Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 19-21
VERSE 19. — So that from Hieruſalem, and round about vntounto Illyricum, I hauehave ſully preached the Goſpell of Chriſt. 20. Yea, ſo hauehave I ſtriuen to preach the Goſpell, not where Chriſt was named, leſt I ſhould build vponupon another mans foundation: 21. But as it is written, To whom he was not ſpoken of, they ſhall ſee: and they that hauehave not heard ſhall vnderſtand.
IN theſe words are the two other things ſet downe concerning Pauls bringing the Gentiles to obedience, namely his trauell about it, and his earneſt deſire to doe Chriſt ſeruice therein. The firſt in the 19. verſe, the other in the 20. and 21. verſes.
In the firſt we hauehave the Execution of his office, and the Place. The execution of his office, preaching the Goſpell of Chriſt; ſet forth by the manner, fully.
Fully preached. The word in the Greeke ſignifies to fulfill.
Some thinke that Paul vſeth a Metaphor, Tolet.in which hee ſhould compare the Goſpell to a net, which Paul hath filled with the Gentiles.
Some expound, Luther.I hauehave filled all places with the Goſpell.
Some, Caluin.I hauehave ſupplyed that which was lacking, carrying the Goſpell of Chriſt farre off, which was neer-hand preached by others.
But the beſt is that is here tranſlated, fully preached, that is, fully diſcharged the duty of an Apoſtle, as Archippus is wiſhed to fulfill his ministery: Coloſſ. 4.18.which Paul by another word ſomewhere *foreign. Acts 20.24.calleth finiſhing his miniſtery, and declaring the whole councell of God aforeign. Acts 20.27..
The place is ſet downe by the two termini, or vttermoſt bounds of his trauell, Hieruſalem and Illyricum: and the medium or middle places betweene, round about, not by a right line, but circlewiſe.
Hieruſalem a Citie of Iudea in the Eaſt: Illyricum a country weſtward from Hieruſalem, hauing on the North Hungary, on the Weſt Iſtria a part of Italy, on the South the Adriatickeſea: it is now called Sclauonia. Danubius the greateſt riuer in Europe entring into Illyricum, receiueth into it 60. Riuers, and is thenceforth called Iſter. S. Hierom was borne in this country in a towne called Strido, though the Italians contend this towne to be in Iſtria.
From Hieruſalem to Illyricum by a right line is about 1000. miles; but Paul trauelled not ſo, for it had not beene difficult ſo to hauehave done in a ſhort time, both Iury & Illyricum being ſcituated vponupon the Sea: he began at Hieruſalem, though his firſt Sermon were preached at Damaſcus, from whence he went into Arabia, and ſo to Damaſcus againe, and then to Hieruſalem, then to Syria, Phaenicia, Cilicia, Pamphilia, Licia, to Phrygia, Piſidia, to Galatia, Bithinia, Cappadocia, and many other Countries Northward from Hieruſalem many hundred miles: thence Weſtward into Greece, and ſo through Macedonia and Achaia to Illyricum: and this not once onelyonly, but diuers times returning to the ſame places: So that that was fulfilled which Chriſt ſpake vntounto him being in a traunce at Hieruſalem, I will ſend thee farre hence vntounto the Gentiles.Act. 22.21.
The horſes which Habakkuk ſpeaketh of, Habak. 3.15.Thou diddeſt walke through the ſea with thine horſes, Hicrom there expounds of the Apoſtles which carried Chriſt, Pſal. 45.4.riding proſperouſly to the Gentiles, and among all the Apoſtles, he ſaith that Paul is that white horſe in the 19. of the Reuelation. I thinke hee might rather hauehave ſaid, Reu. 6.2.
Hierom alſo cals Paul the Arrow of God, Hieron. tom. 3. in expoſ. Pſal. 45. ad prin…ipiam virg.applying to him that of Pſal. 127.4. As arrowes in the hand of a mighty man.
S. Chryſoſtome compares him to the Sunne, ſo ſpeedily and powerfully did hee illuſtrate the whole world almoſt with the Goſpell of Chriſt.
Moſes and Aaron conuerted not one country, namely, Aegypt with their ſignes and wonders: but Paul many Cities and Countries, ſauing innumerable ſoules.
The ſecond, which is Pauls earneſt deſire, is in the 20. and 21. verſes, where we may conſider two things: 1. The intention of his deſire: 2. The obiect of it.
The intention is notably expreſſed in the Greeke word, foreign.which ſignifies a high ambition to preach the Goſpell: that which he did, he was ambitious to doe.
The obiect, to preach the Goſpell, ſet forth by the condition of the place where: which is ſet downe negatiuely and affirmatiuely.
The negatiue; not where Chriſt was named and preached before; declared by a reaſon; leſt he ſhould build on another mans foundation: not that it was vnlawfull for him ſo to doe, but becauſe it was proper to Apoſtles to lay foundations of Churches, hee would not enter vponupon other mens labours, and ſo deriue the glory due to them, to himſelfe. Where Chriſt was already knowne there was not ſo much need of him; and therefore he applied him to ſuch places where he was not knowne, that hee might enlarge his kingdome, and ſaue the moe: not vnlike our Maſter who left the ninety nine ſheepe in the wilderneſſe, and ſeeketh the loſt one.
The affirmatiue; but where Chriſt is not named, which he deliuereth in the words of Eſay the Prophet: Eſay 52.15.To whom hee was not ſpoken of, they ſhall ſee, &c.
Paul greatly and with earneſt deſire laboureth in preaching the Goſpell, as appeareth in the booke of the Acts.
Miniſters of the word muſt earneſtly labour in diſcharging their office, Doctr. Mat. 9.38. Miniſters are called Harueſt labourers, 2 Tim. 4.5. They muſt watch, they muſt ſuffer, they muſt worke, that they may make their miniſtery fully knowne.
For preuention, Ʋſe 1 Pauls trauell from place to place is not to be followed of ordinary Miniſters. In a Church planted a rouing and vagrant Miniſtery is vncomely.
It was ſaid to the Apoſtles, Act. 1.8.yee ſhall be witneſſes to me both in Hieruſalem and in all Iudea, and in Samaria, and to the vttermost part of the earth: Tit. 1.5.but Titus muſt ordaine Elders in eueryevery City: 1 Pet. 5.2.and to vsus it is ſaid, Feed the flocke which is among you.
Pastor, is a word of relation to a flocke, ſo that no flock, no Paſtor properly.
Miniſter is a tearme of action, and requires a place for lawfull imployment. Booke of Conſtit. Can. 33.Therefore it is well prouided in our Church, againſt making Deacons or Prieſts, which hauehave not firſt ſome certaine place where to vſe their function: though there be Titular Biſhops at Rome, yet we are not to reckon of the Miniſtery as of a title onelyonly.
Thoſe therefore which hauehave no ſtation, are to be accuſed; for we are to be as ſtarres fixed in our ſeuerall orbs: thoſe alſo which hauing a ſtation delight to gad abroad, and to entrude into other mens Cures, without a iuſt and orderly calling.
Chryſoſtome iuſtly accuſeth Epiphanius Biſhop of Cyprus, to hauehave done contrary to the Canons, in making miniſters in his Dioceſſe, Socra. Schol. l. c. 11.13.and adminiſtring the Communion without his licence.
The Elders of Epheſus muſt feed (not the Corinthians, but) the flocke committed to them, Act. 20.28.ouer which God had made them ouerſeers, which was the Church at Epheſus.
Paul would not build on another mans foundation, Vſe 2 but as a wiſe maſter-builder layes the foundation, 1 Cor. 3.10.and we build thereupon.
It is our happineſſe that wee hauehave a foundation already layd, for it requires more skill to lay the foundation of a Church, then any Miniſter in Chriſtendome in their ordinary calling may challenge to themſelues.
The Apoſtles and apoſtolicall men planted, and we muſt water: ſome ſuch founded this Church of England; it is our part not to ſuffer the Churches we hauehave receiued to bee dilapidated, and fall to decay: neither is this without glory, For non minor eſt virtus quam quaerere parta tueri: As it is a vertue to get, ſo to keepe that which is gotten. Though we conuert not men from Gentiliſme to Chriſtianity, yet we conuert men from ſinne to righteouſneſſe, without which none can be ſaued.
Idle and ignauous Miniſters are to be reproued. Ʋſe 3 Paul laboureth, and our bleſſed Sauiour himſelfe euen toyleth in preaching, and ſhall we be negligent and ſlothfull?
One of the greateſt commendations of a good Miniſter, is to be painfull, and therefore Paul when he would commend himſelfe, ſpeakes of his labours: 1 Cor. 15.10. 2 Cor. 11.23.I hauehave laboured more abundantly then they all: and in labours more abundant.
The Husbandman cannot plow his ground, and get in his harueſt without much ſweat: nor a Carpenter hew his timber, and frame and raiſe his houſe without ſore labour: now Miniſters are Gods Huſbandmen and Chriſts builders, and therefore they muſt labour in ſtudying, in preaching, &c. that Chriſt may be glorified, and their people ſaued.
A ſore trauaile is appointed for vsus, but it is in the power of our people much to eaſe vsus, though not by diſcharging vsus from labouring, yet by making our labour pleaſant and delightfull to vsus: namely, when they receiue the word with meekneſſe, being tractable, and becomming obedient thereto. A rich and plentifull crop, makes the Husbandman to riſe earely in harueſt time, not as to labour, but as to play and paſtime.
If our people be ſtubborne and froward, it takes away our heart and courage; but if wee may ſee good fruit of our labours, it reioyceth vsus, it encourageth vsus, yea our healths, our liues are not deare vntounto vsus, but we cheere fully ſacrifice them to Chriſt and his Church.
The top of eueryevery mans ambition, Ʋſe 4 muſt bee to honour Chriſt, and to promote the Goſpell, that they which ſee not, nor vnderſtand may ſauingly acknowledge the Lord Ieſus.
The Magiſtrate muſt, the Miniſter muſt, yea eueryevery priuate man muſt be carefull hereof: which is, when we liue ſo, as that by our godly conuerſation others are won to the louelove of Chriſt and the Goſpel. If thou beeſt a profane and wicked liuer, thou hindreſt the inlarging of Chriſts kingdome, not only in thy ſelfe, but in others alſo, who are ſcandalized, and ſpeake euill of the way of godlineſſe through thy naughtineſſe.
It is fearefull to heare how the hearing of the word, and the ſtudy of godlineſſe is blaſphemed by the niggardiſe, diſſembling and falſhood of ſuch who would ſeeme the forwardeſt in profeſſing the Goſpell.
Let vsus all pray and endeuour, 2 Theſ. 3.1.that the word of the Lord may hauehave free courſe and be glorified, which ſhall be, not when wee onelyonly ſpeake, but when we liue like Chriſtians, profeſſing the Goſpell of our Lord Ieſus.
To whom he was not ſpoken they ſhall ſee, Vſe 5 and they that hauehave not heard ſhall vnderſtand: Here we may note the ſtate of an vnregenerate man; he ſees not nor vnderſtands: and the meanes to come out of that eſtate, to be the hearing of the word preached.
It is miſerable to be depriued of our bodily eyes: but to be without the eye of the ſoule, which is the vnderſtanding of Chriſt, exceeds in miſery: and in this caſe is eueryevery one vnconuerted though he hauehave neuer ſo politicke a pate, and great Acumen.
Not to ſee and vnderſtand: that is, to be a blind beaſt: For vnderſtanding and reaſon is the ſpecificall difference betweene a man and a beaſt; and the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Pſal 49. vlt.that man in honour, if he vnderſtand not, is like the beaſts.
So is Nabuchadnezzar ſaid to be turned into a beaſt, when his vnderſtanding was taken from him.
Diogenes his ſeeking for men in the populous city of Athens may bee hither applied: for indeed, though many in ſhape reſemble reaſonable men; yet in their liues are vnreaſonable beaſts. So are wicked men called Lyons, Foxes, Dogs, Swme, &c. in the Scriptures; becauſe either they know not and ſo ſpeake euill, or what they know naturally, in thoſe things they corrupt themſelues as bruit beaſts, as S. Iude ſpeaketh.Iude 10. Ierem. 10.14.
EueryEvery man is a beaſt by his owne knowledge, or bruitiſh in his knowledge: Pſal. 73.22.and Dauid for vttering ſome erroneous ſpeeches in a tentation, ſaith that he was fooliſh and ignorant, a very beaſt before God. If Dauid for that bee a beaſt, much more are our drunkards, and other lewd liuers, beaſts. And that they are ſo may be ſhewed thus.
A beaſt liues onelyonly by ſenſe; ſo are the liues of lewd people meerely ſenſuall. Again, a beaſt foreſees not future things; As a horſe that hath good paſture to day, thinkes not of any paſture for to morrow, for he hath no reaſon; ſo a carnall man dotes vponupon the things of this preſent life, forethinks not, nor foreprouides, of the life which is to come.
Farther, ſpeake to a beaſt it vnderſtands not; it is not won by entreat…es, nor terrified by threatnings, nor perſwaded by arguments: So when we preach the promiſes, or the threatnings, and vſe all arguments to perſwade blaſphemers, drunkards, &c. yet they reforme not their conuerſation; what are they then other then very bruit beaſts? would not a bruit beaſt profit as much as ſome doe? Ah, it were well for them in regard of themſelues, that they were dogs or toads, and not men and women, that they might not bee ſenſible of euerlaſting burnings.
If God by his word, hath giuen thee an vnderſtanding and obedient heart, praiſe him, and glorifie him in thy life.