Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 1
VERSE 1. Wee then that are ſtrong, ought to beare the infirmities of the weake, and not to pleaſe our ſelues.
THis Admonition I call Generall, becauſe it not only concerneth the ſtrong and weake in the Particular of Chriſtian Liberty, but comprehendeth the dutie of all ſtrong, to all weake ones.
In it we may conſider the Summe of the Admonition; and the Amplification.
The ſumme is, that the ſtrong muſt beare the infirmities of the weake, and not pleaſe themſelues.
In this, are the Dutie, and the Perſons.
The Dutie ſet downe Affirmatiuely, To beare the infirmities of the weake; and Negatiuely, not to pleaſe themſelues.
The Perſons are two: Firſt, which ought to performe this duty, and beare: ſecondly, which muſt be borne withall; The ſtrong muſt beare with the weake.
Strong: There are ſome ſtrong in their owne opinions, ſtrong in errors, but this is weakneſſe: Eſay reporteth of ſome who hauehave great ſtrength to poure in wine and ſtrong drinke; Eſay 5.22.but this is wickedneſſe: But here ſtrong is taken in a good ſenſe: ſtrong in faith, in knowledge, in grace, who hauehave receiued a greater meaſure of any good gifts, naturall or ſpirituall, then others.
Weake: foreignTheſe are oppoſed to the ſtrong; and are ſuch which hauehave but a little faith, knowledge, vnderſtanding to iudge of matters in queſtion, which medling with controuerſies are eaſily drawne away, which ouerſhoot themſelues in raſh iudgement; ſuch of whom Paul ſpeaketh, 1. Cor. 3.2. and Heb. 5.13. Babes that had need of milke; ſuch as hauehave ſmall power to withſtand temptations, and to ſubdue rebellious affections, generally ſuch as are weake in body or minde.
To beare with the infirmities of the weake: That is, to beare at their hands, their raſh cenſures, their inconſiderate carriage, till they may be better inſtructed, and grow ſtronger, as a father with his childe, or a man with his ſicke friend, not to diſdaine him, and laugh him to ſcorne for his weakneſſe.
Not to pleaſe themſelues: That is, not to giuegive themſelues only ſatisfaction, but to endure ſomething, though diſpleaſant, that we may doe our brethren good.
The Amplification is from diuers circumſtances.
1 From the perſon of Paul: Wee, not only Apoſtles or Miniſters, as ſome would put off this duty only to them, but in generall, we that are ſtrong, whoſoeuer: nor doth he ſpeake ambitiouſly; he might truely put himſelfe in the number of the ſtrong; for who ſo ſtrong as Paul? But hee ſaith, Wee, putting himſelfe among the reſt as an Example.
2 From a Debt or Duty, wee ought: Wee vſe to ſay that Must is for God and the King: God requireth it as a debt to bee paid. Wee ought, hee ſaith not, It were good, or conuenient that yee did beare, &c. But, wee ought, not leauing it at our choiſe, but impoſing a neceſſitie of performance.
3 From the Cauſe of this duty; becauſe ſtrong: God giueth to ſome more ſtrength then to other for this cauſe, that they may beare with the weaker, as riches to ſome, that they may releeue the poorer, &c. ſo the bones in the body beare vp the weake fleſh, and the principall pillars in a building, the weaker parts thereof, and the Nurſe her little childe.
4 From a figuratiue ſetting downe of the Affirmatiue part of the Duty, must beare: a metaphor taken from Porters, which carry other mens burthens, and as by the Porters ſtrength and paines, the owner of ſuch burden is eaſed, ſo muſt the ſtrong ſo beare the infirmities of the weake, that they may ridde them of them: they muſt tollere, take them vp, and take them away, the end of the action being here implyed.
5 From a figuratiue deſcription, of the ignorance, raſh iudgement, &c. of the weake: they are called infirmities, ſickneſſes, diſeaſes: as wee beare with the waywardneſſe of a ſicke man, ſo wee ought with weake Chriſtians.
6 From an Oppoſition of the cauſe of the contrarie; Not to pleaſe our ſelues: for the cauſe why wee beare not with infirmities of our brethren, is, becauſe wee are loath to bee troubled, wee louelove our owne eaſe, more then their good; wee onelyonly ſeeke to pleaſe and content our ſelues.
The ſtronger must beare with, Doctr. and tolerate them which are weake. Galath. 6.2. Beare yee one anothers burthen, as ignorance, haſtineſſe, &c. 1. Theſſ. 5.14. Support the weake.
The ſtrong are to bee admoniſhed to vſe indulgence toward the weake: Ʋſe 1 not preſently to caſt them out for their weakneſſe: they may be ſtrong: thou alſo thy ſelfe wert weak. Burthens are troubleſome, I confeſſe; but charitie will make it eaſie. Act. 13.18.God foreign did ſuffer, and beare with the manners of the Iſraelites fortie yeares in the Wilderneſſe. How did Chriſt many times beare the rudeneſſe of his Apoſtles! nay he hath in our roome borne that inſupportable burden of our ſinnes, and wholly eaſed vsus of them; wee then at his commandement ought to beare the infirmities of our brethren.
Let the husband beare with the wife, who is the weaker veſſell; let the wiſe beare with the vnwiſe, &c.
Doth thy brother erre in opinion? Beare with him awhile, if hee be not obstinate, and inſtruct him; the learnedeſt hauehave had their errours; in this life wee know but in part.1. Cor. 13.9.
Doth he erre in life and manners? Beare with him, and ſeeke his amendment; the holieſt man that euer was, Chriſt only excepted, had his faults, wherewith he was blemiſhed.
Wee all hauehave our infirmities: Though wee may be ſtrong in one thing, yet wee may bee weake in another: ſome are hastie, ſome are worldly, ſome are ſuspitious, eueryevery one hath ſome fault or other; wee muſt of neceſſitie beare one with another.
Let the yong man beare with the forwardneſſe of age; let old men beare with the indiſcretion of greene youth.
Beare thou with my haſtineſſe, that I may beare with thy pride, &c. this is the way of concord and louelove.
We are all trauailing to heauen, if any ſaint or fall ſicke by the way, let vsus which are ſtrong and in health, beare, and helpe, that he may keepe company with the reſt.
Hee that is bound to ſuccour his enemies fainting beaſt, is much more bound to releeue his brothers weake and ſinfull ſoule.
What muſt I beare? Vſe 2 my brothers infirmities; not the blaſphemie, whoredome, drunkenneſſe, &c. of filthy beaſts; let the impudence and inſolence of ſuch abominable wretches be repreſſed by iust ſeueritie.
Art thou ignorant? Ʋſe 3 doeſt thou erre in opinion? art thou raſh in iudgement? rude in ſpeech? then art thou ſicke and weake.
Art thou weake? then art thou burthenſome to thy Teacher, to thy brethren, to the Church which beareth thy infirmities, and thou haſt cauſe to louelove them therefore.
Art thou weake? then carry thy ſelfe according to thy condition; It is the fault of the weake, and a great ſickneſſe of their mind, to take vponupon them the parts of the ſtrong: viz. to determine things doubtfull; to reade the bookes of aduerſaries; to conſure their brethren, &c. Ah, how vnſufficient are they vntounto ſuch things! So ſometimes a ſicke man longs for that which the ſtomacke of a ſtrong man can hardly digeſt. Are blind men fit to iudge of colours? or ſicke men to fight with enemies?
Let eueryevery man weigh and examine himſelfe,
—Quid valeant humeri, quid ferre recuſent:
what hee is able to doe, and what is fit for his ſtrength: as we ſeek to recouer out of bodily ſickneſſe, ſo out of our infirmities of the mind: Let vsus amend our ignorance and errour, that wee may bee in malice children, 1 Cor. 14.20.but in vnderſtanding men.