Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 28-29
VERSE 28. When therefore I hauehave performed this, and hauehave ſealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spaine. 29 And I am ſure that when I come vntounto you, I ſhall come in the fulneſſe of the bleſſing of the Gospell of Chriſt.
IN theſe verſes Paul promiſeth his comming vntounto them: where we hauehave the Promiſe, I will come by you into Spaine: and the Amplification from two Circumſtances: Of the Time: and of the manner of his Comming.
The Time in the 28. verſe. The manner in the 29.
The Time: when I hauehave performed this: that is, ſafely diſpatched the matter of the almes of the Greeke Church, and faithfully diſcharged my ſelfe thereof, as he expounded himſelfe with a note of his care in that affaire, And hauehave ſealed to them this fruit.
Sealed. Paul ſheweth his care by a Metaphor: as men ſeale vp their letters and tokens, that they may come with the more ſafety to their friends: ſo Paul will deliuer the almes, obſignatis tabulis, vnderunder ſeale without any violation, or impeachment.
Here are the perſons to whom, and the thing ſealed.
The perſons, Chryſoſt.to them: that is, to the Iewes: to the Chriſtian beleeuing Iewes.
Though ſome hauehave expounded it of the Gentiles, becauſe all almes and good fruits, doe ratifie faith, as a ſeale doth a writing.
This fruit: Almes is a fruit: here a fruit of the faith of the Grecians: Corn. Corn. a Lapide.ſome hauehave ſaid the fruit of the faith of the Iewes: for God hath promiſed the bleſſing of his Prouidence to beleeuers: and therefore outward things and tranſitory, are in the word propounded to ſuch as feare God, that they ſhall not want that which is good for them.
Though the principall end and fruit of faith and Godlineſſe be eternall life, yet Godlineſſe hath the promiſes of this life, 1 Tim. 4.8.alſo.
Faith is wonderfull vſefull: as wheat being ſowne, not onelyonly bringeth forth the kernells of wheat for mans ſuſtenance, but ſtraw and chaffe alſo for fodder for cattell: ſo faith furniſheth both body and ſoule with neceſſaries.
But the beſt and moſt naturall, is to vnderſtand the fruit of the faith of the Gentiles.
The manner of his comming: in the fulneſſe of the bleſſing of the Gospell.
The bleſſing of the Gospell: what this bleſſing is Authors diuerſly expound, but wee may from Paul himſelfe fetch the meaning, in the 1. Chapter, verſe 11.12. hee ſaith: I long to ſee you, that I may impart vntounto you ſome ſpirituall gift, to ſtrengthen and comfort you. The bleſſing of the Goſpell is nothing elſe but the comfort and ſtrength of Grace conueyed into our hearts by the preaching of the Goſpell.
With this Paul promiſes to come, wherein me thinkes he deales like vntounto fathers, who when they go abroad promiſe to bring their little ones ſomething, whereby they both ſtill them for their abſence, and make them long for their returne: So by this promiſe of his comming with bleſſing, he maketh them the more contented with his abſence, and inflameth them with a great deſire of his preſence.
This manner is amplified by the certainty, I know, by ſecret reuelation: This confidence of Paul is not ſo much to his commendation, as to the Romanes. For not onelyonly good ſeed, and a good Tilths man, but good ground is alſo neceſſary to a good crop: Herein Paul implyeth the confidence he bad that the Romans were a very Godly people, in whom he ſhould hauehave much comfort.
EueryEvery man is faithfully to performe that which he vndertakes: Doctr. Luke 12.42.43. Who is that faithfull and wiſe ſteward, &c. Bleſſed is that ſeruant, &c. ſo is the faithfull ſeruant commended, Mat. 25.21. and one of Moſes his principall praiſes was that he was faithfull. Numb. 12.7. Heb. 3.2.
Here Paul is an example vntounto all men, Ʋſe 1 faithfully to diſcharge the truſt committed vntounto them.
Let ſeruants apply it to themſelues, that they be no pickers or ſtealers, or waſters of their maſters goods committed to them, but let them ſhew all good faithfulneſſe.
Alſo Executors that they enrich not themſelues by the truſt committed vntounto them by the dead, to the damage of Orphanes, widowes, and ſuch who are to receiue lands or legacies. Gen. 47.29, 30, 31. et 50.5, 6, 7, et ſeq.Let them remember Ioſeph, who faithfully dealt with his Father Iacob according to his will.
Alſo all feoffees that they take no aduantage to them and their heires, but conſcionably diſcharge the truſt impoſed in them.
Alſo all ſuch to whom is committed any ſtocke of the Church or commonwealth to be imployed to neceſſary, 2 King. 22.7.ciuill or pious vſes, to be faithfull like theſe good men in Ioſiahs time ſpoken of in the 2. of the Kings.
And ſpecially all Ouerſeers for the poore, to remember Pauls example, and neither by any cunning to enrich themſelues by the money collected, nor by any negligence to diſſipate it: but in their ſtates, and eueryevery other way to huſband eueryevery thing for the beſt aduantage of the poore, for whom they are put in truſt.
Not to giuegive of a mans owne, is a ſinne, but to defraud the poore of that which others giuegive is a thing abominable: and ſuch vnfaithfulneſſe moſt vnworthy of pardon. Neither can any good be expected from ſuch as ſaith our Sauiour, Luke 16.10, 11, 12.
To deceiue a truſt committed vntounto vsus, argues a lewd minde, and among the Piſidians ſuch were to bee put to death. Alſo the Imperiall lawes adiudged him who conuerted things committed to his truſt, to his owne vſe, to be guilty of theft.
By proportion alſo Miniſters hereby are to be carefull to keepe that good thing which is committed to them: 1 Tim. 6.20. 2 Tim. 1.14.as Paul twice chargeth Timothy.
And if wee are faithfully to ſatisfie the truſt comitted by men: much more to deale faithfully in that which God committeth to our truſt: as our bodies and ſoules that we returne them vnpolluted, and the gifts and talents wee receiue, that we imploy them faithfully to our Maſters vſe.
The Grecians are an Example to all Chriſtians, Vſe 2 that they bring forth fruit of their profeſſion.
A Godly man is compared to a tree which is fruitfull: Pſal. 1. and herein ſaith Chriſt, is my Father glorified, Iohn 15.2 8.if you beare much fruit.
To ſpeake well, and make faire ſhewes without fruit, is to bring forth leaues onelyonly like the curſed fig-tree, and is the note of an Hypocrite: and to bring forth ill fruit, is the note of a profane beaſt.
To be planted in Paradiſe, and to be barren, or to beare ill fruit, as drunkenneſſe, whoredome, &c. is as contrary to nature, as it is agreeable to Nature, for the Sunne to ſhine, or the fire burne.
Let vsus then hauehave our fruit vntounto holineſſe, and the end euerlaſting life. Rom. 6.22.
An admonition, to miniſters, Vſe 3 what their principall endeuour ſhould bee when they receiue any place, namely to come with the fulneſſe of the bleſſing of the Gospell: they muſt liue, and yet to make their people partakers of the bleſſing of the Goſpell, muſt bee as, or more deare vntounto them then their liues.
Alſo to the people, to know what vſe they are to make of their teachers; not to make a gaine of them in outward things but to receiue by them the bleſſing of the Gospell.
We bring a bleſſing, and treaſure in earthen veſſels more precious then gold: faith, repentance, remiſſion of ſinnes, peace of conſcience, life eternall. Qui capere poteſt capiat. He that is able to receiue them let him receiue them, and woe to them which deſpiſe theſe things.