Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 3
VERSE 3. For euen Chriſt pleaſed not himſelfe, but, as it is written, The reproaches of them which reproached thee, fell on me.
IN this Verſe is another Argument prouing that we ſhould not pleaſe our ſelues, and it is richly amplified in the verſes following.
It is taken from example: Longum iter per praecepta, breue & efficax per exempla, Seneca.ſaid a Philoſopher: A compendious way to vertue, is to obſerue and follow good example: and therefore Paul vrgeth the precept with example, yea, with the beſt example of all others, euen of Chriſt; Chriſt pleaſed not himſelfe; therefore nor we muſt.
Or thus:
Whatſoeuer is written of Chriſt (in regard of his morall obedience) we muſt follow.
But it is written that he pleaſed not himſelfe:
Therefore.
The maior is proued in the fourth verſe. The minor is in this.
The Concluſion in the ſeuenth verſe.
In this verſe we hauehave two things: The Propoſition of the Example, and the Proofe of it.
The Propoſition in theſe words: Christ pleaſed not himſelfe, but.
The Proofe, from a written teſtimonie, in the reſt.
In the Propoſition, are; The perſon from whom the Example is drawne, which is Chriſt, and the Illuſtration of the perſon; firſt from a particle of ſpeciall note, whereby hee is accented: Euen Chriſt. Secondly, from diſſentany effects; He pleaſed not himſelfe, but vsus, or others.
Euen Christ: The liuely and only abſolute patterne of all vertue, in whom we neuer want matter of imitation. All others are to be followed, with this reſtraint, ſi rectè praeceſſerint, if they hauehave gone aright. And therefore Paul propoundeth his example to the Corinthians, with this clauſe; 1. Cor. 11.1.as I am of Christ: and to the Philippians, Philip. 3.17.he propoundeth himſelfe and others, as Types and Copies, not as Prototypes and Principalls, for ſo only is Chriſt.
Pleaſed not himſelfe: not that hee was diſpleaſed in taking vponupon him, and working our Redemption; for he moſt willingly vndertooke it, Luke 12.50.and was ſtraitned and grieued till it was finiſhed. But he ſought not his owne eaſe, or the content and ſatisfaction of the inclination of Nature, which abhorreth paine and the deſtruction of it ſelfe. He tooke ſuch a courſe which demonſtrated, that he ſought therein our good more then his owne eaſe or pleaſure.
But; here is an Elipſis of ſome thing, which is ſupplied thus; but vsus, or but others: and it is an elegant bringing in of the proofe, where in ſtead of the other Diſſentany, the probation is inferred.
It is written, The reproches of them which reproched thee, fell on mee.
This teſtimony is taken out of Pſal. 69.9. the firſt part of the verſe, The zeale of thine houſe hath eaten me vp, is applied to our Sauiour by his Diſciples, Ioh. 2.17. the other part here by Paul: in the firſt he ſheweth his zeale to God; in the ſecond his louelove to vsus: for hee grieuouſly tooke the ſinnes of men againſt his Father; and tranſlated the ſinnes of the Elect vponupon himſelfe, 1. Pet. 2.24.and expiated them: His owne ſelfe bare our ſinnes in his body on the tree.
By reproches he meaneth the ſinnes of the Elect, by a Synechdoche, one outragious kinde being put for all; and indeed all ſinne is a kind of reproch and deſpite to God.
Here alſo is another figure, the cauſe being put for the effect, ſinne for the puniſhment of it.
Fell on mee, as a moſt heauie burthen, vntounto which no ſtrength was ſufficient but Chriſts.
Chriſt was not in all his life and death indulgent to himſelfe, Doctr. pleaſing himſelfe, but he pleaſed vsus. 1. Cor. 11.1. Bee yee followers of me, euen as I alſo am of Chriſt: which words depend vponupon the laſt verſe of the tenth Chapter, where Paul declared that he pleaſed not himſelfe; as Chriſt ſought not his owne glory, Ioh. 8.50. ſo nor to pleaſe himſelfe.
Hence we are to be admoniſhed, Vſe 1 to beare with the infirmities of our neighbours: Chriſt was without ſinne or any defect, and needed not that any ſhould beare with him; wee need our ſelues to be borne withall: Chriſt bore the abominable ſinnes of his enemies, we the infirmities of our neighbours; Chriſt was not obliged by precept to hauehave done it, but we are; therefore if he did ſo much for vsus, freely of his owne accord, we are to doe ſo ſmall a thing for our brethren at his commandement: otherwiſe the reproofe of the vnmercifull ſeruant will lye vponupon vsus: I forgaue thee ten thouſand Talents, ſhouldest not thou hauehave had compaſſion on thy fellow ſeruant, and hauehave forgiuen him an hundred pence?
He that will liue godly, Ʋſe 2 muſt follow the example of our Sauiour Chriſt; Iudges 7.17.as Gideon bade his ſouldiers, looke on him, and doe likewiſe: Matth. 11.29.ſo Chriſt prouoketh vsus to his example, and alſo the Apoſtles; as Peter, 1. Pet. 2.21. and Paul in many places, for many particular duties: for Forgiueneſſe, Ephe. 4.32. for LoueLove, Epheſ. 5.2. for Humility, Philip. 2.5. for Beneficence, 2. Cor. 8.9. for the Profeſſion of faith, 1. Tim. 6.13. for Fidelity, Hebr. 3.2. &c.
Examine thy ſelfe whether thou be conformable to his example; if not, then art thou ſo farre wicked, as thou followeſt not his ſteppes.
He was peaceable, obedient to Magiſtrates, frequent in prayer; if thou beeſt contrary, neither art thou holy, nor belonging to his diſcipline.
Chriſt was a patterne of temperance, ſobriety, &c. The drunkard then, of all other, is one, who liueth moſt contrarie to our Sauiour Chriſt.
No maruell, if the Heathen were notoriouſly guilty of whoredome, drunkenneſſe, &c. for ſuch things are ſpoken of their gods: but our God, he is holy; our Master moſt innocent, a Lambe without ſpot, wholly pure, and without all ſin; like whom we muſt liue here, if we would liue like him hereafter.
When then thou ſhalt be tempted to drunkenneſſe, or any other ſinne, ſay as Vriah did; My Lord, and the people of my Lord, liue ſoberly, chaſtly, &c. and ſhall I commit ſuch things? As the Lord liueth, I will not doe this thing.2. Sam. 11.11.
Let the louelove of Chriſt to vsus, Ʋſe 3 constraine vsus to louelove and obey him.
Chriſt tooke vponupon him our ſinnes, and dyed vnderunder the burthen for vsus. He ſought not his owne pleaſure, but our good: let not vsus ſeeke to pleaſe our ſelues, but him.
What ſhould hauehave become of Manaſſes, Dauid, Mary Magdalen, Peter? Yea what ſhould hauehave become of vsus all, if he had ſought to eaſe and pleaſe himſelfe? Yea if he ſhould not beare with vsus eueryevery day.
Let nothing draw thee from his obedience, whom nothing could draw from effecting thy good.
If moſt vnſpeakable torments, moſt bitter death, moſt ſhamefull reproches, could hauehave done it, hee had neuer redeemed thee.
If counſell, euen Peters counſell could hauehave preuailed, Matth. 16.22.he had pleaſed himſelfe, to our eternall displeaſure: But he ouercame all impediments, to pleaſe and profit thee, though to his infinite paine; ſo doe thou, to pleaſe and obey him, though it ſhould coſt thee ten thouſand liues.
Sinnes are reproches againſt God, to commit drunkenneſſe, Ʋſe 4 whoredome, to blaſpheme, lye, ſlander, is to reuile the moſt High.
Hee that curſeth and reuileth his Parents, is worthy of death; much more if the Creature ſhall reproach his Creator.
God accounteth himſelfe honored, when wee obey him, and diſhonored by our rebellions: remember what is written, and reproch him not. The Lord ſaith, Them that honor me, 1. Sam. 2.30.I will honor, and they that despiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed.