Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 17-18
VERSE 17. I hauehave therefore whereof I may glory through Ieſus Christ, in thoſe things which pertaine to God. 18. For I will not dare to ſpeake of any of thoſe things which Chriſt hath not wrought by mee, to make the Gentiles obedient:—
IN theſe words, and ſo to the end of the 21. verſe, he commendeth his Apoſtleſhip, from the efficacy of it, which was ſuch that he might iuſtly glory in it.
There are two parts: Firſt, an aſſertion, I hauehave whereof I may glory. Secondly, a declaration of certaine bounds, whereby his boaſting is limited, which bounds are ſet downe in the 17. verſe, and expounded in the 18.
Thoſe bounds, are either in regard of the efficient, or of the matter of his boaſting. The efficient: Ieſus Chriſt. The matter: Things pertaining to God.
Not in my ſelfe, but in and through Ieſus Chriſt.
In things pertaining to God. All things pertaine to God. Good things as to the Author and Rewarder of them. Euill things as the Iudge and auenger of them.
But here Paul hath another meaning: In the 16. verſe, hee deſcribed his Apoſtleſhip, in termes borrowed from the Leuiticall prieſt-hood, calling it a Leyturgye, and Hierourgye: and here continuing the ſame Metaphor, hee calleth the execution of his function, Hes 5.2.a performing of things pertaining to God. So in the Hebrewes: A high prieſt is ordained in things pertaining to God, that is, to declare the will of God to the people, and to offer the ſacrifices of the people to God.
Theſe two are expounded in the 18. verſe. The firſt: I dare not ſpeake of thoſe things which Chriſt hath not wrought by me, that is, I acknowledge that what good ſoeuer hath come to men by my labours it is wrought by Chriſt, whoſe inſtrument onelyonly I hauehave bin. It is not effected by my vertue, but by his goodnes. Let the glory bee to him. I hauehave planted and watred, but the encreaſe is of him. Paul & Apolles are but vnderworking cauſes, Miniſters by whom the Gentiles beleeued, euen as the Lord gaue to eueryevery man, 1. Cor. 3.5.not according to their will and appointing.
This is amplified by Pauls modeſtie: I dare not; Auguſtine.Melior eſt in malis factis humilis confeſſio, quam in bonis ſuperba gloriatio: An humble confeſſion of the euill we hauehave done, is better then a proud bragging of the good we hauehave done: therefore Paul dareth not glory in himſelfe; this had been Thraſonicall and vaine boaſting, but he glorieth in Chriſt.
The ſecond is expounded thus, To make the Gentiles obedient, that is, by the preaching of the Goſpell to bring them to the obedience of faith: and of this there are diuers things declared, as ſhall appeare in the due place.
It is lawfull for a Minister, when God bleſſeth his labours, Doctr. to glory in it, but through Ieſus Christ. Exod. 6.26.27. Theſe are that Auron and Moſes, &c. Theſe are they which ſpake to Phoraoh, &c. This Moſes wrote not without ſome touch of glory; but in the whole ſtory he attributeth all the wonders vntounto God. 1. Cor. 15.10. Gods grace was not beſtowed vppon me in vaine; But I laboured more abundantly thon they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with mee.
The matter of Law and Phyſick, is, Ʋſe 1 things pertaining to the body and State; but of Diuinity and the Miniſtery foreign: the Miniſtery ought to be the more commendable to vsus.
That of Ieremy, twice repeated by Paul, Ʋſe 2 is here to be remembred: Let him that glorieth, Ierem. 9.24. 1. Cor. 1.31. 2. Cor. 10.17.glory in the lord.
Haſt thou done any good in thy calling to Church or Common-wealth, or to any particular place or perſon? giuegive God the glory; for from him haſt thou had wiſdome, counſel, ability, opportunity ſo to doe: that thy endeuours ſucceed is from him: when thou giueſt a poore man a peny, it is God who gaue thee ability, it is he who brought the poor man to thee; and who moued thy heart, who art by nature cruell and couetous, to commiſerate him.
We are but Inſtruments: and are greatly honoured, if God will vouchſafe to make vsus (which are euill) meanes and inſtruments of good to any: ſo the carkeyſe and ribbes of that ſhip is honored as a monument, in which ſome skilfull Nauigator hath ſurrounded the Globe of ſea and land: and yet the glory not giuen to the ſhip, but to the Nauigator.
We are not worthy to be inſtruments; let vsus not rob God of his due glory: if ſo, then will the Lord curſe vsus, and take away our gifts, or the opportunity, or the good ſucceſſe.
When the proud King of Aſſyria, Iſay. 10.12.will not attribute the glory of his victories to God, he ſhall be puniſhed: and when Nabuchadnezzar remembreth the honor of his owne Maieſty and forgetteth Gods, Dan. 4.30. Acts 13.23.he ſhall become a beaſt: and when Herod ſwalloweth vp the glory due to God, hee ſhall be eaten of wormes. For this are many great ones vnplaced, and meane ones vngifted, becauſe they proudly glory in themſelues, and not in God.
Let vsus imitate Paul, Iohn 1.20.27.alſo Iohn Baptiſt, and Peter, who when the people gazed vponupon him and Iohn, for healing the cripple lame from his mothers wombe, ſaid; Why looke you ſo earneſtly vponupon vsus, Acts 3.12.16.as though by our owne power and holineſſe we had made this man to walke? The God of Abraham, &c. hath glorified his Sonne Ieſus, &c. and his Name, through faith in his name, hath giuen him this perfect ſoundneſſe.
As the chiefeſt glory of a ſeruant, Vſe 3 is his faithfull and profitable ſeruice; ſo of a Miniſter, in winning mens ſoules, plucking them out of the fire, and making them obedient to God.
Paul glorieth not in that hee was rapt into the third heauen, &c. but in the bleſſing of his labours: It is not great learning, nor great liuing, &c. which is a good Miniſters chiefe glory; for theſe a wicked man may hauehave, but by his labours to bring men to heauen.
So, art thou a Magiſtrate? glory not in the money thou haſt heaped vp, and in the land thou haſt purchaſed by thy office: for theſe may be wi…neſſes of thy corruption: but if thou haſt done good, in iuſtice and equity thou mayeſt glory, but in the Lord.
Damned wretches they are, who glory in their ſhame, as that they hauehave drunke downe ſo many men, that they hauehave defiled ſo many women, that they hauehave ſo reuenged themſelues of their enemies: Philip. 3.19.Their end is damnation.
To make them obedient. Vſe 4 True conuerſion is accompliſhed in our obedience, and then are wee acceptable ſacrifices to God: Not hearing, but doing of the law iuſtifieth, ſaith Saint Iames: Not ſaying Lord, Lord, ſaueth, but doing Gods will, ſaith our bleſſed Sauiour. A good Chriſtian, as the good Huſwife, is praiſed in the gates by his workes.
It is not boaſting and bragging ſpeech which is required in a ſouldier, but ſtout fighting; ſo not ſpeaking, but doing, is the praiſe.
It is commendable to heare, and to repeate, but to doe, is the principall ornament of a Chriſtian. Gods children ſhall be equall to the Angels: to hauehave the face of an Angell worketh not this, nor to ſpeake like an Angell; but to doe as Angels doe. Let thy will be done in earth, as it is in heauen.
I dare not glory in my ſelfe, ſaith Paul, why? Vſe 5 for feare of the vengeance of God.
This ought to be the voice of a Chriſtian; I dare not ſteale, lye, be drunke, &c. O the audaciouſneſſe and madneſſe of our times, wherein men dare prouoke God to his face, by their lewd conuerſation. How dareſt thou liue ſo prophanely? Doeſt thou not know that, That God whom thou offendeſt, is a conſuming fire? and that the end of thy wicked life, is to dwell with perpetuall burnings? Though wicked men dare ſinne, yet we dare not.
A godly man is not afraid of baniſhment, impriſonment, the Racke, the ſtrappado; he feareth not a Tyrant, a Tormentor, a ſword, a gibbet, &c. but he is afraid to offend God: He dareth dye for Chriſt, he dareth euen be burned at a ſtake, but he dareth not ſinne: This is true Fortitude, and Heroicall Magnanimitie.