doeſt not now ſo doe by his word, the time will come, when thou ſhalt bee compelled to doe it ſpight of thy heart, and to thy damnation. Behold, it is ſealed; As I liue ſaith the Lord, it ſhall be ſo: Thou ſhalt bee made to ſtoope, for the Lord hath ſworne it: Rather now let vsus fall downe and worſhip him, that we may hauehave comfort to ſaluation.